Artisan market returns to Ripon on bank holiday MondayRipon Little Bird Artisan Market will return on Monday.
The May Bank Holiday event will be the first staged by Ripon City Council for 18 months.
The covid lockdown put paid to all public and civic events planned by the council in 2020.
They included the 75th anniversary celebrations for VE Day, Saint Wilfrid’s procession and Remembrance Sunday.
Andrew Williams, council leader and chair of the city council’s events committee, said:
“For the first time in 18 months Ripon City Council is once again able to provide an event for local people to enjoy.
“I hope that as lockdown restrictions ease we will be able to return to the larger scale events that we have hosted so successfully in recent years.
“We have ambitious plans for the summer onwards and will provide further details on our plans as soon as we are able to do so.”
The time has come for Ripon City Council to stage its first event since the covid lockdown
The market will have more than 40 artisans selling homemade local products.
It will be open from 10am to 3pm and social distancing measures will be in place.
As well as providing a platform for the artisans to display and sell their goods, the council hopes it will attract footfall to benefit businesses in the city.
Items on sale will include clothing, jewellery, hand-crafted wood items and food.
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Jackie Crozier, owner and curator of Little Bird Artisan Markets, said:
“The Ripon artisan market celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of the local traders, inviting visitors and residents to discover artisanal crafts from up-and-coming local businesses and further afield
“As someone who was born and lives in Ripon, I am very proud to hold events in the city I am passionate about.”
For more information on the artisan market or to become involved as an artist, artisan or vendor, email info@littlebirdmade.co.uk.
Call to reduce Ripon barracks development by 500 homesRipon City Council is calling for a 500-homes reduction in the size of the barracks development.
The 1,300-dwelling Clotherholme scheme proposed by Homes England, has raised concerns about the impact of more vehicles on Ripon’s roads.
City council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“We support comprehensive redevelopment of the former barracks site and welcome the much-needed new and affordable homes it will bring.
“However, we believe that to avoid traffic gridlock in Ripon, numbers need to be scaled back to 800.”
Residents living on Kirkby Road are among those concerned about the traffic that the Clotherholme development will generate.
The call for reduced numbers was supported at a recent special meeting of the city council.
Councillors also approved spending on a further report from Ripon-based traffic, highways and transport engineering consultant David Walpole.
When the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan was being drawn up, it was envisaged that the barracks site would provide space for 800 new homes.
The site, encompassing Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks, initially included 11 hectares earmarked for employment uses.
After the allocation of land for employment uses was reduced, Homes England sought outline planning approval for a 1,300-home scheme.
A transport assessment prepared in support of the development, was described as ‘flawed’ by Ripon City Council.
It claimed it fails to address core issues local residents have raised.
City councillor Mike Chambers, who is also Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet member for homes and safer communities and a North Yorkshire county councillor, said:
“There are clearly traffic issues that need to be looked at.
“We want to work with Homes England and planners to achieve the best possible result for the people of Ripon.”
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Kirkby Road will be the principal route linking the Clotherholme development with the city centre.
Residents living there, including members of the Ripon Residents Action Group, have consistently lobbied for road improvements ahead of the construction of new housing.
‘We need urgent action to safeguard Ripon Spa Baths’Ripon City Council has vowed to do everything within its power to keep Ripon Spa Baths as a community asset for public use.
Councillors agreed unanimously last night on the need for urgent action to prevent the Grade II listed building from being sold for residential development.
They rallied to a call from council leader Andrew Williams, who said:
“We cannot let Harrogate Borough Council sell the spa baths from under our noses.”
Councillor Mike Chambers, who sits on both Ripon City Council and Harrogate Borough Council, representing Ripon Spa, said:
“We need to get this sorted now.”
Cllr Chambers, who is Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities, added:
“It is clear that Harrogate Borough Council wants a capital receipt for this building and we must approach them and find out exactly what they have planned.”
On the market – Ripon Spa Baths.
Councillor Pauline McHardy said:
“Harrogate is trying to rush a sale through. We need to have detailed consultation and time to consider the future use of this asset that belongs to the city.”
A motion put forward by Cllr Williams, calling on Harrogate Borough Council to ensure the spa complex remains in public use as a community facility, was supported by all members.
It was also agreed to arrange a meeting with Ripon Civic Society and all other interested parties to investigate options.
If deemed necessary, after that meeting, the city council will look to appoint specialist consultants to advise on the development of heritage assets for community use.
