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05
Nov
Sale price for Ripon Spa Baths revealed
North Yorkshire Council sold Ripon Spa Baths for £104,000, it has revealed.
The grade two listed building has been a focal point of the city’s spa quarter since it was completed in 1905.
Generations of Riponians learned to swim there, but it has become an increasingly dilapidated sight since its closure almost three years ago to the day, on November 7, 2021.
The council sold the building to Ripon-based Sterne Properties, which has said it plans to spend £2 million transforming it into hospitality units and four flats with a publicly accessible open courtyard and the original Edwardian frontage.
The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request to the council asking for details of the sale price, as well as how many people applied to buy it and why it chose Sterne Properties.
A council spokesperson replied:
The property was sold for £104,000. Despite a full marketing campaign and significant interest which resulted in an informal tender, only one viable offer was received.
A decision was made to sell to Sterne Properties based the calibre of the proposed scheme, the track record of Sterne Properties as a developer, and the price consideration. The decision to sell was made in accordance with the North Yorkshire Council scheme of delegation by the assistant director for property, procurement and commercial services.
Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished last year, put the building up for sale for £3.3 million in 2008.
The listing was withdrawn following a community campaign to buy it. However, the community sale did not proceed.
Asked about the sale price, Gary Fielding, the council’s corporate director for resources, said:
We undertook a full marketing campaign and only one viable offer came forward to redevelop this site. The market dictated its final sale price.
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