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15
Jan
Closure of £540,000 co-working space in Harrogate prompts review
Businesses are being urged to provide feedback on the value of shared working space in Harrogate after the closure of Co-Lab.
Co-Lab, which was based at Springfield House in Harrogate Convention Centre, had 10 serviced offices with desk space for up to 10 people, high-speed broadband, meeting rooms, a kitchen and showers.
Harrogate Borough Council opened it in December 2021 with £540,000 funding from Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, and said it expected to make around £49,000 a year through rent.
North Yorkshire Council took over Co-Lab in 2023, when it succeeded Harrogate Borough Council, but the shared space closed shortly before Christmas amid dwindling support from businesses.
At a meeting this week, Martin Mann, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, asked council chief executive Richard Flinton whether there were any plans to bring it back.
Mr Flinton replied that the building had “operational problems” relating to fire safety and monitoring the number of people on site.
He added:
We have taken the decision to close it and to fully review what we might do in that space. One of the options on the table is absolutely to come back with managed workspace in there and to have that flexible workspace that small businesses valued. Possibly not enough of them valued it but I know that some did.
We haven’t got any fixed view on it being deemed workspace for businesses. If there is demand and we can find a way to make it operate and come out of it reasonably well financially, we will be happy to look at that.
Mr Flinton said feedback from chamber members “would help inform our views”.
Inside Co-Lab
A costly four-year venture
Co-Lab was based in former Harrogate Borough Council premises in Springfield House.
The council vacated the building when it moved all its operations to the civic centre at Knapping Mount in 2017.
It hired York construction firm Lindum to convert it to shared office space.
Co-Lab was hailed as a “fantastic co-working space” by Harrogate Borough Council’s Conservative deputy leader, Councillor Graham Swift, when it opened in 2021.
He said: "This is just the start of the journey for Co-Lab, and in the coming months will open doors and opportunities for young and enthusiastic digital and tech businesses, allow them to expand and succeed and enhance the digital and tech sector in our region."
The venture was initially targeted at digital and creative businesses with a scalable product or service.
Although the criteria loosened, the number of businesses renting space dwindled. Sources have questioned how well it was marketed in recent years.
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