Developer confirms its commitment to regenerate Ripon’s Spa BathsRipon-based development and investment company Sterne Properties has reaffirmed its commitment to regenerate the city’s historic Spa Baths.
Last June, the Stray Ferret revealed the company was acquiring the building from the then Harrogate Borough Council for an undisclosed sum.
But negotiations have taken longer than expected and Harrogate Borough Council was abolished at the end of last month and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.
Company director Robert Sterne said:
“This is a complicated site and obtaining planning for it will be a long process, but we remain 100 percent committed to our hospitality-based regeneration proposals.
“We look forward to presenting our proposals to Ripon City Council.”
In September 2021, the city council successfully applied to have the Edwardian baths building listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council. But at last night’s full council meeting, members voted unanimously to no longer pursue any future ambitions for its own development of the site.
With its track record of developing buildings for the city’s leisure, hospitality and retail sectors – including Curzon Cinema, Claro Lounge and Halls of Ripon – Sterne Properties feels well-equipped to take on the challenge of Spa Baths’ renaissance.
The company has had success in returning redundant properties, such as the former NatWest Bank building next to Ripon Town Hall and an empty furniture store on North Street, into destinations that add value to the city’s offer.
Read More:
Health Secretary called upon to keep Ripon dental practice openRipon City Council is seeking government intervention to stop the closure of Bupa’s Finkle Street dental practice.
At last night’s full council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to write to Health Secretary Steve Barclay amid concerns the planned closure of the practice will further reduce access to treatment for NHS patients in the city.
Bupa’s Finkle Street branch which has NHS and private patients on its books, plans to shut its doors on June 30, with the national company citing a lack of dentists to provide care.
Its Clock Tower practice in North Parade is unaffected, as are Harrogate’s Raglan Suite and Bupa Dental Care in East Parade – but none of these is accepting new adult NHS patients.
Cllr Peter Horton said:
“There are masses of people in Ripon in need of NHS dental care, but they now have to travel to places as far away as Guiseley and York to receive treatment from Bupa.
“This is completely unacceptable and we need to state in the strongest terms that we want the Finkle Street practice to stay open.”
Cllr Pauline McHardy said:
“No practices in Ripon are taking NHS patients and the situation is getting worse with more dentists going private.
“The government has overall responsibility for NHS dental services and they need to sort this out.”
Read more:
In addition to writing to the Secretary of State for Health, the council is also calling on Ripon Conservative MP Julian Smith and North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon area constituency committee to support its bid to keep the Finkle Street branch open.
Independent city council leader Andrew Williams said:
“This is a very serious issue, not just here but across the country with an estimated 11 million people having no dentist.”
The Finkle Street branch is one of 85 across the country being closed, sold or merged over the coming months. As well as problems with recruiting, Bupa said rising costs influenced its decision.
Last month, at the time of announcing the closures Bupa Dental Care general manager Mark Allen said:
“As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.
“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.”
Bupa said it will hand back its dental contract in Ripon to the NHS, allowing commissioners to find a new provider for NHS dental services.
Ripon’s new city-wide bus service launches with guaranteed fundingRipon’s new city-wide bus service, which launched today, has guaranteed funding for the next four years and the prospect of more to follow.
From today, the current Ripon services – RS1 Lark Lane, RS2 Lead Lane and RS3 Gallows Lane – will increase in frequency and see routes extended, as well as operating on Saturdays.
A new route, numbered RS4, will serve North Bridge.
Andrew Williams, Independent city council leader and the North Yorkshire Council member for Minster and Moorside, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have been able to make this happen with the support of the new unitary authority, in addition to section 106 monies from retail and residential developments in Ripon and money from the city council’s contingency fund.
“Looking beyond the first four years, we will be seeking further section 106 contributions to support the service as more residential schemes, such as West Lane, come on stream.”
The new service will be run using buses from Dales & District Travel and North Yorkshire Council.
Fellow Independent councillor Peter Horton, who chairs the city council’s transport committee, said:
“Ripon’s residents have been telling us for years that they want an improved inner-city bus service and after a great deal of detailed discussions, first with North Yorkshire County Council and now the new authority, it has come to fruition.
“We hope that people will become regular users of this sustainable means of transport.”
Today’s changes
RS1 has a new timetable and route via Bishopton Lane, Ash Bank Road and Lark Lane which extends via the bus station to St Michael’s Retail Park for the M&S Food Store. It will depart hourly from 7.15am to 6.15pm with additional journeys between the bus station and St Michael’s Park twice hourly.
RS2 and RS3 have a new timetable with an earlier bus at 7.40am and a later bus at 5.35pm Monday to Friday. The daytime service has new times and will run Monday to Saturday.
RS4 is a new route from the bus station to North Bridge via North Street returning via Magdalen’s Road. There are three journeys per day Monday to Saturday.
