Harrogate Borough Council has refused a 13-home development in Ripon city centre due to its impact on local heritage.
Red Tree Developments wanted to demolish buildings at the site of the former NY Timber yard to build the homes.
The site on Trinity Lane was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.
Red Tree bought the 0.64-acre plot, which is adjacent to the listed buildings, Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, from Cairngorm Capital for an undisclosed sum this year.
In the planning application, the developer said the timber yard, which is not listed, must be replaced due to its “poor state of repair”:
“In order to create a high-quality residential scheme which achieves all of the required standards it is essential that the building is replaced.”
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The building in 1929.
However, Christopher Hughes, chairman of the Ripon Civic Society objected to the plans and said the structure should be retained due to its historical importance.
He said:
“It’s an important survival of Ripon’s industrial heritage and its importance is underestimated and in this application totally overlooked.”
The council’s chief planner John Worthington refused the plans which he said would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area. He also criticised the plans for offering no affordable homes.
The Stray Ferret asked Red Tree Developments for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.
