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20
Feb 2021
Ripon councillors reject terms of new Town Hall lease
Ripon councillors have rejected new lease terms being offered for the city's historic town hall.
The hall and other heritage assets were transferred into the ownership of Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) in 1974.
However, there has been no lease in place on the building for many years.
Elected members want to secure the council's long-term tenure ahead of devolution- the biggest shake-up in local government for more than 45 years.
In addition, they are seeking to negotiate a long-term lease for Market Square South, which they say is an under-utilised public space.
HBC is proposing that, as part of the service charge element of a two-year lease, Ripon City Council accepts part responsibility for the maintenance of the building.
City council leader Andrew Williams told a virtual full-council meeting
The meeting was also told that the current draft lease includes a clause which says HBC only has to give two week's notice, if it wishes to stage an event on Market Square South.
This space is approximately half of the total area of Market Square and Cllr Williams, said:
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An HBC spokesman said:
Councillors voted unanimously to set up a working group to handle negotiations with HBC officers.
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