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Leaseholders at Bedern Court in Ripon, where four apartments were demolished this year, have voted to seek planning permission for a replacement block.
It follows reports from engineers which showed that no evidence of sinkhole activity was found on the site.
The 29 leaseholders, who are shareholders in Bedern Court Ltd, which owns the freehold of the residential properties, took the decision at their annual general meeting.
They did so after receiving a report from Harrogate-based engineering practice Hill Cannon, which included findings from a geotechnical investigator.
A thorough inspection of the foundations of the stricken block was made possible after it was demolished and the investigation carried out by Mugen Geo Ltd, of Hebden Bridge, concluded “there is no evidence of a sinkhole”.
Large cracks were visible on the properties before they were demolished
Surveyor Richard Willis, who is the managing agent for Bedern Court, said:
“It was discovered that the reinforced concrete raft under the block had not been installed properly and subsequently failed, causing extensive structural cracking which necessitated the evacuation and demolition of the building.
“All other properties on the site, where the foundations were properly installed, are unaffected and with sinkhole activity ruled out, a planning application for a replacement block will now be brought forward.”
The red brick residential development close to Ripon Cathedral was built in 1986 and in October 2020, the apartments at 1,3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths, were evacuated after being deemed unsafe for human habitation.
The damage caused to the block was blamed over a number of years on sinkhole activity in the area.
Controlled demolition of the four properties was carried out over seven weeks and completed in early March.
Demolition completed of subsidence-hit Ripon flats
The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes stricken by subsidence issues has been completed by a team of experts.
The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being declared unsafe for habitation.
The block was fenced off ready for the start of demolition in early February
Planning permission for their demolition was granted by Harrogate Borough Council in November and Dewsbury-based Hutchinson Demolition & Dismantling Ltd carried out a fortnight of preparatory work before starting to take the block down in early February.
Following successful completion of the task, site manager Ashley Hutchinson, told the Stray Ferret:
“Apart from a couple of days when we couldn’t work because of Storm Otto, everything has run smoothly and to schedule.”
A cherry picker was used so that the demolition team could remove the roof tiles and timbers and demolish the chimney stacks.
Mr Hutchinson added:
“The work was carried out by our team using hand-held tools for the majority of the demolition tasks, with a rubber tracked excavator brought in for the latter stages.”
With the demolition works complete, the final clear up of the site will be carried out over the next couple of days.
Roof tiles, bricks, timber and other materials have been removed for recycling.
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Demolition of four sinkhole-hit Ripon homes ready to begin
The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes affected by subsidence and sinkhole issues will begin shortly, taking up to seven weeks for completion.
The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
Planning permission for their demolition was granted by Harrogate Borough Council in November.
Ashley Hutchinson, site manager for Dewsbury-based Hutchinson Demolition & Dismantling Ltd, told the Stray Ferret:
“The work will be carried out by a team of four using hand-held tools.”
“Following a fortnight of preparation, which has involved erection of scaffolding and putting fencing in place, we anticipate completion over the next six to seven weeks.”
Site safety signage is in place
Mr Hutchinson added:
“We will be using a cherry picker for the removal of roof tiles and they, along with bricks, timber and other materials will be removed from the site and recycled.”
Neighbouring residents have been contacted and advised that the demolition will be carried out Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.45am and 4.30pm
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Planning consent has been granted for the demolition of a block of four empty homes in Ripon’s conservation area, which have been affected by subsidence and sinkhole issues.
The properties at 1,3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths, were evacuated in October 2020 after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
A section of Peacock’s Passage, which is adjacent to the site, has been fenced off ever since.
Permission has also been granted for steps (pictured below) to be demolished and for the erection of hoardings following demolition of the block, so the area can be enclosed while investigation of the site is carried out.
A report from Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) planners states that:
“Demolition of the buildings is considered appropriate to ensure safety within the conservation area and to allow for investigations to determine an appropriate redevelopment of the site.”
The report says that the four properties:
“Have been adversely affected by the local ground conditions that arise notably from the dissolution of gypsum.”
It also points out that HBC’s building control officers:
“Have been involved with these buildings as a dangerous structure in recent months so we are aware of the concerns regarding their stability.”
Bedern Court Ltd, a not-for-profit company controlled by owners and leaseholders with houses and apartments in the 29-unit residential development, employed engineers to monitor and report for more than a decade on signs of movement in the affected block, after subsidence occurred on an adjacent site.
With signs that subsidence causing damage to the block of the four properties is continuing, the application seeking permission to demolish was submitted to HBC in September.
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Permission sought to demolish Ripon homes affected by subsidence
Planning permission is being sought to demolish a block of four empty Ripon homes in a perilous condition caused by subsidence and sinkhole issues.
The properties at Bedern Court and Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020, after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
A section of Peacock’s Passage, which is adjacent to the site, has been blocked off ever since.
In a document confirming his support for demolition of the block, Harrogate Borough Council’s principal building control officer Darren Sykes said:
“We have been involved with these buildings as a dangerous structure in recent months so we are aware of the concerns regarding their stability.”
The application also seeks demolition of these steps and walls, where the effects of subsidence can be seen
A report prepared by Architecture:AB on behalf of Bedern Court Ltd, which manages the 29-unit residential development, says:
“Bedern Court Ltd are seeking consent to demolish 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths because of damage to the building’s structure caused by subsidence.”
The report adds that the buildings have been monitored by structural engineers for more than a decade after subsidence occurred on an adjacent site.
With movement in the structure continuing, residents had to vacate the properties, which have been deemed unfit for habitation.
Last November, councillors at a full Ripon City Council meeting called on North Yorkshire County Council as highways authority to intervene and bring about an urgent demolition of the stricken block.
