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15
Oct
Unanimous call for compulsory purchase of prominent Ripon building
City councillors have unanimously supported calls for the compulsory purchase of a prominently-located Ripon building that has been vacant for many years.
The grade two listed property at 36 Low Skellgate came under the spotlight at last week's full city council meeting, where members supported a proposal put forward by city council leader Andrew Williams, which requests North Yorkshire Council purchase the Georgian building.
The aim is to ensure that regeneration plans approved almost 17 years ago can finally be brought to fruition.
In December 2007, Harrogate Borough Council planners granted permission for the premsises, previously used as a second-hand store and garage for motor vehicles, to be converted into five flats, along with the construction of a single-storey rear extension.
Approval was also given for external alterations, including replacement of a shop frontage with four windows and a door and rendering of the front elevation.
Planning documents seen by the Stray Ferret said that the permission granted: "will ensure the special character, appearance and physical fabric of the grade two listed building is retained," but Councillor Pauline McHardy, who seconded Cllr Williams' proposal, said:
Apart from some work on the frontage and painting the building pink, very little has happened there for years.
It's a mess that needs to be sorted out to improve the look of this very busy area of the city, while providing homes for local people.
Cllr Williams said:
The cost of buying and developing the building would be recouped through the subsequent sale of the apartments, and regenerating this brownfield site in the heart of the city is preferable to building new homes on greenfield land on the outskirts.
We have encouraged the owner of another semi-derelict site at nearby Skellbank to come forward with plans for a residential redevelopment of a former filling station that has been empty for 20 years.
We now hope that North Yorkshire Council will exercise its compulsory purchase powers and help us to bring a delapidated building back into active use.
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