This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Politics
    • Transport
    • Lifestyle
    • Community
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Education
    • Sport
    • Harrogate
    • Ripon
    • Knaresborough
    • Boroughbridge
    • Pateley Bridge
    • Masham
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts

Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

  • News & Features
  • Your Area
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Transport
  • Lifestyle
  • Community
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sport
Advertise with us
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Latest News

We want to hear from you

Tell us your opinions and views on what we cover

Contact us
Connect with us
  • About us
  • Advertise your job
  • Correction and complaints
Download on App StoreDownload on Google Play Store
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Statement
  • Comments Participation T&Cs
Trust In Journalism

Copyright © 2020 The Stray Ferret Ltd, All Rights Reserved

Site by Show + Tell

Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

02

Jul 2024

Last Updated: 02/07/2024
Harrogate
Harrogate

Council has no plans to display art in refurbished Crescent Gardens

by Thomas Barrett Local Democracy Reporter

| 02 Jul, 2024
Comment

0

mercer-celebration-whole-gallery-1
Mercer Art Gallery. Credit: Visit Harrogate

North Yorkshire Council has said it has no plans to display any of its vast collection of art at the refurbished Crescent Gardens in Harrogate after talks broke down.

Last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed just one per cent of 2,658 artworks owned by the council were currently on display to the public.

In 2019, the collection was valued at £6.7 million but the council argued it has finite space to display it all.

North Yorkshire Council owns the Mercer Art Gallery on Swan Road in Harrogate, the Royal Pump Room Museum and Knaresborough Castle and Museum.

The Mercer is a stone’s throw from the former council offices and during a planning committee last week, Cllr Chris Aldred (Liberal Democrat, High Harrogate & Kingsley) raised the possibility of artworks owned by the council being put on display there in the future.

Private developer Impala Estates now owns the building and has planning permission to convert it into office, restaurant and bar space.

However, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of community development, Nic Harne, poured cold water on these hopes and said no agreement could be reached during previous discussions about the move.

Mr Harne said: 

In 2021, there were initial discussions between Mercer Art Gallery staff and Impala Estates about displaying artworks at Crescent Gardens in the former council chamber, but these talks did not progress further.

Currently, we remain open to discussions about lending and borrowing collections with other institutions and venues, as is common in the arts and heritage sector. There are no immediate plans with Impala Estates, but we would consider opportunities in the future.

Impala Estates was contacted for comment but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Crescent Gardens opened in 1931 and closed following Harrogate Borough Council’s move to the Civic Centre in 2017.

StarNew-look Coach and Horses reopens in HarrogateStarHarrogate's Archie Gray set to leave Leeds United in £40 million deal