North Yorkshire Police has launched an arson investigation after a fire last night at the Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate.

Eight fire engines were called to the blaze at the hotel off Kings Road at around 11pm. Half the main building was damaged by smoke and an annex was destroyed.

Firefighters closed the road for several hours.

A spokesperson for the police confirmed to the Stray Ferret that officers are now investigating the incident as arson.

They said:

“The incident has been confirmed as arson and a police investigation has been commenced.

“Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area, or anyone who has any information which would assist officers with their enquiries is asked to contact the force control room on 101, quoting reference 12230042171.”

Pictures of the damage caused by the fire inside the hotel. Picture: Harrogate Fire Station.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s incident log this morning said:

“Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Tadcaster, Northallerton, Skipton and Malton along with the aerial ladder platform responded to reports of smoke issuing from a disused hotel.

“Crews used 20 breathing apparatus, four hose reel jets, one main jet and lance, lighting, thermal imaging cameras, small tools, door enforcer, hydraulic spreaders, reciprocating saw, drills and a triple extension ladder to fight the fire.

“The fire caused 100% fire damage to the annex measuring 10m by 10m and caused 5% fire damage and 50% smoke damage to the main building.”

The hotel off Kings Road has recently being subject to drug and crime concerns.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s former Kimberley Hotel being used for drugs and crime, say police
• Kimberley Hotel owner goes into liquidation amid £3.5m debts
• Harrogate’s former Kimberley Hotel being used for drugs and crime, say police

Two well-known and well-used Ripon locations are awaiting repairs after sustaining damage in last week’s Storm Otto.

At the Workhouse Museum in Allhallowgate, part of a chimney stack was brought down by Friday’s high winds and at the nearby bus station, four perspex panels from the roof of a shelter were dislodged by the gale.

Both locations have been made safe and remain open for museum visitors and the travelling public.

The bus station shelter pictured before firefighters removed the damaged perspex roof panels

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust, told the Stray Ferret:

“Storm Otto damaged a lot of property in the district and part of a chimney stack on the west wing of the main workhouse building came down and made two holes in our roof, which have been covered with tarpaulin to minimise any rainwater damage.”

“We are in close touch with our insurers to get an appropriate and timely repair and, as a listed building, we will ensure that this is carried out sensitively, including re-using as much of the stonework as we can, getting the right chimney pot design and so on.”

The cordoned-off area at the Workhouse Museum

Ms Thornton added:

“We have cordoned off the area below the damaged roof and spoken to the other users of the site. Thankfully, we can remain open as usual to museum visitors, groups and schools.”

Following the damage to the roof panels in the bus station shelter, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue issued a statement saying:

“Ripon crews attended the bus station to make a bus shelter safe for the public. Large pieces of perspex had fallen off the roof. Crews removed all perspex using a ladder and small tools.”

A person was taken to hospital today after a two-vehicle collision on the A59 at Blubberhouses.

Harrogate firefighters responded to the incident at 3.13pm this afternoon.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said one person was trapped in their vehicle.

It added:

“Crews made both vehicles safe and removed the door of one vehicle to allow paramedics access to the trapped casualty.

“Crews assisted in extricating the casualty, who was suffering head injuries, before handing them into the care of ambulance crews to be transported to hospital.”

The incident led to delays on the main route between Harrogate and Skipton.

Read more:

• Five-vehicle collision blocks A59 at Blubberhouses
• Work on £69m Kex Gill realignment delayed until January

The chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service has admitted there’s “work to do” following the publication of a highly critical report that questioned the service’s ability to respond to fires.

The report was published last week by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and it graded North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service following an inspection last year.

It found the service had deteriorated in most areas since its last full inspection in 2018/19.

The report said the organisation’s overall effectiveness “requires improvement” and more needs to be done to keep people safe and secure.

The inspection found that the number of available fire engines sometimes falls to below minimum levels.

It also said the way the service manages its finances is “inadequate” due to the “fragility” of the budget. It described the overall financial situation as “precarious”.

Read more

• Fire service availability ‘incredibly concerning’ says North Yorkshire commissioner
• North Yorkshire fire service has adequate funding, says minister
• ‘Serious concerns’ over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue finances, say inspectors

While the report was largely critical of the service provided to the public, it did praise the organisation for its fire prevention work and how it responds to major incidents.

