‘Inspiring’ new £85,000 vision for Ripon remains unpublished — two years on
A report outlining a new “inspiring and innovative” vision for regenerating Ripon has not been published — more than two years after it was announced.
Harrogate Borough Council advertised a 12-month contract to draw up a masterplan for the city in December 2020.
But Ripon city councillors have discovered through a Freedom of Information request that no formal report for the Ripon renewal project has been produced yet.
The Stray Ferret reported in August that work on the masterplan had been paused due to negotiations over the £85,000 contract awarded by Harrogate Borough Council to Bauman Lyons Architects.
At that time, Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy and culture, said he did not know when the project — originally scheduled for completion last February — would be finalised.
But he added the aim was to finish it before the launch of the replacement North Yorkshire Council, which comes into being on April 1.
He said:
“We are in dialogue with the consultants and it is very difficult to say when that conversation will be concluded.
“But it will be our intention to bring the project forward in that timeframe.”
At Monday’s full meeting of Ripon City Council, leader Andrew Williams, said:
“Both ourselves and Ripon BID, have been trying to obtain a copy of the consultants’ report and now we have discovered through a response to the FOI request we submitted to Harrogate Borough Council that no formal report has been produced.
“As we don’t want the work carried out to be a waste of time and money I propose that we ask Harrogate to report on where the consultants had got to, as this could be helpful for the future in areas such as seeking grant funding.”
Read more:
Councillors agreed unanimously for the request to be sent to Harrogate Borough Council and for it to be copied to Councillor Carl Les, the leader of North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire County Council chief executive Richard Flinton.
North Yorkshire County Council and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership were, along with Harrogate Borough Council, co-funders of the project. which aimed to create a vision for the future of Ripon that would help the city to win funding for infrastructure, planning and community projects.
A consultation was held in 2021 with residents, businesses and community groups which highlighted problems in the city.
These included not enough things for young people to do, traffic in the market place and a lack of affordable housing.
There were also calls for better traffic management on Low Skellgate and Westgate, and a new green route linking the Workhouse Museum and Ripon Cathedral.
Calls to assess impact of Ripon Cathedral’s £6m expansion on cafes and shopsConcerns raised by hospitality and other businesses about the proposed £6 million Ripon Cathedral annex, with its cafe and gift shop, have prompted Ripon City Council to call for a retail impact assessment to be carried out.
Supporters and opponents of the cathedral’s application to build the two-storey building on Minster Gardens made their views known at last night’s full council meeting.
After hearing both sides, council leader Andrew Williams, who proposed the impact assessment, also called for the cathedral’s chapter to meet with businesses and Ripon Business Improvement District to listen to their concerns and answer any questions they have.
He said:
“I’m keeping an open mind until the application is considered later this year by (the new) North Yorkshire Council and my door is open to the cathedral and the traders who want to speak with me.
“We need to move forward in unity, minimise our differences and draw people together.”
Cllr Williams declared an interest prior to speaking about the application because he has been nominated to serve on the North Yorkshire Council planning committee, which will adjudicate on the proposal.
Kevin Hill, who owns the the Karma clothing and gift boutique on Kirkgate with his wife Liz and Helen Slater, owner of Cathedral View Cafe that faces onto the ancient building, both felt the annex on Minster Gardens with a direct route from the car park would ‘funnel’ visitors away from Kirkgate.
Stanley Mackintosh, who lives on Kirkgate, said the street which leads down to the cathedral has numerous independent cafes and restaurants, with more in the city centre. He claimed:
“There will be damage to small independent traders if the proposal is given the go-ahead.”
Mr Mackintosh had a copy of the longer-term masterplan vision for the cathedral quarter, which has elements that are not included in the annex planning application lodged with Harrogate Borough Council.
Minster Gardens
That wider masterplan, which would require a further planning application or applications, includes a proposed hotel with arts cafe underneath, which he said would further impact on hospitality businesses in the city.
Richard Taylor, co-chair of Ripon Civic Society, reiterated that the society supports development of new facilities for the cathedral but not at the proposed location. He said:
“Our concern was that the chosen site was one of great heritage and environmental sensitivity and we encouraged the cathedral to look at moving the new building a little further north into the stoneyard.
