A converted chapel in Harrogate will go to auction next week.

The Chapel, on Grove Road, was built in 1896 and is a Grade-II listed building.

Mark Hinchcliffe, from Harrogate, bought the property in 2013. He originally lived in it before spending four years converting it into an eclectic bed and breakfast, which featured on Channel 4’s The Restoration Man.

However, Mr Hinchcliffe put The Chapel on the market for £1.5 million in 2020, but subsequently lowered the price to £1 million in April this year.

The empty building remains unsold and is now listed with Allsop — with a guide price of £850,000 plus.

The Chapel offers six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, two separate bathrooms, two reception rooms, a vaulted drawing room, a dining room, an orangery and a library.

It also boasts a large entrance hall and a 50ft atrium, as well as a utility room and plant room.

The Chapel’s floor plan.

The listing states:

“The property may afford possible potential for change of use and/or redevelopment, subject to obtaining all necessary consents.”

The auction will be live-streamed on Tuesday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 8.

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North Yorkshire Council has refused a plan to demolish a former co-working space on Grove Road in Harrogate to build five apartments.

The application was submitted by planning agent David Birtles on behalf of an unnamed developer.

It asked to raze the building and replace it with five two-bedroom flats built over three floors as well as six car parking spaces.

The building was most recently used as the Indieworx Collective co-working space before it closed in 2019.

According to planning documents submitted by architects Architecture One Eight, the unlisted building has “little merit” and a new stone-built structure would enhance the site and improve the Harrogate Conservation Area.

However, Rebecca Micallef from the council’s economic development team raised concerns about the loss of employment space in the town if the development went ahead.

She said: 

“There is a major shortage of suitable commercial accommodation for new and growing businesses across the Harrogate area – this is forcing businesses to relocate elsewhere and is acting as a real constraint to business growth and potential inward investment.”

The council’s assistant director of planning, Trevor Watson refused the plans for reasons including a “fussy” appearance which he said did not respect the traditional surroundings, its size causing harm to the neighbouring property and there being no parking bay or turning area for larger vehicles.

The developer can appeal against the decision.

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A spectacularly spooky light show will be held at a historic building in Harrogate this weekend.

The Chapel on Grove Road will celebrate the occasion with its first ever display, complete with projected images, creepy smoke and themed music.

Owner Mark Hinchliffe said he hoped the free display would be enjoyed by people of all ages:

“It’s a bit mad – when you get one of those ideas and think, ‘what a great Halloween thing to do opposite the cemetery and on the road so you can see it easily’.

“It’s local, in town, and people can come and see it.”

Although the concept came from Mr Hinchliffe and his partner Heidi, they say they have had a huge amount of support from other local businesses.

FTAV has put together the programme of projection, lighting and effects, while Studio One and Kall Kwik helped with producing publicity material to promote the event.

In full costume, the couple will be greeting visitors with sweets donated by Asda, Waitrose and The Serious Sweet Company.

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The show will run on Sunday, October 30 as well as Halloween itself, Monday, October 31, from 6pm to 8pm each day.

It may only be two days long, but Mr Hinchliffe has already set his sights on something more extensive for the next significant event in the calendar. He said:

“If I do things, I like to make it really visual. I’m a creative and I’m a bit bonkers.

“It all started with Halloween and now I’ve had another idea of doing a Santa’s grotto. I’ve found an antique sleigh to die for – it’s 2.5m from North America, about 1900, with a double button cushioned seat. It’s the real thing.”

Details of the grotto will be confirmed nearer the time, but Mr Hinchliffe said he hoped to tie it in to Harrogate’s other Christmas celebrations for the benefit of the whole community.

The modern world can feel like a busy place for children, so a former headteacher of Grove Road Community Primary School has created a CD of non-religious meditations to help them live in the moment.

The health benefits of meditation for adults are well documented. It can relieve stress, lower blood pressure and alleviate depression.

But studies have also shown that teaching children how to meditate can help them become more secure and happy in themselves.

Nigel Steele was a popular headteacher of Grove Road from 1977 to 1994 before retiring.

In the 1980s and 90s, he saw how technology was beginning to have more influence in children’s lives, and not always for the better.

Fast forward to today, many parents are concerned about the amount of screen time that children are exposed to every day.

Mr Steele said:

“I noticed it as a head, children were beginning to be absorbed by something on a screen. It was having an effect on how their minds were developing. 

“‘You are what you eat’ is a very common expression, to do with our diet and the way our bodies develop. Another thing that isn’t quite as common, ‘all that you do begins in your mind’.”

