Car on roof after two-vehicle collision in Minskip

A car flipped onto its roof following a two-vehicle collision at Minskip, near Boroughbridge, this afternoon.

Roads policing sergeant Paul Cording alerted people on social media at 1.20pm about the incident on the A6055, which is the main road through Minskip.

Sgt Cording said one person involved in the collision was taken to hospital with “minor injuries”.

The road reopened at 1.47pm.

No further details, including the status of the other vehicle and passengers, have been revealed.

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Business Breakfast: Minskip bedding company secures £100,000 funding

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Minskip-based luxury bedding company has secured £100,000 worth of investment to help expand the brand.

Floks, which is based at Yolk Farm on Minskip Road, has been awarded the funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The company was founded by Sophie Platts after she came up with the idea for a bedding brand during the covid lockdowns.

The fund is managed by Mercia Asset Management and aims to award companies funding to help with growth.

The investment will help Floks to step up its marketing campaign and develop new products to expand the range.

David Wright of Mercia said: 

“Sophie has a wealth of experience in designer homewares. Floks builds on Yorkshire’s wool trade heritage and fills a gap in the market for sustainable luxury bedding that promotes healthy sleep.

“The funding will help her to expand the business and establish the brand as a market leader in premium British wool bedding.”

Ripon Racecourse nominated for awards

Ripon Racecourse has been shortlisted as a finalist at an industry awards ceremony.

The Racecourse Association’s Showcase and Awards are set to be held on November 23 at Aintree Racecourse.

The event aims to celebrate excellence and innovation in racecourse operations and raceday experience.

Ripon has been shortlisted in both the marketing and racing foundation green categories at the ceremony.

Jonathan Mullin, operations and marketing manager at Ripon Racecourse, said: 

“It’s wonderful for us to be finalists in two categories. We’ve managed to win an award at the last two Showcase Awards, at Hamilton in 2019 and at Pontefract in 2022, which is fantastic for a small independent racecourse and it’s great to be in with a chance once more.”

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Minskip scarecrow weekend set to return

The annual scarecrow competition will be returning to the village of Minskip, near Boroughbridge, for the weekend of September 2 and 3.

The competition sees the village’s main street lined with scarecrows. This year’s theme is 100 Years of Walt Disney.

Debbie Hargreaves, one of the organisers, said:

“It’s absolutely wonderful how so many villagers have made scarecrows in the past and I expect the same this year. The competition has really caught the imagination of the village and the standard is incredibly high.

“It’s great fun and all proceeds from the competition go towards our lovely little church, which, like so many rural churches, is desperately in need of money.”

The competition will be judged by Radio York presenter Elly Fiorentini and the winners will be announced on the Sunday afternoon at 3pm in front of the church. There will be a barbecue, Pimm’s, tea and coffee, tombola and various stalls from noon to 4pm in the church garden on Sunday.

On Saturday, there will be refreshments for sale in the church garden.

Robert Beaumont, senior churchwarden of Minskip Church, said:

“I’d like to thank Debbie and the rest of my church council team for all their hard work, enthusiasm and imagination in creating this fantastic weekend. It will raise much-needed money for our lovely little church.”

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New play barn added to attractions at farm shop near Boroughbridge

A farm shop near Boroughbridge has added a children’s play barn to its attractions for families.

Yolk Farm, which offers a restaurant and shop as well as opportunities to meet and feed its animals, opened the new Yard@Yolk facility this week.

Emma Mosey, who has run the business near Minskip with husband Ben for the last six years, said she hoped it would add another reason for local families to visit.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“It all stems back from our mission and vision here which is educating kids and young families about farming, and being reconnected with food.

“A lot of the places that already exist are amazing, and can cost quite a lot to get in, particularly for a family with more than one child.

“Our aim is to make this a place people can come regularly and spend some time with their kids.”

The new Yard@Yolk on Yolk Farm will offer milkshakes and other treatsMilkshakes will be among the treats on offer at the new facility

Interest in the project has been high since it was first announced on social media last month.

The building where the play space is housed has been completely transformed from its original use.

Emma said:

“It was originally the hen barn. Late last year, we were told if we were to get avian flu within the hens in that location, we would have to shut the whole site, including the restaurant.

“It was a huge risk, so when the flock came to an end, we decided to move the new flock into a field a bit further away.

“It meant we had this big barn, in the middle of the car park, which was vacant.”

The barn now offers role play areas and ride-on toys, all connected to the theme of farming and food.

Visitors can buy hot and cold drinks, as well as snacks, milkshakes and ice creams, drawing on the menu from the adjacent restaurant.

Yard@Yolk is open daily from 10am to 3pm and entry is £2.50 per child.

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Council refuses plans for children’s nursery near Boroughbridge

North Yorkshire Council has refused plans to build a new children’s nursery at a farm near Boroughbridge.

