Harrogate Borough Council said today it will reopen Knaresborough Pool on Monday next week and Starbeck Baths on July 19.
However, Starbeck’s reopening depends on government social distancing measures being lifted that day as anticipated.
The council tweeted the news this afternoon to end months of uncertainty, questions and suspicion over the venues’ futures.
Lockdown restrictions eased on April 12 to permit swimming pools to re-open.
However, a problem with the pool filters at Knaresborough forced it to remain closed and the council blamed social distancing restrictions for the delay in reopening Starbeck.
Frustration has grown in recent weeks, particularly over the future of Starbeck Baths, with residents questioning whether it would ever re-open.
The news that Starbeck Baths would finally reopen was welcomed by local resident Chris Watt, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to reopen the pool.
He was due to ask a question about it at tonight’s full council meeting.
Read more:
- Residents wonder if Starbeck Baths will ever re-open
- Knaresborough and Starbeck pools: still no reopening dates
He told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s good to know my little campaign has had a result. It’s a bit of a shame it’s due to local residents putting pressure on the council.
“Let’s just hope they stick to it, they have promised to reopen it before so we will have to wait and see.
“My son will be so happy: he’s been asking constantly, ‘When can I swim again?’ so he’ll be delighted.”
‘It’s about time’
Philip Broadbank, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, told the Stray Ferret “it’s about time” the pool reopened.
“I’ve been asking consistently since last summer when the baths will reopen so it’s good news that they are doing.
“It’s about time. I’ll be holding them to it. A lot of local residents have been campaigning with me for the baths to open so they’ll be very pleased too”.
Sessions at Knaresborough can only be booked through the council’s website from 10am on Friday. Details on how to book for Starbeck will be announced at a later date.
Trevor Watson, director for economy and culture at the council, said:
“It is fantastic news that the swimming pool in Knaresborough is set to open ahead of the school summer holidays, as I know local parents and children are keen to jump back in the pool.”
He added that being required to self isolate had presented staffing problems at the pools.
Police and council bid to close two Starbeck houses over crime“For many of us, this doesn’t present a problem as we can work at home. But for our leisure centre staff this isn’t possible and sadly has an unavoidable impact on the services we provide.
“We are doing what we can to recruit staff, fill these gaps and return to normal as soon as it is safe to do so. I’d like to thank residents for bearing with us.”
Police and council officers are attempting to close two more properties let by landlord John Willis.
North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council have jointly applied to Leeds Magistrates Court for closure orders on 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck.
The two organisations can apply to courts for closure orders if they have concerns about antisocial behaviour and criminal behaviour on premises.
The same authorities successfully applied for a three-month closure order on 38 Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, in March. This order expired last month.
All three properties are let by Mr Willis.
A joint statement today by the two authorities said:
“Following concerns about crime, drug use and anti-social behaviour at two multi-occupancy addresses – 19 and 31 Avenue Grove – Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police have applied for closure orders.
“Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a closure order prohibits access to a property for a specified period. Breach of an order is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment and/or a fine.”
The application was due to be heard on Wednesday but the hearing was adjourned until July 14.
Until this date the two properties have been served with closure notices, which prohibit visitors.
Read more:
- Mayfield Grove: house at centre of crime concerns allowed to re-open
- Calls for ‘dangerous’ Starbeck junction to be improved
Dean Richardson, head of safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“It is imperative that residents across the Harrogate district feel safe in their homes and community.
“If landlords fail to manage their properties properly, and there is sufficient evidence to support any reports, we will work with the police and partner agencies to explore all legislative options available and act accordingly.”
Inspector Nicola Colbourne of North Yorkshire Police said:
“This action once again demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Harrogate remains one of the safest towns to live in.
“By listening to residents and working with partners like Harrogate Borough Council, we can address concerns head-on while offering the appropriate support to any vulnerable people we encounter.”
Last month Constable Kelvin Troughton, of North Yorkshire Police, told the Stray Ferret there had been a “reduction of incidents” at 38 Mayfield Grove since the closure order was served.
Calls for ‘dangerous’ Starbeck junction to be improved
A Starbeck councillor has called for a notorious junction to be made safer following a car crash on Wednesday.
The collision occurred when a car pulled out of The Avenue onto Starbeck High Street at around midday. Two men were taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be serious.
A police officer at the scene told the Stray Ferret collisions are common at the junction due to visibility issues. Cars often park in the lay-by next to the junction and a tree also obscures the view for motorists pulling out.
Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Broadbank, who has represented the area for over 40 years, called on North Yorkshire County Council‘s highways department to take a look at the junction to make it safer.
He said residents in more than 350 homes frequently used The Avenue to get onto the high street.
Cllr Broadbank told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s a problem for people trying to get out as it’s difficult to see. Vision is a problem and it’s dangerous.
“We need to look at the lay-by issue.”
