News

Applications are now open for eligible businesses to apply for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant. The OHLG is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in business rate-paying premises, such as: pubs, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, guest houses and hotels. As you’d expect, there is specific eligibility criteria and the grant amount also depends on the rateable value of the commercial premises any business occupies. Click here to find out more on our website. Government has also announced additional funding for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), to support other businesses most impacted by the Omicron variant, including those that are not eligible for the OHLG. Again, you can find out more on our website. Applications for grants need to be submitted by noon on 14 February.

The Harrogate Borough Council garden waste subscription service is available right across the Harrogate district. 

It provides a simple, cost-effective, way to dispose of your garden waste without having to take it to a household waste recycling centre.

This year the price of the service is £41 and you will receive 19 fortnightly collections from mid-March until the end of November (just over £2 per collection).

The licence covers one garden waste wheelie bin (or the equivalent number of reusable sacks for properties with restricted access). If you wish to have additional bins (or sacks) you will need to pay for additional licences for each.

The quickest way to apply for a licence is online or you can contact the customer service team on 01423 500600.

Once you have subscribed, your licence pack will be delivered to you within 14 days of payment. 

The first collections will start the weeks commencing 14 March or 21 March.

If you have not used the service before, HBC will deliver a 240-litre wheelie bin (or equivalent number of reusable sacks if there is restricted access to your property).

 On 1 April 2023 Harrogate Borough Council – and the other seven councils across the county – will be abolished and replaced with a single unitary authority to run services across the entire county.

It will be called North Yorkshire Council.

The Structural Changes Order (SCO) is currently before Parliament. Subject to MPs approval the order is expected to be enacted in March.

Following that announcement, elections will take place on 5 May when 90 councillors will be selected to represent the 89 wards across North Yorkshire. The councillors will serve one year on the existing North Yorkshire County Council before switching to the new unitary authority from 1 April 2023.

There should not be any appreciable change in services noticed until next year and until then, Harrogate Borough Council will continue to operate.

There are vacancies in the North Yorkshire Youth Commission.

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is praising the work of the North Yorkshire Youth Commission as it delivers a report on its work over the past 12 months and begins a campaign to encourage new members to sign up. Zoë Metcalfe has received the group’s latest annual report at a meeting alongside representatives of North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and other key partners. Zoë thanked the 29 Youth Commissioners from across North Yorkshire and York who have worked so hard to support, challenge and inform the work of North Yorkshire Police and the Commissioner over the past 12 months. A recruitment campaign for the 2022 Youth Commissioners is now underway and the age range of those eligible has been extended to between 10 and 25 in an effort to capture the voice of even more young people from across North Yorkshire and York. Anyone interested in giving their view on policing, fire, and crime, developing leadership skills and representing their friends and classmates can apply to join the Commission. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday 25 February. Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said:“The Youth Commission plays a hugely important role in North Yorkshire and York and, as Commissioner, it will always have my support. I would encourage anyone interested in having their say to find out more and submit an application. “I cannot wait to continue listening to our existing Youth Commissioners, and hearing from our new Commissioners, in the months and years ahead. ”Existing Commissioners are also encouraging others to come forward and make sure their voice is heard, no matter where they are from or what their background is. Sophie said:“I have really enjoyed being a Youth Commission member over the last few years. I am very proud of the work we’ve been doing to help young people’s voices be heard and start a conversation about tough topics that will help to bring about change.” Georgia said:“The Youth Commission has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to hundreds of young people and listen to their stories. The Youth Commission will continue to be successful as the voice of the youth is the future. It’s been a powerful group and we’ve reached thousands of people through our workshops, and we are looking forward to reaching so many more.” Find out more, and how to join the Youth Commission >>

Read the full story on our website: Commissioner praises North Yorkshire Youth Commission as appeal for new members begins

The free Home Library Service is available in this area

Do you love books but struggle to get to the library? The Home Library service is completely free for people who are unable to get to the library due to shielding, ill-health or being a full time carer.

Friendly volunteers will deliver books to you once a fortnight and return books you have finished with back to the library for you. Books, large print books and audio books on CD are available to borrow and requests for special titles are free. For more information please contact Claire Thompson on 01609 536623 or email Claire.thompson@northyorks.gov.uk  

You can now subscribe for a garden waste licence for the 2022 season from Harrogate Borough Council.  A licence costs £41 for fortnightly collections from mid-March until the end of November 2022 (great value at around £2 per collection). Please remember if you have more than one garden waste bin you will need to renew the licence for each bin.

The quickest and easiest way to apply for a licence is online at www.harrogate.gov.uk/gardenwaste. Simply log into your My Harrogate account and complete our subscription form (please have your credit or debit card details ready). Alternatively contact the Customer Service team on 01423 500600 (available 8.30am until 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am until 4.30pm on Fridays). Your licence pack will then be delivered to you approximately 14 days after subscribing. Your garden waste collection day will be confirmed in your licence pack. The first collections will start weeks commencing 14 March and 21 March 2022. You can check your garden waste collection day anytime at www.harrogate.gov.uk/inmyarea.

