Fourteen newly built flats in the centre of Harrogate are set to go on the market in the next few days.

The Trinity House development, which was built on the site of the former River Island shop on Cambridge Street, consists of one and two-bedroom properties.

Prices for one-bedroom flats start at £300,000.

It is one of several schemes recently approved by planners to convert town centre retail units in Harrogate to residential homes.

The former main post office on Cambridge Road, the former Orvis shop on West Park and the former Kings Club strip club on Oxford Street, are all due to be transformed to homes.

Trinity Court features a central landscaped courtyard. Eight parking spaces are also available by separate negotiation to the flats.

Cathy Evans, head of Preston Baker land and new homes, which is the sales agent for Trinity House, said the flats “epitomise luxury living” and were “sure to be extremely popular”. She added:

“They are exquisitely crafted to provide an unrivalled living experience with an emphasis on space and style.”

Trinity House spans three floors and includes a lift, entry video intercom, private balconies in some apartments, CCTV in communal areas, underfloor heating throughout and hardwood floors.

The scheme is being delivered by Doncaster-based developer Swan Homes, part of the Vigo Group.

Nathan Brough, managing director of Swan Homes, said:

“We are thrilled to have completed the development of Trinity House. The 14 apartments will make beautiful homes for people who wish to live or work in Harrogate.”

Read more:

• Town centre living trend gathers pace in Harrogate
• Council approves conversion of Harrogate strip club into flats

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans for a new cafe on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street.

The proposal, which has been submitted by Doncaster-based Imyco Construction Ltd, will see the cafe created next to beauty and toiletries shop Bodycare in the town centre.

The allocated space is currently a staircase, which has been “mothballed”, according to planning documents.

The cafe would be situated on the ground floor and be accessed from Cambridge Street.

Further details on the cafe, including name and opening hours, have yet to be revealed.

Council officials have now given the go-ahead to the proposal.

The site is currently subject to plans for 14 new apartments above the planned cafe and Bodycare.

The proposal, which was approved in June 2020, will see the first floor of the building converted into accommodation.

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Flats being built on the site of the former River Island premises in Harrogate town centre are due to be completed in spring next year, the agent has said. 

Work on the 14 one- and two-bed apartments at Trinity House, opposite Primark on Cambridge Street, began in June, and estate agent Preston Baker is now inviting expressions of interest. 

Cathy Evans, head of land and new homes at Preston Baker, said: 

“The Trinity House website only went live on Monday, and we’ve already had some enquiries.

“We’re expecting the apartments will be completed by spring 2024, but we’re hoping to be able to go live to market around the end of this month or the beginning of September.” 

Read more:

• New plan to create eight flats above Cambridge Street shops in Harrogate
• Plan for new cafe on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street
• River Island to close in Harrogate as landlord plans apartments

Work at the site includes the construction of a roof extension and central courtyard overlooked by the apartments’ balconies, as well as eight parking spaces. 

The property is owned by a Santander pension fund and is being developed by Doncaster-based Swan Homes.  

Trinity House was named after Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, in recognition of the property’s location on Cambridge Street. The University of Cambridge is the alma mater of Tariq Shah, director of Swan Homes’ parent company, Vigo Group. 

A new muffin bakery and cafe has opened in Harrogate.

Muffin Break, which is based in the former Hotter shoe shop, opened its doors on Cambridge Street this morning.

The outlet, which has 60 cafes across the UK, offers a range of freshly baked goods including muffins and cakes, as well drinks such as milkshakes and coffee.

There will also be gluten free and vegan options available.

Customers can even order cakes online to be baked in store and collected.

John Viola, area manager at Muffin Break

John Viola, area manager for Muffin Break, told the Stray Ferret he felt the new outlet would fit into the Cambridge Street scene.

He said:

“Every store has its own feel. The nearest here is in Bradford.

“But I feel like this one has got that Harrogate feel.”

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Mr Viola added that the store will pride itself on giving people a relaxed experience in the cafe.

The cafe will be open from 8am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

Muffin Break is a franchise business of FoodCo UK Franchising that first originated in Canada before expanding its cafes in Australia in the late 1980s.

A fresh plan has been tabled to create eight flats above shops on Cambridge Street in Harrogate.

York-based GHT Developments has submitted the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for the upper floors of 6-14 Cambridge Street.

The ground floor of the properties is currently occupied by the Card Factory, Phone Patch and an empty unit which was formerly the Phone Doctor. For many years the site was home to Carphone Warehouse.

