A plan to demolish Harrogate’s former Debenhams store on Parliament Street has been withdrawn.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient submitted a proposal to demolish the three buildings that Debenhams was situated in and replace them with 50 flats and two commercial units.
The site on Parliament Street has been home to different retailers for more than a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
However, according to Harrogate Borough Council’s online planning portal, the application has now been withdrawn.
It follows an objection from Emma Gibbens, the council’s conservation officer, who raised concerns that the demolition of the building would harm the local area.
She said:
“The loss of the traditional building form and architectural detail would be harmful to the street scene and character and special interest of the conservation area, the building forming part of the designated heritage asset in a manner that contributes positively to its character.”
A CGI view of the planned apartments at Debenhams on Parliament Street.
Ms Gibbens added that the developer needed to prove that the demolition was justified.
The objection followed similar concerns from campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage, which said the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the building.
Read more:
- Heritage groups say ‘no justification’ for Harrogate Debenhams demolition
- Plans submitted to demolish former Harrogate Debenhams
- Harrogate council conservation officer ‘cannot support’ Debenhams demolition
However, Historic England said it supported regeneration of the site but added that there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.
Stirling Prescient said in documents submitted to the council:
“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.
“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”
The Stray Ferret contacted Leeds-based planning consultants Quod, which were the agent for the developer, to ask why the application was withdrawn.
However, we did not receive a response by the time of publication.
500-year-old misericord restored at Ripon CathedralA 500-year-old misericord in Ripon Cathedral depicting a fox has been restored.
The choir of the cathedral has a set of 32 misericords created by master carver William Bromflet in the 1490s.
The misericords, which are small seats, gave clergy the opportunity to rest from standing during worship.
The fox is thought to have lost its nose and arms at some point during the last 100 years.
The restoration by Henning Shulz is the final part of a wider conservation project of the medieval choir stalls.
A post on the cathedral’s social media said:
“We are delighted to see the return of this freshly restored misericord (mercy seat for perching on during long services), which depicts a fox preaching from the pulpit to an assembled congregation of birds – his prey.
“This was a common motif in the middle ages, warning against travelling preachers who would lead their flock astray for their own gains.
“At some point this fox lost his arms and then, sometime in the last century, his nose. We know this from a 100 year old photograph which shows the fox ‘armless’ but with his nose.
“These seats are 500 years old and in daily use – remarkable survivals from our medieval past.”
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‘Just use a bin’: volunteers appeal over increasing litter in the Pinewoods
The amount of litter in the Pinewoods is increasing, according to a local conservation group.
Over the weekend, volunteers from Pinewoods Conservation Group photographed piles of bottles, cans and plastic left in the 96-acre Harrogate woodland.
Neil Hind, chair of the group, called on people visiting the area to take their rubbish with them:
“Unfortunately litter picking has now become the norm for our group to help conserve the Pinewoods.
“We have amazing volunteers supported by local schools, youth groups and companies who ensure that the increasing amount of litter is collected and disposed of.
“However, these efforts would be unnecessary if people just used a bin or took their litter home with them.”
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Mr Hind said litter has always been a problem in the Pinewoods but it became worse during lockdowns — and improvements haven’t been seen since restrictions eased.
Although volunteers are often out collecting litter, he said their efforts should “be unnecessary” because the mess damages wildlife and looks unpleasant.
New home for water voles in NidderdaleTimble Ings Woods will be the new home of more than 100 water voles as part of a drive to help the endangered species to survive in the Nidderdale area.
Yorkshire Water owns the woodland where the mammals will be released, which is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
The company said the area is now an ideal habitat for water voles following its work on watercourses and banksides. Lee Pitcher, head of partnerships at Yorkshire Water, said:
“As Yorkshire’s second largest landowner, we’re committed to ensuring our land protects the management of water, but also benefits the environment by delivering exceptional land for the people of Yorkshire.
“One of the aims of our Land Strategy is to enable plants and wildlife to thrive on Yorkshire Water land. The work we’ve undertaken at Timble Ings Woods makes it a fantastic habitat for water voles and is important for the protection of this vulnerable species.”
Timble Ings Wood, where more than 100 water voles will be released
Timble Ings Woods is located in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which offers further protection to the landscape.
Kelly Harmar, biodiversity officer at Nidderdale AONB, said:
“Water voles are in decline nationwide and recent surveys in the AONB revealed precious few populations of water vole on our local rivers. This introduction is a positive step at a site chosen to maximise their chances of survival. We hope the new arrivals will be very happy in their new home.”
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Water voles are believed to be one of the fastest-declining mammals in Britain. They are under serious threat from habitat loss and predation by the non-native American mink.
The animals to be released locally have been bred in captivity by Derek Gow Consultancy, and will initially be held in large release pens to acclimatise to their new environment, before they are set free.