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06
Aug
Council issues verdict on plans to convert Harrogate’s Windsor House into flats
Plans to convert one of Harrogate’s most prominent office buildings into flats have been approved.
Boultbee Brooks, which owns Windsor House on Cornwall Road, put plans to convert the building into 84 apartments to North Yorkshire Council in June.
Formerly The Grand Hotel, Windsor House now houses more than 100 businesses and provides over 75,000 square feet of office space.
But its landlord sought prior approval to change the use of the building from an office to a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments under permitted development rights.
Windsor House is not a listed building, but it does fall within Harrogate Conservation Area and is described as a “key landmark building” in a planning document about conservation.
According to the plans, there would be no changes to the building’s exterior and all proposed works would be carried out “within the existing built form”.
The 288-space car park would be retained and a proposed 92 cycle racks would be provided for residents.
North Yorkshire Council approved the application subject to conditions on Monday (August 4), but Boultbee Brooks – which previously said it planned to sell the building after 10 years – does not appear to have any immediate plans to convert the site.
In a statement issued in June, the company said:
Boultbee’s aim is to find a buyer who will continue running it as an office space provider, however, as a standard part of the selling process, a permitted development rights application asking North Yorkshire Council for permission to potentially redevelop the site into residential properties [has been submitted].
The application does not reflect any immediate plans to change the current use or operation of the building. Windsor House remains a fully functioning office building, and all lease arrangements, property services, and tenant support continue uninterrupted.
This is the fourth such application submitted during Boultbee's 10-year ownership. As with previous submissions, it is a prudent step to maintain flexibility for future asset management, particularly in light of the evolving commercial property landscape and the longer-term shift toward hybrid working.
The statement also said at the time existing Windsor House tenants would receive regular updates from property manager Karen Winspear.
James Whitcher, managing director of Boultbee Brooks Real Estate, added:
Our original five-year investment plan evolved into 10 highly productive years, and while it’s time for us to step aside, we see great potential for a new owner to build on this success and take Windsor House into its next chapter.
Robert Cannock of Aurum Real Estate Partners and Matthew Jones of Savills UK have been appointed to oversee the sale.
History
Developer David Simpson built Windsor House in 1903, and it originally opened as The Grand Hotel.
The building, which overlooks Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, served as a convalescence home for officers during the First World War, before being requisitioned by the government during the Second World War.
It reopened as a hotel in 1946 but shut again just eight years later after it went into receivership. It was subsequently converted into offices and renamed Windsor House.
The seven-storey building now features offices, reception services, meeting rooms and a café.
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