Plans were submitted in March by Ben and Emma Mosey, who run Yolk Farm and Minskip Farm Shop on Minskip Road.

The nursery would have offered 74 full-day places and be based around the curiosity and forest school approaches, which encourage independence through outdoor learning.

However, in its refusal notice the council said the plans fall outside of development limits and the applicants failed to show how the nursery would diversify their farming business.

According to the application, there is a high demand for early years places in the area because there are 229 nursery-aged children in Boroughbridge but only 85 spaces at other settings.

The intended manager of the nursery, Tracey Roberts of Tiddlywinks Private Day Nurseries, has more than 20 years’ experience in the early years sector and has achieved an outstanding Ofsted rating at Tiddlywinks’ York and Easingwold nurseries.

But the council said the plans failed to show that there is a need for the nursery in the area.

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director of planning Trevor Watson wrote:

“The proposal is for a new community facility however the application fails to demonstrate that there is a local need for the nursery in this location, that it is of a scale and nature appropriate to its location and intended purpose and that it is accessible to its intended community.”

Mr Watson was also not satisfied with the location of the proposed nursery, saying the new building would result in a “visually intrusive and incongruous development” that would harm the rural location. He added:

“There are no public benefits associated with the proposal that would outweigh the harm.”

Despite not winning backing from the council’s planning department, the economic devolpment team did give it their approval. A council officer wrote:

“It will enable the expansion of an existing business into the Boroughbridge area, generating employment and supporting farm diversification.”

The applicants are able to appeal the decision.

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Harrogate district pub unveils new-look beer garden

The Wild Swan at Minskip, near Boroughbridge, has unveiled a new-look beer garden.

The garden, situated in a secluded area at the back, can cater for up to 36 drinkers and diners, on top of the 60 covers in the main premises.

Alex Bond, who co-owns the Wild Swan with business partner Stephen Lennox, said:

“We have always had tables outside, but our new look beer garden provides a much richer and more attractive eating and drinking experience.

“It is the picture-perfect suntrap, set between the rear of the historic inn and a characterful disused mill. It will be ideal for the coming summer months.”

Wild Swan Minskip

(left to right) Stephen Lennox, chef Frazer Ross, new head chef Jason Bishop and Alex Bond. Photo by Monika Kus.

The inn, which is close to Junction 48 of the A1(M), has also appointed a new head chef, Jason Bishop, who replaces Paul Murphy.

Mr Lennox said:

“Jason is a wonderfully talented chef who has worked in some of the finest establishments across Yorkshire. He has been on our radar for the last 18 months and the opportunity to make this partnership happen heading into a busy summer is one we couldn’t pass up.”

Wood-fired pizzas will be returning to the inn on Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays each week and a new summer menu will be introduced shortly.

Main pic shows (left to right): Stephen Lennox, chef Frazer Ross, new head chef Jason Bishop and Alex Bond. Pic by Monika Kus

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Angry Minskip villagers fight developer over possible Roman site

Angry villagers in Minskip, near Boroughbridge, are joining forces to fight against an industrial development which they say could endanger a Roman mosaic. 

They also say the development at Hazeldene Fold, an otherwise residential cul-de-sac, is out of character with the village and does not comply with the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.  

Local resident Lynne Scott said: 

“The mood here is very angry, because the developer hasn’t made any effort to interact with us or tell us what’s going on. They’ve already done massive groundworks without even having planning permission yet, and we just don’t know if there’s been any damage to the archaeology there.” 

The developer, Harrogate-based Forward Investment Properties, has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for retrospective planning permission to demolish some Nissen huts on the site, and build four light industrial units, a car-park and a turning circle for goods vehicles. 

But campaigners believe the existing buildings may well conceal Roman remains. According to local resident Tony Hunt, a Roman mosaic floor is reported to have been discovered when the huts were built in 1970 but covered over with a layer of sand and plastic to preserve it. The location cross-references on Ordnance Survey maps with a square-shaped earthwork, and a Roman coin hoard was found nearby in the 19th century. 

Mr Hunt said: 

“My conclusion is that the data confirms that the ‘Ancient Enclosure’ at the top of Hazeldene Fold is the site of the Roman encampment which served the Roman fort at Aldborough”. 

Forward Investment Properties has agreed to an “appropriate scheme of archaeological investigation and recording” as part of a planning condition to be applied if planning permission is granted, but residents say the groundworks could have done damage already, even before any such investigation has taken place. 

2017 application rejected

Campaigners point to a 2017 application to build five houses on the site, which was rejected. Planning officers said then that the development would tower over neighbouring properties, create noise and disturbance, lack an adoptable highway, and be “out of keeping with the acknowledged linear form of the village”. They say the current proposals should be rejected for the same reasons. 

Forward Investment Properties says its application should be approved because there is a shortage in the Harrogate district of employment sites of the type being proposed, and points out that the site has long been used for commercial purposes.