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Mr Steele wrote 42 guided meditations that he would use in assembly each week at Grove Road, with the children sitting quietly and taking in simple concepts like peace, breathing and relaxation.

The meditations would include things the children could envisage in their minds such as autumn leaves, waterfalls or blades of grass.

Mr Steele said:

“It gave them a positive influence. We spent all this time developing children’s minds, it was amazing how influential in children’s minds, as we get more and more developed in technology.”

The teacher has fond memories of his time at Grove Road and said the meditations were one of the most rewarding things about his 17 years at the school. He added:

“I got quite a lot of feedback from children about how much better they felt when they had an assembly with a meditation, and how much better they felt when they went to bed at night. Their mind could escape into these situations and concepts.”

If you would like a copy of the CD which includes nine meditations and an accompanying booklet, you can email Howard Quinn at howard.quinn@dechen.org

One of the meditations is available to read below:

Plans have been approved to convert part of the former 53 Bo Grove antiques boutique and cafe into two flats.

The bohemian business on Grove Road in Harrogate closed in December 2021 after more than two years of business.

It became a hub for residents during the early coronavirus lockdowns by remaining open to sell food at a time when many supermarkets were struggling for stock.

Now, a plan to convert part of the building into two flats has been given the go-ahead.

The proposal has been lodged by Architecture One Eight Ltd on behalf of David Birtles.

A planning statement tabled to Harrogate Borough Council from the developers said the proposal would help to bring the building back into use.

It said:

“The existing buildings have fallen into disrepair and are having a negative impact on the adjacent conservation area.”

A separate proposal to convert another part of the building into three flats was refused over concerns that the scheme “would not provide adequate natural light” into rooms in the flats.

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Motorists face six weeks of delays on Harrogate’s Grove Road from Monday due to gas works.

Work is being carried out by Northern Gas Networks to replace ageing pipework with plastic pipes.

Temporary three-way traffic lights will be in place at the junction of Grove Road and Skipton Road from July 25 for two weeks.

These will then become two-way lights for four weeks as work progresses.

Parking will also be restricted along Grove Road while work is carried out.

Northern Gas Networks said in a statement that although most work will be carried out on the road, engineers will need access to customer properties to complete the project and ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas.

Russ Kaye, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said: 

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

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The governors of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton put the wheels in motion today for the school to close.

They have asked North Yorkshire County Council to begin a consultation on closure after nearby Grove Road Community Primary rejected a merger.

Some parents have been offered places for children to start in September.  The proposal is for the school to shut during the next academic year, although a precise date is not known.

A council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret today places offered in September “still exist” but the full implications of today’s news remain unclear.

The governors said in a statement they had exhausted “every possible avenue” and they were moving towards closure “with a very heavy heart”.

The statement said:

“This has been a very difficult time for the school, parents, pupils, staff and governors and we were all hopeful a solution had finally been found with the proposed amalgamation with Grove Road Primary School. Unfortunately, that could not proceed.

“This has left Woodfield Community Primary School in a very vulnerable position and we have had to look again at what options are available for the school.

“The governors have worked incredibly hard to find a positive solution, exploring every available avenue. Unfortunately, it is our conclusion that we have exhausted all options that are available.

“It is with a very heavy heart that the governors of Woodfield school have had to ask the county council to begin the consultation process for closure.’’ 

Read more:

• Woodfield school parents ‘frustrated and upset’ after merger U-turn
• Future of Woodfield school uncertain as Grove Road merger dropped

The school received an inadequate Ofsted rating following an inspection in January 2020, which required it to become a sponsored academy.

Woodfield Community Primary School, Harrogate

The Regional Schools Commissioner was unable to secure a multi academy trust to sponsor the school, which led the governors to explore a merger with Grove Road.

Merger talks fail

The move, which would have meant Woodfield School technically closed and became part of Grove Road from September this year, fell through in March when Grove Road pulled out, citing concerns about the level of risk.

Stuart Carlton, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of children and young people services, said in a statement:

“The Directive Academy Order and the absence of a sponsor from the academy sector had left Woodfield Community Primary School in a difficult position.

“The county council hoped that the proposed amalgamation would provide a solution to retain education on the school site, but that was not to be.

“I would like to thank the leadership and governors of Woodfield Community Primary School for their diligence in exploring the issues and I share their sadness that closure must now be considered.

“We will now move at pace to seek approval to consult on a proposal that the school should close during the next academic year.

“We will communicate directly with the school’s parents in the coming days on the many questions they will have at this time.’’

If you have a child at Woodfield school and have a view on what’s happening, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.