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11
Mar
Questions raised over bid to build homes on Harrogate commercial site
Plans have been submitted to build 12 homes on a commercial site in Harrogate.
Property firm Carter Jonas is advertising the former Buildbase builders merchants site on Prospect Road in Starbeck as a 'prime residential development opportunity'.
Its sales brochure adds "a decision is expected shortly" by North Yorkshire Council on whether to approve an outline planning application for 12 homes on the 1.02-acre site.
According to planning documents submitted to the council, the site — known as Arville Works — was advertised for sale as a commercial site by property firm FSS but failed to attract a buyer.
An officer at Harrogate Borough Council said in an email in January last year that it would be "really disappointing see the loss of this warehouse and retail showroom".
The email said FSS had conducted 35 viewings, including second viewings, since September 2020. These led to nine offers, with two deals that progressed to solicitors falling through. But despite this "significant interest", it concluded:
The Arville Works site
Chris Robbins, a partner at Harrogate commercial property consultants Robbins Associates, questioned this.
Mr Robbins said:
Cllr John Mann, a Conservative who chairs the council's Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee, said:
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