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30
Jul
Repairs needed for two historic Harrogate seating shelters
The historic seating shelter in Harrogate’s Library Gardens has been fenced off from the public – but it is not yet known when it will be brought back into use.
The green-painted shelter is one of four in the town – there are two others on West Park and one on St Mary’s Walk – and they are familiar features of Harrogate’s heritage.
The fenced-off shelter in Harrogate's Library Gardens.
Asked why the Library Gardens shelter had been fenced off, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council told us:
A recent structural survey found that the shelter has moved over time after repairs had previously been carried out and there are also signs of minor damage from a fire which broke out in 2018.
The shelter is not at immediate risk of collapse, but repairs are needed to stop further deterioration, and the temporary supports and fencing will stay in place until the work is completed.
The council is still trying to ascertain how long the seating might be out of use.
That shelter is not the only one of the four with structural problems. The one on West Park, near the junction with Victoria Avenue, has had a hole in its roof for some months, leaving the underlying structure open to the elements.
The shelters on West Park has a hole in its roof.
When the Stray Ferret checked it recently, there appeared to be a lot of wasps flying around the cavity, suggesting a nest.
Asked what steps the council was taking to address the damage, the spokesperson said:
No issues have been reported to us, but pest control officers will go and inspect the shelter. The roof and timber structure will also be assessed.
The hole has previously been patched.
The shelters were inherited from the former Harrogate Borough Council, becoming the responsibility of North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.
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