New chapter for former library site in RiponAbandoned Ripon redevelopment site is up for auction
New life could be breathed into an abandoned Ripon redevelopment site, which formerly housed the city’s first public library.
The site at Skellgarths/Water Skellgate has planning approval for six terraced houses and is up for sale by auction, with a guide price of £500,000.
Harrogate-based estate agents FSS has described the plot as:
“An ideal opportunity to acquire a site with planning approval for six terraced houses, in two blocks of three, together with the freehold of 18 Water Skellgate, which comprises of a recently converted detached building containing five apartments.”
The online auction is due to take place at 3pm on September 14.
The site is in Ripon’s conservation area, in close proximity to Ripon Cathedral and on the route to prime tourist attractions — Fountains Abbey in one direction and Newby Hall in the other. It is also one of the main thoroughfares leading to the city centre.
Following demolition of the library nine years ago, a start was made on the proposed residential redevelopment of the plot, but this came to a halt and the site became an overgrown eyesore that was initially fenced off with steel barriers.
After a call for action by Ripon councillors, more permanent hoardings were erected in 2020 by Harrogate Borough Council workmen.
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Demolition of four sinkhole-hit Ripon homes ready to begin
The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes affected by subsidence and sinkhole issues will begin shortly, taking up to seven weeks for completion.
The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
Planning permission for their demolition was granted by Harrogate Borough Council in November.
Ashley Hutchinson, site manager for Dewsbury-based Hutchinson Demolition & Dismantling Ltd, told the Stray Ferret:
“The work will be carried out by a team of four using hand-held tools.”
“Following a fortnight of preparation, which has involved erection of scaffolding and putting fencing in place, we anticipate completion over the next six to seven weeks.”
Site safety signage is in place
Mr Hutchinson added:
“We will be using a cherry picker for the removal of roof tiles and they, along with bricks, timber and other materials will be removed from the site and recycled.”
Neighbouring residents have been contacted and advised that the demolition will be carried out Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.45am and 4.30pm
Permission sought to demolish Ripon homes affected by subsidencePlanning permission is being sought to demolish a block of four empty Ripon homes in a perilous condition caused by subsidence and sinkhole issues.
The properties at Bedern Court and Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020, after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
A section of Peacock’s Passage, which is adjacent to the site, has been blocked off ever since.
In a document confirming his support for demolition of the block, Harrogate Borough Council’s principal building control officer Darren Sykes said:
“We have been involved with these buildings as a dangerous structure in recent months so we are aware of the concerns regarding their stability.”
The application also seeks demolition of these steps and walls, where the effects of subsidence can be seen
A report prepared by Architecture:AB on behalf of Bedern Court Ltd, which manages the 29-unit residential development, says:
“Bedern Court Ltd are seeking consent to demolish 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths because of damage to the building’s structure caused by subsidence.”
The report adds that the buildings have been monitored by structural engineers for more than a decade after subsidence occurred on an adjacent site.
With movement in the structure continuing, residents had to vacate the properties, which have been deemed unfit for habitation.
Last November, councillors at a full Ripon City Council meeting called on North Yorkshire County Council as highways authority to intervene and bring about an urgent demolition of the stricken block.
At that time, city council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“The movement of the affected block caused by sinkhole activity in the area is gaining speed and the implications for public safety are enormous.
“The block fronts onto the public highway and pavement and the potential impact of collapse and possibility of opening up of more damaging sinkholes in neighbouring areas cannot be ignored.
“If the perilous state of the building means it’s not safe to walk along Peacock’s Passage, it can’t be safe to walk or drive past it on Skellgarths. It needs to be demolished as quickly and safely as possible.”
Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to give permission for the demolition in the coming months, with the date for the decision yet to be confirmed.
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