Harrogate Civic Society Archives - Page 2 of 5

Harrogate’s ‘little temple’ to be demolished for £12.1 million Station GatewayLast chance to see archive footage of Harrogate, Ripon and KnaresboroughHarrogate begins process of creating a neighbourhood planHarrogate’s Crescent Gardens set to become private road

A bid to close Crescent Gardens road in Harrogate to the public looks set to clear its first hurdle next week.

North Yorkshire Council has recommended councillors approve an application to install bollards and planters at either end of the road to prevent public access.

The move would involve the loss of 35 public car parking bays and could also eventually lead to the closure of the pedestrian footpath on Crescent Gardens.

Impala Estates, which bought the former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters for £4 million in 2020, submitted plans to close the road to the public last year.

The firm was granted planning permission to convert the building into offices, a gym and a restaurant / bar, and to construct a two-storey roof-top extension in May 2022. However, work has yet to begin.

The public parking bays lost would be retained for the private use of businesses using the building.

A 12-page report by case officer Gerard Walsh to councillors on the Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee recommends they approve the scheme when they meet on Tuesday, May 7.

The planning application would see the road running between Swan Road to the west and Montpellier Road to the east closed. Block paving would be installed on the road in front of the building to “form a clear pedestrian connection between the building and the Crescent Gardens park opposite”, the report said.

If approved, the Secretary of State for Transport could then issue a stopping up order extinguishing the public right of way.

The report said:

“Officers consider that the proposed development will have a minor positive impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area and no significant impact on the setting of nearby listed buildings.”

It added:

“The council’s highways team have no objection to the proposed development subject to proposed conditions requiring the submission of a bollard and access management plan, a construction phase management plan, and provision of a tactile pedestrian crossing at the junction of Crescent Gardens / Swan Road to improve the pedestrian facilities on the remaining highway.”

The view from the Swan Road junction.

The report said the loss of parking bays “is not a significant concern and would not warrant refusal, as there are sufficient alternative on-street parking facilities nearby, in addition to an abundance of available off-street parking options in the town centre”.

But Harrogate Civic Society, which lodged one of seven objections, said:

“Loss of public access to the parking spaces on the road would compound the previous loss of parking beside the Royal Hall.

“Crescent Gardens is important as a highway for two-way traffic to ease the passage of vehicles to Ripon Road and to and from Swan Road and the Duchy estate etc. The fact that a route other than Crescent Gardens exists is not a reason for stopping up this right of way.”

The planning committee will vote whether to accept Mr Walsh’s recommendation.

Exploring North Yorkshire’s plaques and the history behind them

(Image: Gyles Rocholl)

Taking the local area for granted is something many of us can be guilty of – especially if you’re a North Yorkshire resident.

History can be found round every corner but can often be sidelined as just a small thread within the wider tapestry of a place. Connecting the present and the past is an important part of preserving local history, but it isn’t just reserved for the archives of the local library.

Across the UK, many towns and cities represent this through commemorative plaques. They offer visitors and residents alike a small window into the past, and are a valuable method for displaying history that otherwise might be forgotten.

The intention of the plaques is to mark historical buildings and commemorate individuals or businesses that had a significant impact on the area.

Chris Dicken of the Harrogate Civic Society, explained:

“When people visit places and you a plaque, it can be really interesting, and a good way to demonstrate to visitors and townspeople alike how a town has grown and developed and is still developing.”

How does a person or place qualify for a plaque?

One of Harrogate’s brown plaques

The original blue plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage and Historic England, has previously only operated in London, but announced plans in 2023 to extent the offering nationwide.

Many towns and cities already have their own versions of this scheme, often commissioned and organised by a town or area’s civic society, in conjunction with the local authority.

Harrogate currently hosts 94 plaques, Ripon has around 30 green plaques, and Knaresborough has over 20 – and that’s not to mention outlying villages which can contain their own reminder of bygone years.

But plaques weren’t always such a feature of the local landscape; in 1975, Harrogate only had two until 1983 when the council at the time installed more to celebrate 100 years of being a borough.

It wasn’t until the late Malcom Neesam, a local historian, stepped in that they become more widespread. He was described as a ‘driving force’ behind encapsulating so much of the town’s history.

Today, Harrogate Civic Society has a working group that liaises with the conservation officer at the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, to oversee the installation of new plaques, following a ‘fairly open-ended criteria’.

However, whether it’s a person, building or event that is being marked, there must be significant evidence to suggest a lasting impression upon the town’s heritage.

