The redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre has moved to the next design stage – although a final decision on the £49 million plans is still a year away.

It will be in July or August next year when that decision is made and because of local government reorganisation, it will be taken by the new North Yorkshire Council.

The convention centre is currently owned by Harrogate Borough Council which will hand over ownership of the venue after warning it “may fail to survive” without investment.

It said the convention centre – which is a key driver of business to the district’s hospitality and tourism trades – could lose up to £250 million over the next 40 years unless the redevelopment is carried out.

That warning was put to members of the borough council’s cabinet on Wednesday when they approved spending £3.3 million to progress final designs.

Trevor Watson, director of economy, environment and housing at the borough council, told a meeting that the redevelopment would enhance the appearance of the 40-year-old building and improve access to its auditorium.

He said:

“But absolutely critically, it would replace the ageing and failing mechanical and electrical facilities which we will have to do regardless of whether this scheme goes ahead.”

“The reality is we can’t do nothing as we would still require many millions of pounds of investment just to keep the venue ticking over”.

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The convention centre competes with venues in Manchester, Birmingham, London and other major cities for events. And now there is a new threat much closer to home after plans for a Leeds conference venue were revealed.

Those proposals for the site of the former Yorkshire Bank HQ were set for approval by Leeds City Council last week until a wave of objections from Harrogate Convention Centre and the town’s business leaders delayed the decision.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, criticised the city council for an “absence of dialogue” on the plans which she fears will have a big impact on Harrogate’s place in the “very competitive” events industry.

She also told Wednesday’s meeting:

“The convention centre’s role is to protect and create jobs for Harrogate, and to ensure it does not become a seasonal town and shut in the winter.

“Although the venue has retained many loyal clients over the years, increasing competition and growing operating costs have resulted in us having a major rethink of what our offer actually is.

“We need to innovate to recapture our position in the market and I very much believe this is achievable.”

The next stages of the proposed development will see designs produced by next May, before final costs are revealed the following month.

If approved, construction works would start later in the year with completion in November 2024.

Plans to transform Harrogate Borough Council’s former headquarters with a two-storey extension and rooftop restaurant have been approved five years after the authority vacated the building.

The proposals for Crescent Gardens – which has sat empty since 2017 – also include a gym and new office space.

Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates bought the building for £4 million in 2020 and are behind the plans after previous proposals for luxury apartments and an art gallery fell through.

Speaking at a council meeting today, David Hartley, director at Impala Estates, said the latest plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town.

He said:

“Unusually for an application of this size, there have only been five letters of complaint from members of the public.

“The small number of complaints is perhaps testament to the level of pre-application public consultation we undertook and that the final design has, where possible, taken this into account.

“This scheme brings significant public benefits which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space.”

Knapping Mount

Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its new Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.

At the time, the council announced it would sell the building to property developer Adam Thorpe who had plans for a £75 million redevelopment including luxury apartments, an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool and restaurant.

However, Mr Thorpe’s company ATP Ltd then fell into administration with debts of almost £11 million, including £24,394 owed to the council.

The latest proposals from Impala Estates had attracted objections from Historic England which questioned the public benefits and said the roof extension should not exceed one storey.

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Some residents living on Swan Road raised further concerns over their privacy and how else the rooftop terrace could be used if the restaurant failed.

Speaking at today’s meeting, resident Jackie Davis said:

“Mr primary concern is the roof terrace – this must have adequate screening, preferably trees behind the roof glass balustrade to try to protect our privacy.

“As we already know, many restaurant spaces are empty in Harrogate. The Royal Baths directly opposite the building has recently failed.

“I worry that this venue will follow the same fate over the years, leading to the possibility of a bar or perhaps a nightclub ending up there.”

In response, council officers said licensing restrictions would be put on the building’s use.

It was also agreed that extra screening would be installed on the rooftop terrace.

Furthermore, Mr Hartley said double-yellow lines would be introduced on the nearby Swan Lane to reduce disruption from parking and deliveries which he added would be “significantly less” than when the council occupied the building.

Long-running saga

Today’s decision to grant approval will have felt like a big weight off the shoulders of the council which is keen to see the long-running saga of Crescent Gardens come to an end.

