Ownership of Ripon’s famous Spa Hotel looks set to change hands.

Colliers International, which has been marketing the 40-bed property since spring, reports it is currently ‘under offer’.

While confirmation of the sale to an unknown buyer is awaited, it remains unclear whether the building will remain as a hotel or be redeveloped for another use.

The Stray Ferret approached Colliers for clarification, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The 16,125 sq ft Edwardian hotel was on the market for £1.5 million.

The hotel and its surrounding grounds.

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The Spa Hotel has been closed since March last year, when the first covid lockdown came into effect.

In July 2020, the long-term owners of the hotel, announced permanent closure after failing to attract an asking price of £1.75 million.

At the reduced price of £1.5 million, it  was marketed by Colliers for continued use as a hotel.

The agents’ executive summary of the property said:

“This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire a renowned Yorkshire hotel in a desirable trading location.”

The summary added that the hotel, with its range of public rooms, has enjoyed ‘strong regular repeat custom based on its standing in the Ripon area’.

Hospitality businesses across the Harrogate district say they are optimistic about their prospects over the coming months.

As Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to unveil the details of his Budget tomorrow, restaurant owners and business leaders say the summer could see a bounce back in their fortunes after months of uncertainty.

With restrictions set to ease, local businesses are anticipating high demand as case numbers fall and the vaccination programme brings renewed confidence.

Jo Straker, who runs William & Victoria restaurant in Harrogate with her husband David, said there was “light at the end of the tunnel” after a very difficult start to the year:

“We expect to be busy when we reopen and I think the local economy will be buoyant with people desperate to socialise, have some pampering, go shopping, enjoy sport, culture and freedom of going further afield. We will be more appreciative of the things we couldn’t have during lockdown and desperate to get out and enjoy living life again.

“The summer is looking promising with many choosing to holiday in Britain this year. Harrogate and North Yorkshire will be a big draw for domestic tourism so I am optimistic that the local economy will start to recover if everything goes to plan, we take the necessary precautions to keep each other safe and get the financial support to help us recover.”

Mrs Straker also said last summer’s Eat Out to Help Out had been positive for the restaurant, though it meant the beginning of the week was very busy before a drop-off in demand on Thursday. She said she hoped for a similar scheme including more days of the week, or perhaps a voucher scheme which would encourage people to spend locally over a period of time.

David and Jo Straker, owners of William and Victoria restaurant in Harrogate

There are also broader measures across all sectors which she said would help the business to survive the coming weeks and months.

“We are hoping, and expecting, the Budget to announce the continued VAT reduction at 5% and business rates holiday as well as an extension to flexible furlough.

“All these have been critical to the survival of the business. Takeaway keeps us ticking along but it’s not enough to cover all our fixed costs.

“We’re expecting Corporation Tax to go up. Although this is something we usually dread, it won’t have a huge impact on our business this year since we have only been able to open for five months of this financial year and that’s with considerable restrictions, so would be fortunate to break even.

“Despite all this, we are optimistic for the future and a full recovery over time with the correct financial help put in place and the continued support of our customers.”

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Across the Harrogate district, as well as businesses directly involved in hospitality, there are many which work with them and have been hit by their lack of trade in the last year. Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins solicitors, said it was not just the hotels, cafes and restaurants that needed help to get back on their feet.

“Those businesses which have been unable to operate, or only able to do so spasmodically, need proper funding so that reopening is sustained, and beneficial.

“With a local economy so heavily focussed on hospitality and tourism, which I think will recover, the businesses serving those sectors need to be helped.” 

The latest statistics show that the Harrogate district is bucking the national trend in terms of employment, with the number of people out of work sitting at 3.7% compared to a UK-wide figure of 6.2%.

For Teresa Bowe, owner of CCF Accountancy, this could help to support the hospitality industry as it tries to get back on its feet. She said:

“From what I have seen in my own clients’ situations, there are more people better off or the same, rather than worse off as a result of the covid situation.

“I think a lot of working practices that came in as a result of the lockdowns will stay, such as flexibility on working. I expect things to bounce back reasonably quickly.

“I think the prospects for the next 12 months are good, assuming that the virus is kept at bay.”

In Pateley Bridge there are signs of a gentle retail revival after the devastating impact of coronavirus.

This week, a bakers shop returned, adding to the two butchers, the oldest sweet shop in England and many other independent businesses, including cafes, pubs, restaurants and takeaways, that occupy the High Street.

In February, The Old Bakehouse, which had traded at the foot of the High Street for many years, closed its doors.

Now, six months later, new owners have refurbished the premises re-ordered the layout to cater for  social distancing requirements and called their shop Yorkshire Born & Bread.

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The Chandler family – brothers Lee and Shaun and their wives Elizabeth and Tilly – are the joint owners of the new bakery and have already made a name for themselves in the town over the past four years, with the way in which they have transformed and expanded the Spar shop across the road.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Pateley Bridge Councillor Mike and Dr Janet Holt (pictured above) performed the opening ceremony and were served with the first loaf of bread baked on the premises.

