Ripon-based development and investment company Sterne Properties has reaffirmed its commitment to regenerate the city’s historic Spa Baths.

Last June, the Stray Ferret revealed the company was acquiring the building from the then Harrogate Borough Council for an undisclosed sum.

But negotiations have taken longer than expected and Harrogate Borough Council was abolished at the end of last month and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.

Company director Robert Sterne said:

“This is a complicated site and obtaining planning for it will be a long process, but we remain 100 percent committed to our hospitality-based regeneration proposals.

“We look forward to presenting our proposals to Ripon City Council.”

In September 2021, the city council successfully applied to have the Edwardian baths building listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council. But at last night’s full council meeting, members voted unanimously  to no longer pursue any future ambitions for its own development of the site.

With its track record of developing buildings for the city’s leisure, hospitality and retail sectors – including Curzon Cinema, Claro Lounge and Halls of Ripon – Sterne Properties feels well-equipped to take on the challenge of Spa Baths’ renaissance.

The company has had success in returning redundant properties, such as the former NatWest Bank building next to Ripon Town Hall and an empty furniture store on North Street, into destinations that add value to the city’s offer.

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Ripon Spa Baths is set to be sold to a commercial developer after a bid to retain the building for community use failed.

Harrogate Borough Council, which has owned the Edwardian building since the reorganisation of local government in 1974, has confirmed that it intends to sell the Park Street property to the unnamed commercial bidder.

Ripon City Council successfully applied for for the building to be listed as an asset of community value in September. This meant it had six months to raise the finance to purchase the building to keep it in commercial use. But time has now run out.

The city council also called this month for the ownership of the Grade II listed building, which was used as a swimming pool until it closed in November, to be transferred back to Ripon without charge when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.

Ripon councillors argued that Spa Baths and other city assets, including the town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square, Spa Gardens and Spa Park, should be handed back for free by Harrogate Borough Council as it had not paid a penny for them.

The building is recognised as a key heritage asset by Ripon Civic Society

But Harrogate Borough Council’s response to Ripon City Council’s request for the reversion of ownership, seen by the Stray Ferret, confirms the building will be sold to a developer.

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy and culture said in the email, which has been circulated to all city councillors:

“As you are aware we are selling Ripon Spa Baths because a brand new pool has been built in Ripon and this building is no longer needed.

“Our main objective through this disposal is to ensure that the building continues to be used in future and supports the sustainability of Ripon City Centre. To achieve this objective we have undertaken a comprehensive sales strategy which generated market interest in purchasing the building.

“The preferred bidder can demonstrate the experience, capacity and capability in bringing buildings back into use. In addition the proposed sale to the current preferred bidder will generate a capital receipt.

“The generation of capital receipts for assets that are no longer needed allows significant investment to be made in new assets, such as the new Ripon Pool.”

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“At its meeting on 13 October 2021, Harrogate cabinet have previously agreed to dispose of the building to the preferred bidder.

“As the building is listed as an Asset of Community Value a moratorium period was initiated and implemented where the council has not been able to dispose of the building, now that this period has expired we will execute this decision.

“We believe that this will deliver the best way of ensuring the future, sustainable use of this asset and enable Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council to continue to invest in the continuous improvement of Ripon City and its neighbourhoods.”

Ripon City Council is to consider bidding to buy the city’s Spa Baths as part of the campaign to keep the building in community use.

Harrogate Borough Council plans to sell the Grade II listed building when Ripon’s new pool opens at the end of the year.

It has identified an unnamed preferred buyer but last month’s decision to list the 116-year-old building as an asset of community value has put any sale on hold to give the community chance to raise funds to launch a bid.

Ripon City Council is now taking the first steps towards pursuing that option after taking part in an initial meeting with the preferred bidder.

At Monday’s full city council meeting, leader Andrew Williams said:

“We had a constructive discussion with the bidder and will continue to work with them and look at any proposals they have for community uses as part of redevelopment of the site.

“However, to ensure that we keep our options open, following Harrogate Borough Council’s agreement to list the building as an asset of community value, we need to take the process to the next stage.”

