Countywide roll-out to launch for improved recycling service

Residents in Malton and the surrounding area are set to benefit from an improved recycling service as wheelie bins are set to be delivered, as part of the first phase of a countywide roll-out.

Councillors approved plans earlier this year to introduce the same recycling service for residents across the county.

Under the plans, the majority of households will have alternate fortnightly recycling collections, one for paper and card and one for all other recyclable materials, including glass, cans, plastics and cartons.

This model already takes place in the Selby area and allows us to increase the amount and quality of recycling collected at the kerbside, reduce the cost of collection, and helps towards carbon reduction.

Separating the recycling also improves the quality of material, reduces processing costs, and generates a higher value when it is processed.

Residents in Malton and the surrounding area will be the first to receive their bins.

The new collections will start in the summer, and we will write to residents again in late May or early June with further information about when they can start using their new bins.

You can find out further information about the new bins roll-out online.

Record £2.5 million investment in North Yorkshire’s car parks

Card, cash and app payments will be possible in every car park in North Yorkshire for the first time under plans to make parking easier than ever before.

Our largest ever car parking investment plan, worth almost £2.5 million, includes new payment machines and lighting to improve car parks while generating savings for taxpayers.

Under the plan, we are looking to install 430 new solar-powered parking machines in our car parks and on-street parking places, as well as in the barrier control systems in our two multi-storey car parks.

The new machines will replace the current ageing technology and be easier to use and more efficient.

A £400,000 programme to replace old sodium lighting with new LED heads and old lamp columns where required will improve safety and security.

Investment in the machines and lights will generate cost savings of £587,000 a year, every single year.

Looking further ahead, we will also seek to update signage across our car parks to meet legal requirements and make sure useful information is clearly displayed.

High majority of families secure first primary school choice

Ninety-five per cent of families of primary age children in North Yorkshire have secured their first choice of school.

Of all the families in the county who requested a primary school place for their child from September this year, 99 per cent received an offer from one of their top three preferences for a school.

The number of children starting primary school in North Yorkshire in September will be 5,161 pupils.

In 2024, 94 per cent of families in the county received an offer from their first choice of primary school and 98 per cent received an offer from one of their top three choices.

Nationally, last year 93 per cent of parents and carers in the country received an offer from their first choice of primary school while 99 per cent from one of their top three choices.

Meanwhile, in March, a total of 90 per cent of parents and carers in North Yorkshire secured their preferred secondary school for their child, continuing the county’s high level of success in recent years.

Ninety-six per cent of all families in the county who requested a secondary school for September 2025 received an offer from us for one of their top three preferences of secondary school.

This year, 6,104 pupils from the county are transferring to secondary school.

For children currently in Year 5 who are due to start secondary school in September next year, parents and carers will be able to apply from 12 September this year, and are being asked to make use of the opportunity to list five school preferences on the form.

Families can find out more information about our admissions process.

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

Travel assistance will automatically be assessed with the aim of notifying parents of their child’s eligibility to travel – for a secondary school child, this will be by Friday 30 May and for primary school pupils no later than Monday 30 June.

North Yorkshire is saying ‘Yes to Quit’ with new smoking campaign

We’re supporting a new regional campaign which asks people ‘what will you miss?’ more than smoking.

It highlights important life events such as weddings, births or quality time with others, that two in three smokers will miss by dying too soon, unless they quit.

The Yes to Quit campaign website, shares information about ways to quit and links to local stop smoking services including our Living Well Smokefree service which is available across North Yorkshire.

Their expert advisors provide free stop smoking support and advice for six to 12 weeks, as well as weekly meetings to discuss and plan new routines to help you quit, check your progress and help keep you motivated.

Tips are also available to deal with cravings or managing stressful situations, as well as advice about stop smoking aids such as nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes, and medications, which may be subject to availability and a prescription charge.

Get in touch for free stop smoking support.

More information is available at Yes to Quit campaign - What will you miss?

Millions of pounds secured to help Harrogate housing scheme

More than 2,000 new homes to the west of Harrogate are to be supported with a £6.8 million grant to fund the infrastructure including roads and schools which is essential to the development.

We have agreed to accept an ‘interest free’ loan from Homes England’s Brownfield Infrastructure and Land (BIL) Fund which will kickstart the transport and education elements of the Harrogate development.

Already, three planning applications for new homes have been approved and another is pending with a start on site expected later this year.

The current Local Plan for the West Harrogate area has identified sites for new housing, employment and schools as well as the infrastructure that is needed for large developments including transport provision and open spaces.