The site

previously had approval for three one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

However, the developer has lodged fresh plans for eight flats because, it says in planning documents, the scheme had “evolved” after it had “been established that the roof is in need of replacement”.

It added that the increased build costs of the previous scheme had left it “unviable”.

In documents submitted to the council, GHT Developments said:

“The proposed development will reduce void spaces in the footprint and has improved the internal and external design.

“The need to replace the roof has also increased build costs, meaning the previous scheme of five apartments is no longer viable. 

“The proposed development will therefore ensure that development is viable and the site can be used effectively.”

As part of the new scheme, four sets of flats would be created on the first and second floors.

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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The move comes as work is ongoing at the former River Island unit on Cambridge Street to convert the building into apartments.

The store closed on February 4 after the landlord announced plans to change use of the building.

Plans were approved in summer 2020 to refurbish the ground floor of the building and convert the first floor, as well as adding a roof extension, to create 14 apartments

An empty shopping unit in Harrogate town centre looks set to host a Muffin Break cafe.

Notices have appeared in the window of the former Hotter shoe shop on Cambridge Street for a pavement licence application.

The notice says the applicant is FoodCo UK Franchising Ltd, known as Muffin Break bakery cafe.

Muffin Break is a franchise business of FoodCo that originated in Canada and now has about 60 UK outlets. The closest one is in Bradford.

The former Hotter shoe shop

They typically sell muffins, cakes and coffee and also provide breakfasts and light lunches.

The licence application is dated June 9 and says the deadline for comments is June 13 — four days later.

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The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which determines licence applications, for further details.

The council displays pavement licence applications on its website here. But a spokeswoman said the Muffin Break application was no longer available because the objection expiry date had passed. She added the licence had been granted.

We tried to contact FoodCo UK Franchising but have not had a reply.

A plan has been submitted to open a new cafe on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street.

The proposal, which has been submitted by Doncaster-based Imyco Construction Ltd, would see the cafe created next to beauty and toiletries shop Bodycare in the town centre.

The allocated space is currently a staircase, which has been “mothballed”, according to planning documents.

The cafe would be situated on the ground floor and be accessed from Cambridge Street.

Further details on the cafe, including name and opening hours, have yet to be revealed.

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The site is currently subject to plans for 14 new apartments above the planned cafe and Bodycare.

The proposal, which was approved in June 2020, will see the first floor of the building converted into accommodation.

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From Oxford Street to West Park, Harrogate has seen a flurry of recent planning applications to build flats above town centre shops.

Over the past few years, developers have turned their attention to local high streets – specifically to unused retail space.

It’s part of a trend across the UK which has grown since the covid pandemic.

Instead of new build estates on the outskirts of town, developers see town centres as key for both tackling the housing market and revitalising the high street.

Alex Goldstein, an independent property consultant who works in Harrogate and London, said the trend would be good for the town centre, particularly for younger people who want to live closer to their workplace.

He added that the move was also a chance to regenerate Harrogate’s high street, which has fallen on hard times in recent years along with other towns.

Alex Goldstein, property consultant in Harrogate.

Mr Goldstein said:

“I see this as a good thing. I have been banging on about it for years.

“We need to stop building new builds on the outskirts of town.”

Mr Goldstein added that the trend was replicated in bigger cities, such as London, where people want to be close to “cafe culture” and working remotely.

Harrogate following the trend

Cities such as Lincoln prepared for the changing high street as long ago as 2006, when City of Lincoln Council published its masterplan for the city centre.

It aimed to keep people in the city centre by offering a mixture of retail and “experience”, such as coffee shops and cinemas.

The move is a far cry from the usual consumer retail units, such as Primark and River Island, which high streets have become known for.

The aim of keeping people in the city centre would partly be done by creating more residential space, the council said.

Harrogate is not immune to this trend.

On West Park, space above the now closed Orvis store is proposed to be converted into six new flats.

Read more:

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• Plan approved to create five flats above Cambridge Street shops

Just a stone’s throw away on Cambridge Street, new apartments are proposed above a former phone shop and multiple applications have been submitted to convert the former post office on Cambridge Road into accommodation.

Meanwhile, the government recently stepped in to approve a redevelopment of the former Thomas Cook unit on James Street into three new flats.

A 17-bedroom aparthotel scheme on the floors above the new Oliver Bonas store on James Street was also planned, but was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council.

