On 1 April 2023, North Yorkshire Council will replace the eight councils currently delivering public services in North Yorkshire.

Over the next few months, the council will be holding a county-wide conversation to find out which issues are most important to you, and how they can best support you and your community.

The conversation started last month with Let's Talk… Local, looking at what's important to you in your local area, and what you think about the proposed community networks.

A consultation has now been launched to give people across North Yorkshire the chance to share their views on the proposed devolution deal for the area. And later in the autumn, you'll be asked for your views to help shape the budget for the council.

You can visit the Let's Talk website to share your views and to find out more.

The existing seven borough and district councils currently have their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies.

But ahead of the new council delivering all local services from 1 April, a consultation on a single Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for North Yorkshire Council has been launched.

A comprehensive review of the seven existing policies has been undertaken and although they have several things in common, there are differences in terms of applicant criteria, vehicle specification and procedures. The new policy seeks to ensure that the public continues to be provided with safe and accessible hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, as well as a coherent regulatory framework for the trade across the county.

It is proposed that the new council will operate one hackney carriage 'zone' for North Yorkshire. Providing drivers with the flexibility to operate across the county, encouraging environmental efficiencies and creating a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

This 12-week consultation allows anyone with an interest in taxis the opportunity to share their views and help shape the policy that will serve North Yorkshire Council.

For further information and to take part in the consultation, please visit the taxi consultation website page.

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot!"

Love it or loathe it, Bonfire Night is just around the corner. 

If you plan to celebrate the occasion on or around 5 November with your family and friends, have fun but remember to put safety first.

It's best to follow the firework code, especially if you're holding your own mini fireworks display at home. Here are some other tips:

• Consider telling your neighbours in advance so those with pets or young children can be better prepared
• Be mindful of the time you set off fireworks (some people go to sleep earlier than others)
• Check for animals in your garden before starting your celebrations
• After your celebrations, clear up all debris (once completely safe to do so) and carefully dispose of it

If you are planning to have a bonfire, please keep it legal and safe. Make sure that you only burn small amounts of paper, leaves, wood and cardboard and the waste is kept securely before being burned.

Remember, it's illegal to burn most types of waste. Burning waste such as treated wood, tyres, plastics, rubber and oil can seriously harm health and pollute the environment. And do not accept waste that has come from a business, commercial or industrial setting, it should be non-commercial waste only. You could also face a fine of up to £50,000 for illegally managing waste.

For further information please follow the Environment Agency's advice to ensure you're disposing of waste on your bonfire safely.

If you are a pet owner, the RSPCA has also produced advice on how to make your pets feel safer and be able to better cope with the noise of fireworks. It is also running a campaign to change firework regulations to make them safer for animals. You can find out more from the RSPCA website.

Our horticultural nursery in Harrogate is holding a special Christmas artisan market on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November.

There will be a stunning selection of Christmas plants including poinsettias in a variety of colours, Christmas trees from Stockeld Park and Little Bird artisan market stalls with unique gifts including jewellery, candles, art, skincare products, cakes and refreshments.

The market will be open from 9.30am until 3.30pm with free entry. So why not come down and join us, meet the artisan traders and get into the festive spirit?

You can find us on Nursery Lane East, off Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate (please use the postcode HG2 0FH if you are using a sat nav).

Step out for the final day of our new Creepy Castle Spooktastic Halloween trail tomorrow (Saturday) at Knaresborough Castle grounds.

Along the way, you'll see wizard magic shows, spooky characters, face painting, stories in the castle and more scary surprises.

The final tickets are just £3.75 per person and are available from 3pm to 8pm (under 2's are free).

Visit our horticultural nursery website to purchase your tickets.

Save 10 per cent on your next MOT at our Claro Road depot in Harrogate when you book online, by using the discount code MOTNEWS10.

This offer is exclusive to readers of Residents' News, for online bookings only and subject to availability (don't forget to press the 'validate code' button to ensure the discount is applied).

We offer tests for cars and light vans (Class 4), and 3 and 3.5-tonne commercial vehicles (Class 7). The current cost of an MOT is £54.85 for Class 4 and £58.60 for Class 7.

We do not provide any servicing or repair works, if your vehicle does not pass the MOT you will be given a certificate confirming the work required to be undertaken. Our workshop will arrange a free re-test after the work is completed within ten days of the original MOT appointment.

Don't miss out, get 10 per cent off by booking your MOT online today.

Next month (29 November) marks National Giving Day where everyone, everywhere can do something to support the good causes that mean so much to them.

THE LOCAL LOTTO* and THE LOCAL FUND for the Harrogate district are two great ways in which you can give financial support locally.