Afterwards, Cllr Holt, said:

“I took the opportunity to thank the Chandlers for the tremendous effort they have made to help the local community over the last five months, and to wish them every success in their new venture.”

During the coronavirus crisis the Spar shop has provided a central hub for free home deliveries made to people living in self-isolation throughout the Pateley Bridge area – a service supported by volunteers, including staff from the Bewerley Park outdoor learning centre.

Lee Chandler, said:

“The number of people in self-isolation has reduced, but we are still handling between 60 and 100 orders a week.”

The Chandler family, who were born, bred and educated in Nidderdale and proud of their Yorkshire roots, clearly don’t mind a challenge.

Tilly, told the Stray Ferret:

“We were all busy with the existing shop, but decided to open the bakery as well and just worked around the clock to make it happen.”

Businesses reliant on tourism for their income have expressed fears that the local economy could struggle to recover if social distancing guidelines remain in place in the long term.

Hospitality business owners say that, with a high reliance on Harrogate Convention Centre for their trade, having it out of action – either while in use as a Nightingale hospital or because social distancing does not allow events to take place – is extremely worrying.

While many say they understand and agree with the Nightingale hospital remaining on stand-by, it leaves a question mark over the income of dozens of local businesses reliant on tourism and corporate events. Kim Wilson, chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate, said:

“It’s great it’s there and empty – we don’t want it to be busy – but it would be nice to have some deadline of when things will be back. I do appreciate nobody has that information though.”

Harrogate Convention Centre is currently home to NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber

The convention centre website says it contributes around £60m to the local economy, and its director has vowed to do all she can to support local businesses.

Having opened in September 2017, No 35 coffee shop on Cheltenham Crescent initially closed during lockdown, but re-opened offering take-away drinks at the beginning of May. Owner Nino Cutino said:

“Every year we’ve seen an increase in trade, which is good. We’re only very small, so a lot of our trade is the convention centre and take-away. I’m just unsure what’s going to happen. No-one knows.”

Mr Cutino said he fully supports use of HCC as a Nightingale hospital, and believes leaving it there for some time is the only sensible option, in case of a second wave of Covid-19, even if it impacts on local businesses. He added:

“It’s worrying, but we’re all just going to have to adapt, to try and overcome this.”

Ready to re-open

The Stray Ferret revealed last week that Harrogate Convention Centre is not currently being paid by the NHS for its use of the site, which is owned by Harrogate Borough Council. The current agreement runs until June, with an option to extend until July, and could continue beyond that if a new tenancy is agreed.

HCC director Paula Lorimer said: “We’re working hard behind the scenes to ensure we are ready to re-open once the time is right. Re-opening will be entirely dependent on government guidelines and advice, and at this time we continue to put the health and safety of our clients and staff first.”

Paula Lorimer

Some autumn events have been postponed to future dates, but she said there are still large events booked in which will go ahead with social distancing measures if possible.

Among those rescheduled to autumn is the Nursery Fair, now set to take place from October 18 to 20. Show organiser Adrian Sneyd said:

“Naturally, even looking this far ahead, safety of exhibitors and visitors is of primary importance and we will be taking advice and implementing methods to ensure that the show provides an effective business platform without putting participants at risk. This will be based on guidance applicable nearer the time but might need to include precautions such as having a different layout with wider aisles, considering how visitors access stands, and providing plenty of hand sanitizer.”

Upper Street Events, organisers of the Knitting & Stitching Show and Country Living Christmas Fair – which each bring thousands of visitors to Harrogate in the weeks before Christmas – said they were planning for the events to go ahead. A spokesman said:

“We are working hard behind the scenes and very closely with the venue and partners to ensure we are adhering to guidelines with regards to Coivd-19 and social gatherings for all events we run as a business. As organisers we are also exploring options around social distancing, hall layout, staggered entry, capacity and other health and safety aspects. At present we are not looking to explore other venues for either event.

“Decisions may change in line with Government advice, but all being well we look forward to be back in Harrogate later this year.”

Rescheduling events

The next scheduled event at HCC is in August and Ms Lorimer said plans are being made for it to be held safely. With a large venue, she said spreading events out into more space is possible, and HCC is sharing ideas with other venues for the best ways to achieve social distancing.

Ms Lorimer said she was working with organisers to reschedule events, rather than cancel them completely, which will help to support the recovery of the local economy as the crisis ends. She added:

“Harrogate Convention Centre is working closely with the HHTA (Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association) and other businesses over the next few weeks to share information, and to see if we can help support our town retailers as much as possible. Harrogate Convention Centre is the largest driver of economic impact, not just in Harrogate but the region, and we understand the important part we play in supporting the prosperity of the town.

“We are also pro-actively planning to target emerging industry sectors to ensure a healthy pipeline of activity. We will be back, better than before, just right now we don’t know when due to the current uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.”