Left, the rear of the property on the former Thomas Cook unit on James Street currently; right, the proposed alteration.

In a report by estate agents Savills, Paul Wellman, residential researcher at the firm, estimated 36,000 new homes were built close to town centres across the UK in the five years to June 2020.

Since then, the move to think differently about retail on the high street has “accelerated” due to the covid pandemic.

Mr Wellman said:

“The truth is our towns and city centres were already changing.

“In 2020 these changes accelerated. As the need for particular uses and businesses usually found in the heart of towns and cities reduces, opportunities arise to remodel and revitalise those places.

“Whilst covid has given some the desire for countryside and green open spaces, for others it has meant convenience and being part of a community.”

An opportunity for young people

Much of the discussion around converting unused retail space into housing has centred on getting people in closer proximity to bars, restaurants and offices.

While cities such as Manchester and Leeds may have a wider retail offer to youngsters, Harrogate has its own selling point.

Allessandro Biraglia, associate professor of marketing at the University of Leeds, said Harrogate had its own independent retail sector, which bigger cities may not have due to expensive rates and bigger franchises dominating the high street.

As a result, he said living within a smaller town centre may offer an opportunity to “young professionals” who want to get their business ideas off the ground.

He said:

“Having the possibility to live above the shop and having everything in one place would be enticing for many young professionals.”

‘The high street is shifting’

The legacy of covid has led to estate agents, property developers and businesses rethinking how they use the space available to them in town centres.

While larger developers will continue to opt for strategic housing sites, others will see chances to create homes in the heart of the high street such as Harrogate.

For Mr Goldstein, the move is a good thing for town centres.

“The high street is shifting from the usual.”

A town centre shop in Harrogate is set to close in just over three weeks’ time.

River Island is holding a closing down sale as it prepares to close its doors on Cambridge Street for the last time on February 4.

A spokesperson for River Island said:

“The closure is due to change of use of the building by the landlord.”

Plans were approved in summer 2020 to refurbish the ground floor of the building and convert the first floor, as well as adding a roof extension, to create 14 apartments. Work would need to begin on the building by June this year to comply with the terms of the planning permission.

The building is owned by a Santander pension fund.

Read more:

• Plan approved to create five flats above Cambridge Street shops
• Sneak peek at Harrogate’s new Cosy Club

Last summer, Cosy Club opened in the same stretch of units, becoming the first bar along the street. Sainsbury’s Local and Skipton Building Society also opened branches earlier in the year.

Further east on the same street, plans were approved last February to convert the upper floors of some retail units into flats.

Today, York-based property company Grantside announced it had acquired the 10,000 sq ft building and was intending to use the flats as holiday lets.

Steve Davis, chief executive of Grantside, said:

“This is a great opportunity and a brilliant location – in the heart of Harrogate town centre.

“Our vision for the building is to bring it back into full use through the conversion of the upper floors into apartments, which will be used as holiday accommodation and help the town’s economy.”

Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to install six BT “street hubs” in Harrogate town centre and Starbeck.

The telecommunications company applied to the council to install the free-standing units on Cambridge Street outside the former Smiggle shop, on Oxford Street outside Marks and Spencer, and on High Street in Starbeck.

Further proposals for a hub outside the Cotswold Company on Station Parade and on Prospect Crescent in Harrogate were also rejected.

The hubs, which are being installed across the country, provide free phone calls and Wi-Fi, rapid charging points and touch screen tablets that can be used to access services.

How the BT street hub would look on Starbeck High Street.

However, the council has refused the planned units on the grounds that they were “intrusive and inappropriate”.

The authority added in its decision notice:

“The proposed infrastructure is viewed as street clutter, with unrelated advertisement to the area and therefore would fail to preserve or enhance the character of the Conservation Area or the surrounding street landscape.”

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In documents submitted to the council, BT described the hubs as “reinventing phone boxes for the digital age”.

It also said the hubs were largely used to replace older infrastructure and would deliver a valuable service.

BT said:

“Every street hub provides access to maps giving directions to nearby landmarks and services – a valuable resource for visitors or those without access to a smartphone.

“They also act as wayfinding boards, giving walkers and cyclists clear directions, and providing local advertisers the opportunity to give simple directions to their businesses.

“This sponsorship will also cover the maintenance and servicing costs of the street hub. This is necessary to ensure the program remains financially sustainable.”

The Stray Ferret has approached BT to ask whether it will still pursue the proposals, but had not received a response by the time of publication.