Three days of roadworks in Ripon city centre begin on MondayNorth Yorkshire Council highway engineers will be carrying out trial roadworks along both Market Place East and Market Place West in Ripon next week.
When ongoing, between Monday and Wednesday, each road will be kept open but reduced to a single lane, meaning traffic disruption and delays are inevitable.
The work follows last week’s news that £630,000 has been allocated for a comprehensive tarmac resurfacing of both roads to be carried out next October.
North Yorkshire Council said in a statement:
“Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout and on-site personnel will assist in managing access to properties and businesses within the works area.”
Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council and a members of the Conservative and Independents Group on North Yorkshire Council, where he represents the Minster and Moorside Division, told the Stray Ferret:
“There will be some disruption, but the works are necessary, to enable the engineers to design a scheme that will provide a lasting solution to the problems and potential risks that pedestrians, motorists and cyclists have experienced over many years, after the previous tarmacked surface was replaced with block sets that did not have adequate foundations.”
Picture: Market Place East and West roads will be reduced to a single lane while work is on-going
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Derelict Ripon petrol station finally set to be redevelopedA decades-long wait to build flats on a former petrol station at Skellbank in Ripon could finally end soon.
The site has been derelict for more than 20 years and has been described as an “eyesore” by local residents.
In 2003, Harrogate Borough Council approved a plan to demolish it in order to build eight flats but it never came to fruition with the permission now lapsed.
A similar plan was submitted in 2016 but was then withdrawn three years later.
However, Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams revealed at a recent meeting that he’s had confirmation from the site’s owner that it will submit a new planning application for eight flats in the next few weeks.
The former petrol station is in a residential area on the edge of the city centre and is on the route from Ripon towards popular tourist landmark Fountains Abbey.
Cllr Williams said:
“I’m hopeful that an application will be lodged in next few weeks that will hopefully, after decades of this land being derelict and an eyesore, mean it’s brought back into constructive use.
“Members of this council have repeatedly expressed concerns about this site and I’ve used what influence I have to get it this far. I’ve also had indication that the owner would consider screening the site in the interim.
“Residents in that area have for years had to look out onto that piece of land. I hope in the next 12 months that piece of land will be transformed into something much more appropriate.”
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Ripon gets set for Saturday’s festive lights switch on
Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing on Saturday, with the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights, combined with an afternoon of family entertainment.
The illuminations will come on at 5pm and before then, Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm onwards with Santa and his reindeer, free fairground rides and live music between 3pm and 6pm.
The event is being organised by the city council, with support from Ripon Business Improvement District.
Festive lights on Fishergate are ready for Saturday evening’s city-wide switch on
Enhancements have been made to the city council’s decorative displays thanks to £4,000 of funding from the BID and the £7,000 raised through the Christmas Lights Appeal, run by Councillor Eamon Parkin during his three consecutive years in office as Mayor of Ripon between May 2019 and May 2022
The year-on-year improvements ensure that the city centre and adjoining streets will be lit with festive lights throughout the season.
For the second year running, the BID has paid for the production and distribution of 25,000 brochures, promoting Ripon as an attractive retail destination for both residents and visitors.
The brochure, which is being delivered to homes in the city and surrounding areas, highlights a strong mix of independent traders, while providing details about the events that will be happening in Ripon, between now and New Year’s Eve.
Main picture: Santa and his reindeer are due to arrive at 1pm
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Ripon residents call for driving instructors to stop engine idlingResidents of a Ripon street that is a favourite destination for driving instructors have raised concerns about vehicle emissions affecting their health.
Marjorie Sanderson and Geoff Haldenby (pictured), who are neighbours on South Grange Road, took their plea for assistance to Ripon City Council and councillors agreed to take action, in a bid to stop drivers parking near their houses and those of other residents with car engines running.
Mr Haldenby, who suffers from the lung condition pleural plaques, told the Stray Ferret:
“In the three years that I have lived here, I’ve had five bouts of pneumonia and that made me think that there may be a correlation between my worsening health and exposure to exhaust fumes.”
He added:
“Having spoken with Marjorie and other neighbours who are also concerned about the impact that emissions have on health, we decided to seek support from the city council and we were very encouraged by the response that we received.”
At Monday’s full council meeting, Ms Sanderson, pointed out:
“We have instances of driving instructors teaching other instructors, who park up on the road for long periods with their engines running, either to keep their cars cool in summer or warm in winter.
“This is a regular occurrence and with engine idling an offence under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, we want to see the law enforced.”
After approaches were made to North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe and North Yorkshire Council, Ms Sanderson and Mr Haldenby, contacted the city council and both spoke at Monday’s meeting.
Council leader Andrew Williams, said he was aware that many driving instructors use South Grange Road and other neighbouring streets on their training routes.
It was unanimously agreed that he would raise the issue of engine idling with both North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police and request that enforcement action is taken when an offence is committed.
