Harrogate Town reveal plans to build £2.75 million training facilityAnother Harrogate retail unit could be converted to flatsA Harrogate retailer has submitted plans to convert its top floor into flats.
Documents filed with North Yorkshire Council reveal Shuropody on Oxford Street would convert its top floor into two flats, while retaining the first two floors for retail.
The application was submitted by Edward Ake, of Harrogate firm Sandtoft Properties.
The trend towards town centre living has increased in Harrogate in recent years, with numerous planning applications to convert retail space.
The Stray Ferret wrote about some of the units affected here.
Shuropody is a foot care chain. The top two floors of the Harrogate business are currently occupied by its in-store podiatrist, which advises on footcare issues.
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The public consultation on the plans is open until December 29. The council will then decide whether to accept the application.
Residents can have their say online, or by writing to North Yorkshire Council, PO Box 787, Harrogate HG1 9RW, quoting the reference number ZC23/04286/FUL.
Shuropody has been approached for comment.
Consultation on 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development extendedConsultation on the proposed 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development has been extended until Wednesday next week.
People who wish to comment on the proposed 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development now have until Wednesday next week to make their views known to .
Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed to Ripon City Council that its request for an extension to the consultation period on the major planning application, has been agreed. The original closing date for comments was February 17.
So far 178 comments have been submitted — 148 by members of the public and 30 by consultees, such as heritage and business organisations.
Independent city council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“This is the biggest single residential development in Ripon’s history.
“It is important for as many people, as possible — in particular local residents — to have the opportunity to make their views known.”
Transport assessment
The city council voted unanimously at its February meeting to call for an urgent extension after discovering that a transport assessment for the Homes England scheme was belatedly published on the Harrogate Borough Council planning portal.
It meant anyone who commented on the outline planning application prior to February 3 did not have the opportunity to see the amended transport assessment document before submitting their views.
This effectively meant that the document was only available to read for 15 of the 30 days that the consultation period was initially set to run.
Cllr Williams said:
“On the doorstep, the major concern from the people that councillors have spoken with since the barracks development was first mooted has been traffic and what mitigation measures are proposed to ensure that Ripon doesn’t find itself gridlocked by the increased volume of vehicles that this and other housing development will generate.
“That is why the city council commissioned its own report from a traffic consultant, that can be submitted as part of the consultation process.
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The transport assessment in support of the Homes England development states:
“The proposed mitigation measures for the Ripon Barracks site include a wide range of improvements not just in the vicinity of the development itself, but also throughout the western side of the city and into the city centre itself.
“These measures include; the implementation of pedestrian and cyclist improvements by implementing mitigation measures such as traffic calming on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road; the introduction of a one way system involving Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane to accommodate on road cycling while maintaining car parking along College Road; the provision of a gateway junction including segregated cycling facilities at the primary Kirkby Road access to the site; junction mitigation measures to alleviate traffic congestion at key city centre junctions and provide enhanced pedestrian crossing facilities; measures to prevent rat running; and proposed contributions to public transport bus services.
Two-thirds support Knaresborough leisure centre siteA total of 69 per cent of survey respondents “strongly agree” the new leisure centre should be built on the existing site.
Harrogate Borough Council chose the current site on King James Road as its preferred option in November.
The subsequent six-week consultation, which attracted 471 responses, found widespread agreement.
Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park were the other options.
A thousand residents signed a petition to save Conyngham Hall when it was named as a possible location.
Plans for the new leisure centre, which could be built by the end of 2023, include a 25-metre pool and a gym.
Several supportive comments said using the same site would protect green spaces elsewhere from development.
Another response described it as the “perfect location .. best location for this development …the site is already there”.
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Some people suggested other locations would better suit the development. They included the new housing developments on Boroughbridge Road and St James retail park.
Knaresborough Pool is set to remain closed for the foreseeable, despite new lockdown measures. The council has said engineers from Spain are unable to travel to the town to make the repairs.
How do you feel about the new leisure centre in Knaresborough? Do you agree with the preferred location or are changes needed? Let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Have your say on new Knaresborough leisure centreHarrogate district residents are being invited to have their say on where a new leisure centre in Knaresborough should be built.
Harrogate Borough Council is consulting on its plans to build the new centre, which will include a swimming pool and gym, on the site of the current swimming pool in Knaresborough.
The council chose the current leisure centre site as its preferred option for the development last month ahead of Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a site on Halfpenny Lane.
It is now offering residents the chance to give their views.
The consultation document says the leisure centre will serve the “east of the district” rather than just Knaresborough, which will do little to calm fears Starbeck Baths will close.
The document also highlights how 150-year-old Starbeck Baths and the current Knaresborough leisure centre are “aging and have significant operational and unplanned maintenance issues and will not meet the future needs of their users”.
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The survey asks residents if they agree with the council’s choice of preferred site. Survey participants can also express their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing.
The consultation, which ends on January, 18, can be found here.
The plans for Knaresborough are in conjunction with refurbishment plans for the Harrogate Hydro. It is expected to cost over £26 million.
The council has appointed Alliance Leisure, a Somerset-based company, to develop the plans.
Turkish Baths Harrogate considers cutting same sex sessionsTurkish Baths Harrogate is considering dropping single-sex sessions from its timetable.
Harrogate Borough Council, which runs the baths, said a timetable consisting entirely of mixed sessions would reflect “equality and balance”.
A spokesperson for the council told The Stray Ferret:
“We’re considering the removal of single sex sessions from the timetable at the Turkish Baths to reflect the increased spotlight on equality and balance across the world. This change would allow complete accessibility during the timetable for all genders. We see this as a positive development allowing greater access to all our customers and would allow us to fully, and fairly, consider all genders and orientations.”
This consultation comes at a time when there are debates about how transgender people use different facilities.
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The baths stopped male-only sessions back in 2011 in the wake of reports of “inappropriate behaviour,” only to bring them back five years later.
Now Turkish Baths Harrogate has launched an online survey to gauge the demand for single-sex sessions.
It is unclear when this new rule could come into place. The government has not yet given saunas or spa rooms the green light to reopen.