But attention will soon turn to the future of its new Knapping Mount headquarters which has been brought into question ever since last year’s announcement that the council will be abolished in April 2023.

The council said the building cost £13 million. However, the Stray Ferret investigated the overall cost of the move from Crescent Gardens and put the figure closer to £17 million.

A decision on how the site is used in the future could well fall into the hands of the newly-elected members of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Council.

The Ship Inn, in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral, was once one of the city’s landmark pubs.

Since its closure, two years ago, the vacant site has been the location for a number of incidents of violence, anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

The area has planning permission for the creation of ten dwellings but in the meantime, the premises have been secured with metal shuttering on doors and windows, while a sign says that all internal valuables have been removed.

The former pub, is to be converted into five apartments and the 0.34 acre site will also include a detached house and four terraced houses.

Architects Watson Batty Properties LLP has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council, seeking ‘a changed location by 3m to the northwest of 4 terraced houses and revised fenestration featuring ivory sandblasted masonry walling with pewter split face feature banding.’

Once that application has been determined the site will be ready for its transformation from empty pub to residential use.

The site is close to Ripon Cathedral

Residents living on Bondgate and adjoining streets, who have witnessed gangs of youths causing trouble in the area, will hope the redevelopment of the site may help tackle the problem.

Government guidance on how new developments can reduce crime and create safer communities, says:

“Good design means a wide range of crimes from theft to terrorism are less likely to happen by making committing those crimes more difficult. It helps create safer places.”

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Harrogate Borough Council‘s conservation officer has objected to the demolition of the former Debenhams building on Parliament Street.

Wetherby-based property company Stirling Prescient is behind a proposal to demolish the three buildings that Debenhams was situated in and replace them with 50 flats and two commercial units.

The site on Parliament Street has been home to different retailers for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.

But the developer has said there is no market for the building to be reoccupied as a department store, and the 1902 and 1920-era buildings should be torn down.

‘Harmful to the streetscene’

The council’s objection was submitted last month by Emma Gibbens, principal conservation officer.

Ms Gibbens wrote:

“The loss of the traditional building form and architectural detail would be harmful to the streetscene and character and special interest of the conservation area, the building forming part of the designated heritage asset in a manner that contributes positively to its character.”

Ms Gibbens added that the developer needed to prove that the demolition was justified.

She wrote that redevelopment of the site was possible in a way that did not involve the demolition of historic buildings.

She added:

“If demolition can be proven to be required, then a revised scheme would be required for a replacement building; otherwise, the historic buildings should be retained and the later parts replaced with buildings that enhance the conservation area.”

The council’s planning committee will decide on the proposal but the objection by a senior council official is a blow to the developers.

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The council joins two influential heritage groups in submitting objections to the plans.

In January, Save Britain’s Heritage said the developer had failed to provide “clear or adequate justification” for demolishing the buildings.

The public body Historic England has also submitted an objection to the plans. Whilst welcoming the regeneration of the site, it said there should be a “sensitive conversion” of the two older department store buildings.

But the demolition has been supported by Harrogate Civic Society, which said it accepted the building was “very difficult to convert in a logical and practical way”.

However, the group objected to the height of the replacement building, which it said was “overpowering.”

Strengthen the town

A CGI view of the new apartments on Parliament Street.

The developer Stirling Prescient said in planning documents that there was no scope to convert the building into smaller units “due to its internal layout and the age of the building”.

Stirling Prescient said:

“The proposals as a whole will strengthen the town’s vitality and viability, increasing footfall and contributing to the local economy.

“The proposal represents a sustainable form of development and therefore benefits from the presumption in favour of sustainable development, meaning planning permission should be granted without delay.”

Ripon City Council is to consider bidding to buy the city’s Spa Baths as part of the campaign to keep the building in community use.

Harrogate Borough Council plans to sell the Grade II listed building when Ripon’s new pool opens at the end of the year.

It has identified an unnamed preferred buyer but last month’s decision to list the 116-year-old building as an asset of community value has put any sale on hold to give the community chance to raise funds to launch a bid.

Ripon City Council is now taking the first steps towards pursuing that option after taking part in an initial meeting with the preferred bidder.

At Monday’s full city council meeting, leader Andrew Williams said:

“We had a constructive discussion with the bidder and will continue to work with them and look at any proposals they have for community uses as part of redevelopment of the site.