Chief fire officer, Jonathan Dyson, responded to the report at a public accountability meeting last week for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

He said progress has been made since the inspection took place and tried to reassure the public that it is able to respond to incidents.

Mr Dyson said: 

“We’ve work to do. There’s a reflection that it’s a bad report but the service has made improvements.

“We have a back to basics approach to ensure we are building an organisation from the foundations up. We provide competent fire fighters and a competent response and we’ll always deliver at incidents whenever the public needs us.”

Mr Dyson was appointed by Conservative Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe in May 2022, which was after the inspection took place.

Commissioner Metcalfe told the meeting:

“I’ve appointed a new senior leadership team and I’ve worked with the chief fire officer to implement a rigorous and ongoing programme of improvement to support this process and I will continue to hold the service to account. I am confident that marked improvements have already been made.

“I would like to thank staff and firefighters who continue to make communities safe and they have my full support to improve the service going forward.”

Inspectors have raised “serious concerns” over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s finances and its ability to respond to fires and other risks.

Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services undertook an inspection of the service in spring 2022 for its effectiveness and efficiency.

The report, released today, rates the service as requiring improvement for its effectiveness at keeping people safe.

Meanwhile, the service was rated as inadequate for its efficiency in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks.

It was also graded as inadequate for how it looked after its staff.

‘Serious concerns’

In his report, Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire Services, said he had concerns over the sustainability of the service’s financial plans and its ability to respond to fire and other risks.

Mr Wilsher said the service’s use of resources was inadequate due to the “fragility of its budget”.

He added that he had concern over whether the organisation had the ability to get the right staff with the right skills due to a “lack of robust workforce planning”.

However, Mr Wilsher said the service was good at preventing fires and other risks and had piloted public safety officers at the time of inspection.

He said:

“Since its last inspection, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance has deteriorated in most areas.

“Although the service is good at preventing fires and other risks, I have concerns about its ability to respond to them. We have also highlighted serious concerns about how sustainable its financial plans are for managing these risks in an affordable way.

“It needs to make sure collaboration activities, such as those with police are effective and provide value for money. It currently shares some business services with North Yorkshire Police and the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner, but there is little evidence to show its benefits to the service.

“Our inspection also found the service to be inadequate in how it looks after its people. The service needs to improve how it promotes the right values and culture, as well as how it maintains and develops staff performance.

“In view of these findings, we have been in regular contact with the newly appointed chief fire officer and will be revisiting the service to monitor its progress.”

Fire service ‘very disappointed’

In response, Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the report.

He said:

“While this is a very disappointing outcome, it is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our staff show, every day, to keeping our communities safe, and feeling safe. The inspectors have said that we are good at preventing fires and other risks and responding to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Much of what the Inspectors have focused on relates to service-level policies and practices.

“We do need to acknowledge that the Inspection came at a time of significant change for our service. We were just coming out of covid and transitioning to a new chief fire officer.”

Read more

• Fire service availability ‘incredibly concerning’ says North Yorkshire commissioner
• North Yorkshire fire service has adequate funding, says minister

Mr Dyson added that the service was “absolutely committed” to improving over the next two years as part of an improvement plan and service transformation.

Meanwhile, Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:

“I welcome regular inspections from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), because the reports are an independent and rigorous assessment which I can use to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service becomes an Outstanding Service. I am confident that NYFRS will become an exemplary Service and we are already on our journey to achieve that, I am committed to our success.

“It is extremely important for the public to understand that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service keeps people safe as noted in the report where the Service is recognised as being good at preventing fires and other emergencies and good in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Although major areas for improvement have been identified, the report recognises the great work being done by firefighters and staff to keep our communities safe. And I want to pay tribute to our courageous and dedicated fire personnel, who have my full support as they go about their vital work – as well as playing their part in improving our Service.”

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been given the power to increase the police’s share of council tax by £15 this year.

Zoe Metcalfe, the Conservative commissioner, is currently consulting on her budget plans for police and fire services for 2023.

The government has given commissioners the power to increase the force’s share of council tax by £15 before a referendum has to be held.

It has also set a £5 limit on the fire service precept.