He said there have previously been calls to add traffic lights “but there are enough traffic lights down there”.
He added:
“Its a problem as people get frustrated trying to inch out.”
Read more:
- Two men taken to hospital after Starbeck car crash
- Knaresborough and Starbeck pools: still no reopening dates
Several Stray Ferret readers responded to Wednesday’s story to say the junction was unsafe.
One said:
“Turning out of and into The Avenue is a nightmare. Visibility down toward the level crossing is terrible so you have to edge out.”
Another said:
“The trees need cutting on that junction, you can’t see to go there!”.
Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, said:
Two men taken to hospital after Starbeck car crash“We take our road safety responsibilities seriously and will always act should there be a need to do so.
“In this instance, we await details of the incident from the police, but are unaware of particular safety issues with this junction.
“Care should always be taken when exiting from a side road on to a main road which is always very busy.”
Two men have been taken to hospital after a crash involving two cars in Starbeck.
It happened at about midday today at the junction of High Street and The Avenue.
A police officer at the scene told the Stray Ferret the crash occurred when a car on The Avenue pulled out onto High Street.
The officer added the male driver of one of the vehicles, and his male passenger, had been taken to hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be serious.
A female driver of the other car did not require hospital, the officer said.
Traffic was heavy shortly after the incident but by 1pm it had returned to normal, with the damaged cars moved to the side of the road.
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- Police find lawnmower, oven and power tools in the back of Starbeck van
Tools, oven and lawnmower found by police in back of Starbeck van
A lawnmower, an oven and power tools have been seized by police from the back of a van in Starbeck.
Road policing officers stopped the white Mercedes Sprinter van at 8.35pm on Friday.
According to a statement from North Yorkshire Police, the items “could not be accounted for” by the occupants of the van, who were from Leeds.
Police are now asking local residents to check if they’re missing any of the items.
Two more of the items found in the van on Friday.
Read more:
Have you noticed anything missing or see something suspicious? You can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option1 and speak to the Force Control Room quoting reference number 12210146727.
Or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Injury ends Harrogate man’s World’s Strongest Man dreamHarrogate behemoth Luke Richardson’s bid to become the youngest ever World’s Strongest Man has been ended by injury.
Luke, who weighs 330 lbs and will be 24 years old on Sunday, tore his biceps on the first day of heats yesterday in Sacramento, America.
He finished ninth last year and had high hopes of improving after good preparation.
But he was injured in the first event, a loading medley, which involved lifting and loading numerous heavy items.
He told his 71,000 Instagram followers:
“Unfortunately my World’s Strongest Man appearance this year was pretty much over before it even started with what seems to be a distal bicep tendon rupture.
“Obviously gutted as I felt in a really good position to improve on last year’s performance but it was not to be this time.
“Just a bump in what is going to be a long road but excited to test myself against a new challenge and grow closer to the athlete and person I am destined to be.
“Thank you all for your show of support and especially my loved ones and the guys here at WSM, you’re proper gents.”
Luke, a former lifeguard at Starbeck Baths, was crowned Europe’s Strongest Man last year and he will be hoping to defend his title in Leeds on September 4.
He has also been invited to compete at the first strongman event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 120 years on July 24.
Read more:
- Harrogate’s Luke Richardson flies to America for World’s Strongest Man
- Harrogate man finishes 9th at World’s Strongest Man
Harrogate’s hospitality sector reacts with disappointment to lockdown delay
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Pubs, bars, and hotels in Harrogate have reacted with disappointment tonight to the prime minister’s announcement that the end of all lockdown restrictions will be delayed.
Alison Griffiths, landlady of the Prince of Wales pub in Starbeck, said she understood the “safety first” approach, especially as 10 of the pub’s regulars have lost their lives to covid.
But with a busy month of Euro 2020 fixtures ahead, she expects many customers will now prefer to watch the matches at home rather than in the stilted, socially distanced confines of the pub.
She added:
“People would rather be in their houses where they can stand up and shout”.
Andy Burrows, co-owner of District Bar on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate, said he understood the rationale behind the delay but said he’d grown weary of the restrictions.
“It just drags on, but it is what it is.
“Everyone has to be safe. We won’t complain and we’ll do what’s best”.
Mr Burrows said social distancing guidelines and masks dampened the bar experience and made it hard for staff to understand what customers were saying.
“But we’ve been lucky to have an outside area where people feel more comfortable.”
Read more:
- Kimberley Hotel owner goes into liquidation amid £3.5m debts
- Hospitality has lost ‘sexiness’ due to covid, says Harrogate hotel boss
Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotel, said the hotel faced a busy summer ahead with banquets, weddings and charity events booked in.
He said he awaited further details, adding:
“I had hoped the extension would not have been required, but if it is I presume it is based on clear data.