Ripon City Council is to request to be treated as a potential bidder.

Councillors agreed to a motion put forward by Cllr Williams to “submit a written request to Harrogate Borough Council to request to be treated as a potential bidder under the provisions of the Localism Act”.

Councillor Stuart Martin, who seconded the motion, was among the councillors who attended the meeting with the preferred bidder. He said:

“We will continue to talk with the bidder, but must take every step to secure Ripon City Council’s position, without putting unnecessary obstacles to further discussions in the way.”

Housing fears

The future of the Edwardian building has been uncertain since owner Harrogate Borough Council put it on the market in February, saying it would be surplus to requirements when Ripon’s new multi-million swimming pool opens.

This sparked fears the baths could be sold for housing.

The campaign to retain it for community use, led by Ripon City Council and Ripon Civic Society, received a boost last month when the building was designated an asset of community value.

The baths were converted from a spa to a public swimming pool in 1936 and has the distinction of being the only English spa to be opened by a member of the royal family.

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A decision on whether a Harrogate district pub under threat from demolition will regain its protected status will be made by next month.

The Henry Jenkins Inn at Kirkby Malzeard has been at the centre of a long-fought battle between villagers and a developer since it closed in 2011 and was later removed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council.

In a latest attempt to secure its future, a petition from the Henry Jenkins Community Pub group was delivered to a council meeting last Wednesday. The petition urged the authority to “do the right thing” and reinstate the 18th century pub’s protected status.

The council has now issued a statement saying it will make a decision “no later than 10 November”.

A council spokesperson said:

“The council received an asset of community value nomination for the ‘eastern part’ of the Henry Jenkins public house on 16 September from Henry Jenkins Community Pub.

“It is currently being assessed against the criteria in the Localism Act and a decision will be made no later than 10 November as required by the legislation.”

The status of an asset of community value means buildings must be used by the community and are protected from a change of use or demolition.

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If approved, the campaign group hopes to buy and take over the running of the pub for which it says it has the backing of £237,000 in share pledges.

One of the Harrogate district’s oldest pubs

The Henry Jenkins is named after the Yorkshire super-centenarian that legend states lived to be 169 years old.

It is one of the oldest inns in the Harrogate district and is the last of several pubs in the area named after Mr Jenkins, who is reputed to have lived from 1500 to 1670.

The Henry Jenkins pictured when it closed in 2011. Photo: Google.

Despite its rich history, members of the Henry Jenkins Community Pub group say it has now fallen into a state of disrepair and is in need of a change of ownership in order to bring it back to its former glory.

Speaking at last week’s meeting, group member Richard Sadler said the pub was an “intrinsic part of the history, culture and identity” of Kirkby Malzeard, but had recently become a “blight” on the village.

He said: 

“We have now put together a business plan and have community share pledges for £237,000 to buy the pub.

“But there is a problem. The council has delisted part of it simply because that part was sold off.

“That is why we are asking the council to do the right thing and put the whole pub back as an asset of community value so we have a chance of bringing it back as a thriving pub for future generations.

“This could be a huge boost to our village and the whole region.”

The bitter battle between a community campaign group and the owner of a now-derelict pub in Kirkby Malzeard rages on.

More than 10 years after the last pint was pulled at the Henry Jenkins Inn, the fight has entered a new phase.

Campaigners want to refurbish and resurrect the centuries-old inn and see it return as a community-owned and run pub, restaurant and coffee shop.

To support their case, they have launched a petition calling on Harrogate Borough Council to restore Asset of Community Value listing, so it covers all of the building in Main Street.

They hope that the petition will contain 500 or more signatures when it is presented at the full council meeting next Wednesday.

Also preparing an approach to the council is David Fielder, owner of the western portion of the building, which was the original pub before an eastern annex was added.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am going to apply for a change of use from public house to residential.”

Flashback to how The Henry Jenkins Inn looked before it closed

Fielder Holdings, Mr Fielder’s pub company, sold the eastern part of the building to his business associate Justin Claybourn, who subsequently applied for a change of use to allow conversion to a single dwelling.

