Are roller shutters ruining Knaresborough’s historic High Street?Knaresborough to get new High Street takeawaySunday Picture Quiz Answers: June 15Preloved clothing shop to open in Harrogate today

A clothes shop selling preloved, designer and high-street womenswear is due to launch in Harrogate today (April 18).

Preloved Chic Harrogate will be located in Windsor House on Cornwall Road. The business is co-owned by Harrogate women Cat Stanford, 52, and Kate Watts, 49 who said they aim to offer the town’s shoppers a sustainable alternative.

Ms Stanford has been in the fashion industry for over 30 years and has been offering a preloved service for the past four years. The duo met when Ms Watts was a customer and proposed becoming a business partner.

The move to Windsor House marks a new start for the business.

Windsor House was built as a hotel in 1900 and is now used mainly as contemporary office space.

It underwent a refurbishment to create a co-working space, meeting area and café in 2022.

The building, which overlooks the town’s Valley Gardens, is home to over 100 businesses, and covers 75,000 sq ft.

Inside Preloved Chic

Ms Stanford and Ms Watts said in a joint statement:

“Harrogate lacks a place where ladies can come and shop for amazing pieces at greatly discounted prices, you can buy a Stella McCartney Jacket for less than a third of the original price and a beautiful dress from Zara new with tags.

“Everything that we sell is preloved with most of it never worn, still with the original tags. Sustainability and recycling is huge now and we felt that we needed to offer this to the ladies of Harrogate.”

The store will be open every day except Mondays. Personal shopping appointments will be available in store.

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New ice cream parlour to open in Pateley Bridge

A new ice cream parlour is set to open in Pateley Bridge tomorrow (March 29).

Treats, which will take over the former Pateley Ice Treat unit, will be the latest addition to the High Street’s hospitality scene.

Owner Janet Chambers, who is originally from Liverpool but has lived in Yorkshire for 40 years, told the Stray Ferret she and her husband took over the business after it remained closed for more than a year.

She said Treats will serve Brymor ice cream, ice cream sundaes, banana splits and milkshakes, as well as vegan ice cream and sorbets, cakes and eventually hot sandwiches and soups.

Ms Chambers added:

“I am excited and nervous about opening. We are hoping to be more than an ice cream parlour and hope to collaborate with our neighbours, such as the new bookshop in Pateley, with events for both adults and children.

“As my background is in art and design I am also hoping to offer art classes and a space for children’s parties.”

Treats will serve a range of ice creams and sweet treats.

Ms Chambers also recently applied to the BBC’s Great British Bake Off, she said, but added due to working full-time she “could not put the usual time and effort into her application”. Instead, she and her husband put their savings into buying the parlour. She said:

“Long-term we are going to re-brand to be called Treats.

“I want it to be a place where people feel they can “treat” themselves, friends and family, and to offer the community something all year round.”

Ms Chamber said the parlour will open Friday to Monday this weekend, plus Tuesday if the weather permits, from 11am to 4pm. It will open Saturday and Sunday thereafter, while in its infancy.

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Knaresborough flats to house asylum seekers and homeless

Four council-owned properties in Knaresborough are to be used to house asylum seekers and homeless people.

The flats were due to be sold for a combined estimated fee of £879,000.

But North Yorkshire Council announced today they would be taken off the market and used either for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or as move-on accommodation for homeless people transitioning to independent living.

Conservative Gareth Dadd, who represents Thirsk on the council and is also its deputy leader and in charge of finance, made the decision, according to the online notice.

Explaining the reason, the notice adds:

“North Yorkshire Council is under a legal obligation to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

“There are eight children on the national transfer list and 12 in hotels. An urgent decision is necessary for North Yorkshire Council to fulfil its obligation.”

The notice added:

“Whilst there are other properties that have been identified as suitable for unaccompanied asylum seeking children accommodation, these require more significant works and are therefore not available for immediate occupation.”

Harrogate Borough Council bought the properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

The council, which was abolished in April this year, restored them and said last year it intended to sell the leaseholds for an estimated £879,900 and retain the freehold.

Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader at the time, said the properties “had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years” and the local authority had recognised their potential to provide homes.

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New bar and restaurant to open in Knaresborough today

A new bar and restaurant is due to officially open today in the centre of Knaresborough.

1858 is situated in the former NatWest bank, which closed in 2017, on the High Street. Councillors granted an alcohol licence to applicant Jaime Wilkinson last month.

The venue, which will launch at 5pm, provides lunch and evening meals and Sunday roasts as well as drinks.

It derives its name from the year in which the building was constructed.

The High Street site was formerly occupied by NatWest.

