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15
Jan
Law firm to revive ‘prime Harrogate’ building with £1 million overhaul
A landmark building in Harrogate that has been empty for eight years is to be given a £1 million overhaul and brought back to life.
Newtons Solicitors acquired the former Royal Bank of Scotland site on Cambridge Crescent for £850,000 in 2024.
North Yorkshire Council has now approved plans by the law firm to refurbish the building, which was a bank from 1868 until RBS closed it in 2018.
The building has been gutted but requires major redevelopment.
Newtons chief executive and founder Christopher Newton and managing director Claire Armer showed the Stray Ferret around the site yesterday (January 14).
The current state of the building.
An architect's impression of how the office will look.
Mr Newton said he loved properties with character, and this was “too good an opportunity” to miss.
He added:
We are starting to talk to contractors and will satisfy the planning conditions. I really want us to take our time and do a really nice restoration job. We can make it so lovely. We’re working towards work starting in May and it is expected to last 12 months, with a budget of about £1 million.
The former RBS building
Newtons opened its first office in Knaresborough in 2009. It now employs 115 staff, including about 50 lawyers, at 10 locations in northern England.
Its offices include the former Yorkshire Bank site in Ripon's Market Place.
Mr Newton said the acquisition of the four-storey building in “prime Harrogate” would provide a far more visible presence and help the full service law firm grow in the town. It is currently based in much smaller premises at Princes Square.
Cambridge Crescent was built in 1867-8 by George Dawson to a design of J H Hirst of Bristol featuring an enriched Flemish Renaissance frontage.
The building forms part of the town’s conservation area, which is subject to strict planning rules.
The views are some of the best in Harrogate.
Council case officer Alex Coy said in his report on the planning application the proposal “will secure the long-term viability of a grade two listed building that has remained vacant for several years”.
The scheme includes both internal and external works to facilitate the conversion. Most alterations are internal and will not affect the character of the locality. External changes are proposed to the front and rear elevations. At the front, works include reinstating the original granite shopfront, adjusting the cill, replacing ground floor windows, and repairing the roof.
The proposed refurbishment and change of use at 7 Cambridge Crescent, Harrogate, will secure the long-term viability of a Grade II listed building that has remained vacant for several years.
He added:
The scheme has been carefully designed to respect the building’s historic character and the wider conservation area, incorporating improvements to both the front and rear elevations that represent a clear enhancement over the existing condition. While some elements, such as new fire escape doors and stairwell, result in minor harm, this is considered less than substantial and outweighed by the public benefits of bringing the building back into active use and ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations.
The proposed uses — professional services across the majority of the building and ancillary accommodation on the top floor — are appropriate for the town centre location and will not adversely affect the vitality or viability of the area. The development raises no concerns in respect of amenity, highway safety, ecology, or noise, subject to the recommended conditions.
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