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28
Jan
Councillors back plans to rejuvenate Harrogate’s former Debenhams
Councillors have supported plans for a major refurbishment at the former Harrogate Debenhams store.
The iconic Parliament Street store has been vacant since January 2021 after the company fell into administration.
Wetherby-based property firm Stirling Prescient initially applied to demolish the site and replace it with a five-storey building containing 50 flats and two commercial units.
But it then submitted new plans to convert the building into 34 flats and a commercial space in November 2023.
Under the plans, the lower floors of the building would be retained and refurbished either for commercial use or as a bar.
The upper floors, including a proposed roof extension, would accommodate nine one-bedroom flats and 25 two-bedroom flats.
Alterations would 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.
Parking would be available but only six spaces are set to be created for the 34 apartments, as well as bike storage.
Some demolition work would take place. Council case officer Jillian Rann's 58-page report prepared ahead of today’s meeting says the central part of the building would be demolished:
“...to create a central, landscaped courtyard at first floor level, around which the upper floor apartments would be arranged, with external walkways at upper levels around the internal courtyard providing access to the apartments on the floors above.
Existing and proposed drawings of the site.
The plans have been welcomed by Harrogate Civic Society and Save Britain’s Heritage, both of which supported the development.
'An excellent scheme'
Councillors considered the plans at Harrogate Civic Centre today.
Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat for High Harrogate and Kinglsey, told the meeting he thinks it is 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.
Cllr Phillip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat for Fairfax and Starbeck, said it is good to see the site potentially being used again.
Cllr Broadbank added:
Schemes like this will become more common as we go on. Town centres will become places of leisure. It’s quite a reasonable scheme - overall, it will help the town centre.
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.
Ms Bilton said the plans would support the local economy both long-term and short-term, and would result in a “sensitive restoration and refurbishment of the buildings”.
Councillors did raise questions about bins, fire safety and parking but they unanimously voted for "being minded to grant the application" and to delegate it to the assistant director of planning for final approval.
Funding for schools and healthcare
Under section 106 agreements, developers agree sums to mitigate the impact of development on local services.
In this instance, Stirling Prescient could pay more than £130,000 towards local schools, healthcare and village halls.
The developer has agreed to pay £65,952 towards improving capacity at existing secondary schools. This could go towards helping Harrogate Grammar School and/or Rossett School and/or Harrogate High School.
Meanwhile, £42,695 will be divided between various “open space typologies”.
A final contribution towards local healthcare is yet to be agreed, but it could be as much as £25,000.
The report says the minimum the developer will pay towards improving capacity at Moss Healthcare on King's Road is £18,198, whilst the maximum is £25,796.
A one-off travel plan monitoring fee of £2,500 has been agreed, plus a £1,170 section 106 monitoring.
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