Harrogate-based S&SA Architects will be expanding the company to Leeds city centre.
The architect practice, which operates out of a head office in Harrogate, will open its new office at Park House in Park Square in April.
The company had continued to grow during the pandemic and received several notable commissions in the healthcare and residential sectors, which created a demand for its expansion.
Inside the new office at Park House Credit: S&SA Architects
It plans to recruit people in roles at all levels, including in apprenticeship and senior positions.
Chris Paraskos, associate architect at S&SA Architects, said:
“We’re incredibly excited about this expansion. The office location is easily accessible for our diverse London and Leeds clients, being only a few moments’ walk from the station.
“It also offers all our staff the ability to work flexibly at home and across both offices. It will encourage collaboration between teams and better wellbeing, which is a part of our cultural response to the changing world of hybrid work post covid.”
S&SA Architects specialises in residential, retail, logistics, healthcare, sports and leisure sectors. Clients include Tesco, Keepmoat, Exemplar Healthcare and Broadacres.
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Harrogate bakery expands with £250k project
Bakery site Bakeri Baltzersen has begun a £250k expansion project.
The site, in Kettlesing, supplies the company’s sister brands in Harrogate town centre, as well as other, wholesale partners.
The project will involve knocking through to a unit at Springfield Business Park, which will then create triple the floorspace of the bakery.
It will be part-financed by a £20,000 grant from the Product and Process Innovation Fund, a European funding programme. Harrogate Borough Council has also provided a grant of £27,390.
Along with it, more jobs will be created, with a particular demand for trainee bakers, packers and drivers.
Paul Rawlinson, co-director of Baltzersen’s and Bakeri Baltzersen, said:
“We are proud to be a part of the Harrogate community. We want to grow our range of products to offer a wider selection, work with more wholesale partners across Yorkshire as we fly the flag for our town, and create new jobs, training and career opportunities for local people.”
The work is expected to be completed in June.
Harrogate woman semi-finalist of Florist of the Year
Helen Pannitt, owner of Helen James Flowers
A Harrogate florist is celebrating making it to the semi-final of the Florist of the Year competition run by Interflora.
Helen Pannitt, who owns and runs Helen James Flowers in Harrogate, has been a florist for 37 years. She has previously won a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For the competition, she created a hand-tied bouquet, under the theme ‘Inspired by Nature.’
The winner will go on to represent Great Britain and Ireland at the Interflora World Cup in September 2023.
Helen Pannitt, owner of Helen James Flowers, said:
“I simply love competitive floristry and with the curtailment of competitions over the last couple of years due to COVID, it’s great to have something to get the competitive juices flowing again.”
The finals will see participants creating floral designs on the theme of ‘growing together,’ with a final unknown topic that will be revealed on the day.
The winner of the competition will be announced on Sunday 24 April.
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Leeds Bradford Airport scraps plans for £150m terminal
Leeds Bradford Airport has abandoned plans to build a new £150m terminal, blaming “excessive delays” around a decision on whether it could go ahead.
In February 2021, the airport was granted planning permission by Leeds City Council to build the facility that would have replaced its current terminal.
The airport said it would help increase annual passenger numbers from four million to seven million and extend flight hours.
The company claimed the proposals would “deliver one of the UK’s most environmentally efficient airport buildings” but the plans faced criticism from environmental groups, including Zero Carbon Harrogate.
Following the council’s approval, the government decided to “call-in” the plans, which meant it would have had the final say on whether it would go ahead.
A public inquiry was announced by the government’s Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, in January, but no dates had been set.
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LBA said “excessive delays” around the government’s decision to call in the plans led them to withdraw its plans.
Instead, the airport will focus on refurbishing its existing terminal.
Vincent Hodder, chief executive of LBA, said:
“It is with regret that we have made the decision to withdraw LBA’s application for the development of a new replacement terminal.
“As the travel and aviation industry continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, LBA needs to be able to respond to rapidly increasing demand within the next few years.
“Whilst this is a setback for our airport and region, we remain committed to investing in LBA to be an outstanding, decarbonised, modern airport for the future.”
Marks & Spencer has given a sneak peek of how its Oatlands Foodhall on Leeds Road in Harrogate will look if plans to extend it are approved,
The company wants to increase the size of the food hall by more than 70% and extend into the Sofa.com retail unit next to the existing store.
The plans would also see the closure of the cafe, which prompted some disappointed regulars to consider setting up a petition to retain it.
M&S said the expansion was designed to deliver a “bigger, better and fresher experience” for shoppers and would involve a significant investment in the town.
Harrogate stores’ transformation one of the first in the country
The Leeds Road store will be one of the first in the country to be refreshed with this new-look M&S design. The features would include new fresh product displays and an in-store bakery.
The bakery would be open all day.
Work would take place in stages to allow customers to continue shopping at the store throughout redevelopment.
There would also be an expanded frozen food section, a wine shop and new decoration throughout the store.
A wine shop would be included in the store.
M&S has committed to cutting 1,000 tones of plastic from its business by March next year and halving food waste by 2030. With this in mind, the store would have a ‘fill your own’ section to reduce packaging.
Shoppers would bring their own reusable containers to fill with dried items, such as pasta, rice, cereals, nuts and other snacks.
The fill your own section would reduce plastic packaging and food waste.
There will be more checkouts, a mobile scan and shop option and new digital screens in store to make it quicker to process click and collect online orders.
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The Harrogate history of M&S
M&S first opened in Harrogate in December 1906 in the old Market Hall under its earlier name of Penny Bazaar.
The original Harrogate Penny Bazaar was replaced in May 1934 by a new Marks & Spencer store at 36 Cambridge Street.
It moved again in 1999 to its current location on Cambridge Street.
M&S regional manager Rona Hulbert said:
Knaresborough’s Dower House sold for undisclosed fee“We’re delighted to be celebrating our 115th anniversary in Harrogate this month. M&S has a long and proud history of serving local customers, dating all the way back to the days of the Penny Bazaars. I’m really excited that we’re looking forward to the future and continuing to invest in Harrogate.”
The Dower House and Spa in Knaresborough has been acquired by The Inn Collection Group for an undisclosed figure.
The 15th century, Grade II listed building on Bond End has 38 bedrooms, a spa and swimming pool along with several bars, lounges and function areas.
It becomes the seventh site in Yorkshire owned by the expanding pubco, whose portfolio also includes Ripon Spa Hotel, Dean Court Hotel in York and the Black Swan in Helmsley.
The group owns 26 estates in total across the north of England and plans to begin refurbishing Dower House next year.
It said this would include a sympathetic restoration and remodelling in order to “enhance its environment, improve accessibility and align the site with The Inn Collection Group’s quality, food-driven pubs with rooms offer”.
The Inn Collection Group’s managing director Sean Donkin said:
“We are excited to be growing our foothold in Yorkshire with the addition of The Dower House and Spa. It is a tremendous site, steeped in character and history in a stunning destination location.
“We’re looking forward to investing in the team and site and realising Dower House’s full potential while preserving the heritage and charm it holds.”
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