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28
Jun 2023
Government approves plans for holiday flats at Harrogate Post Office
The government has approved a plan to convert a former Post Office in Harrogate into 23 holiday apartments.
The Post Office on Cambridge Road controversially relocated to WH Smith in 2019 amid claims by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones the service was being “downgraded”. The building has stood empty since.
In December last year, Harrogate Borough Council rejected plans by Leeds-based Priestley Group to convert the building into self-serviced holiday flats with a commercial unit on the ground floor.
At the time, the council cited poor residential amenity, lack of information on waste disposal and “a significant adverse impact on the vitality or viability of the retail offering” as reasons for refusal.
However, the government’s Planning Inspectorate has now approved the plan after Priestley Group appealed the decision.
Read more:
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- Plan to convert former Harrogate post office into 11 flats approved
In her decision notice, Susan Hunt, a planning inspector, said although the apartments would not be suitable for long-term residents, those living in the flats would be “temporary and transient”.
She added that a condition could be set for waste disposal to “appropriately deal with the council’s concern”.
Ms Hunt also said the addition of a commercial unit would add to the vibrancy and vitality of the town centre.
She said:
The move comes as the developer had previously had plans for 11 flats at the site approved in February this year.
The Stray Ferret asked Priestley Group whether it would now proceed with the latest approval for holiday flats for the site, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
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