One of Knaresborough’s blue plaques

Proposals can also be initiated by members of the public, and the whole process can take up to 18 months to complete, dependent on factors such as funding and installation rights.

Chris added:

“Most people are happy for their building to host a plaque because it shows their office or home has played an important part in the town’s history.”

A snapshot of a moment in time

The Stray Ferret has decided to focus on a different plaque from around North Yorkshire each month, and discover more about the individuals, buildings, or organisations they represent.

With this series, we want to celebrate the rich local history of the area – after all, there’s plenty to be found across North Yorkshire.

Read more:

Community groups gather to create new vision for Harrogate

Harrogate Civic Society and Zero Carbon Harrogate have brought together a range of community groups to tackle the planning void left by the demise of Harrogate Borough Council.

At a meeting this month, the groups discussed the development of a Neighbourhood Plan, which would lay out a shared vision for the development and growth of Harrogate.

In a report on the meeting, Harrogate Civic Society member Paul Hatherley said the town needed a “strong and deliverable vision”. He said:

“The challenge is to get an acceptable vision for the town, promoted through the local planning framework. The current reality is Harrogate Borough Council has been abolished and replaced by a new, countywide local authority – North Yorkshire Council.

“The new authority has already started the process of replacing our adopted Harrogate Borough Council Local Plan with a new, countywide local plan. But will this new plan include a vision supported by the Harrogate town community and will its planning policy shape the town the way we want it to be shaped?

“We could rely on a town council for Harrogate, but this may not be formed for at least two more years.”

In addition to Harrogate Civic Society and Zero Carbon Harrogate, attendees at the meeting included Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, Independent Harrogate, Knox Community Association, Duchy Residents’ Association and the Stray Defence Association, as well as Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat councillor who represents the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division on North Yorkshire Council, and Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrats’ parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

In places where there is no parish or town council, such as Harrogate, government guidelines stipulate that a forum of 31 people must be designated to take a Neighbourhood Plan forward. A meeting in mid- to late-January will seek to create such a forum.

Mr Hatherley added:

“I am pleased to report everyone at the meeting supported exploring the issue further and inviting a wider group of individuals and organisations – particularly businesses – to a follow-up meeting.”

The presentation given at the meeting is available on the Harrogate Civic Society website.

Plaque unveiled in Harrogate in memory of Hollywood actor

A Hollywood actor who became a household name in the 1950s was honoured with a commemorative plaque at his family home in Harrogate on Saturday.

Michael Rennie was born in 1909 in Idle, near Bradford, and went on to become the highest-paid filmstar in Britain in 1946, starring with many of the leading actors of the post-war period, including Orson Welles, Clarke Gable and Vivien Leigh.

Arguably his most famous role was as Klaatu, the alien ambassador in the 1951 blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Less than three years after leaving Hollywood, he died at 1 Otley Road – his mother’s home – in Harrogate on June 10, 1971. His ashes were interred up the road in Harlow Hill Cemetery.

The brown Harrogate Civic Society plaque was unveiled on the gatepost at 1 Otley Road by his son, David Rennie, who had instigated the process.

Photo of the brown Harrogate Civic Society plaque unveiled in memory of Hollwood actor Michael Rennie.

The plaque includes the enigmatic words ‘Klaatu barada nikto’, uttered by Michael Rennie’s alien character in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

As well as the brief biographical details that tell passersby who Michael Rennie was, it also includes the words ‘Klaatu barada nikto, a phrase uttered by his character in The Day the Earth Stood Still.

The phrase, described by one journalist as “the most famous phrase ever spoken by an extraterrestrial”, has become iconic among science fiction fans, and its meaning has been the topic of much debate and speculation.

According to film historian Steven Jay Rubin, the film’s screenplay writer, Edmund H North, said it meant “There’s hope for Earth, if the scientists can be reached”.

Also present at the unveiling ceremony were: Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough; Michael Harrison, charter mayor of Harrogate; Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society; David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre; Paula Stott, chair of Harrogate Film Society; as well as neighbouring residents and members of the Rennie family.

Mr Holland said:

“Of the 94 brown plaques Harrogate Civic Society have unveiled over the years, 71 relate to buildings and places, but only 23 to people.

“We’re very keen to recognise people who have contributed to or influenced the town, and we hadn’t commemorated an actor before, so we were very pleased to be able to have this one made for one of the town’s finest, Michael Rennie.”

Hollywood star’s son to unveil plaque to famous father in Harrogate

A Hollywood star with strong connections to Harrogate is to be commemorated with a plaque next month.

Michael Rennie was once a household name, and in 1946 became the highest-paid filmstar in Britain.