At that time, city council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“The movement of the affected block caused by sinkhole activity in the area is gaining speed and the implications for public safety are enormous.
“The block fronts onto the public highway and pavement and the potential impact of collapse and possibility of opening up of more damaging sinkholes in neighbouring areas cannot be ignored.
“If the perilous state of the building means it’s not safe to walk along Peacock’s Passage, it can’t be safe to walk or drive past it on Skellgarths. It needs to be demolished as quickly and safely as possible.”
Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to give permission for the demolition in the coming months, with the date for the decision yet to be confirmed.
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Report says former Harrogate Debenhams buildings should be saved
A report from the national charity SAVE Britain’s Heritage has named the former Debenhams buildings in Harrogate as one of 18 former ‘cathedrals of commerce’ that should be spared from demolition and repurposed.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient is behind a proposal to demolish the three buildings on Parliament Street and replace them with 50 flats and two commercial units.
The site on Parliament Street has been home to different retailers for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
But the developer has said there is no market for the building to be reoccupied as a department store, and the 1902 and 1920-era buildings should be torn down.
Departing stores
The report, called ‘Departing Stores’, sounds the warning klaxon for a group of former department stores across the UK that are at serious risk of being permanently lost.
As well as Harrogate’s Debenhams, it includes large empty buildings in Liverpool, Bristol and London.
The report says:
“In a new era when large-scale retail is no longer sustainable, these fine structures are at risk of dilapidation or even demolition. And as these hubs of daily life are erased from the map, local communities feel increasingly disenfranchised.
“Protecting and reviving these buildings is not only a matter of preserving precious and distinctive architecture; it is an opportunity to restore a sense of place.”
The report says the demise of Debenhams alone left a hole of 1.3 million square metres of space across the country, with 90% of stores still empty a year later.
Read more:
- Harrogate council conservation officer ‘cannot support’ Debenhams demolition
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A new fate
The developer Stirling Prescient said in planning documents that there was no scope to convert the Harrogate Debenhams into smaller units “due to its internal layout and the age of the building”.
It said its new plan will “strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.”
However, the report includes 14 case studies of former department stores that have been successfully regenerated.
These include Bournemouth’s former Debenhams building that closed as a department store in May 2021 and is now home to a wide range of community activities:
“Developers Verve Properties have been imaginative in their ideas for keeping the building in active use. Besides retail, the store now houses an art gallery, beauty parlour and Bobby’s, Bournemouth local makers’ market.
“Later this year a food hall and rooftop terrace bar will open. Several spaces have a social function, hosting knitting meet-ups and children’s entertainers. The varied mix of community-focussed uses seems most faithful to the original department store – a place where people from all walks of life can gather and enjoy themselves.”
Read the full report here.
Plan to demolish ‘eyesore’ Starbeck building finally approvedHarrogate Borough Council has given the green light to plans to demolish the former McColl’s supermarket in Starbeck, over three-and-a-half years since it was ravaged by fire.
Leeds-based developer Bates & Hemingborough submitted an application in November to demolish it under permitted development rules.
This permits the demolition of a building without the prior approval of the council if it is deemed a safety risk.
The owner hopes to build new retail and housing units on the site, although these plans are yet to be formally submitted.
The plans were put on hold in December after the council asked for safety documents, which have now been provided, addressing how the demolition would impact the adjacent St Andrew’s Church.
The council says the developer now has three years to demolish the building.
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Planning agent Pete Gleave from Zerum Consulting told the Stray Ferret the developer will submit a planning application for the new building “in the coming months”.
“There are currently no timescales for demolishing the building. Our client is however looking to progress the redevelopment of the site as quickly as possible and will be working up a planning application in the coming months.”
The fire-damaged building has frequently been described as an ‘eyesore’ blighting the centre of Starbeck.
Andrew Hart, founder of Starbeck Community Group and owner of Starbeck Post Office, said he hopes things can now finally move forward.
Heritage groups say ‘no justification’ for Harrogate Debenhams demolition“Starbeck Community Group are pleased that demolition has been granted but we are hoping that the owners will expedite the work quickly, certainly the demolition.
“We also hope that the original stone frontage and the carved ‘Harpers’ stone can be saved and used.”
Two influential national heritage groups have issued strong objections to plans to demolish the former Debenhams building on Parliament Street in Harrogate.
Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient is behind a proposal to demolish three buildings and replace them with 50 high-end apartments along with two commercial units.
The site has been home to different retailers on Parliament Street for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.
But in documents submitted to the council, the developer said the buildings need to be demolished as their size means they are no longer viable for retail.
‘Historic and architectural value’
Campaign group and charity Save Britain’s Heritage submitted an objection to the plans this week, saying the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the 1902 and 1920 era buildings.
Another building next to Westminster Arcade that was added in the 1960s is also set for demolition.
The group says the two older buildings have “considerable historic and architectural value” and “add greatly” to the character and significance of Parliament Street.
It adds:
“No evidence or analysis has been provided to show unequivocally why the buildings cannot be retained and refurbished. Demolition is an extreme response to development in such a historic context, and therefore sets a commensurately high threshold for justification.”
Busby’s on Parliament Street. Copyright: Walker-Neesam Archive.
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In December, the public body Historic England also submitted an objection to the plans.
Whilst welcoming the regeneration of the site, it said there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.
It said:
“We have particular concerns over the proposed demolition of the early 20th century buildings on the corner of Oxford Street and Parliament Street contributing positively to the appearance and character of the conservation area, for which there is no clear and convincing justification.”
A CGI view of the new apartments on Parliament Street.
Stirling Prescient said in planning documents:
“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.”