Persimmon Homes submits plans to demolish Ripon Cathedral Choir School

Persimmon Homes has submitted plans to demolish the former site of Ripon Cathedral Choir School and build 12 apartments.

The housebuilding company originally received permission to convert the building on Whitcliffe Lane into flats and build 105 more homes in the vicinity.

But it now claims the historic building, which was home to Ripon Cathedral Choir School until 2012, is not “structurally sound” and should be rebuilt in a “like for like” manner.

A Persimmon report found significant fire damage, cracks in supporting walls and decay in the roof structure. The company said its original plans to convert the building would therefore put its workforce and future home-buyers at risk.

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Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to redevelop the site in February 2019. The council’s deadline for comments on the revised application is September 21.

The building was originally constructed as a late 19th Century grandstand. It was converted in the early 20th century into two semi-detached dwellings, then extended for use as a school.

Ripon Cathedral Choir School began using the site in 1960 until it closed in 2012. It had planned to merge with a local preparatory school but this fell through.

Its closure left Ripon Cathedral choir without a dedicated space to rehearse. The choir now rehearses in a former burial vault but the £6 million extension of the cathedral is intended to provide it with a new home.

Plans submitted for 1,300 homes at Ripon Barracks

Homes England has pushed forward with its plan for a 1,300 home development at Ripon Barracks.

Harrogate Borough Council has now validated a planning application for the site. It is a move the developers see as a “major step forward” towards construction.

The Clotherholme development will encompass Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. Homes England is working with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on the project.

The planned homes will include a significant number of two- and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

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Residents in Ripon are particularly interested in the proposed infrastructure which would come with a development of this size. Ripon City Council has already said the transport assessment was “flawed” because it was undertaken during a period when there was less traffic – something Homes England disputed.

Homes England expects Harrrogate Borough Council to make a decision on the planning permission in early 2021. Comments can be made on the Harrogate Borough Council planning website until October 7, using reference 20/02973/EIAMAJ.

Marie Kiddell, head of planning and enabling at Homes England, said:

“The validation of this planning application is a major step towards creating Clotherholme and helping meet local housing needs; 30% of the homes will be affordable alongside those for sale on the open market.”

Catherine Davies, head of estates at DIO, said:

“This proposed development supports the MOD’s ongoing commitment to invest in a more fit for purpose Defence estate. We look forward to seeing it progress further in the coming weeks and months.”

Harrogate district gets £2m discount with Eat Out to Help Out

Diners in the Harrogate district who took part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme got a discount of more than £1.9 million in August.

New figures out today from HM Treasury also revealed that people in the Harrogate and Knaresborough and Skipton and Ripon constituencies ate 314,000 meals in the scheme.

The scheme was designed to help the struggling hospitality sector get back on its feet. The Stray Ferret reported that many cafes and restaurants saw a big spike in interest last month.

Some restaurants were fully booked and were forced to turn some diners away who were trying to take advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out discount.

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In Harrogate and Knaresborough 153 restaurants signed up compared with 205 restaurants in Skipton and Ripon.

Some restaurants across the Harrogate district have seen such a boost that they have extended the discount without any government backing to fund it.

Lydia Hewitt-Craft, supervisor at So! Bar and eats Harrogate, said:

“It’s been massively helpful and it’s a relief because it was hard at the start when everyone was worried about coming out but this has been great for us.”

Nertil Xhallo, manager at Sarando on Station Bridge, said:

“It has been really busy, we’ve had a lot of bookings. Most people have returned which is good. The offer has been helpful for the business.”

Sara Ferguson, acting chair of Harrogate BID and owner of two Harrogate restaurants, said:

“I think it’s been a massive help, everyone I have spoken to says it’s been worth doing. I think with the uncertainty going forward its given all those places a boost.”

District’s house building sites hotspots for burglaries

North Yorkshire Police is urging for vigilance following an increase in burglaries on new home development sites across the district.

During the past 24 hours, two incidents have been reported. One at a new site one in Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, and the second in Penny Pot Gardens in Harrogate.