He acted with such Hollywood greats as Orson Welles, Richard Burton, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando and Bette Davis. His most famous role was perhaps the lead in the 1951 sci-fi blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Rennie was born in 1909 in Idle, near Bradford, and schooled in Cambridgeshire, but his family home was on Otley Road in Harrogate, where he died in 1971. His headstone can be seen at Harlow Hill Cemetery.

The brown plaque, which has been created by Harrogate Civic Society, will be unveiled at 1 Otley Road – the Rennie family’s former home – by Rennie’s son, David, on Saturday, September 9, at 11am. Well-wishers are welcome.

David Rennie, a high court judge whose godmother was Elizabeth Taylor, told the Stray Ferret:

“This plaque means a lot to me, because I didn’t know my father as well as I would have liked. I really got to know him – the way he moved, the sound of his voice – by watching his films.

“When I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual to meet people who knew of him and his roles, especially after he played Harry Lime in the TV series of The Third Man, and I always got the feeling that he was very much liked and admired.

“When he wasn’t in Hollywood, London or Geneva, he came to Yorkshire. I’m confident that although he had this glamorous life, the fact that he always kept on coming back to the family home in Harrogate meant that the connection mattered to him, and I wanted to mark that.”

Harrogate Civic Society is currently considering creating plaques for two other local figures of note: Charles Taylor, who founded Taylor’s Tea; and Claude Verity, who worked from a studio in Harrogate and is believed to have been the first person to add a soundtrack to film.

Historic Harrogate family business to open for Heritage Open Days

One of Harrogate’s most historic family businesses is to offer tours during this year’s Heritage Open Days.

The annual open days, which take place from September 8 to 17, give people the chance to visit historic and cultural sites for free.

Harrogate Civic Society, which organises events in and around Harrogate, is finalising its list for 2023 but is already advertising more than 20.

Among the highlights are visits to jewellers and watch-makers Ogden of Harrogate, which has been a feature of James Street since 1893. Visitors have included Winston Churchill, the Roosevelts and King George VI.

Tours hosted by two of the fifth-generation family members will reveal artefacts relating to the business and family history, plus its in-house workshop and the firm’s 1937 replica of the imperial state crown.

Visitors will also learn about James Roberts Ogden’s interest in archaeology and his work with Howard Carter to test and replicate ancient objects found in the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The Ripon gazebo

This year’s Heritage Open Days also includes new heritage walks led by experts in Pannal, Ripley and Valley Gardens, along with tours of the belltower at St Wilfrid’s on Duchy Road in Harrogate, Stonefall Cemetery and the Harrogate Club.

Outside Harrogate, there is the chance to explore How Stean Gorge in Nidderdale, stroll in the surroundings of Ripon’s 18th century gazebo and have a backstage tour of Pateley Playhouse.

Events are free but many have to be booked. Further details and a searchable list of events is available here.

Civic society objects to Harrogate Stray common land proposal

Harrogate Civic Society has objected to plans to designate the Stray as common land.

The Open Spaces Society applied to register Harrogate’s 200-acre expanse as common land, a move which has been met with opposition by some in the town.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and the Stray Defence Association have already objected to the proposal.

Now, the town’s civic society has become the latest to declare its opposition to the plan.

In a letter to North Yorkshire Council, Henry Pankhurst, of the Harrogate Civic Society, said registering the Stray as common land would lead to “confusion” as it is already covered by the Harrogate Stray Act 1985.

He said:

“If Stray land were to appear on the Commons Registration Act map then it would show up on local search results for property purchasers etc.

“This does not however outweigh the potential for confusion if both the Stray Act and the Commons Registration Act apply to the same land.”

Mr Pankhurst added that the public had been consulted on changes to the Stray Act in 2016/17 and “made it clear that the act should not be changed”.

The move comes after the Open Spaces Society tabled a bid to register the Stray as common land back in January.

Founded in 1865 as the Commons Preservation Society, the OSS is Britain’s oldest national conservation body. Its past victories include the preservation of Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon Common and Epping Forest.

When the Commons Registration Act 1965 came into force, the Stray was exempted from inclusion in the common land register, but following the passing of the Commons Act 2006, the OSS has been trying to register such exempted land and wants to bring the Stray “back into the fold”.

When the application was made earlier this year, OSS case officer Hugh Craddock said:

“The decision in the 1960s to keep the Stray off the registers was understandable but misguided.

“Only a quarter of one per cent of registered common land was exempted from registration, and exemption proved to be both misleading and unhelpful. The Stray has always been common land, and ought to be registered as common land.”