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23
Jun 2021
Plans to convert Ripon garages into homes approved
Plans to build three council houses at the sites of two disused garage blocks in Ripon have been approved.
Harrogate Borough Council’s housing team will build the properties at North Road and Church Close where many of the council-owned garages have sat empty for years and the majority are currently not in use.
The council said the plans would help tackle the desperate need for affordable homes in the district, although some residents raised concerns over the impact on the nearby roads.
At North Road, a garage block will be converted into a three-bedroom bungalow but nearby resident Christine Shepherd said she was worried about what the development would mean for traffic in the area.
Speaking at a meeting today, she said:
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In response, an architect for the council said the development would in fact reduce the number of vehicles in the area due to the removal of seven garages and that highways officials had not raised any concerns.
At Church Close, a garage block will be demolished to make way for two three-bedroom semi-detached properties.
A petition against the plans, which had the support of 34 residents, was handed into the council with similar concerns over the loss of garage parking and increase in vehicles.
But council planners argued there was no demand for these garages and that although the roads can get busy with parked vehicles, a nearby council-owned car park provided for residents was underused.
Also at today’s meeting, a decision on separate plans to build three social rented homes at another site of disused garage blocks at Russell Dixon Square was deferred after a nearby resident raised concerns over access to her home.
It was agreed that the proposals would be revised before being brought back to the council’s planning committee at a later date.
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