“However, to ensure that we keep our options open, following Harrogate Borough Council’s agreement to list the building as an asset of community value, we need to take the process to the next stage.”

Ripon City Council is to request to be treated as a potential bidder.

Councillors agreed to a motion put forward by Cllr Williams to “submit a written request to Harrogate Borough Council to request to be treated as a potential bidder under the provisions of the Localism Act”.

Councillor Stuart Martin, who seconded the motion, was among the councillors who attended the meeting with the preferred bidder. He said:

“We will continue to talk with the bidder, but must take every step to secure Ripon City Council’s position, without putting unnecessary obstacles to further discussions in the way.”

Housing fears

The future of the Edwardian building has been uncertain since owner Harrogate Borough Council put it on the market in February, saying it would be surplus to requirements when Ripon’s new multi-million swimming pool opens.

This sparked fears the baths could be sold for housing.

The campaign to retain it for community use, led by Ripon City Council and Ripon Civic Society, received a boost last month when the building was designated an asset of community value.

The baths were converted from a spa to a public swimming pool in 1936 and has the distinction of being the only English spa to be opened by a member of the royal family.

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Councillors in Ripon are hoping to meet soon with Harrogate Borough Council’s preferred bidder for the city’s Spa Baths.

The future of the Grade II listed building has been uncertain since owner Harrogate Borough Council put it on the market in February, saying it would be surplus to requirements when Ripon’s new multi-million swimming pool opens.

This sparked fears the 116-year-old baths could be sold for housing.

The campaign to retain it for community use, led by Ripon City Council and Ripon Civic Society, received a boost this month when the building was designated an asset of community value.

This gives communities a right to bid to buy the building before it is sold on the open market.

The identity of Harrogate Borough Council’s preferred bidder is being kept under wraps due to commercial confidentiality but city council leader Andrew Williams said he was looking forward to constructive discussions.

Replacing Spa Baths: Ripon’s new swimming pool, which will open this year.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“We met with the borough council last week following our successful application to have the baths listed as an asset of community value.”

“At that meeting, we were told that the preferred bidder intends to include an element of community use as part of wider redevelopment of the site.

“We are keen to find out what that community use would be and if there is a way forward that is acceptable to all involved.”

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The 116-year-old building was converted from a spa to a public swimming pool in 1936 and has the distinction of being the only English spa to be opened by a member of the royal family.

A civic society plaque near the entrance records the fact that Princess Henry of Battenburg performed the opening ceremony in 1905.

A campaign to save a historic village pub received a boost when Greg Mulholland, founder of the All-party Parliamentary Group Save the Pub, visited the site this week.

Mr Mulholland, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, visited the disused Henry Jenkins Inn in Kirkby Malzeard on Sunday to help launch a new associate membership scheme. 

Locals are purchasing community shares to buy the inn, which is named after a farm worker and butler who died in 1669, reputedly at the age of 169.

The associate membership scheme allows those unable to buy shares to contribute in other ways, such as by fundraising or doing refurbishment.

So far 180 villagers have raised £210,250 from share pledges towards the £230,000 target to buy and refurbish the inn.

Pub champion Greg Mulholland (centre), of Campaign for Pubs, with supporters of the Henry Jenkins community pub initiative outside the Henry Jenkins in Kirkby Malzeard

Mr Mulholland, who is also campaign director for Campaign to Pubs, said: 

“In these extraordinary times it is more important than ever that we save pubs in rural communities and the Campaign for Pubs fully supports the campaign to save the Henry Jenkins Inn.

“The community in Kirkby Malzeard has been heroic in its campaign and fundraising to save this important historic village pub and preserve a part of local history and heritage.”

The Henry Jenkins Community Pub Ltd has had four offers to buy the pub rejected by the owner, who would prefer to sell it for housing.

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Campaign for Pubs is lobbying for a change in the law so that no historic pub can be demolished or converted when a group or individual is prepared to buy it as a pub at the independently assessed value.

Dave Robinson, chairman of the Henry Jenkins Community Pub Ltd, said:

“We’re delighted to have Greg’s support and we look forward to working with Campaign for Pubs to help secure the future of the Henry Jenkins and other much-loved pubs in Yorkshire and beyond.”