The Royal College of Physicians estimate that 40,000 deaths per year in the UK are linked to air pollution, and engine idling contributes to this, because vehicles give off higher emissions when stationary than when they are moving.
Decision day approaches for £630,000 Ripon city centre resurfacing schemeRipon will discover later this week if a £630,000 road resurfacing scheme will be included in North Yorkshire Council’s capital funding programme for delivery next year.
City councillors have been calling for many years for the sets of paving blocks on Market Place East and Market Place West, which have become damaged and uneven, to be removed and replaced with a tarmac surface.
At last night’s full city council meeting, leader Andrew Williams, told members:
“The North Yorkshire highways team is preparing designs in anticipation of allocated funds to resurface areas of the road network surrounding Market Square.
“It is being considered for funding as part of the wider capital funding programme and if approved will see a scheme delivered next October.”
Tarmac patches have been put in place on some of the worst affected areas of the city centre roads.
Cllr Williams, who represents the Minster and Moorside division on North Yorkshire Council and is a member of the the Conservative and Independent Group, added:
“I’ve been in regular communication with the highways team about the proposed scheme and the process is going to take a little longer than hoped for and will cost more than initially anticipated.
“This is due to the fact that site investigations carried out by highways engineers, showed that the sub core under Market Place East is sand and every time it rains the road surface moves.”
The need to put new foundations in place before the new tarmac surface can be laid has seen the projected cost for the scheme rise from £500,000 to £630.000.
North Yorkshire Council has confirmed that in preparation for the proposed scheme, necessary site investigations have already started and will commence further later this month.
This will involve road closures on separate days of Market Place East and Market Place West and a traffic management plan associated with the works will be communicated to the local stakeholders and the public, once dates are finalised with the contractors.
Both Market Place East (main picture) and Market Place West will be resurfaced next autumn if the scheme receives the go-ahead.
Ripon hornblower ‘calls the watch’ in London for first time in 1,000-year historyRipon’s hornblower “called the watch” over the River Thames last night for the first time in its 1,000-year history.
Allison Clark, who became the city’s first female hornblower in 2017, represented the north’s smallest city on City Cruises’ flagship vessel, Erasmus, as part of the World Travel Market Event – a travel and tourism trade show which takes place at Excel London.
The special dispensation was agreed by Ripon City Council, and the event was jointly hosted by North Yorkshire Council, Visit York, Visit Leeds and Herriot Country Tourism.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for the visitor economy, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said:
“The visitor economy is a major contributor to North Yorkshire’s economy, bringing in more than £1.5 billion a year and attracting over 33 million visitors from domestic visits alone to the county.
“I am extremely proud of our heritage and having a hornblower from our area sound the horn over the River Thames for the first time in over a thousand years is quite the honour.”
Allison Clark calls the watch last night. Pic: James Glossop.
Representatives from each local board were invited as part of the All Aboard For Yorkshire initiative, which aimed to showcase the culture and beauty on offer across York and North Yorkshire.
Ms Clark added:
“Along with my three hornblower colleagues, I must have one of the longest-standing, unaltered job descriptions in the world.
“I never imagined when I took the role that I would be on the Thames next to the Tower of London announcing that North Yorkshire is ‘at large’ in London!”
Gemma Rio, head of tourism at North Yorkshire Council, also said the council is “on a mission to broadcast to the global travel industry, to look, and book, ‘up north’”.
North Yorkshire was represented at the World Travel Market by North Yorkshire Council, Herriot Country Tourism and Visit York as part of the UK Inbound stand.
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Stand in memory of Ripon Rugby Club stalwart backed by councillorsRipon Rugby Club’s plan to build a 100-seater stand at its Mallorie Park ground has moved a step closer.
If approved by North Yorkshire Council, the new spectator facility will be paid for from a legacy left to the club by former first team captain and president Tim Wray, who died in 2018.
At its full Ripon City Council meeting on Monday, members gave their support to a planning application, which also includes a request to build pitch-side shelters/dugouts for coaches, players and disabled supporters.
Other planned improvements are a new shed for ground maintenance equipment, a security fence and creation of a new entry route into the site.
Should planning consent be granted, the stand, alongside the club’s first team pitch, will be named The Tim Wray Stand as a lasting tribute to the club’s benefactor.
Ripon Rugby Union Football Club, is approaching its 140th anniversary, having been founded in 1886.
The club, which has 800 members and its own clubhouse, has two men’s and one women’s teams, along with one of the largest junior sections in the north of England.
In addition to its focus on rugby, it hosts Ripon Runners and provides facilities that are used by community groups and organisations.
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Homes England earmarks £10m for major Ripon housing site contributionsA total of £10 million has been budgeted to cover items in a Section 106 agreement being drawn up by Homes England for the 1,300-home Clotherholme development at the Ripon Barracks site.
The money will fund a number of areas, including off-site highway adjustments and contributions towards primary and secondary education provision and primary healthcare.
In addition, under the legally-binding agreement, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, is required to put a strategy in place to “secure military heritage within the site”.
