New plans have been submitted to change the use of a former Harrogate shop into flats as the trend towards town centre living gathers pace.
York-based Andrew Farr has applied to create six flats on West Park above the former Orvis store, which closed in April 2022 after 25 years of trading in the town.
It follows similar recent planning applications to change the use of town centre retail units into flats.
The former River Island shop on Cambridge Street is in the process of being converted to 15 flats and similar residential schemes have been proposed for the former main post office on Cambridge Road and the ex-King’s Club strip club on Oxford Street.
Work has begun on converting the former River Island shop into flats.
This is the second time Mr Farr has brought forward the scheme.
He withdrew plans in March to convert the upper floors of the former Orvis to six flats and create bin and bike storage. Planning documents say that application was halted “following the receipt of the comments from the council’s private section housing officer”.
They add the “revised proposal is largely identical” except for amendments to the internal layout.
It would see the upper floors of numbers 21a, 21 and 22 West Park converted.
Since Orvis closed, a bridal shop has opened on the ground floor of the premises.
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A planning and heritage statement sent to the council in support of Mr Farr’s application says future residents of the flats would be able to apply for monthly or annual parking pass for West Park multi-storey car parking.
It adds the scheme would “enhance the vitality of the Harrogate town centre” and bring vacant floors back into use “without any identified harm to the character of the host building and the neighbouring Harrogate Conservation Area”. It concludes:
“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”
New boutique in Harrogate aims to cater for all brides
The founder of a bridal company said the opening of a shop in Harrogate will honour a family link to the town dating back many years.
Joanne Wilson founded Elite Bridal almost 20 years ago in Hull, before expanding to Brighouse, Hessle and Castleford.
As the company grew, it became a family enterprise: husband Richard, daughter Holly-Ann, and sons Joshua and Ben all have roles in its boutiques, outlets and international wholesale trade.
Putting the finishing touches to the new boutique on West Park today, before its opening tomorrow, Joanne said:
“For years, I used to come here with my mum and my daughter. My mum just loved Harrogate – any special day, we came to Harrogate. I lost my mum three years ago.
“Richard and I came to Harrogate one day and saw the shop and I said, ‘that’s my shop’. It was up for rent and we contacted the agent immediately and they said, ‘do you want to look around?’
“I said, ‘you can show me round later, but we’re having it’.”
The Wilson family
She described the former Orvis store as the “perfect” location, offering views of the Stray, as well as options for brides and their friends and families to enjoy lunch or drinks nearby after finding their dream dress.
Many weeks of hard work have gone into transforming the shop and it is now completely unrecognisable.
A lounge area with cosy sofas and a fireplace sits next to the bar, offering drinks to visitors. As well as long rails of bridal gowns, there are three private suites for brides to try on the dresses and their closest friends and family members to help them make that final choice.
A comfy lounge for visitors
The range of gowns at Elite is designed by Joanne and Holly-Ann, meaning brides can choose one from the existing range, or ask for exactly what they want. She said:
“Sometimes when you go into a bridal store, you can only buy what they sell. I can design anything for you. You can have something really bespoke.”
However, Joanne is keen to ensure the business is not just for those with the biggest budgets: off-the-peg options start from around £300.
Whatever the cost of the dress, she knows the experience of finding the right one is just as important to many brides. The team at the Harrogate boutique will be offering VIP appointments, complete with bubbly, cake and a goody bag to take away, to ensure it’s a memorable occasion.
The boutique has three suites for brides to try on their gowns while friends relax
The bridal advisors have a trained eye to understand what will suit different body shapes and find something from the range in the shop.
With sizes six to 26 catered for by Elite, and a warehouse of 11,000 gowns to choose from alongside the option of a bespoke design, Joanne is confident the boutique will prove a hit with customers – just as it has with potential employees.
“I’ve been inundated with ladies asking me for a job. A bridal shop is a nice job to have.”
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Bridal company to open boutique on Harrogate’s West Park
A new bridal shop is set to open on West Park as a Yorkshire business expands into Harrogate.
