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20
Nov
Car parking to be removed from Harrogate Debenhams refurbishment
Parking spaces are set to be removed from a major refurbishment at the former Harrogate Debenhams store as part of plans to speed up its construction.
Wetherby-based property firm Stirling Prescient received planning permission in January this year to convert the building into 34 flats and a commercial space.
The iconic Parliament Street store has been vacant since January 2021 after Debenhams fell into administration.
Now, developers have sought amendments to the plans to help speed up the development of the site.
According to documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council, the scheme would abandon plans for the basement of the building and reduce its size to ensure it sits fully below ground level.
The current basement level, as outlined in the Debenhams plans.
Under the approved plans, part of the finished ceiling extends above ground level, resulting in the basement being classified as a "storey" and bringing the overall building height to seven storeys.
The developer said this means the building would be classed as “higher-risk” and require an application to the Building Safety Regulator, known as a “gateway 2” process — which can take up to 43 weeks.
It added:
The applicant is seeking to avoid the gateway 2 process due to the significant costs and delays involved (the statutory timescale for the gateway 2 approval is 12 weeks but average timescales are currently around 43 weeks). Avoiding this process would allow works to begin on site at the earliest opportunity, preventing further deterioration of the building.
‘Car-free development’
As a result, the developer is also seeking to compensate for the loss of retail space at basement level.
Under the planned changes, the six parking spaces previously approved would be removed and repurposed as 192.4sqm of commercial space.
Current car parking plans at the site (left) and how it would look once it is removed (right).
However, storage for 34 cycles will remain at the site.
The developer said it expected a “significant proportion” of residents to be “non-car owners”.
It added:
The applicant has responded to market advice by proposing a car-free development. The site is in a highly sustainable location in the heart of Harrogate town centre.
It benefits from excellent access to public transport routes, with Harrogate bus and train station located c.400 metres east of the site which provide regular connections to the district, including Ripon and Knaresborough, and the wider region, including Leeds and York.
It is expected that a significant proportion of residential occupiers will be non-car owners who have a desire to live in the town centre with a range of amenities on their doorstep.
The move comes at Harrogate Town Council’s planning committee was supportive of the amendments.
Cllr Elizabeth Jackson, Conservative councillor for Oatlands ward, told a meeting last night (November 19) that she was pleased to see that work on the scheme would be starting sooner.
North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the amendments at a later date.
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