For more information about our garden waste subscription service visit www.harrogate.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Storm Arwen compensation news.

With winds gusting up to 100mph in places, Storm Arwen destroyed parts of the county at the end of November.

Several residents across North Yorkshire were without power, so Northern Powergrid would like to say sorry for the disruption it caused. Having now restored power supplies they are commencing with compensation to properties affected by the storm.

More information about compensation is available on Northern Powergrid’s website.

In honour of local Olympian Jack Laugher MBE, Ripon Leisure Centre is set to become the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

Born in Harrogate and educated at Ripon Grammar School, Jack became interested in diving during a visit to the Hydro in Harrogate and soon began to learn to dive through the Harrogate and District Diving Club.

He made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics by becoming the first-ever Olympic champion in diving for Great Britain, alongside 3m synchro partner Chris Mears, before following it up with an individual silver in the 3m springboard to make him the most successful British diver ever.

The new six-lane 25metre pool at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre will open early in new year.

A message from Zoe Metcalfe, who is the new Police Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire and the City of York

‘As your new Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire and the City of York I have pledged to be a voice for our communities. I will ensure police and fire leaders are supported and challenged to be the best they can, and will stand up for where we live and the brave police officers, firefighters and police and fire staff and volunteers who work so hard to protect us every day.

One of my first duties will be to set the precepts for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, something every Commissioner has to do every year.

This year, more than ever, it is really important that I hear from as many people as possible. It is never easy asking for more money, and I know that many individuals and families are facing financial pressures in this difficult climate. But so are our services and I want to make sure that our police and fire services are able to continue to invest in the safety of our communities for years to come.

My survey begins on Monday 13 December and is open until midnight on Thursday 13 January 2022.

The survey can be completed online at www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk

I’d be extremely grateful if you could help promote the online survey on your website, download, print out and pin up the poster on your public notice boards, and mention the survey at your public meetings and when you are engaging with your community. If you use social media, please look out for #TellCommissionerZoe and #HaveYourSay and please re-tweet and share.

·       Start the survey at www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you very much for your support.

Kind regards

Zoë Metcalfe’

Please see email below from Northern Powergrid, which will be of interest to residents who lost their electricity supply during Storm Arwen.

From: Northern Powergrid
Sent: 10 December 2021 16:53
Subject: Northern Powergrid Storm Arwen Compensation Update

We understand the strain Storm Arwen has placed on our customers at a difficult time and how important it is that we make compensation payments as swiftly as possible.
The amount of compensation each customer is entitled to is bespoke, depending on how long they were off supply. The information below explains these payments, the process for payment and what customers should do if they have any issues or concerns.

Compensation

For anyone without power for more than 48 hours, the compensation payment will be £70 for the first 48 hours and £70 for every 12 hours beyond that. Although the Guaranteed Standards regulations by which Northern Powergrid is governed currently caps compensation at £700, we are voluntarily topping-up payments to those off supply for the longest, so customers will be compensated as if the cap did not apply.

We are processing the data that will allow us to pay compensation automatically where we already have all the information we need. We expect that to apply to a significant proportion of our customers affected by the storm. Those customers will not have to contact us. We will calculate the amount of compensation due and proactively send out a cheque.

For customers where we do not hold all the information we need, we will send them a letter inviting them to provide the required details. Customers will be able to do this via our secure website, by calling us or by returning the form we will provide.
We will provide a progress update next week when, if things go to plan, we expect to start making contact with customers through the processes described above. Further, we will let customers and your office know when we have written out to all the affected customers so that they may contact us if they have not heard from us by then.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Please advise constituents that we will not request any customer bank details through any of our contact channels. All payments will be made via cheque to mitigate the risk of fraud or breach of customer data.

Welfare support payments

We know that your constituents may also have incurred unexpected additional costs due to the power cut, and in addition to the compensation payments, we will provide financial assistance to any domestic customer who was still off supply on 29 November 2021 or later and who needed our help.

We will pay for the reasonable costs of alternative accommodation and food (up to £15 per person per meal). We will also contribute to other reasonably incurred costs; for example, where a customer arranges for their own back-up generator.

Next week, we will be providing more detail and new ways to claim for these welfare support payments, and we will send your office a notice with these details. In the meantime, please advise constituents who get in touch with your team to keep your receipts.

Further information

We will continue to update www.northernpowergrid.com/storm-arwen with new information over the coming days and weeks, and your team can reach us
at stormarwen@northernpowergrid.com, and can reach us directly at 105 to speak to us about individual cases, where appropriate.

Best wishes

Paul Glendinning
Policy and Markets Director