Boilers are the main item to be stolen. The perpetrators are cutting the gas and water pipes before removing the boilers, meaning some of the homes are left flooded.

Other targeted locations in the district include Knaresborough and Ripon. Furnishings valued at £70,000 were stolen from two show houses at a site in Knaresborough. In Ripon, a dumper truck was stolen from a site in the nearby village of Markington.

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The police are asking local residents to keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity.

It has also asked if any CCTV overlooking any of the targeted sites is checked for activity such as large vans driving around the sites.

Information can be reported using the 101 number, dial 1 and pass the information onto the Force Control Room.

The Old Deanery set to close in major blow for Ripon

The Old Deanery in Ripon will close next year to become another financial victim of the coronavirus pandemic.

It has been a hotel, bar and wedding venue for the last 17 years just opposite Ripon Cathedral. The manager said it will close at the end of the lease on June 30 2021.

Any bookings before that point will not be affected by the closure. The Old Deanery made the announcement with “deep regret”.

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Chris Brown, general manager at The Old Deanery, said:

“Due to the extreme trading conditions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and continued restrictions indefinitely affecting our wedding and event trade, the directors have made the difficult decision to cease trading.”

The Ripon Cathedral Chapter will once again take on the 17th Century Grade II listed building when the lease ends next year.

Mr Brown added that his team “would like to thank you all for your support over the years and look forward to seeing you again in the next ten months”.

When The Old Deanery made the announcement lots of customers commented that it was sad news and shared memories of their time there.

Ripon’s Himalayan Gardens seeks 40 volunteers

The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon is recruiting 40 new volunteer rangers.

The site has been growing in size in recent years. The gardens are now set over 45 acres and it is becoming increasingly difficult to look after the space.

To try and combat that, the gardens has launched a Natural Health Service volunteer drive and it’s not just for gardeners.

They hope that it will help those who have been made redundant as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Stephen Ward, the new head gardener, used his personal experience of redundancies to shape the initiative. He said:

“The trials and tribulations I have been through are what thousands of people are going through at this time. I want to help those people by providing a place for them to come to that will help them to move on to something better.”

The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park. They missed out on their peak season. As a result, they are looking at ways they can keep the revenue coming in during the winter months.

Part of the plans include Christmas bundles, heading out to Christmas markets with their products and even taking their converted horse box cafe to events. The gardens will close as usual in November so these could make a big difference.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon can find out more on their website. Mr Ward has said he will take people for a site visit and chat with them about their skills.

The garden’s believe they have the north’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias with nearly 20,000 plants

Winner of Yorkshire in Bloom Tourist Attraction Award for 2018 and 2019, and Best Business Award 2019, the park is also home to over 80 Contemporary Sculptures.

Ripon shop to close after more than 40 years

An independent designer menswear store in Ripon city centre will close this month for the final time after more than 40 years of business.

Jon Barrie, in Market Place, is selling its remaining stock as well as its fixtures and fittings. The manager expects to be closed permanently by September 19.

Not only will the Ripon store close but the Keighley shop will as well. The Pontefract and Castleford shops will remain open.

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Anna Simmonds, the Ripon store manager, told the Stray Ferret it will be a sad day when it closes in a couple of weeks:

“We simply cannot continue to trade when the economy is like this after so many months of lockdown. It is absolutely gutting, it is going to be awful on that last day.”

Jon Barrie sells a range of designer mens clothes such as Fred Perry and Pretty Green as well as designer accessories.

Offensive graffiti removed from wall near Ripon Cathedral

North Yorkshire Police are continuing to investigate an incident in which graffiti, including an expletive, was daubed on a wall across the road from Ripon Cathedral.

The offensive message targeting the Conservatives has now been removed after being reported to the police last Friday morning.

Harrogate Borough Council tweeted today that although the graffiti did not appear on council land, it had decided to remove it “given the language used”.

Police ask anybody who has information about the perpetrators to call 101 and quote the reference number 12200150072.

The wall is yards from the cathedral on Minster Road – one of the main traffic and pedestrian thoroughfares in Ripon.