Cllr Williams said:
“This is important in a growing city, which will see more than 1,700 new homes being built in future years.
“We can’t afford to see the loss of community facilities, with developments such as Clotherholme coming on stream.”
Ripon Civic Society has already stated that it favours development Spa complex for the NHS – in line with the neighbourhood plan for the city.
Councillor Stephen Craggs believes that the building should be developed as a facility for young people in Ripon. He said:
“This is a once in a generation opportunity and we must get it right.”
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For sale signs are already in place at the spa baths.
A statement issued by Harrogate Borough Council said the building is being replaced with a new six-lane swimming pool as part of an extended and refurbished Ripon Leisure Centre.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
“Ripon Spa Baths has served the community well over the years.
“The future sale, and redevelopment of the listed building, would allow this local asset to be redeveloped (subject to planning approval), retain key features and remain as a city landmark.”
Ripon’s Quarry Moor play area to be upgraded for summerOne of Ripon’s favourite play areas is to be refurbished in time for summer.
New equipment will be installed in Quarry Moor park, funded by the 2021-2022 parish precept.
The park, just off the A61 on the southern approach to Ripon, was donated to the city in 1945 by Alderman Thomas Fowler Spence.
It currently includes an activities centre for children as well as outdoor play equipment.
Ripon City Council leader, councillor Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“The play equipment, that adds to the park’s attraction for families with young children, has been in need of replacement for some time.
“With the prospect of the covid lockdown being lifted later this year, we want to ensure that the work is completed in readiness for the summer months.”
The land, which includes woodland walks, was left in trust by the former mayor on the understanding that it would be:
“Kept for Ripon children for all time.”
The 24-acre site was a limestone quarry for hundreds of years until the 1950s. It was also used for military training during the Second World War.
In 1986, after extensive conservation work by volunteers, it was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Quarry Moor Activities Centre
The area includes species-rich calcareous grassland and a protected wildflower meadow.
A woodland path was added in 2019.
Ripon prides itself on being child-friendly and for many years the city council has supported free family events.
These include the St Wilfrid’s Day procession in August, the switch-on of Christmas lights and New Year’s Eve entertainment on Market Square.
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The coronavirus crisis and social distancing requirements, in place since last March, caused the cancellation of mass participation activities.
For the upcoming financial year, £100,000 is being allocated for public events from summer onwards.
It is hoped that covid will be under sufficient control to allow them to go ahead.
Ripon’s parish precept for 2021-2022 will generate £400,000. Council taxpayers in the city will pay £70 towards it, in addition to council tax paid to North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.
Ripon councillors request 14 speed sign sitesRipon City Council has asked North Yorkshire County Council to approve its request for 14 vehicle activated speed signs.
The county council, which is the highways authority, has the ultimate say over where the signs can be placed.
It has indicated it will approve use of the signs, which are intended to encourage drivers to obey speed restrictions rather than punish them, on no more than eight Ripon streets.
But Ripon councillors have identified 14 hotspots for the traffic-calming measure and hope they will all be approved.
The signs show drivers their speed and whether they are going too fast. The cost of adapting each lamp post to include a sign is £500 plus VAT.
Paula Benson, clerk to Ripon City Council, told February’s full council meeting the county council had said it was prepared to approve the use of the signs on no more than eight Ripon streets.
Councillors voted unanimously to call on the county council to approve more locations.
They also said that if additional money was required for signs and installation it should come from the city council.
City, Harrogate district and county councillor, Stuart Martin, said:
“Members of the public have told us where these signs are needed.
“We should stick with the locations that have been identified and requested.”
Council leader Andrew Williams added:
“Ripon is not a small village, it’s a growing city with more traffic and therefore increased risk to pedestrians.”
Whitcliffe Lane – one of 14 locations on the city council list for a speed awareness sign.
Because the signs are mobile, they can be moved around the city and put in selected traffic hotspots for a few weeks at a time.
Councillor Pauline McHardy, said:
“It’s a way of educating motorists driving in different parts of Ripon, by making them aware of their speed.”
Among the locations on the city council list is Kirkby Road, where residents have likened a 300-metre stretch with no white lines to a ‘race track’.
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Across the city, Whitcliffe Lane has also been put forward as a street in need of a speed sign.
The lane is alongside a new housing development at the former Ripon Cathedral Choir School site, which has increased traffic.
This situation is being repeated in other parts of Ripon, where new housing schemes are coming on stream.
Ripon Spa Baths up for sale amid housing fearsHarrogate Borough Council has officially put 116-year-old Ripon Spa Baths up for sale despite fears it could be turned into housing.
