Consultation begins to expand Harrogate special school

A consultation to expand a special school in Harrogate for up to 45 more pupils has been launched.

Springwater School - a community special school in Starbeck - caters for students aged from two to 19 who have a range of special educational needs including autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. The school provided 112 places for children during the 2023/24 academic year.

Members of our children and young people’s service’s executive have approved a consultation to expand the number of places to 157 from September next year.

The proposed expansion would be achieved through a significant capital investment to redevelop two of our buildings next to the school creating dedicated classrooms, new changing facilities, outdoor space including an area for sixth-form pupils, a kitchen, plus a sensory room.

The investment would not only provide more places but also significantly improve the facilities available to all children who attend the school now and in the future.

The five-week consultation began on 6 September.

Plan to convert former care home into affordable housing

Plans have been submitted for a housing scheme that would see a former care home converted into apartments to help meet demand for affordable homes in a North Yorkshire market town.

Brierley Homes, our housing development company, has joined forces with Broadacres Housing Association in drawing up the plans for Brentwood Lodge, a former local authority facility in Leyburn.`

If given the go-ahead, the scheme will see the current buildings transformed into 24 affordable apartments, consisting of 13 one-bed and 11 two-bed properties at the location on Quarry Hills Lane.

The apartments will be built to meet the Government’s Future Homes Standard (FHS), which aims to make new homes constructed from 2025 more energy efficient and have lower carbon emissions.

Once completed, Broadacres, a not-for-profit housing association managing over 6,000 homes across North Yorkshire, will take over the site and rent the apartments to people within the local area.

Applicants will need to be registered with North Yorkshire Home Choice, a housing allocations scheme, letting available local authority and housing association properties for rent across the county.

A public consultation on the scheme was held earlier this year, with the plans positively received.

If councillors back the scheme, it is expected it would be completed by the winter of 2025.

Coffee pod disposal service launches at recycling centres

Coffee lovers can now dispose of their used pods in an environmentally friendly way as part of a new service aimed at reducing waste.

We are working with Podback, a coffee pod recycling service, to offer the containers at its household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

Used coffee pods, as well as tea, milk, and hot chocolate pods, are accepted. Plastic and aluminium coffee pods must be collected separately for recycling.

The PodBack scheme sends the pods to specialist plants to create new products like packaging and car parts while coffee grounds will be treated by anaerobic digestion to create soil improver and renewable energy.

Recycling items conserves energy, saves resources and cuts carbon emissions generated by throwing items away in landfill and even incineration.

Podback, a UK not-for-profit funded by major coffee brands ensures all collected pods are recycled in the UK.

The containers are available at all household waste recycling centres excluding Leyburn, Settle and Wombleton.

Find out more about the household waste recycling centres and the new service.

Creativity in Catterick as children help to decorate hoardings

Children and young people around Catterick are using their creative skills to produce imaginative artwork to adorn the hoardings of an exciting new development for the town centre.

The £21 million project, supported by ourselves and government funding, will see the area around Shute Road redeveloped to include a community and enterprise building as well as improvements to Coronation Park.

Children from local schools in Catterick, Colburn and Hipswell have been invited to create images for the hoardings.

They recently attended the PT Childcare Club and North Yorkshire Together’s FEAST programme, at Le Cateau Primary School and took up the challenge, using paintbrushes and pencils to craft artwork, poems and designs centred on the theme “things that make me happy”.

The scheme will also feature a new town square on Shute Road, a new pedestrian ramp connecting the development to Richmond Road and a Community and Enterprise building. It will also include landscaping improvements, enhanced play spaces, accessible routes to the town centre and better footpaths and cycleways.

North Yorkshire Council is working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to bring the proposals to fruition, using government funding and match-funding from the Defence infrastructure (DIO) and ourselves.

Parents urged to apply for secondary school places 

Parents and carers in North Yorkshire are being urged to apply for school places online.

Applications are now open and any child transferring from primary school to secondary school next year must apply for a place by Thursday, 31 October.

In North Yorkshire, parents can list up to five schools in order of preference on their common application form. They are advised to include their child’s catchment school as one of those five to maximise the chances of obtaining a place. Those applying will be offered a place on 3 March, 2025.

Last year’s school admission figures revealed a total of 90.11 per cent secured their first preference, with 95.82 per cent of all families in the county who requested a school place receiving an offer from the authority for one of their top three preferences of secondary school.

Parents are being reminded that this year there have been some changes in eligibility to home to school travel.

If this is an important factor when choosing a school, more information is available at www.northyorks.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-admissions/finding-school on the council’s website. Parents can then use the online tool to find the nearest school to their home address.

Find out more about school admissions and how to apply.