On Monday, Homes England project manager Martin Wilks and senior planning and enabling manager David Rowlinson, met with city councillors to provide a progress report on the major scheme, that will eventually increase Ripon’s population by 20%.
In February, Harrogate Borough Council planning committee said it was minded to grant planning consent for the Clotherholme scheme and Mr Wilks, pointed out:
“The next stage on the planning process is to present the Section 106 agreement to North Yorkshire Council for approval.”
He added:
“The Section 106 monies have been set at £10 million to cover areas including off-site traffic interventions and contributions to education provision,”
The 21 Regiment of the Royal Engineers is scheduled to vacate the site by March 2026 and enabling works for the homes development will start in 2025.
In the meantime, Homes England is drawing up a sustainable drainage plan for the scheme with Yorkshire Water and working on a design guide for the development with Ripon Civic Society.
Meetings have been held with Ripon Military Heritage Trust regarding the protection and preservation of historically-important buildings and bridges on the site and a further meeting with them is planned for November 7.
Matters raised by councillors included the significance of the site’s rich military Heritage, increased traffic generation and the impact it will have on the city’s roads infrastructure and the additional strain that an increase in population will put on healthcare provision.
In view of the number of issues put forward, it was agreed that Mr Wilks and Mr Rowlinson will hold further meetings with councillors to focus on specific concerns that they have in relation to the development.
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Council reiterates call for police base at Ripon Town HallCouncillors have reiterated the call for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to fulfil her promise to establish a police presence in Ripon Town Hall.
Members at last night’s full Ripon City Council meeting said the need for visible and accessible policing in the city centre had increased because of recurring issues of antisocial behaviour and vandalism.
The problems range from vandal attacks on cars parked in the the city centre to stones being thrown through house windows — one of which injured the occupants.
Councillor Pauline McHardy said:
“Youths are making people’s lives a misery and blighting this city and residents need somewhere convenient to go to to report these incidents when they occur.”
City Council leader Andrew Williams received unanimous support in his call to approach Ms Metcalfe, whose time in office will end in May when her office’s duties are transferred to the new York and North Yorkshire mayor’s office. He reminded fellow councillors:
“In February, the commissioner issued a press release to say that a £91,000 refurbishment of space in the town hall was already underway and would be completed by June, but this wasn’t correct.
“Since then, nothing has materialised and we need to write to the commissioner in the strongest terms calling on her to keep the promise that she made.”
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At the time of the February announcement, councillors were hopeful the move to create a public consultation room, an office and a room for officers would help tackle crime in the city, providing an additional site to Ripon’s main Police and Fire Station at Stonebridgegate.
In August, a spokesperson for the crime commissioner said following the decision to approve funding for the move into the town hall, the ground floor space originally offered by Harrogate Borough Council was changed by the new North Yorkshire Council, in conjunction with Ripon City Council.
Alternative space was then offered on the second floor which it said will need to be assessed for “public accessibility and operational use”.
The spokesperson said:
“Commissioner Zoë is committed to ensuring that the residents of Ripon are provided with consistent, visible policing, and it is understood that North Yorkshire Police are currently in the process of assessing a number of additional sites in the heart of the city to ensure the local policing team are accessible to the public.”
Ms Metcalfe added:
“When elected as police, fire and crime commissioner I made a commitment to the people of North Yorkshire that I would strive to ensure that they would always be safe and feel safe, with efficient use of public resources being one of my five key priorities.”
Knaresborough and Ripon picked to advance double devolution bidsKnaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council have been picked to advance double devolution bids, which will see them take control of some local assets.
North Yorkshire Council invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local services in November last year.
It was part of the Conservative-controlled council’s double devolution agenda which pledges to let local people take control of local assets.
In total, 12 expressions of interest were submitted to the council. Of these, three were from the Harrogate district.
The authority has now confirmed it will move forward bids from Knaresborough and Ripon, but Little Ouseburn’s proposal was rejected.
David Chance, executive councillor for corporate services at the council, said:
“Town and parish councils are integral to our county’s vibrant communities, alongside community groups, and we recognise their understanding of the needs, opportunities and strengths within their communities.
“That’s why we are looking at this pilot scheme, working initially with selected town and parish councils, enabling us to progress cautiously, learning from the experience and developing best practice.
“These proposed pilots are just the start of the process, and the hope is that more will be introduced throughout North Yorkshire in the future.”
Ripon City Council bid to control assets including the market place.
Knaresborough Town Council’s application to manage the town’s markets, storage facility and associated assets such as road closure signs will be progressed to a full business case.
Meanwhile, the council will consider a project team to work with Ripon City Council on its bid as it was deemed “particularly ambitious”.
It included management of Ripon Town Hall, Market Place and Car Park, public toilets within the city and the Wakeman’s House listed building.
However, the council rejected to take a bid from Little Ouseburn Parish Council further. It included management of the grass cutting of the green area outside Broomfield Cottages.
Senior councillors will consider recommendations at an executive meeting on October 17.
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