The Grade II listed building has gone on the market in advance of a new £10.2 million Ripon Leisure Centre opening this year.
Commercial property agents Sanderson Weatherall has advertised the baths for an undisclosed price.
The sale document includes a quote from the council’s planning department saying the property could be suitable for “low density residential use” or “community uses”.
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Ripon City Council passed a motion this month to prevent Harrogate Borough Council selling the baths to a private developer for residential or other redevelopment.
The sale has angered city councillors, who say the borough council did not consult with them.
Ripon Civic Society also called on the borough council to consider how the building could be used to improve health provision in the city.
Harrogate Borough Council declined to comment when the Stray Ferret asked how much it hoped to raise from the sale.
A spokesman previously said:
“Ripon Spa Baths has served the community well over the years and is now being replaced by a modern, state-of-the-art pool at Ripon Leisure Centre, following significant investment by the borough council.
“This new six-lane 25-metre pool will offer 70 per cent more water space, extensive changing facilities, bicycle and car parking and complements the extensively improved leisure centre.
“The future sale, and redevelopment of the listed building, would allow this local asset to be redeveloped (subject to planning approval), retain key features and remain as a city landmark.”
History of Ripon Spa Baths
The original complex, located next to the Spa Gardens, has the distinction of being the last spa to open in England.
It also became the only spa granted a royal opening when Princess Henry of Battenberg carried out the ceremony in October 1905.
A reconfiguration of the building in 1936, saw the complex converted into the city’s first public swimming pool.
Ornate stained glass windows and other architectural features remain to this day.
Ripon residents ‘scared to go out’ as crime fears growRipon residents have said they are too scared to go out at night because of teenage gangs.
Fear of crime and anti-social behaviour in the city has escalated in recent months.
Matters came to a head on Sunday evening when police responded to five incidents in three hours.
They included reports of a man with a machete, a robbery, thefts and gang activity.
It is getting too much for some locals, prompting councillors to call for urgent police action.
North Yorkshire Police has said it will increase patrols following the latest incidents. But some believe there are not enough officers on the streets to cope.
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Pauline McHardy, a councillor on Ripon City Council and Harrogate Borough Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“This has got much worse. I have lived in Ripon all my life and we have never had this level of trouble before. They should be ashamed of themselves.
“Many residents are frightened to leave their homes. These people are terrorising the city, there is no other word for it.”
Stephen Craggs, owner of electrical firm G Craggs, which is based opposite the bus station where some of the young people gather, said:
“This is not like they are just scaring little old ladies. I had just parked at the shops when there was a group of teenagers drinking.
“They just brushed passed me but it was quite intimidating. You don’t know if they have a weapon or what they are going to do.”
Sid Hawke, who also sits on Ripon City Council and Harrogate Borough Council, echoed concerns, and said lockdown had exacerbated the problem:
“Ripon used to be a really quiet and lovely place to live. This is just not on. It is getting really violent now. I think the lockdown has made it worse.
“They are terrorising people. We have a lot of elderly people who live here and they are petrified to leave their homes.”
Ripon City Council is set to have a meeting with North Yorkshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan to discuss concerns and respond to pleas for more police.
Ripon gets sneak peek of ‘magic roundabouts’ idea
People in Ripon are being given an early taste of how illuminated trees could help to attract more visitors to the city.
Ripon City Council announced plans last week to create five lit-up ‘magic roundabouts’ on the bypass.
The lights could turn red on Valentine’s Day, green on St Patrick’s Day and red, white and blue for national celebrations, such as the Queen’s birthday.
Roundabouts on the stretch of bypass from the McDonald’s restaurant on Harrogate Road to the junction with Dishforth Road have been targeted for the scheme.
With this in mind, the council has kept festive lights from Christmas in place at two locations on Bedern Bank.
Trees on one of the roundabouts, which is a key gateway to Ripon Cathedral, are lit with white lights.
Nearby, a tree outside Ripon Community Hospital has golden lights in it.
The seasonal lighting is similar to that which illuminates trees along sections of Harrogate’s Stray.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“This is a way of making Ripon more attractive for residents at this rather gloomy time.
“As the vaccination programme continues and the covid lockdown eventually lifts, we hope that lighting, both in the city and along the bypass, will help to attract the visitor and tourist trade that is essential to Ripon’s economy.”
