A variety of spring bedding plants are now blooming and ready to buy from HBC horticultural nursery.
Including primroses, pansies, polyanthus, bellis daisies and violas, all in a variety of stunning colours.
You can choose from individual plants or for those planting up a border, container tray packs are also available. There are also planted pots, do-it-yourself container kits, hanging baskets, and gift vouchers on sale.
You’ll find the nursery near the Pinewoods off Harlow Moor Road on Nursery Lane (use the postcode HG2 0FH) and the shop is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
At Valley Gardens in Harrogate you’ll find an 18-hole crazy golf course, nine-hole pitch and putt, nine-hole disc golf, table tennis and tennis courts.
Next to Knaresborough Castle Museum there’s an 18-hole putting green and crown green bowls, and in Ripon Spa Gardens you can enjoy flat green bowling, a nine-hole crazy golf course and tennis courts.
Spring has officially sprung and lots of people are cutting their lawns and starting to carry out some initial seasonal gardening.
If you are wondering what to do with the grass clippings and other prunings Harrogate Borough Council can help you avoid a trip to the tip, with their garden waste service.
With collection from the kerbside every fortnight through to mid-November, it’s not too late to renew or subscribe for the first time.
Celebration of modern British abstract paintings at the Mercer Gallery
Painting – many never seen before – by some of the biggest names in modern British abstract art, including Yorkshire’s John Hoyland (above) and Patrick Heron, Gillian Ayres and Albert Irvin are to be shown at the Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate from Saturday (2 April) until 4 September.
The artwork has been provided by one outstanding private collection, with supporting works loaned from the artists themselves or their estates. The exhibition also features the work of Patrick Jones, Gary Wragg, John Edwards, John McLean, Douglas Abercrombie, along with acclaimed contemporary abstract painters Mali Morris and Fred Pollock.
The paintings will be accompanied by short quotes from the artists, which will replace the usual biographies and curator-led interpretations. There will also be several armchairs placed throughout the gallery inviting people to sit, look and think about how a particular painting makes them feel.
Harrogate Borough Council is urging community groups to apply for a community grant to help celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. An extended bank holiday – from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June – will provide an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate this historic milestone.
To help Harrogate district residents do so, HBC are inviting community groups and organisations to apply for grants of between £200 and £1,000 for events and activities taking place over the Jubilee bank holiday.
They can also apply for up to £2,000 for legacy projects that must be completed by 30 September.
Guidance notes and an online application form can be found on Harrogate Borough Council’s website.
The closing date for all applications is noon on Friday 8 April.
With Easter right around the corner – and all those chocolate eggs that you may or may not be eating – the following dates have been received from Harrogate Borough Council about their waste and recycling collections.
All garden waste, recycling and refuse collections will take place as normal the week commencing Monday 11 April.
The following week (week commencing Monday 18 April) all collections will be a day later than usual. Therefore;
Monday 18 April will be Tuesday 19 April
Tuesday 19 April will be Wednesday 20 April
Wednesday 20 April will be Thursday 21 April
Thursday 21 April will be Friday 22 April
Friday 22 April will be Saturday 23 April
Normal collections will resume on Monday 25 April.
And don’t forget; Easter egg boxes can be flattened and put in your blue bag, while any foil can be scrunched up and put in your black box.
If you’re unsure you can check your collection day on the In My Area section of the Harrogate Borough Council website.
Government has announced a package of support for residents known as the Energy Bills Rebate.
As part of this support, council taxpayers who live in a band A to D property (or in band E and receives a disabled band reduction) will receive a one-off payment of £150 to help with rising energy costs.
The Government announced last week around 500 locally led projects to benefit from the Community Renewal Fund that will help ‘breathe new life into towns, villages and coastal communities across the UK as the government delivers on its mission to level up the nation and commitment to net zero’
Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove said:
“We are levelling up in every corner of the United Kingdom, backing locally-led projects that will make a real difference to communities and help to deliver our net zero commitments. There is incredible talent spread right across our great country and this investment will unlock the opportunities to match.”
Almost £50 million of this funding tranche has been allocated to local authorities that are members of the Rural Services Network.
Of those successful bids, predominantly rural authorities have been awarded £3.77 per head compared to £2.14 per head for predominantly urban authorities.
The Rural Services Network has been making representations to Government about our concerns for the distribution of the Governments range of ‘Levelling Up’ Funds asking Government to ‘Keep It Simple’, ensuring that Levelling Up Funds were allocated fairly, transparently and based on need.
Whilst the allocation of Community Renewal Funding is welcome, there remains large inequalities in the way that rural Local Government is funded with the Local Government Finance Settlement in 2021-2022 resulting in urban areas receiving 61% more per head in Settlement Funding Assessment when compared with rural authorities. Rural residents will pay, on average 19 5 (£96) more per head in Council Tax than their urban counterparts due to receiving less government grant.
It is vital that the Government resolves the underlying unfair distribution of funds to rural areas, in addition to ensuring that rural areas can receive a fair share of funding pots on offer.
Description: 2 signs indicating entry to Copgrove, 1 on Wath Lane and 1 on Apron Lane.
Estimated Value: £710
Acquisition: Purchased in November 2020 and installed in February 2021.
Locations:
Wath Lane – Grid Reference:
Apron Lane – Grid Reference:
Recreation Field
Description: Enclosed field of public open space with a fenced children’s play area and small football pitch.
Location: Arkendale Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE
Rented From: Staveley Relief in Need Charity Rental Fee: £70 per annum
Allotments
Description: 2 allotment plots leased annually to local residents.