“Through the road map and the government communication process over the last 16 months, what we now understand is that the devil is in the detail and the detail won’t be clear until the government shares the announcement and the within a matter of hours the detailed guidance around the extension will be clear.”
Andy Barnsdale, general manager of the Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa, said it now planned to reopen in a month’s time, but he wondered if its hopes would be “dashed yet again”.
He said today’s announcement was “particularly disappointing for the hospitality, conference and events industries”, adding:
“However, we have to be mindful of the medical advice they are receiving, and nobody wishes the number of covid cases to rise.
“We are now looking ahead to fully reopening in a month’s time, but will our hopes be dashed yet again? I sincerely hope not.”
Harrogate strongman sensation Luke Richardson is set to compete in the World’s Strongest Man in America this week.
Luke, who turns 24 on Sunday, is one of 25 men in Sacramento vying for the right to be called the strongest on the planet.
If he wins he will be the youngest man ever to hold the title.
This year’s event is expected to be broadcast to 500 million people in 70 countries. It will be shown on Channel 5 in the UK over Christmas and on CBS Sports Network in the United States next month.
Britain has a great pedigree in the event, with former winners including Geoff Capes, Jamie Reeves and Gary Taylor, but endured a 24-year wait until Eddie Hall triumphed in 2017.
Luke Richardson
Luke, who is 6ft 3 and weighs 330 lbs, took the sport by storm last year when he won Europe’s Strongest Man in Knaresborough and finished ninth in the World’s Strongest Man in his first full season of strongman.
This year he has been drawn in a group with Canadian JF Caron, American Robert Oberst, Iceland’s Eythor Ingolfsson Melsted and Russian Mikhail Shivlyakov.
The heats, which begin on Wednesday and last three days, include events such as the train pull, deadlift and pickaxe hold.
The two-day final will culminate, as ever, with the Atlas stones.
Luke went to Starbeck Community Primary School and Harrogate High School and now trains at Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge and LR Strength Shed in Wetherby, which he and training partner Richard Parish opened.
Harrogate sex offender jailed for grooming underage girl on SnapchatA Harrogate sex offender who groomed an underage teen girl on Snapchat has been jailed for over three years.
Stefan Antonio Slack, 27, contacted the girl on the social media site and tried to entice her into meeting him for sex.
The Harrogate man was on a court order at the time designed to limit his contact with children following previous similar offences, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Mike Greenhalgh said the new offences occurred in October 2018 when Slack was aged 24.
After adding the 15-year-old girl on Snapchat, he began sending sexually charged messages. In one message he asked to meet the girl and her friend for “group sexual activity”.
He then asked to meet her on a specific day for sex. The message read:
“Meet me Tuesday. Just me and you and maybe (the other named girl) if she’s game.”
Slack then told the girl in gratuitous sexual detail what he wanted to do to her. She duly blocked him on Snapchat and took a screenshot of the messages.
Her mother reported the matter to the police. Slack was arrested and brought in for questioning.
Previous conviction
He told officers he knew that the girl was under-age but “sought to excuse his behaviour, saying he was heavily in drink (at the time) and couldn’t recall sending the messages”, although he admitted it must have been him, added Mr Greenhalgh.
Slack, of Avenue Street, Starbeck, was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching a sexual-harm prevention order by deliberately contacting an under-age girl. He admitted both offences and appeared for sentence today.
The court heard that Slack received a suspended prison sentence in 2012 for a “very-similar” offence involving an 11-year-old girl. Slack was 17 at the time of that offence.
Abbi Whelan, for Slack, said her client was immature but had “very much turned his life around” since the offences in 2018.
Recorder Dafydd Enoch QC said Slack had “developed an unhealthy interest in minors”.
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He told Slack he had failed to take heed of the “warning shot” when he received the suspended sentence and sexual harm order.
“That order should have left you with no illusions that you would face prison if you were to commit these (kinds of) offences again.
“Once again…you allowed yourself to be tempted into communicating with (an under-age) girl. You took complete advantage of that situation.
Mr Enoch said Slack’s behaviour was “totally unacceptable” and amounted to “extremely serious conduct which could lead to much worse scenarios”.
As well as the three-and-a-half year jail sentence, he was subject to a new, five-year sexual harm prevention order for the protection of children and will remain on the sex-offenders’ register for an indefinite period.
Champagne thief strikes in Harrogate supermarketPolice have appealed for information after champagne and spirits worth more than £800 were stolen from a supermarket in Harrogate.
The theft took place at Morrisons on Hookstone Road in Starbeck at about 10.30am on Thursday April 22.
Officers have released CCTV footage of two men they would like to speak to. They believe the men “hold information which would be of assistance to the investigation”.
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A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“While it’s recognised that the men in the images are wearing face masks, officers are appealing to anyone who may recognise them by their hair or clothing to get in touch.”
Anyone who has information can call the police on 101 and quote reference 12210103291.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.