“More evidence has since come to light to show just how significant Minster Gardens are as a green space in the centre of the city framed by high-grade listed buildings.
“The importance of the fine group of trees there was recognised as long ago as 2009 in the Ripon Conservation Area Appraisal.
“They have recently been reassessed and the large beech tree in the centre of the garden has been added to the national register of veteran trees. Sweeping it away as the current proposal would do means losing an irreplaceable asset as highlighted by three of the borough council’s officers.”
Read more:
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson pointed out that for every tree lost 30 would be planted to compensate for them at another location outside the city and this will lead to increased biodiversity.
He added that the plans will not bypass Kirkgate.
Dean John said:
“The vision we have delivers for the cathedral and the city by bringing more people and increased business.”
Guy Wilson, a member of the cathedral fabric committee, said:
“The cathedral is the jewel in Ripon’s crown and is in need of modern facilities for staff, worshippers and visitors.”
These proposed facilities include the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet, which will improve access for disabled people — a development welcomed by Councillor Pauline McHardy.
The meeting was told that the cathedral currently attracts in excess of 100,000 visitors a year and it is estimated that development of the cathedral quarter will bring up to 35,000 more per annum.
Book by former deputy mayoress of Ripon raising money for two charitiesTwo local charities are to benefit from the sale of a book written by Jilly-Anne Powell, a former deputy mayoress of Ripon.
Proceeds from the sale of Journey to Identity will be donated to Dementia Forward in Ripon and the Harrogate branch of mental health charity Mind.
First-time author Ms Powell, whose husband Charlie was deputy mayor of Ripon between 2017 and 2021, told the Stray Ferret:
“The charities are very dear to my heart and I wanted to find a way of supporting them. Money is also being raised for both through the Mayor of Ripon’s charity appeal.”
Former deputy mayor and mayoress of Ripon, Charlie and Jilly-Anne Powell
In Journey to Identity, Ms Powell tells her moving true-life story of growing up as an adopted child in a middle class family.
Born in 1944, she found out about her adoption at the age of eight from a neighbour’s child, but it wasn’t until a change in the law in the mid 1970s that she had the legal right to see her birth certificate.
With that came the beginning of a 45-year search for her birth mother and the discovery of other blood relations.
Ms Powell said:
“I was six weeks old when I was adopted and, when I found out about my adoption at such an early age, it had a profound impact on me.
“I carried a sense of not belonging and fear of rejection for many years, which brought struggles and anxieties, in spite of the fact that I had a privileged childhood with my adoptive parents, with schooling at private seminaries, followed by two years at London College of Fashion.”
The ‘journey’ saw her find her mother, whose maiden name of Cawthorne is used by Ms Powell in the publication of her book and will also be used in a planned sequel.
Journey to Identity is available at selected book shops, and via Amazon by clicking on this link. To find out more, click here to email Jilly.
Read more:
Project seeks tales of life along the river bank from Dallowgill to RiponThe Skell Valley Project is embarking on a new oral history venture featuring the experiences of people living and working in the Skell Valley.
The four-year project, led by the National Trust and Nidderdale AONB, aims to conserve, enhance and celebrate the 12 miles of the River Skell from the moorlands of Dallowgill into Ripon.
A spokesperson for the project said:
“We are looking for people to share their stories of everyday life here, whether it’s about farming or working in the valley, growing up and childhood days, memories of past generations, local characters, and some of the amazing wartime history too.
“Oral history is exactly that – talking about the past. Participants will have an informal chat with a couple of volunteers who will record stories in the comfort of their home or another convenient place.”
The £2.5 million Skell Valley Project is using funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to connect local communities with unexplored heritage on their doorstep.
The oral history is just one part of the overall project, which began in 2019 and is set to run for five years.
The spokesperson added:
“At present, we don’t have a great deal of archive information about twentieth century life in the Skell Valley which runs along the 12-mile length of the Skell River, from Dallowgill, through busy rural villages and into the city of Ripon.
“We hope that by speaking to members of the community about their lives here, we’ll be able to make sure that the rich local history of the last century is documented and can brought to life for future generations.