These elements are normally part-funded through Section 106 money paid by the developers as part of any project to fund infrastructure. The Brownfield Infrastructure and Land money will allow us to fund these elements of the scheme at an early stage and will be repaid as the development progresses and developer contributions are received.

We have already been working with developers on proposals for about 2,000 new homes and development for employment, looking at community facilities and services. This includes primary school provision, local centres, sports pitches, open spaces, bus routes, footpaths and cycleways. There will also be off-site improvements linked to local roads.

Share your views and help shape learning in North Yorkshire

Residents are being encouraged to have their say on the future of learning to help boost job opportunities and ensure training and education is accessible to communities across North Yorkshire.

The Let’s Talk Skills engagement exercise, which launched on Monday 14 April, is part of our wider Let’s Talk campaign that has previously featured topics including finance and refuse services.

Since April 2024, more than 3,400 people have taken part in Adult Learning North Yorkshire courses in maths, English, IT, wellbeing and career development delivered both online and in person.

Among them is Jessica Teare from Whitby, who retrained for a new role in education while raising two children. With flexible support and a level 3 diploma, she now works full-time in a school and is planning to study for a degree.

She said: “I think a lot of people lose their confidence after having children, so doing something for myself was a little scary. My teacher was extremely supportive and understood that I sometimes had family commitments and so would need extensions on assignments. I’ve really caught the learning bug.”

Adult learning offers a range of support including childcare and travel help, free exam fees, laptop loans and one-to-on advice. Thanks to funding options 92 per cent of learners don’t pay for their courses.

Let’s Talk Skills asks residents what learning they want, what challenges they face and how we can help.

Complete our Let's Talk Skills survey.

Find out more about adult learning.

Cultural connections are helping to bring our communities together

A coffee morning held during World Refugee Week last year has grown into a successful monthly workshop event bringing new members of the community and long-time residents together through music, poetry and conversation.

Now with its sixth event at Scarborough Library, Cultural Connections has become a popular platform for sharing talent and stories across cultures.

Performers have included a Ukrainian choir, local folk singers, Syrian and local poets, and music from Kurdistan, Iran, Poland and Romania, with collaborations often blending traditions in creative ways.

Philip Briggs, an English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher with our adult learning service, came up with this idea as a way to promote understanding and connection and break down misconceptions through shared experiences.

The next Cultural Connections will be at Scarborough in May, as part of Big Ideas By The Sea with a special performance planned at St Mary Church.

First major revamp of Harrogate's Royal Pump Room in 40 years

A museum in Harrogate is set to undergo its first major revamp in more than 40 years as we launch plans to modernise the landmark building.

The Royal Pump Room played a vital role in establishing the town as a renowned spa destination in the 1800s and early 1900s. Built in 1842, it housed a well where visitors could take the town’s mineral-rich sulphur water, believed to have healing properties.

Attracting wealthy and aristocratic visitors, including Russian nobility and European high society, the Pump Room solidified Harrogate’s reputation as a fashionable health resort.

Today, it showcases Harrogate’s spa history and Victorian heritage. The redevelopment project aims to reimagine the museum experience, enabling it to share captivating stories of Harrogate and its waters with diverse audiences.

We are calling on members of the public to share their thoughts and ideas to help shape the project’s success via a survey which will be open until Monday 5 May.

You can access the Royal Pump Room Museum survey online or in person at the museum.

We will also be hosting several drop-in sessions later in the year where you will be able to see and comment on the redevelopment plans.

Internationally acclaimed artist turns gallery into ‘happy’ place

A vibrant new exhibition by acclaimed British artist Liz West is lighting up Harrogate this spring.

Her latest show, H.A.P.P.Y, is now open at the Mercer Gallery and is a personal response to Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D), which is a type of depression linked to the darker, shorter days of autumn and winter.

Through colour, reflection and light, the exhibition aims to lift moods and transform the gallery experience.

At its heart is Our Colour Reflection which is a striking installation of 765 mirrored discs that scatter shifting light across the historic Spa Promenade Room, now flooded with natural light for the first time in decades.

Liz said: “It is a great pleasure to be exhibiting my work at the Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate. I have visited the beautiful spa town many times whilst growing up in Yorkshire with great interest.”

The show also features Liz’s experimental works on paper, hand-picked museum artefacts exploring emotional responses to colour and an original sound piece by the Leeds-based musician, Cherry Seraph.

H.A.P.P.Y runs until Wednesday 15 October at the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate.

Visit our Mercer Art Gallery page for opening times and more information.