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This is a special edition of Residents' News
Thursday 7 May 2020
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This is the latest edition of Residents' News
From everyone at Harrogate Borough Council, we hope you are well and staying safe.
Tomorrow is a bank holiday and we’re confident that you’re only planning a trip as far away as the garden shed.
Tempting as it may be, the government’s stay at home instructions still apply, even if the weather is nice.
These are the current guidelines (taken from the www.gov.uk website):
- Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
- Stay at least two metres (six feet) away from other people
- Wash your hands as soon as you get home
Do not meet others, even your friends or family members you do not live with. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms. The government’s website has the latest information. For health advice go to NHS 111.
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Household waste recycling centres
The household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) across the district are owned and managed by North Yorkshire County Council, not us.
Ten of the 20 HWRCs reopened yesterday, including one in our district, at Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate. The other sites in the district remain closed.
There’s more information on the NYCC website.
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Bank holiday bin changes
If you were due to have your bin emptied – or rubbish sacks taken away – tomorrow, please note that waste collections will take place on Saturday instead.
We’ve moved them to a day later to account for the bank holiday and the change applies to household waste (black bins/sacks), recycling and garden waste.
If you’re ever unsure about when your waste will be collected, take a look at the In My Area section of our rather lovely website.
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Garden waste collections
If you have turned your garden into something Alan Titchmarsh would be proud of over the last six weeks, we can help you get rid of any waste left over.
As well as grass and hedge cuttings, we collect twigs and small branches, leaves, cut flowers, prunings and plants all from the kerb outside your house.
It’s simple and easy to subscribe to our garden waste service and it only costs £41 for a fortnightly collection through until November.
The household waste recycling centre on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate may be open again, but our garden waste collection service will save you a pesky trip to the tip!
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Medical help for all non-coronavirus patients
The NHS is reminding us that medical services are still ‘open for business’, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you need urgent care for anything non-coronavirus related, you should contact your GP or the NHS 111 service without delay.
If it’s an emergency, dial 999 or go to your nearest hospital.
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VE Day commemorations
Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of the end of hostilities in Europe during World War Two.
Before most of us had even heard of the word ‘coronavirus’, plans were in place for national and local commemorations.
Of course, those have all had to be scaled back. However, there are still ways you can mark the occasion and pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much in WW2.
Here are a few ideas:
- Get crafty with homemade bunting and pictures to decorate your home
- Get creative in the kitchen with VE Day-inspired retro snacks and baking treats
- Encourage your children to get involved in your family activities and use the home schooling resources available to download from the Royal British Legion website.
- Organise a virtual party by video link for your family and friends. Don’t forget to show off your homemade decorations and bunting!
- Get your neighbours to join in with an off-street party (weather permitting of course!). Each house on your street could hold a socially distanced picnic in the front garden or on the doorstep and decorate their home in the national colours.
- Be inspired by Oatlands community group in Harrogate and raise a cup of tea at 4pm
Irrespective of how you choose to mark VE Day, please make sure you observe the government’s stay at home and social distancing instructions.
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Coronavirus financial worries
We know the pandemic is causing money worries for many families across the district, especially where jobs have been affected by the ‘lockdown’.
This means less money may be coming into your household while at the same time bills have to be paid and any existing financial commitments met.
The debt charity, Step Change, has produced some helpful advice about what you should do, and where you can get support, if you are concerned about money.
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West park Stray works underway
Work has started to restore West Park Stray now that the ground conditions have improved.
The grass has been sprayed and rotovated (a form of breaking up and aerating the soil). The treated area will now be left for another week.
The second phase will involve rolling, sub-soiling and further harrowing in preparation for seeding.
This work is likely to take just over a week, ahead of seeding at the end of May.
We are also taking the opportunity to address the historical drainage issues at the corner of Otley Road and West Park.
This will involve a ground survey of the area to establish what infrastructure is underneath.
Once identified, appropriate drainage systems will be installed mid-May to coincide with the overall restoration project.
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 To be restored to its former glory: West Park Stray
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Sport and leisure service consultation
We know you value our sport and leisure services, whether online (as they are now) or in real life (before the coronavirus pandemic meant we had to close them).
We have over a million visits a year to our sites. Our sport and leisure service delivers both significant health and wellbeing results for users, and financial income for our frontline services.
We’re proposing to change the way sport and leisure operates across the district by converting the service into a company (known as a ‘LACC’) which we would own.
The idea is that we could then do more with sport and leisure and innovate the way it works.
We’ve created a short survey so you can tell us what you think of the proposal. We’d be really grateful if you would spare ten minutes to complete it.
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Support the LOCAL LOTTO for the Harrogate district
You can continue to support local voluntary and community groups from home by joining the LOCAL LOTTO for the Harrogate district.
Many of the local 97 good causes signed up continue to provide support and services in our communities during the current crisis.
All the good causes have had to change the way in which they work, and with reduced funds. If you’ve not already signed up as a player now is a great time to do so.
If you are a good cause or community group you can sign up to use the LOCAL LOTTO to generate funds. Please consider this option as funding will undoubtedly continue to be stretched and diverted to address the current crisis.
Sign up to play the LOCAL LOTTO and the money raised makes an important contribution towards keeping our voluntary and community sector thriving across the district.
60p from every £1 ticket goes direct to local charities, voluntary organisations and community groups. Lottery players can win a £25,000 jackpot plus smaller prizes each week.
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A big 'thank you' from Team Brimhams
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When gas became 'gat'
We invented an entirely new safety inspection regime in the last edition of Residents’ News, potentially exciting all ‘gat’ engineers across the district.
Clearly this was an error on our part. It should have read ‘gas’. Our proofreader has moved to lighter duties.
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