Kim Lancaster, who was manager of the town’s So Bar and Eats before working with Mr Wilkinson at the Drakes fish and chip shops that he owns, will run the venue.

Ms Lancaster told councillors the venue would feature “elegant fine dining” rather than be a “Wetherspoons quick in-and-out” type experience.

She added:

“We want people coming in not just for alcohol but for coffee and lunch. We’re trying to bring back something to Knaresborough that people can’t wait for. People are going to Harrogate [instead]. We’ve spent a lot of money and want to do it right with the right clientele.”

1858 is permitted to sell alcohol from 10am until midnight seven days a week.

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Pop-up shop offer proves a hit with Knaresborough businesses

A pop-up shop on Knaresborough High Street has proved so popular it has been booked up for the rest of the year.

The owners of Sid Horner and Son decided to offer their former premises as a pop-up for a week at a time to help boost the town’s independent businesses.

After offering the shop at £250 a week including all bills, the company was inundated with interest and, within two days, had filled the calendar until 2024.

Owner Natalie Horner told the Stray Ferret:

“Knaresborough is thriving at the moment, with less than a handful of empty units and lots of new businesses opening.

“We know lots of people want to open a shop in Knaresborough and so want this to be an opportunity for independent businesses to test the water before signing in to big leases.

“We think it will be a great addition to the high street as well as a fantastic opportunity for businesses to trial opening a shop, and hopefully some will go on to open full time in town.”

Mrs Horner said the people who had signed up would be offering a range of products including homeware, clothing, stationery, swimwear, and eco and sustainability items.

The shop, which was previously used by Sid Horner and Sons before becoming a chiropodist’s treatment room, is currently undergoing renovations, including colourful paintwork outside,

The first pop-up is expected to open in mid-September.

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Knaresborough amusement arcade set to be approved

An amusement arcade looks set to open on the site of a former building society in Knaresborough.

The High Street gaming centre will be open to over-18s between 9am and 10pm.

North Yorkshire Council planning officer Sam Witham has recommended councillors approve the scheme when they meet next week — despite objections from Knaresborough Town Council and three residents.

They were concerned about noise, the impact on the High Street appearance and anti-social behaviour.

Carl Bearman, director of a company formed in January called Spectacular Bid, applied to change the use of vacant premises at 30 High Street.

The site, which is on the corner of Knaresborough High Street and Park Place in Knaresborough Conservation Area, was home to Yorkshire Building Society until March 2018.

Mr Whitham’s report to councillors says the location is within the primary shopping area of Knaresborough, complies with the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, and would not harm the character and appearance of the conservation area. It says:

“Subject to conditions, the proposal is acceptable with regards to its impact on neighbouring amenity, and in particular the impact of noise on the residential flats above the ground floor unit subject to this proposal.”

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The report adds:

“The proposed use would bring about the re-use of the property and it is not considered that the use would be incompatible with the town centre location.”

One of the conditions attached to approving the scheme is that machines must not to operate at more than 25% volume.

Councillors on the Liberal Democrat-controlled 13-person Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee will decide whether to accept the recommendation to approve the scheme when they meet on Tuesday next week.

Midnight licence request for new Knaresborough bar in former bank

A new bar and restaurant could be opened in Knaresborough if a licence is granted by North Yorkshire Council next week.

An application has been made for an alcohol licence at the former Natwest bank premises at 42 High Street.

Planning permission was granted last year to convert the ground floor into a cafe and sports therapy rooms.

Now, owner Jaime Wilkinson is seeking a licence to sell alcohol until midnight seven days a week, under the business name 1858 Bar and Restaurant Ltd.

Mr Wilkinson has requested extended opening hours until 2am on bank holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The application also states there will be live music until 11pm.

As part of the application, Mr Wilkinson said there will be a “higher retail price for alcohol than other venues in Knaresborough to restrict over drinking and commotion”.

He also committed to install CCTV at the premises, as one of a number of conditions suggested by North Yorkshire Police’s licensing officer.

However, there have been five objections to the plans submitted to the council.

One nearby resident said an alcohol licence until midnight and reference to the premises as a bar is not in line with the planning approval given last year. They said:

“Harrogate Borough Council conducted a public hearing for a former license (sic) application and the resulting decision limited operation and licensing hours to strict terms and much earlier hours than those being applied for again here.

“We kindly ask the team and [North Yorkshire] Council to review the former hearing outcome and consider this in review of this latest application, where all points we believe are relevant, as are the views of those objecting and as such the restrictions should adhere again here to this license (sic) at the least, if indeed permitted at all.”

The application will be decided by North Yorkshire Council’s licensing committee at a meeting next Thursday.

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