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04
Feb
Homes England — the government housing agency behind the 1,300-home Clotherholme development — has been urged to listen to Ripon people's concerns and protect the city's rich military heritage,
Last year Ripon City Council unanimously supported Ripon Military Heritage Trust, which is fighting to protect, preserve and ultimately display priceless items of historic and cultural significance.
These structures and buildings, some of which date back 110 years, are located at the barracks site, which has been home to the Royal Engineers for decades.
But concerns were expressed at Monday’s full city council meeting about whether the housing scheme will respect this.
Councillor Barbara Brodigan’s report to fellow members on her work as the Liberal-Democrat councillor for the Spa and Ure Bank division of North Yorkshire Council sparked a debate.
Cllr Brodigan, who along with fellow city and North Yorkshire council colleague Andrew Williams has attended meetings with Homes England and the trust, told the members:
The Royal Engineers who have had Freedom of the City since 1949, are scheduled to leave Ripon in 2026, but how will their heritage be maintained?
Ripon’s soldiers have earned a worldwide reputation for military invention and development, from bomb disposal to training troops on the installation of Bailey Bridges, which were used in many wars and proved crucial to the liberation of Europe.
Besides bridges, Ripon's contribution to two world wars included a concrete weir constructed on the River Laver to drive wheels for a power station that gave electric light for soldiers during the First World War. The Clotherholme site includes some of the last accommodation huts still in existence.
Councillor Pauline McHardy told the meeting:
The government agency pointed out:
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