“We’re also looking for volunteers to help carry out oral history interviews to collect these new stories and will provide full training for anyone who is interested in taking part. If you have a passion for history and would like to help, then we’d love to hear from you.”
Anybody wanting to share their story or interested in volunteering with the project, is asked to contact Karen Collins, Skell Valley Heritage Officer, on 07816 204585, karen.collins@nationaltrust.org.uk.
Historic Ripon church is attacked by vandals
A Catholic church considered one of Ripon’s architectural gems has suffered thousands of pounds of damage after being attacked by vandals.
Canon Ian Smith, parish priest of St Wilfrid’s on Coltsgate Hill, told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s very disheartening for parishioners and others who visit for prayer and quiet reflection, to see the aftermath of mindless destruction.”
He added:
“I don’t know what kind of pleasure they got from throwing stones through windows and damaging roof tiles, but their acts are deeply disappointing to all those who cherish this building.”
Canon Ian estimates the the repair bill for three leaded windows, an internal window in the reception area and roof tiles, will run into thousands of pounds.
The vandalised window in the church reception area
He pointed out:
“The leaded windows are originals that have been in place since the church opened in 1862 and it’s ironic to think that they survived undamaged through world wars and have now been wilfully broken in this way.”
Police were informed about the vandal attack, believed to have occurred between 7pm last Saturday, February 4, and 9am on Sunday, February 5. They have inspected the damage and their investigation is ongoing.
The first phase of a £500,000 restoration of the Grade II* listed building was completed in summer 2021, after parishioners supported an appeal that helped to pay for the refurbishment and renewal works.
In spite of the vandalism, St Wilfrid’s remains open as usual for services and private prayer.
Liberal Democrats win Masham and Fountains by-electionThe Conservative majority on North Yorkshire County Council has been reduced to two after Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister – the Countess of Swinton – swept to victory in yesterday’s by-election for the Masham and Fountains division.
With this result, the make-up of North Yorkshire County Council – and the new North Yorkshire unitary authority that comes into being on April 1 – will see the Conservatives with 46 seats to the 44 belonging to opposition parties
The countess polled 1,349 votes in a two-horse race against Conservative candidate Brooke Hull, who received 801.
The seat became vacant after the sudden death in November of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson, who was appointed as the last chair of North Yorkshire County Council following the local elections in May.
At that May 2022 election, Felicity Cuncliffe-Lister stood as an Independent and polled 738 votes to finish second to Mrs Atkinson, who received 1,076 votes. The Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper received 620 votes.
The Masham and Fountains division covers a large rural area that includes Kirkby Malzeard, Galphay, Grewelthorpe, Grantley, Sawley, Markington and Ripley, as well as Masham.
Read more:
New plans submitted for redevelopment of former Ripon timber yard site
A new planning application has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council for redevelopment of the former North Yorkshire Timber yard on Trinity Lane in Ripon.
Site owner Red Tree Developments Ltd is seeking consent for the change of use and conversion of the former warehouse space to form 12 houses.
Approval is also requested for construction of two further dwellings on the 0.64 acre plot, which was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.
The application includes plans for formation of access onto Trinity Lane, along with associated landscaping and parking provision.
In a previous application submitted in September 2020, Red Tree sought permission to demolish buildings on the site to make way for 13 new homes.
That application was refused by council planners in December 2020 and last month an appeal against the refusal decision was lodged with the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
Read more:
Planning consent was refused on the grounds that the scheme would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area, but Jay Everett, a planning consultant who submitted the appeal on behalf of Red Tree, argued that the loss of the existing building would cause ‘less than substantial harm’ to the conservation area.
The newly-submitted application would see retention and regeneration of the former warehouse building and the design and access statement in support of the submissions, says:
“The re-submitted scheme seeks to create 14 new dwellings of a size which will make them ideally suited to a wide range of residents from professional couples to retirees.
“They will be suitably priced such that they will likely appeal to first-time buyers, while the south-facing front gardens and proximity to the local school, nursery, shopping areas and parks will also make them attractive to families.”
Villagers in Kirkby Malzeard and Sharow invited to Ring for the KingVillagers aged 10 and upwards in Kirkby Malzeard and Sharow are being invited to learn how to Ring for the King.