The council’s decision to refuse the application was overturned at a planning appeal in December.

At the online hearing, planning inspector Helen Hockenhull said:

“I am not persuaded that the loss of the annex would make the remaining pub unviable for an alternative community use.

“The scheme would therefore not result in the unnecessary loss of a community facility reducing the community’s ability to meet its day to day needs.”

‘No prospect of reopening’

In making her decision, Ms Hockenhull took into account the fact that Kirkby Malzeard already has a pub – The Queen’s Head, as well as Kirkby Malzeard Mechanics Institute, which is also licensed to sell alcohol.

In a hammer blow to campaigners, she concluded:

“There is no reasonable prospect of the public house reopening.”

However, the campaign group thinks differently, though its ambitions are reliant upon securing the purchase of the whole site from its two owners.

In May, they offered £200,001 for the entire Henry Jenkins building, saying it would use £237,000 of pledges made by supporters to fund the deal.

Richard Sadler, press spokesman for the Henry Jenkins Community Pub group, said:

“It’s vitally important that this pub is recognised for what it is: The Henry Jenkins has been an essential part of the fabric of this village for hundreds of years, the overwhelming majority of villagers want it back as a pub and community facility – and they’ve put their money where their mouth is.”

But Mr Fielder said:

“Both my part of the former pub and Mr Claybourn’s eastern annex remain for sale. For the whole site any purchaser would need around £500,000 to secure a deal.

“We’ve always been willing to speak with the campaigners, but there is a significant difference between their valuation and our own.”

Possible £250,000 support

If the campaigners, who have the support of Kirkby Malzeard Parish Council, district ward councillor Nigel Simms and former MP and now pub campaigner Greg Mulholland, are successful in their application to obtain ACV listing for all of the Henry Jenkins, Mr Sadler, claimed:

“The group would be well placed to qualify for up to £250,000 under the government’s new Community Ownership Fund.”

He does, however, admit:

“If the whole of the pub is not recognised as an ACV, that could sink our chances.”

“That’s why we’re calling on the council to do the right thing. It never made sense to delist half a pub just because it has changed hands – the council should be helping local communities rather than private developers.”

Ripon City Council is seeking a ‘constructive partnership’ with Harrogate Borough Council as it bids to keep Spa Baths as a community facility.

City councillors voted unanimously last night to adopt a two-pronged approach in their attempts to maintain the Grade II listed building for public use.

Their bid to prevent the site being sold for private development received a major boost last week.

Harrogate Borough Council confirmed the city council’s application to have the building listed as an Asset of Community Value had been successful.

This gives the local community six months to put together a bid to buy the building.

Councillor Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, will be invited to meet with the city council at the earliest opportunity to discuss matters.

In tandem with this, consultants will be invited to submit expressions of interest for drawing up a business plan and development brief looking at options for the building, which is part of the city’s Spa Quarter.

The Ripon Civic Society plaque underlines Spa Bath’s historic importance.

At last night’s meeting, city council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“Harrogate Borough Council was attempting to plough on with its plan to sell Spa Baths without any proper consultation.

“However, we now need to draw a line under this and move forward in a constructive partnership with them to decide what’s best for Ripon and the future of this city, with its growing population.

“Cllr Swift has indicated his willingness to meet with us and we welcome this and hope the meeting can be arranged as soon as possible.”

The 116-year-old Edwardian spa, whose use was converted to a public swimming pool in 1936, was put up for sale for an undisclosed price by Harrogate Borough Council in February.

It was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ with a new swimming pool scheduled to open at Camp Close, off Dallamires Lane in November.

At last night’s meeting, Councillor Pauline McHardy, said:

“It’s sensible for us to have two strings to our bow — six months can quickly pass by and we need to act now.”

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A number of potential community uses for the building have already been put forward by members of the public and Councillor Stephen Craggs, added:

“Future use of the building should take into consideration the needs of young people in the city.”