Supporting a local cause through THE LOCAL LOTTO comes with the chance of winning prizes of £25,000, £2,000, £250, £25 or three free tickets*. With 60p in every £1 lottery ticket going back into the local community to the local good cause of your choice. Visit THE LOCAL LOTTO website to find out more and sign-up.

*Players must be 16 years or over 

THE LOCAL FUND supports smaller local charities across the district that continue to provide support and activities to a range of groups and individuals. A grant from the fund means that they can focus on helping people and not worry about paying the rent, the electricity bill and things like that.

In the new year, they will be providing grants of up to £3,000 and this is only able to happen with your support and donations. If you would like to donate to THE LOCAL FUND, which helps local people where you live, then please visit their website. All donations are incredibly gratefully received no matter how small.

However, giving doesn't just mean financially. It also includes time through volunteering.

If you are interested in getting involved in your local community as a volunteer there are more than 200 opportunities listed in the Harrogate and District Community Action volunteering directory.

Could you help people get to their appointments and groups; be a befriender; help fundraise; or carry out tasks to improve your area? The Harrogate Community Fit project combines exercise, socialising and doing good, and has already given over 100 hours to assist local community organisations and schools.

And if you know of a community facility or project (in Harrogate only at the moment) that would benefit from 5 to 15 volunteers helping out for an hour on a Wednesday evening please get in touch with their team.

The exhibition season has begun in Harrogate and five public exhibitions covering everything from gourmet food to textile art and comics are opening between now and December.

These include the Great White Food Festival (28 to 30 October) which sees Michelin three-star chef Marco Pierre White return to Harrogate with some of the hottest names in the culinary world; the Northern Homebuilding and Renovating Show (4 to 6 November) with an emphasis on energy efficiency solutions this year.

Thought Bubble Comic Festival (12 to 13 November), UK’s biggest comic art convention featuring a rich programme spanning Harrogate and Leeds; The Knitting and Stitching Show (17 to 20 November) highly anticipated by textile art and craft lovers, as well as Country Living Christmas Fair (1 to 4 December), a one-stop shop for Christmas essentials.

What's more, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra (5 November) are returning to Harrogate with special guest Roland Gift on tour based on his latest album 'PIANOLA. PIANO & FRIENDS', while folk super group Show of Hands (11 November) reunite with formidable folk singer Miranda Sykes at a long-awaited autumn tour.

For those with a more Classical taste, the Harrogate Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert (12 November), The Harrogate Christmas Concert (3 December) featuring school children, Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and Harrogate Choral Society, and Handel's Messiah (10 December) by Harrogate Choral Society accompanied by the internationally acclaimed Manchester Camerata, will set the scene for the festive season.

For details on more upcoming events, please visit the Harrogate Convention Centre website.

Do you have an unused laptop or tablet lying around at home?

Reboot North Yorkshire is a programme that takes old unwanted laptops and tablets, resets them, refurbishes them and then gives them to eligible residents such as:

• Children to enable them to access online school lessons or homework
• Families with no or limited access to the internet
• Vulnerable people that may be socially isolated
• Older people to enable them to stay in touch with services, friends and family

If you're happy to donate some unwanted tech, you can hand them in at your local library, or find out where your nearest donation point on the Reboot North Yorkshire website.

If you're a parent of a teenage child, then North Yorkshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner wants you to talk to them about drugs and alcohol.

Zoë Metcalfe's 'Not My Child' campaign launched earlier this month.

The aim is to encourage parents, guardians and care givers to have positive conversations with their teenage children about the dangers of substance misuse before they come to any harm.

It has been inspired by the tragic story of Leah Roberts who died in 2019.

The 15-year-old lost her life in a car park in Northallerton after taking two 'MDMA bombs' (a powder form of ecstasy), while with a group of friends.

Leah's mum, Kerry, is supporting the campaign and has teamed up with the commissioner to promote the message. She says: "I encourage a calm talk with teenagers, before anything goes wrong, and to support them to understand the risks associated with different types of drugs. 

"They will then have the facts that they need, to set their own boundaries and to make their own safe choices."

You can find out more about the campaign on the Not My Child website. 

We think Harrogate Borough Council is a fantastic place to work (but then we're slightly biased).

As well as amazing colleagues, we offer competitive salaries, flexi-time and a range of other benefits.

We're always looking for new people to join the team. We currently have the following vacancies:

• Compliance officer
• Capital project manager
• Beauty therapist
• CCTV operative
• Contracts supervisor (housing and property)

Visit our jobs page to find out more about working for us and all the latest opportunities.