With the coronation of Charles III just three months away, Jonathan Couchman of the Two Dales ringers group, based in Wensleydale and Swaledale, is keen for new bellringers to be in place for the occasion.
Mr Couchman said:
“The online sessions will begin in mid-February and will be supplemented by hands-on training in the dales’ bell towers.
“All in the two dales are most welcome to attend but we are especially seeking new ringers for Sharow and Kirkby Malzeard.”
Bell ringers in action
Mr Couchman, added:
“The bell towers participating in this course include those at the churches of Askrigg, Aysgarth, Grinton, East Witton, Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and Sharow. People living within reach of those churches are particularly welcome to participate in the course.
The Wensleydale and Swaledale bell ringers first ran their introductory online course in 2021 and, following a successful launch, repeated the course in 2022.
For hundreds of years church bells have rung out, not only as a call to worship, but also to proclaim special events.
In June bell ringers celebrated the Queen’s platinum jubilee with the sound of bells and in September the bells rang as a mark of respect following her passing..
Mr Couchman said:
“Bell ringing is a team activity that keeps your brain active and your body agile. It does not require great strength and we have had children as young as 10 learning in Wensleydale. Many others learn in retirement.”
The online course comprises five interactive sessions that will include online ringing for all participants as well as an informative presentation. Attendees will be put in touch with a local bell tower where they will be taught hands-on bell ringing and invited to join the regular bell band.
For further information message the Wensleydale Ringers on Facebook or email David Scrutton at wensleydaleringers@gmail.com.
Ripon Writers Group extends invitation to new membersFor more than 40 years a Ripon group has provided a platform which has enabled writers, ranging from novices to published novelists, to develop their talent and share their thoughts with like-minded people.
Now, with the disruption of covid lockdowns behind it, Ripon Writers Group is looking to attract new members to the twice-monthly meetings it holds at St Wilfrid’s Community Centre. The next meeting is on Wednesday evening (February 8).
RWG was launched in 1982 by Daphne Peters whose stories and poetry for children, published under her maiden name of Daphne Lister, gained international acclaim.
Following her death in April 2020, long-term member and award-winning author Maggie Cobbett said:
“Daphne was always interested to hear what the rest of us had been working on and unstinting in her encouragement.
“I loved to hear her reading her own poems, whether comical or whimsical, in her own inimitable style and will miss that very much.
“Ripon Writers’ Group will never be quite the same without Daphne, but I know that she will be counting on us to continue what she started all those years ago.”
RWG continues with Ms Peters’ husband Joe as its president and Ian Gouge as chairman.
Publisher Mr Gouge (pictured above), who is also writer in residence at Ripon Library, was the 2022 winner of the highly-prized Swanwick Short Story Competition.
In liaison with fellow committee members, he has introduced new elements to the events programme, including a ‘flash fiction’ activity called All Write on the Night.
Mr Gouge, said:
“The aim is to make our meetings thought-provoking, stimulating and enjoyable and create an atmosphere in which all attendees gain from the the shared experience.”
Two-time Swanwick prize winner Ms Cobbett, whose latest book My ‘Extra’ Life was published in August, added:
“We are a friendly group seeking new members from the Ripon area and beyond .
“Whether their interest is in poetry or prose, novels, short stories, plays, wacky humour or, a more analytical style of writing, they will be made most welcome.”
Demolition of four sinkhole-hit Ripon homes ready to begin
The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes affected by subsidence and sinkhole issues will begin shortly, taking up to seven weeks for completion.
The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
Planning permission for their demolition was granted by Harrogate Borough Council in November.
Ashley Hutchinson, site manager for Dewsbury-based Hutchinson Demolition & Dismantling Ltd, told the Stray Ferret:
“The work will be carried out by a team of four using hand-held tools.”
“Following a fortnight of preparation, which has involved erection of scaffolding and putting fencing in place, we anticipate completion over the next six to seven weeks.”
Site safety signage is in place
Mr Hutchinson added:
“We will be using a cherry picker for the removal of roof tiles and they, along with bricks, timber and other materials will be removed from the site and recycled.”
Neighbouring residents have been contacted and advised that the demolition will be carried out Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.45am and 4.30pm