Readers' Letters 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.

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I do so wish that the council – or whoever is in charge -- would sweep the footpaths and gutters.  Not just in the centre of Harrogate but out of the centre too.

We all pay our council taxes like everyone else, but rarely see anyone out of town.

The flowers are nurtured regularly but, frankly, it would be wonderful to see clean streets too. The dead, wet leaves make it slippery to walk on and the gutters are full of leaves too, which blocks the drains, meaning the water and rubbish just float down anywhere.

Harrogate has a high population of older people and it makes walking around much harder and unsafe.

Whilst I am about it, if the soil and muck around the bollards in the centres of the roads were cleaned up too, we would not have unsightly weeds sprouting around them.

Valerie Cooke, Harrogate.

‘Jaw dropping’ number of coffee shops in Harrogate

This letter is in response to a story published by the Stray Ferret about the amount of coffee shops in Harrogate.

I lived in Harrogate until 1990 and the amount of coffee shops mentioned in the article was jaw dropping.

I have left the town, but this is my hometown and it seems there are more coffee shops than before. I know Harrogate relies on the revenue from tourists which is a good thing.

The pandemic did a lot of damage to people and businesses which was not good, so I am pleased businesses are recovering.

I shall be making my visit when it gets warmer and busier, and no doubt test the coffee to see if it’s as good as our barista machine!

The best of luck to all businesses in Harrogate.

Andrew Fear.

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Read more:

• Stray Views: New Harrogate Starbucks will increase litter


• Stray Views: 'Shameful trickery' at Harrogate hospital car park

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'Unjust' to blame littering on Harrogate drive-thrus 

This letter is in response to last week’s edition of Stray Views, in which one reader expressed concerns over road-side takeaways contributing to littering issues.

I find it a little hard to imagine that the local Costa tasks their staff  every morning with spreading the store detritus around the local area, just as I cannot accept that the McDonald’s manager requires their staff to do a similar daily job.

Let me assure him that my local chippy just does not have the time and my local pub manager right out refuses to scatter broken glass outside the pub, so I find it an unjust accusation to even imply that the new Starbucks store will be responsible for any rubbish up and down the Wetherby Road.

Alas, the fault is plainly that of us Brits; we seem content to live with rubbish up to our knees.

Just take a ride to any of our local beauty spots, of which we are more than blessed, and he will find they are all piled high with rubbish.

The problem is not a hard one to fix, take it home!

Angus MaGee, Harrogate

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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.

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