Leading the way with new pilgrim's trail in North York Moors

A new 41-mile trail though the North Yorkshire Moors has been launched with help from us.

Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail, which links 12 churches in the Benefice of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale, honours the 12th-century saint, Aelred of Rievaulx, known for his teachings on friendship.

The route, which is accessible to all, will also soon be waymarked for horse riders and cyclists.

Our local member for Helmsley and Sinnington, Cllr George Jabbour, supported the project by providing funding from his locality budget, helping to install posts and the waymarkers.

Upper Ryedale’s parish secretary, George Gyte, said the trail which is expected to appeal to walkers of all ages and abilities was inspired by the success of a shorter walk connecting five churches in their care.

The official launch which took place in September as part of the North York Moors National Park’s Mindful Month, included a Gathering Walk and art exhibitions in the churches.

Residents reminded to check they are registered to vote

Residents across North Yorkshire are being reminded to check they are registered to vote at their address so that everyone who has the right to take part in upcoming elections can have their say on decisions that affect them.

Like all UK local authorities, every year the council’s elections team is required by law to confirm whether the details held on the electoral register are correct. This is known as the annual canvass.

Households with teenagers should be aware that the electoral register can be important for getting a credit rating, which is required when applying for a mobile phone contract or credit card. From age 16 British citizens and qualifying Commonwealth or EU citizens living in the UK can be added.

The letter or email people receive from us will set out what they need to do, and recipients are asked to respond as soon as possible to prevent costly reminders being posted out.

Households that have not responded before mid-October should expect a visit from someone to get the information needed in person.

Anyone concerned about the risk of scams should be reassured that we will never ask for bank details as part of the annual canvass. There are also examples of the forms online, so people know what questions to expect.

A revised register will be published on 1 December. Find out more about the annual canvass in North Yorkshire and registering to vote.

Schooled in success: adults urged to take up new courses

Adults across North Yorkshire are being encouraged to embrace new learning opportunities with the launch of a wide range of courses.

With subjects spanning from accounting and business to arts, computing and wellbeing, learners can choose from a raft of subjects which can be studied either online or in-person at classes across the county.

About 92 per cent of students receive full funding for courses which are run by Adult Learning North Yorkshire.

The courses are available for adults over the age of 19. Once enrolled students will have access to supportive staff trained to help them during their learning journey.

A special taster event was held in Scarborough recently to help potential students sample various courses and to celebrate learners’ work.

One participant, Lottie Beard, showcased her custom hats and bags. She set up her own business after completing art courses through Adult Learning North Yorkshire.

The hope is that others will be inspired to follow her lead and take advantage of the courses available.

See more information on the new course guide or pick copies are available at selected supermarkets across the county.

Free checks at libraries to tackle ‘silent killer’ of high blood pressure

People in North Yorkshire were able to take advantage of a simple free blood pressure check that could bring to light the risk of conditions that cause 160 deaths in the county each month.

On average, 85,000 people in North Yorkshire are living with heart and circulatory diseases each month, while the diseases kill more than one in four people across the county according to analysis by the British Heart Foundation.

High blood pressure is a major cause of these diseases, but it usually has no symptoms until it is too late. High blood pressure can also lead to vascular dementia, and although around 100,000 people in North Yorkshire have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, thousands more will have it without knowing.

As part of Blood Pressure UK’s Know Your Numbers Week, which took place from 2 September to 8 September, 30 libraries run by ourselves and six locations that the supermobile library visited, offered a walk-in blood pressure point for the public to make use of.

This year’s Know Your Numbers campaign followed a pilot scheme offered to library users by Whitby Library to help GPs and encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices. The library had a walk-in blood pressure point, as well as a device that could be borrowed for 10 days alleviating pressures on GP surgeries.

Harrogate and Selby serve up October restaurant week deals

Food lovers are in for a treat next month as Harrogate’s Restaurant Week returns and Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn-in-Elmet host the first week of tasty deals.

Harrogate Restaurant Week takes place from 7 to 13 October, with discounted meals on offer at some of the best restaurants.

Diners can take advantage of set-price menus at £10, £15, £20 and £30 across Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, and surrounding villages. Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan or meat lover – there’s options available for everyone.

Later in the month, from 21 to 27 October, the inaugural Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn-in-Elmet Restaurant Week will debut with deals from £10, £15, £20, £25, or £30.

Restaurants, cafes, pubs and tearooms will offer set-price menus, providing a great opportunity to dine at one of your favourites or somewhere new.

Both events aim to boost local business and give food enthusiasts the chance to explore new flavours at reduced prices at a typically quieter time of the year for hospitality businesses.

Harrogate Restaurant Week is sponsored by Harrogate BID.