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21
Apr
Resident's concerns about run-down Ripon buildings strike a chord
A concerned Ripon resident has launched a campaign to tidy-up run-down buildings in the city — and it appears he has already made an impact.
Russ Kell has been calling for work to be carried out on a North Street launderette that has been out of action following a fire in October 2022.
Mr Kell raised his concerns about the building and others at prominent locations when he addressed councillors at the full city council meeting on April 7.
He told the Stray Ferret:
I'm pleased to see that within eight days of the meeting, broken windows have been boarded up and I hope that this is a sign that there's further work to follow that will see this building smartened up.
However, there are others that also detract from the look of our ancient city and are in need of attention, including at Low Skellgate - by one of the busiest road junctions in Ripon - where there's a large pink building, which has been in a semi-derelict condition for almost 20 years.
Mr Kell, who provided councillors with photographic evidence to support his call for action, was pleasantly surprised with the response he received.
He said:
it was refreshing to hear that they were in agreement with what I had to say and that they had already taken action with regard to 36 Low Skellgate, where they have asked North Yorkshire Council to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire the building and bring it back into active use.
That is encouraging and I will continue to keep an eye on this and the property I highlighted in North Street, to see what the city council will do to address the concerns that I raised.
36 Low Skellgate
Speaking at the April 7 meeting, Councillor Julie Ann Martin-Long said to Mr Skell:
We would like to thank you for coming to the meeting, because it helps us to hear directly from residents about the concerns they have on any matters that they wish to bring to our attention.
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