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06
Feb
Work finally underway to redevelop Harrogate’s former Debenhams
Work to convert a redundant Harrogate department store into flats has finally got underway.
Wetherby-based property firm Stirling Prescient was given the green-light to turn the former Debenhams store on Parliament Street into 34 flats and a commercial space in January last year.
The iconic unit has stood empty for around five years after the company fell into administration, but a new lease of life appears to be on the horizon.
According to a Health and Safety Executive notification of construction project notice, contractors have been able to carry out the first of two phases of work since January 5.
Phase one involves stripping out the existing unit, removing asbestos and redundant equipment, and demolishing non-structural walls and ceilings.
Existing electrical cabling, plumbing, heating and existing lighting fixtures will be isolated and removed.
The HSE notice also says:
Other works will include the removal of the existing passenger and goods lift (inclusive of decommissioning) furniture, preparation of floors and walls, and installation of life safety features such as fire detection and alarm systems.
Stirling Investments, which is listed as the client on the HSE notice, has granted contractors 24 weeks to complete phase one, but it says the duration of the project will be 12 weeks.
The former Debenhams store pictured in January 2025.
The HSE notice.
It’s unclear what phase two will entail, but the notice will be updated ahead of the second phase of work “once the final programme has been confirmed”.
The Stray Ferret contacted Dan Newitt, of Stirling Investments, for comment but we had not received a response at the time of publication.
Planning history
Stirling Prescient initially applied to demolish the site and replace it with a five-storey building comprising 50 flats and two commercial units.
It later scrapped those plans and instead sought approval for the 34-flat scheme in November 2023.
But last November the applicant applied to vary the conditions of the scheme, abandoning plans for the basement of the building and reducing its size to ensure it sits fully below ground level.
Under the approved plans, part of the finished ceiling extends above ground level, which results in the basement being classified as a storey and bringing the overall building height to seven storeys.
But Stirling Prescient believes this would make the building “higher-risk” and would require an application to the Building Safety Regulator – known as a “gateway two” process – which can take up to 43 weeks.
The variation of conditions application, which was approved on Thursday (February 5), says:
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.
The current basement level, as outlined in the Debenhams plans.
The developer also sought approval to compensate for the loss of proposed retail space at basement level. The previously approved six parking spaces will instead be repurposed to create 192.4sqm of commercial space.
This means the development will be, as described by the applicant, "car-free", but storage for 34 bikes will remain.
The details of the section 106 agreement - financial contributions made by developers to local authorities to mitigate the impact of development - were published in September.
As reported by the Stray Ferret, Stirling Prescient is expected to pay £129,106 to the council under the section 106 agreement.
This includes £21,058 in healthcare payments to increase capacity at Moss Healthcare on King’s Road and £42,695 for open space contributions, which will be used towards “the provision and/or enhancement of existing open space”.
In addition, financial contributions of £65,952 will also be made towards secondary schools to improve existing school capacity. This could go towards helping Harrogate Grammar School and/or Rossett School and/or Harrogate High School, the agreement said.
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