Ripon councillors have given their unanimous backing to proposals for a heritage trail focused on the city’s unique military history.

At Monday’s full council meeting, Guy Wilson and Jane Furse of Ripon Military Heritage Trust, provided an update on work that the charity is doing in a bid to save buildings and bridges at the the Ripon barracks site, where Homes England has planning consent to build the 1,300 homes development known as Clotherholme.

Fears that priceless elements of Ripon’s rich military heritage could be flattened to make way for the 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme have been allayed.

Jane Furse, a trustee of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, which has plans to create heritage trails on the development site, told the Stray Ferret:

“We were concerned that some extremely rare huts on the Deverell  Barracks part of the site, and other historically important structures, would be demolished, but I’m relieved to say that this will not be the case.

“These huts are among the few surviving of their kind in the UK and help to tell the story of the vital national and international role that Ripon’s Royal Engineers played in just about every aspect of World War II and subsequent conflicts.

“This included training British and allied troops in the erection and use of Bailey Bridges in theatres of war such as Sicily and France and bomb disposal, that saved the lives of civilians and military personnel around the world.”

Minutes of Harrogate Borough Council’s February 23 planning meeting at which Homes England was seeking outline approval to progress development of the huge Clotherholme scheme, confirm that the huts and other structures will have protection.

Under the provisions of a Section 106 agreement the developer is required to put in place a strategy to ‘secure military heritage within the site.’

Jane Furse of Ripon Military Heritage Trust pictured at the barracks site

The planning meeting minutes also say:

“Prior to the commencement of works to each phase of development, a record (including photographs, drawings and summary of historic analysis) shall be made of a representative selection of buildings with military heritage on site and shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Copies of this record shall be placed on the North Yorkshire Historic Environment Record.”

Ms Furse, an architectural historian and former inspector of historic buildings with English Heritage (now Historic England) pointed out:

“Inclusion within the S 106 agreement means that the significance of military heritage assets at the site has been formally recognised and that is very welcome news.

“It means that we can go forward, in liaison with Homes England and other parties, to progress plans for military heritage trails at Clotherholme that alongside other heritage attractions, will add to the city’s development as a tourist destination.”

Bomb disposal and the American connection

The wooden huts at Deverell Barracks are of heritage importance, because they are identical to ones that were located at the nearby Harper Barracks which became the home of the Royal Engineers’ School of Bomb Disposal in 1941.

Setting up of the national school in Ripon, soon saw Royal Engineers based in the city providing vital training and passing on know-how to the Americans, in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, the USA naval base.

Ms Furse said:

“The Royal Engineers sought out examples of every known enemy bomb and developed countermeasures to defuse them. The School developed a rigorous training programme in bomb identification and disposal methodology.

“The Americans, although aware of the threat of unexploded bombs, had no proper procedures for safe disposal and the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941, meant that for the first time, they were faced with unexploded bombs scattered throughout their bases and the harbour.

“On December 9, the British Military Attache’s office in Washington received a request for a joint personnel exchange – an early example of the ‘special relationship’ between ourselves and the USA.

“A group of eight hand-picked American soldiers headed by Major Thomas J Kane, travelled to Ripon to train with the Engineers, arriving on February 1 1942.

“After six weeks of attending lectures and demonstrations, all of the U.S. Army ordnancemen passed the course and were made honorary Royal Engineers – they were even given official RE patches and allowed to wear them on the sleeves of their American uniforms.”

The expertise gained from the Royal Engineers in Ripon subsequently saw Major Kane set up the USA’s first Bomb Disposal School in Maryland.

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A scheme to build 1,300 homes on historic army barracks in Ripon looks set to be approved next week.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended its planning committee gives the scheme the go-ahead when it meets on Thursday.

If councillors vote to accept the recommendation, it will see Ripon’s population increase by almost 20%, with an estimated 3,000 people expected to occupy the new homes.

Building work is likely to continue until 2035 and 30% of homes would be deemed ‘affordable’.

The 85 hectare-scheme would also include a new primary school and sports pitches as well as shops, restaurants and offices that could support up to 678 jobs.

However, there are concern about the impact on health services, the road network and the loss of key sites of military history.

The report to councillors concludes:

“The proposed development will deliver a range of significant public benefits that demonstrate compliance with adopted policies and the aspirations of the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan.”

Payments for health and schools

Applicants the Secretary of State for Defence and Homes England, a non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England, which are behind the proposal, have agreed to pay a minimum of £907,267 for health care facilities as part of a section 106 agreement developers pay to fund infrastructure costs associated with their schemes.

The agreement would also see the developers pay £2.7 million for primary school education and £1.9 million for secondary school education.

A two-form primary school with a playing field would be built on the site.

A computer generated image of the proposed Ripon barracks site.

Development would take place on the sites of Claro Barracks, Laver Banks and Deverell Barracks, which played key roles in the First and Second World Wars.

The report acknowledges “strong concerns” over the demolition of Deverell Barracks, which according to the non-departmental public body Historic England contains buildings that make it ‘one of the best surviving WWII temporary standardised prefabricated sites’.

The report says the developers would ‘explore retention of these structures’ but adds there are ‘significant issues with their re-use’ due to the presence of asbestos and concludes there is no ‘certainty of retention’.

Part of the current site

The significance of two military bridges on Laver Banks became apparent recently following research by Ripon Military Heritage Group and the report says the applicants have “confirmed a commitment to keep on working together” with the group.

The report says the highways authority, North Yorkshire County Council, “considers there is no defensible reason to refuse the application on highway or transportation grounds” in the wake of proposed highways changes.

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