The city council voted unanimously to support plans which, if approved by highways authority North Yorkshire County Council, will see lighting that can change colour according to the occasion, installed on trees on bypass roundabouts.
One of the Ripon bypass roundabouts that could be lit up.
The council, which has an underspend available from its 2020-2021 budget, agreed to allocate £10,000 towards the bypass scheme.
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Ripon City Council spent an additional £65,000 on the city’s Christmas lights – diverting money from its events budget to pay for the scheme.
That funding became available because the money could not be spent on a series of community and civic events — such as celebration of the 75th anniversary of VE Day — due to covid.
Ripon City Council freezes parish preceptRipon City Council will not be increasing its parish precept for the 2021-2022 financial year.
In 2020-2021 council taxpayers in the city were charged £71.89, on top of the tax paid to North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.
The precept in Ripon provided a total fund of £400,000 last year.
A total of £100,000 from next year’s budget is being allocated for public events from summer onwards in the hope that coronavirus will be under sufficient control by then to allow them to go ahead.
Money is also being set aside for the renewal of children’s play equipment at Quarry Moor Park and external decoration of Hugh Ripley Hall – the building on Skellbank named in honour of the city’s first mayor.
City council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“With the current covid crisis and the impact it is having, we decided to keep the precept at the same level as last year.
“It has been a difficult time for everybody with three lockdowns, causing disruption to, among other things, the city’s retailers and the education of children.
“In addition, public events that have been a feature of life in Ripon over many generations had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus.
“However, we must look to the future and make plans and allocate prudent funding that enables us to move forward safely when the lifting of restrictions allow.”
Ripon’s 2020 Christmas lights were extended after an additional £65,000 from the parish precept was spent on them last year.
During 2020, the council set aside £65,000 for a number of public and civic events, including the 75th anniversary celebration of VE Day, Saint Wilfrid’s Day procession, summer bank holiday entertainment, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas and New Year festivities — all of which had to be cancelled.
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The parish precept money, that would have been spent on these events and others, was subsequently diverted to pay for Ripon’s Christmas lights to be extended to help retailers and make city streets more attractive.
That move attracted criticism from some people who thought the money could have been better spent by providing direct financial support for retailers and other businesses affected by the pandemic.
History-making Ripon mayor receives New Year honourA history-making former Mayor of Ripon has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community.
At the age of 39, in May 1975, John Richmond became the youngest person appointed to the city’s mayoral office.
Seven months later he achieved another unique feat, as the only serving mayor to carry out the hornblower ceremony, which dates back to AD 886.
Mr Richmond told the Stray Ferret:
“The hornblower was taking time off over the Christmas period and we urgently needed a stand-in to carry out the task of setting the watch – but who would do it?
“As chair of Ripon City Council, I called for volunteers, but nobody wanted the job, so in a fit of pique, I said, ‘ok then, I’ll have to do it.'”
John Richmond was recognised for his services to the city.
Mr Richmond had no experience of blowing a horn so over three weeks of discreet coaching sessions in the cellar of Ripon Town Hall, the city’s Sergeant at Mace and former hornblower, Cyril Hawley, taught him the technique.
His historic debut performance at 9pm on December 22, 1975, attracted an audience of 200 on Market Square, which applauded spontaneously after he completed four blasts on the city’s large African horn.
John pointed out:
“Part of the hornblower tradition involves announcing to the mayor that the watch has been set – so I was effectively informing myself!”
There were many more notable milestones in a 14-year career of civic service that started in 1967 when John was elected to Ripon City Council.
He subsequently won election to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.
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Against all odds, as an independent attending his first full meeting at county hall in 1977, he persuaded councillors of all political colours, in a Conservative-dominated authority, to support a reference back and re-think on proposals to turn 500-year-old Ripon Grammar School into a comprehensive.
Mr Richmond, who was a pupil of the school from 1947 to 1951, said:
“I was told I had no chance, but I decided to give it a go and with fellow independent Jack Blakey seconding me, we forced a re-think.”
Margaret Thatcher gave the UK’s remaining grammar schools a lifeline after she became Prime Minister in 1979 and Ripon Grammar survived, following further public consultation,
Mr Richmond’s other highlights included meeting with the mayors of Ripon, California, and Ripon, Wisconsin, when he was invited to go to the USA in 1976 to join the country’s bicentennial celebrations.
Always by his side was his wife of 55 years, Barbara, who died in 2013.
Mr Richmond said:
“She was my driving force and I wouldn’t have achieved anything without her. Though she is no longer with us, Barbara shares this honour with me.”