A £15 hike in the police precept would be the equivalent of a 5.34% increase and see the force’s share of council tax rise to £296 for a band D property.

Ms Metcalfe has previously warned North Yorkshire Police needs £12 million in extra funding to tackle rising costs, including salary increases and rising cost of fuel and utilities.

She said previously:

“One of my roles is to set the precepts for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, something every commissioner has to do every year.

“It is never easy asking for more money, and I know that many individuals and families are facing financial pressures, but our emergency services are also dealing with rising costs as they continue their vital work to keep us all safe.

“This year is particularly challenging as I have to balance the burden on taxpayers and the growing demands for services from our police and fire and rescue services, so it’s vital that I hear your views.”

Read more:

• Crime commissioner Zoë Metcalfe resigns from Harrogate Borough Council
• North Yorkshire Police needs £12m to meet rising costs, says commissioner
• Impartiality concerns over crime commissioner’s plan to share office with Harrogate police

A £15 increase would see an additional £4.7 million in funding compared with last year’s precept level.

The commissioner’s office says the force has a budget of £191 million — 45% of which comes from council tax payers.

Meanwhile, a £5 increase for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue would equate to a 6.6% increase in its precept.

It would raise £1.5 million and “would lead to no reductions in planned levels of service delivery”, according to a report by the commissioner’s office.

Ms Metcalfe is expected to outline her budget plans for fire and police services in February 2023.

The consultation into police and fire precepts closes on January 16, 2023. You can take part in the survey here.

Fire fighters tackled a deliberate lorry fire on the A168 near Cowthorpe last night.

Crews from Knaresborough and Harrogate attended the blaze at 11.21pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was inside the trailer of the lorry and the cause was believed to be deliberate.

Crews said the trailer was stationary.

The service added in an incident log:

“Crews extinguished the fire using two breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, small tools and a thermal imaging camera.”

Read more:

• Firefighters called to sauna fire at Rudding spa
• ‘Harrogate firefighters being used as guinea pigs’, says union
• Harrogate district firefighters tackle four ‘significant incidents’ overnight

Fire crews were called to a kitchen fire in Ripon yesterday.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue received the call to flats on the city’s Blossomgate at 3.17pm.

A woman who lived in the flat was treated for smoke inhalation but did not require hospital treatment.

Crews from Ripon and Harrogate attended the kitchen fire. North Yorkshire Police and paramedics were also on the scene.

An incident log from the fire service said:

“Ripon and Harrogate crews attended a kitchen fire. Two breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet was used.

“Female occupant was treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics on the scene.”

Read more:

• Firefighters called to sauna fire at Rudding spa
• ‘Harrogate firefighters being used as guinea pigs’, says union

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

How long will the A59 roadworks take?

In reference to the ongoing roadworks at the A59 junction with the A658 near Goldsborough.

It is clear that the deadline is just being extended again and again. Earlier this week it was due to finish this Friday, now it is November 27. 

Yorkshire Water must know how long the whole project will take – why can’t they just say and then we can all be clear what is going on or not.

Steve Cove, Boroughbridge

Read more:

• Stray Views: Where is green energy in Maltkiln plans?
• Stray Views: My dog was banned from church — this is wrong!

One fire appliance is ‘not good management’

As one person has stated, cutting down to one appliance at night time is a not good management. 

As a retired firefighter of 30 years of experience, I can state that there are more fatalities at night time by the event that the fire is discovered later than during the day. One reader has made the same comment.

I know what I am talking about as I attended quite a few fatalities during my time as I served in a city fire service.

Leonard Redmond, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Fire fighters were called to a major blaze at a caravan storage site in Scotton last night.

Crews from Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Harrogate and Ripon responded to the fire on Market Flat Lane.

An incident response unit from Malton was also called to the blaze.

Local resident Ed Marshall captured the below video from the fire, which happened at around 7.30pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in an incident log that multiple vehicles were affected by the blaze.

The service added:

“Crews used hose reel jets and breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire which had affected multiple vehicles.

“The cause of this fire is to be confirmed.”

Read more:

• Confirmed: Harrogate to have just one night time fire engine
• Majority support Harrogate fire station changes, consultation reveals
• ‘Harrogate firefighters being used as guinea pigs’, says union