Location: Arkendale Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE
Rented From: Harrogate Borough Council Rental Fee: £40 per annum per site Lease Agreement
Posts & Chains
Description: A row of posts and chains along the edge of the village green west and the unmade road in front of the Royal Oak pub, acting as a barrier to prevent car parking on the green.
Location: Village Green West, Main Street, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 363 627
Acquisition
Date: Not known Cost: £665
Current Use: Boundary fence
Notice Boards
Description: 3 village notice boards at various locations around the two villages.
Total Estimated Value: £1,425
Notice Boards 1 and 2
Location: Village Green East, Main Street, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 627
Estimated Value: £950
Acquisition: 1997 and 2005/6
Key Holder(s): Bill Kirkpatrick, Neil Horton
Notice Board 3
Location: Start of St. Mongah’s Lane, Copgrove. Grid Reference: SE 345 632
Estimated Value: £475
Acquisition: 2002
Key Holder(s): Peter Edwards
Safety Barrier
Description: Safety barrier alongside the pull-in in front of the primary school. The Parish Council financed the barrier following the withdrawal of funds by North Yorkshire County Council.
Location: In front of primary school, Minskip Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 628
Acquisition
Date: November 2011 Cost: £550
Current Use: Public safety barrier
Childrens Playground
Description: Childrens Playground, located on the recreation field comprising the following equipment items:
Wicksteed Whirly Bird
Record Cradle Swings
Record Flat Seat Swings
Hags Multi Pondo
Play and Leisure Multi Unit
Play and Leisure Fish Spring Mobile
Ledon Car Spring Mobile
Bench
Fencing and Gates
The playground is inspected annually by RoSPA and four times per year by a local specialist contractor. It is also visually inspected weekly by a team of local volunteers and stands on land rented annually from the Staveley Relief in Need Charity.
More information about the development of the childrens play area is available here. Maintenance of the playground is one of the Parish Council’s ongoing projects. Progress on the project can be seen by selecting the Children’s Play Area project page.
Location: Arkendale Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 625
Acquisition: Adopted .
Estimated Value: £12,000
Bus Shelter
Description: Coated steel frame, clear screen shelter with 4 seats
Location: On village green east, Main Street, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 627
Acquisition: January 2012. Purchased by the Parish Council, thanks to a donation from Abacus, a local employer based at Jubilee Court, Copgrove.
Description: Ex BT telephone box, now home to the village public defibrillator unit. The phobe box is a K6, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936 and introduced to celebrate the King George V Silver Jubilee. It was probably installed under the ‘Jubilee Concession’, which meant kiosks were installed in every town and village with a Post Office. The K6 was 80 years old in 2016.
Location: Opposite the village green east, Main Street, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 627
Acquisition: Phone box purchased from BT in May 2016 for a nominal sum of £1. The defibrillator was purchased from Wel Medical Ltd. and installed in June 2016.
Cost: £1,800 Current Valuation: Defibrillator £1,800. Replacement cost of K6 approx £2,500 plus delivery and installation.
Further Information:The defibrillator is checked weekly by the local Community First Responders coordinator. See Community First Responders for more details on how to use the unit.
Wooden Benches
Description: 5 wooden benches at various locations around the two villages.
Estimated Value: £1,900 for benches 1 – 4
Bench No. 1
Location: Wath Lane, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 359 625
Acquisition: 1995
Bench No. 2
Location: Village Green West, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 363 627
Acquisition: 1995
Bench No. 3
Location: Village Green West, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 363 627
Acquisition: 1995
Bench No. 4
Location: Main Street, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 365 627
Acquisition: 1995
Bench No.5
This seat was removed in 2020.
Location: Arkendale Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 368 624
Bench No.6
Location: Open space on St. Mongah’s Lane, Copgrove. Grid Reference: SE 345 633
Estimated Value: £475
Acquisition: 2002
Stone Bench
Description: Wooden bench set within a stone surround.
Location: Junction of Main Street, Minskip Road and Arkendale Road, Staveley. Grid Reference: SE 366 627
Acquisition:
Estimated Value: £2,375
From the Archive: The seat when new in 1990
The Pinfold
Description: An animal pound where stray livestock were impounded. Animals were kept in a dedicated enclosure, until claimed by their owners, or sold to cover the costs of impounding. The term pinfoldis saxon in origin and common in the north of England. A village pound was a feature of most English medieval villages.
Location: Arkendale Road, Staveley. Size: approx 250 sq mt including the adjacent land. Grid Reference: SE 367 626
Acquisition: Erected in 1832 by public subscription and restored in 1986. Date: Not known Cost: £20,470 Current Valuation: £20,470
Current Use: Public amenity
Further Information: In 2012, thanks to an initiative by Staveley resident Ken Barker, a rose garden was planted in land next to the Pinfold to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. In 2019 a new gate to the Pinfold was installed by D.Hargreaves (Blacksmith) of The Forge, Coneythorpe.
Village Green East
Description: Former allotment site, purchased from the estate of F.L. Knowlson. A copy of the deed of conveyance is available here.
Location: Junction of Main Street, Minskip Road and Arkendale Road, Staveley. Size: Grid Reference: SE 366 627
Acquisition
Date: 2nd September 1986 Cost: £750 Current Valuation: £750
Current Use: Public open space
From the Archive: Oak Tree Planting
Village Green West
Description: Triangle of land registered to the Parish Council under Section 3 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 when no evidence of ownership was offered to the Commissioner at a hearing in Harrogate on 31st October 1973. A copy of the decision notice is available here.
Location: In front of the Royal Oak pub Main Street, Staveley Size: Grid Reference: SE 363 627
Acquisition
Date: 9th November 1973 Cost: £0 Current Valuation:
