Tory Julian Smith anticipates tough fight for Skipton and Ripon seatInternational soprano Sarah Fox to perform in RiponElection candidate bids to become Ripon’s first Labour MPRipon bench marks 75th anniversary for Royal EngineersRipon Cathedral rejects claim about memorial gardenRoyal Engineers march to commemorate 75th anniversary of freedom of RiponRetired Royal Engineers join fight to save Ripon’s military heritageOn the road: Will Tory dominance continue in Ripon?Work begins on Ripon city centre Changing Places toiletWork has begun on Ripon city centre’s first Changing Places toilet, which is scheduled for delivery in early August.
In the meantime, the existing block on site at the back of Sainsbury’s and near the bus station is closed and eight temporary toilets – two of them accessible to wheelchair users – are in place.
Eight temporary toilets have been put in place as work gets under way
The work follows an announcement in April by North Yorkshire Council that Killinghall company Dalebuild Ltd had been awarded a £162,000 contract to build the new facility.
After a successful bid by the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council and Ripon Disability Forum, £40,000 was granted through the government’s Changing Places Fund towards the cost of the new facility.
The toilets are larger and more accessible for people with disabilities and restricted mobility who cannot use standard accessible toilets. They include equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers.
Ripon Disability Forum is working alongside businesses and other organisations in the city for its Access Ambassadors initiative to make Ripon more access aware and accessible.
Trustee Jeremy Dunford previously told the Stray Ferret:
“Changing Places toilets allow families greater freedom when caring for a family member with specific needs.
“They allow whole families to shop, visit and travel with more confidence and security. For independent people with greater need it means their independence is supported by the facilities they need.
“This is great news for businesses, residents and visitors to the city of Ripon.”
Changing Places toilets at other Ripon locations
Ripon already has a Changing Places toilet at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre but not one in the city centre.
However, Ripon Cathedral has plans to include one as part of its proposed £8 million annexe development on Minster Gardens, These would be in replacement for the current public toilets on the site.
Main image: Work is getting under way on the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet
Ripon residents react as 390-home scheme gets underwayHousebuilder Taylor Wimpey has said it hopes to develop a good ongoing relationship with its neighbours as work progresses on the 390-home scheme at West Lane in Ripon.
The development, which will take up to seven years to complete, borders West Lane and is close to Hell Wath local nature reserve.
It will include 156 affordable homes, ranging from single bedroom semi-detached and terraced properties to a number of four-bedroom detached and semi-detached houses.
The scheme, which was previously proposed by Barratt Homes, was granted permission at a planning appeal in 2018 after initially being refused by the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council in 2017.
Barratts subsequently pulled out of the development and in February 2021 Homes England, the government’s housing agency and Taylor Wimpey struck an £89.5m deal to acquire the site to get the plans back on track.
A computer generated image of the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.
The 2018 appeal decision came as a blow to the Ripon Residents Planning Group, which was formed to fight the proposals and a number of them were present for a ‘meet the builder’ event held by Taylor Wimpey at Harrogate Road Methodist Church this month.
Their reaction to the event was mixed, with some claiming it was little more than a marketing exercise for the new homes.
One resident, who didn’t want to be named said:
“It felt a little bit like a sales pitch and overall I think that they could have done better, particularly with distribution of information about the meeting.
“If they try a little bit harder and keep residents informed about what is happening on the site, I’m sure that there is a way forward.”
Jeremy Dunford, a trustee of Ripon Disability Forum, who lives close to the West Lane site, went to the event to ask questions about the number of homes that will include step-free access and be adaptable for people with limited mobility.
He discovered that more than half of the properties (140 affordable and 62 private homes) will have these facilities, while16 of the houses will be specifically designed for wheelchair users.
Mr Dunford said:
“I look on that as a success for a development of this size, though our ultimate aim on all new housing schemes is for 100 percent of homes to be accessible to wheelchair users. “
Residents at Taylor WImpey’s ‘meet the builder’ event.
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey, said:
“We found our meet the builder event useful, as we were able to hear people’s views at the start of what we hope will be a constructive on-going engagement.
“We are going to be here for a number of years and will aim to keep residents informed with updates about the development and advance notice on matters such as any prospective temporary road closures.”
The spokesperson, added:
“There is going to be disruption and we are very conscious of issues like mud on the road and will ensure that they are swept on a regular basis.”
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