A plan to demolish Harrogate town centre’s ‘little temple’ to make way for the £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme has been approved.
An application was tabled by North Yorkshire County Council in November last year to remove the tempietto in Station Square.
The proposal was approved by Harrogate Borough Council prior to its abolition on Friday.
However, a county council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret previously that the structure would only be removed if the Station Gateway goes ahead.
The council’s Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee is due to vote on the scheme on May 5, and the council’s Tory leadership has indicated it will abide by its decision.
The tempietto, which is inside Harrogate Conservation Area, was built between 1988 and 1992 as part of the redevelopment of the area to create the Victoria Shopping Centre.
Made of Jedburgh sandstone, its classical design was based on the work of 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio’s basilica at Vicenza in Italy.
The government-funded gateway scheme would see major changes to the public realm opposite the train station to make the gateway to Harrogate more attractive to visitors and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.
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It would also see part of Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic to accommodate cycle routes and James Street partly pedestrianised. Business groups and residents have voiced concerns about the impact on trade and traffic.
Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire Council, said:
“Planning approval for the removal of the tempietto does not pre-judge the final decision on the overall Harrogate Station Gateway scheme. Local Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors will have their say on this at a special meeting of the area constituency committee on May 5.
“Removal of the tempietto is key to our plan to create a welcoming and attractive public space in Harrogate town centre. It will only be removed if the overall Gateway scheme receives support and goes ahead.
“We are aware that there is some interest from other organisations in relocating the tempietto and we are looking to understand if this could be achieved should the decision be taken to implement the Harrogate Station Gateway project.”
In a letter to the county council, Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at now abolished Harrogate Borough Council, said the borough council also supported the move.
He said:
“Evidence suggests that town centres are at risk of decline in the medium term. Consumer behaviours and expectations are changing and towns must diversify and advance to maintain healthy and vibrant visitor economies.
“The removal of the tempietto from Harrogate Station Square will open the space to provide flexibility for events (e.g. markets) that, in turn, will support town centre diversification and vitality.”
However, Henry Pankhurst, of Harrogate Civic Society, told the council in a letter that no proposal should be approved until the final plans for Station Gardens under the gateway scheme are agreed.
He said:
“We agree that demolition of the tempietto would result in less than substantial harm to the conservation area, but surely no application for demolition should be approved before we know what the final plans are for Station Gardens.
“Demolition in the conservation area must surely be accompanied by knowledge of what its replacement would be.”