The graffiti is another example of anti-social behaviour in the city.

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Other incidents include vandalised windows and fly-tipping.

Some of the anti-social acts have been carried out by children and earlier this year Ripon police called for parents to be more vigilant.

Sergeant Clare Mayes of North Yorkshire Police’s Ripon Neighbourhood Policing Team said:

“Parents, please take responsibility and find out where your children have been, what they’ve been up to and who they have been with – before you receive a knock on the door from a police officer.“

Many of the reports received by the police identify young people at the heart of the problems being experienced in the community.

Sergeant Mayes added:

“We all have a part to play in helping everyone to stay safe and feel safe in their homes and any behaviour which undermines this will be dealt with accordingly

“We are absolutely committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and will be doing everything we can to ensure our communities remain safe and pleasant places to live.”

She added:

“We know that lockdown has caused many of our community members to become isolated from their normal social groups and practices, but nothing excuses the unacceptable behaviour we have recently seen and had reported.”

Ripon Neighbourhood Policing Team says it is working with partner agencies to deal with incidents that are reported, but would urge the public to ensure reports are made by calling 101.

Petition opposes 1,300-home Ripon Barracks scheme

A total of 150 Ripon residents have signed a petition in the 24 hours since it started calling on Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development due to its negative impact on traffic in the city.

The proposed development will be called Clotherholme and encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. It’s being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Homes England commissioned consultancy firm AECOM to undertake a study which said main access points for the development should be on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road.

However, Ripon City Council called this study “flawed” — and said a new road should be added on Galphay Road to alleviate potential congestion.

Barbara Brodigan, who launched the petition on behalf of the Ripon Residents Action Group, called on HBC to reject the application in its current form.

She also questioned why North Yorkshire County Council has this week begun a £7.7m roadworks scheme on the A1 (M) in Knaresborough to support future new housing whereas there are no major new roadworks planned to support Ripon Barracks. She described Ripon as the “poor relation” of the Harrogate district.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England have the arrogance to say these road improvements are not needed when there are 1,400 houses being built.”

“We’re not against more houses here, it would certainly add to the value of Ripon. We need houses for young people and for families but our major bugbear is it’s not been planned the right way. We need the infrastructure to support it if it’s going to be of value to the city.”

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Homes England has submitted plans to HBC for Ripon Barracks. The proposals due to be published on HBC’s website imminently.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“The impact of traffic from major developments with planning consent within Ripon has been taken into account as part of the transport assessment.

“The proposed Galphay Road link is not needed, and a new road in this location is not supported by the HBC adopted Local Plan or the NYCC Local Transport Plan.”

Search for ‘hero’ who rescued child from Ripon river

The search is on for a young man who earned the title of hero after he rescued a child from a river in Ripon.

A witness told the Stray Ferret that a girl slipped into the River Skell around 4pm yesterday afternoon.

The high water soon took the girl downstream – but, at that moment, a young man rushed out of the pub towards the water. He waded through the strong currents and managed to reach the girl before he pulled her out and saved her life.

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Sara Peirson was at The Water Rat pub watching the River Skell at about 4pm yesterday when she noticed the girl slip into the water.

Mrs Peirson told the Stray Ferret:

“I think that he is a hero, he was completely selfless. The river was very full yesterday, it was a surging current. But he didn’t think about that. He just jumped straight in and grabbed her. I spoke to him afterwards but he brushed it off.”

The search is now on for the man who rescued the girl. Mrs Peirson described him as no older than 20.

She would like the nameless hero to get recognition for his efforts in saving the young girl’s life. Anyone who knows the young man should get in touch and send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Second river rescue near Ripon

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue issued a water warning today after a second river rescue in North Stainley at about 6.45pm yesterday.

In the separate incident, a passer-by rescued a teenager who got stuck on a rock by the high currents after playing in the water. Her rescuer used life jackets to bring the teenager to safety.

A spokesman for the service said:

“Whilst open water can look tempting on warm days, it can be full of hidden dangers including strong currents and vegetation or objects that you can get caught up in. If you see someone in difficulty in open water you should call 999.”