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03
Sept
Harrogate Debenhams refurbishment: Developer contributions agreed
Council officers have agreed £129,106 in financial contributions with developers behind a major refurbishment at the former Harrogate Debenhams store.
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 agreed financial contributions with North Yorkshire Council towards open space, healthcare and secondary school provision.
Under the terms of the Section 106 legal agreement, which was published on Monday, Stirling Prescient will pay £21,058 in healthcare payments to increase capacity at Moss Healthcare on King’s Road in Harrogate.
Existing and proposed drawings of the site.
The developer will also pay £42,695 for open space contributions, which will be used towards “the provision and/or enhancement of existing open space”.
Meanwhile, financial contributions of £65,952 will also be made towards secondary school provision 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.
Major refurbishment
Under the plans which Harrogate councillors approved in January, the lower floors of the building will be retained and refurbished either for commercial use or as a bar.
The upper floors will accommodate nine one-bedroom flats and 25 two-bedroom flats, plus a roof extension,
Alterations will also be made to the buildings, including replacing the façade of the 1960s element and new shopfronts. Windows and the slate roof may also be removed and replaced.
Six parking will be created for the 34 apartments, as well as bike storage.
Some demolition work will take place. Council case officer Jillian Rann's 58-page report, which was put before councillors at the time, said the central part of the building would be demolished.
Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kinglsey, told the meeting in January that he felt the application was an “excellent scheme”.
He said:
This is a good example of what can be achieved when organisations work together. It’s taken four years to get here – of course, there was another application before.
We just need to get cracking now.
Meanwhile, Emma Bilton, of planning consultants Quod Ltd, told the meeting the development would bring the buildings back into use after they have “continued to deteriorate” since becoming vacant.
The plans were also backed by Harrogate Civic Society and Save Britain’s Heritage.
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