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Access to the site is via Hazeldene Fold, a private residential road managed by Hazeldene Fold Management Company Ltd. On formation, the company was made up of one representative from each of the eight homes on the road, plus one from the original developer of the houses. Each of these nine members has a single vote on communal matters, including those involving planning permission. 

Residents believe the developer’s vote should pass automatically to the new owner of the site, but the new owner, Forward Investment Properties, has not so far contacted the company or its individual members. 

Ms Scott said: 

“It makes you feel suspicious. If someone is upfront with you and you can ask them questions, you can have a conversation and iron things out. But if you have a body you can’t get hold of, you feel you have no control.” 

Forward Investment Properties is registered with Companies House as a limited liability partnership and its three members are believed to be brothers. One of them, Daniel Ward, was approached by the Stray Ferret, but declined to comment. 

Thieves steal 10 motorbikes in Minskip

Police are appealing for information after motorbikes and tools were stolen in Minskip.

Thieves took the bikes from a commercial premises in the village overnight on Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7.

Officers said 10 motorbikes and several tools were taken.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Police are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular officers are keen to hear from anyone who noticed any vehicles in the area acting suspiciously on the night that the incident occurred.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email Conor.taylor@northyorkshire.police.uk

“You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 499 Conor Taylor.

Please quote reference number 12230003712 when passing information.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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Inquest opens into death of Minskip man who went missing

An inquest has opened into the death of a Minskip man who went missing in June.

Luke Earnshaw, 31, was reported missing after leaving home on Prospect Terrace in the village on Saturday, June 13, just before 2.30pm.

His body was later found in a field off Thorndikes Lane on June 16.

He was reported dead by North Yorkshire Police.

A coroner opened an inquest into Mr Earnshaw’s death at County Hall in Northallerton yesterday.

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She said the 31-year-old died as a result of wound injuries to his arm. A knife was found at the scene.

The hearing was adjourned and a full inquest will be held at a later date.

Harrogate district churches win grants for repairs

Two churches in the Harrogate district have been awarded grants worth a total of more than £9,000 for repairs.

Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust gave grants totalling £78,000 to 19 churches for repairs, conservation and maintenance work in its latest funding round.

Successful Harrogate district applicants were St Mary’s in Great Ouseburn, which was awarded £6,000 for boundary wall repairs and St John’s in Minskip, near Boroughbridge, which received £3,300 to tackle damp.

Robert Beaumont, churchwarden at St John’s, said the grant “means the world to our little church”,

Mr Beaumont said damp threatened the structure of the church, and was also damaging the interior. He added:

“Specifically, faulty drains and a broken bell tower are causing peeling walls and discolouration inside, as well as a damp exterior.

“In addition, a couple of windows are broken and the floor is uneven in places. Whilst we are able to hold and enjoy our services, the structure of the church has been worrying us for some time.

“We have undertaken some serious fundraising which, together with this grant, will enable us to pay for the whole regeneration project. We have a very strong and committed church council and we have already raised £3,000 towards this specific project.

He added work carried out by local builder Tim Wilkinson will begin in January.

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Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust provides funds for churches, chapels and meeting houses of all Christian denominations within the county of Yorkshire.

Trust chairman Tom Ramsden said:

“Our latest grant awards support a wide variety of churches and projects.

“They range from helping to repair the roof of the Grade II listed St James in Slaithwaite built in 1796, through to helping make watertight Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic chapel in Headingley, built in the 1930s

“We are also delighted to support St John’s Church in Minskip, which is a lovely little church that serves its community so well. It is very rewarding to see at first hand the structural problems that will be tackled and solved, thanks in part to our grant.”

Full list of churches receiving grants

Great Ouseburn, St Mary, £6000 for boundary wall repairs

Minskip, St John, £3300 for bell tower repairs

Leeds, All Hallows, £10,000 for roof repairs

Leeds, Our Lady of Lourdes, £3000 for roof repairs

Leeds, Cathedral Church of St Anne, £3000 for stonework repairs

Leeds, Holy Rosary, £1500 for roof repairs

Clifford, St Edward King and Confessor, £3500 for roof repairs

Baildon, St James £2000, for tower repairs

Bierley, St John the Evangelist, £5000 for clock repairs

Skipwith, St Helen, £7000 for drainage works

Golcar, Providence Methodist, £3500 for window repairs

Slaithwaite, St James, £5000 for roof repairs

Ripponden, Stones Methodist, £5000 for roof repairs

Thornaby, St Peter, £1000 for stonework repairs

Gargrave, St Andrew £1358 for clock repairs

Golcar, St John the Evangelist, £5000 for internal decorations

Goole, St John £4500, for roof repairs

Harome, St Saviour, £3000 for bell turret repairs

Slingsby, All Saints, £4500 for window repairs