Local News
Tory mayoral candidate pledges North Yorkshire bus franchising assessment
The Conservative Party candidate to be the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is prepared to use franchising to improve local bus services. Bus franchising, which is used in London, Manchester and in numerous cities across Europe, means that bus operators are only able to provide services under...
The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Supporting those with young onset dementia
This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare. Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our he...
Harrogate charity raises £75,000 for critically ill newborns
A Harrogate charity has raised £75,000 to fund life-saving medical equipment for newborn infants. Friends of Alfie Martin, which was established in 2002, held its £1Million Ball at the DoubleTree by Hilton Majestic Hotel in Harrogate this month as part of its bid to reach its £1 million fundraisi...
£20,000 feasibility study to begin on Knaresborough cliff lift
A £20,000 study is to investigate the feasibility of a cliff lift in Knaresborough. The idea of a lift connecting the steep divide between Waterside and the town centre has long been debated. Now the government’s shared prosperity fund has awarded a £20,000 grant to conduct a feasibility study i...
GALLERY: Christmas tree festival gets underway in Knaresborough
About 75 Christmas trees decorated by community groups, schools and businesses have gone on display in Knaresborough. The Knaresborough Christmas Tree festival is believed to be a unique event in the north of England for the way it showcases so many festive trees in a church. Held at St John the Bap...
Council silent on claims it ignored safety warnings on collapsed Knaresborough wall
North Yorkshire Council has failed to respond to claims it ignored warnings about the state of a wall that collapsed in Knaresborough. The stone wall on Briggate fell onto the highway on September 14 this year. Fortunately, nobody was injured on what is one of the town’s busiest routes for pedestr...
Man seriously injured after Harrogate collision
A man in his 60s has been left seriously injured after a collision in Harrogate. The incident happened at 5.30pm on Thursday (November 30) at the junction of Roberts Crescent and Knapping Hill. It involved a pedestrian and a white Vauxhall van. A man in his 60s was taken to hospital by ambulance whe...
Ripon HSBC closed for nearly two weeks for ‘essential maintenance’
Ripon’s last remaining high street bank has closed until December 13 for “essential maintenance”. Diane Whelan (pictured), 86, was one of many disgruntled customers who arrived at the branch on the corner of High Skellgate and Westgate today to find it closed. A sign in the window advises cu...
Harrogate Town eye glamorous FA Cup third round spot
Harrogate Town will hope to book a place in the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow when they play four-time winners Bolton Wanderers. Town will travel to the Toughsheet Community Stadium to take on the League One leaders for a chance to play against Premier League and Championship sides in the next ...
Festive Cheer and Generosity at Starlings for the Finale Business Club of 2023
Starling Bar played host to the final Stray Ferret Business Club event of the year, which included great camaraderie, intellectual challenges and heartfelt generosity. The main event was an engaging Christmas quiz that tested the knowledge of those in attendance. Questions such as “How many gifts ...
Econ ready to play key role as Ripon-made gritters prepare to keep Britain moving as icy blast moves in
Econ Engineering, the United Kingdom’s leading manufacturer of winter maintenance and highways vehicles, is set to play a key role in keeping Britain moving this week amid Met Office warnings of an icy blast hitting the country.
Plans submitted to convert Harrogate Debenhams into 34 flats
Fresh plans have been lodged to convert the former Debenhams building in Harrogate into 34 apartments. Wetherby-based Stirling Prescient No. 1 Limited has tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for the site on Parliament Street. The building has been home to different retailers for more than...
Council quashes hopes of west Harrogate bypass
North Yorkshire Council has no plans to build a western bypass in Harrogate, with one councillor saying the move would “reopen old wounds”. Business group Independent Harrogate published a document this month called A Vision for Harrogate that set out an alternative course of action for the cont...
Yorkshire Water’s £1m pay-out to charities branded ‘pathetic’
News of Yorkshire Water’s record £1 million payout to environmental charities to atone for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate has met with mixed reactions, with one local politician branding it “pathetic”. As we reported yesterday, the utility company polluted Hookstone Beck in 2016 with...
Residents urge government to reject Bishop Monkton 23-home appeal
Residents have urged the government to reject an appeal to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton. Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village. At a meeting of the Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, councillors rejected the...
Ripon school to hold ‘Elf Day’ in memory of pupil killed in A61 crash
Holy Trinity Church of England School in Ripon is holding an elf-themed day today in memory of a pupil who was killed in a fatal collision on the A61. Six-year-old Ihor Bartieniev, who was Ukrainian, died as a result of a collision on the road between Ripon and Harrogate in September. Ihor’s mot...
Business Breakfast: Century-old nurseries rebrand for growth
Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight! Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success. Entries close on January 19, 20...
Campaigners protest outside Harrogate Spring Water consultation event
A group of protesters demonstrated outside Harrogate Spring Water’s public consultation event this evening in opposition to the company’s latest expansion plans Members of the Save Rotary Wood Again group stood outside the Crown Hotel, in Harrogate, to campaign against the company’s revised pl...
Yorkshire Water begins £19m works in bid to improve River Nidd quality
Yorkshire Water has started work on a £19m project to improve the River Nidd’s water quality. The scheme, which is taking place at the Killinghall wastewater treatment works on Crag Hill Lane, will see new technologies introduced to remove phosphorus from treated wastewater. Phosphorus is often f...
Rossett sixth form back on site in 2024, says trust head
The sixth form at Rossett School in Harrogate will be fully operational from its own on-site facilities from September 2024, the Stray Ferret can reveal. It was reported earlier this year that the sixth forms at Rossett and Harrogate Grammar School were to merge, but this was not the case, accordi...