Elite Bridal is run by mother-and-daughter duo Joanne and Holly-Ann Wilson and already has boutiques in Brighouse and Hessle, as well as outlets in Castleford and Hull.
The new Harrogate boutique is expected to open in the former Orvis unit in the coming weeks.
Holly-Ann, the company’s retail director, told the Stray Ferret:
“We often visit Harrogate for weekends away: a little trip to Bettys for afternoon tea and a stroll round the town, but our love for Harrogate started many years ago when I was a little girl.
“My mum Joanne would take me to the bridal exhibition twice a year where we would do our buying for the year ahead. Over the last 10 years we have moved towards designing our own collections in house in Yorkshire and overseas and we now proudly exhibit as a wholesaler at the shows rather than visiting for trade.
“We have expanded our business in the last five years and doubled in size and Harrogate was one of our desired locations. When Joanne saw it, she knew it was hers. Destiny had arrived and now it’s finally happening.”
One of Elite Bridal’s other boutiques
Holly said she and chief executive Joanne focus on having thousands of designs available in their boutiques, with a range of sizes for brides to try on rather than just samples.
They plan to offer a luxury experience in the boutique, from selecting the right gown to having designs and alterations completed in-house.
The company, founded in 2003, will create up to four part-time and full-time jobs at the new Harrogate store.
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Developer withdraws former Harrogate Orvis store flats plan
A developer has withdrawn plans to create six new flats above the former Orvis store in Harrogate.
The proposal lodged by York-based Balance Planning Solution Ltd on behalf of Andrew Farr would have seen the upper floors of the unit on West Park converted for housing.
Orvis closed its doors back in April 2022 after 25 years of trading in the town.
The plan would see part of the ground floor unit converted for access to the apartments, along with an entrance to the back of the building next to the Coach House flats on Robert Street.
However, the developer has since withdrawn the application.
It comes despite supportive comments from Harrogate Borough Council’s economic officers and Harrogate Civic Society.
Rebecca Micallef, economy and transport officer at the authority, said in a letter:
“Upper floor residential at this location will add to the vibrancy of the town, supporting both the daytime and evening economy.”
Meanwhile, Henry Pankhurst, of the civic society, said:
“The civic society has for many years – decades actually – supported the use or better use of unused or underused upper floors of town centre premises, especially residential use.”
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Plan to create six flats above former Harrogate Orvis store
Plans have been lodged to create six new flats above the former Orvis store in Harrogate.
The proposal lodged by York-based Balance Planning Solution Ltd on behalf of Andrew Farrar would see the upper floors of the unit on West Park converted for housing.
Orvis closed its doors back in April after 25 years of trading in the town.
The plan would see part of the ground floor unit converted for access to the apartments, along with an entrance to the back of the building next to the Coach House flats on Robert Street.
It would see a mixture of one bedroom and two bedroom apartments created.
The developer said in documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council that the plan would not include any extension of the building.
It said:
“It is considered that the proposed scheme responds to the constraints of the site, planning policy constraints and its heritage context and should fall within the parameters of acceptable development.”
Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.
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Shop will close tomorrow after 25 years in Harrogate
A longstanding fixture on Harrogate’s high street will close for good tomorrow.
Orvis, which sells outdoor clothes, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items, has been trading in town for about 25 years,
It opened on Parliament Street in the 1990s before moving to its current five-storey unit on West Park.
But the American owners have decided to move the business mainly online
The company, which has a closing down sale, employs around eight people who have now all found jobs elsewhere.
On its penultimate day today, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness at the site of the last few garments hanging on racks.
There were also items of store furniture and plastic shoe blocks scattered around for sale for just a few pounds.
The store’s stock is depleted now after a month of major discounts.
Staff were sad to see the store go and hoped another retailer would take on the building.
The future of the unit remains unknown. The Stray Ferret has contacted the retail agent, Stapleton Waterhouse, but has yet to receive a reply.
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Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close. The company will instead focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.
Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.
The upstairs rooms are now completely bare.