The services will be run with buses from Dales & District Travel and North Yorkshire Council, with a single journey costing no more than £2 and pensioners with bus passes travelling free. More details are available from www.northyorks.gov.uk/businfo
Pic shows: Cllr Andrew Williams (centre) with his daughter Lilly-May, with Cllr Peter Horton (left) and Paul McMillan, one of the team of drivers providing the new service.
Read more:
Ripon council could take control of city’s key assets in 12 months’ timeThere are hopes Ripon City Council could be running Ripon’s town hall and market place by April next year, according to the council leader.
The council submitted an expression of interest at the end of last month to North Yorkshire Council to be part of a “double devolution” pilot scheme that would see it take control of some of the city’s key assets.
These were previously owned by the abolished Harrogate Borough Council before being handed to the new unitary council on April 1.
If successful, council leader Andrew Williams, who also sits on the North Yorkshire Council as an independent, says the pilot scheme in Ripon could be up and running in time for the next financial year in April 2024.
North Yorkshire Council will choose six pilot schemes from across the county after considering each expression of interest.
Cllr Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he believes Ripon’s bid is one of the most ambitious submitted to the council and they have a “proven track record” of delivering services after previously taking over the lease of Hugh Ripley Hall from HBC.
He said the city council would commit to refurbishing and repurposing the town hall, which he said had been neglected by the old Harrogate-based authority.
“Quite clearly there’s been no investment in the building for years. It hasn’t been painted in 20 years and vast areas are laying idle so there may be a mix of things could be done.
“It’s a blank canvas but we think it could be used to generate economic activity in Ripon. It could be used as a museum to display Ripon’s historical artificats and I’d like to see North Yorkshire Council use it as a customer service point for residents.
“Part of the building could also be converted into rentable office space. Something needs to be done but we know there’s plenty of potential.”
Cllr Williams also said the city council would look to tidy up the market place and could use surplus revenue from car parking charges towards the refurbishment of the town hall.
Improvements to city centre public toiliets, which also formed part of the council’s expression of interest, would also make the city more appealing to tourists and businesses, he added.
“There’s grass growing out of the market square, such as been the poor maintenance of it.
“We believe collectively as a city council that we can draw more visitors to Ripon and bring businesses to the city centre. If the city looks smart and going places people are more likely to spend money here.”
Read more:
New city-wide Ripon bus service to start on MondayResidents and visitors in Ripon are to benefit from easier travel with improved bus services to many parts of the city.
The city’s bus network is being boosted to help encourage sustainable travel following a series of new retail and housing developments.
From Monday, the current Ripon services – RS1 Lark Lane, RS2 Lead Lane and RS3 Gallows Lane – will increase in frequency and see routes extended, as well as operating on Saturdays. A new route, numbered RS4, will serve North Bridge.
The current services run between 9.25am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and for some time Ripon City Council and the newly formed North Yorkshire Council have been pushing for expansion.
The improvements have been made possible due to funding from developers including CDP Marshall at St Michael’s Park and by Harron Homes at Doublegates and Bishops Glade. Ripon City Council is also contributing, alongside the existing provision made by North Yorkshire Council.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:
“We are pleased to support these much-needed improvements to public transport in Ripon. The services will be of benefit to all, particularly residents of the new housing developments.
“We have been working closely with the city council, developers and partners to improve the level of service. We want more residents in Ripon, and across North Yorkshire, to be able to choose public transport to get around sustainably.”
RS1 has a new timetable and route via Bishopton Lane, Ash Bank Road and Lark Lane which extends via the bus station to St Michaels Park for M&S Food Store. It will depart hourly from 7.15am to 6.15pm with additional journeys between the bus station and St Michael’s Park twice hourly.
RS2 and RS3 have a new timetable with an earlier bus at 7.40am and a later bus at 5.35pm Monday to Friday. The daytime service has new times and will run Monday to Saturday.
RS4 is a new route from the bus station to North Bridge via North Street returning via Magdalen’s Road. There are three journeys per day Monday to Saturday.
Ripon City Council has been working on the plans for five years. Cllr Peter Horton, who chairs the transport group, said:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the new unitary council and are extremely grateful for the assistance of officers in the passenger transport team.”
Store manager at M&S Ripon, Richard Johnston, said:
“This is brilliant news and helps our store become even closer to our community. It means customers further out will be able to enjoy our products and it’s also a great resource for our store colleagues.”
The services will be run with minibuses from Dales & District Travel and North Yorkshire Council. The timetables will be live from Monday next week (April 17) at www.northyorks.gov.uk/businfo
Read more:
Ripon paddling pool refurbishment is under wayThe children’s paddling pool at Borrage Green Lane playground in Ripon is being refurbished, with funding from North Yorkshire Council.
City council leader Andrew Williams, who also represents the Ripon Minster and Moorside division as an Independent on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“The work on re-lining the pool is being carried out to prevent future leaks.
“The aim is to have it re-opened ahead of the school summer holidays. so that families can use it once more.”
A new concrete base has been put in place as part of the refurbishment.
In addition to the re-lining of the pool in time for the arrival of warmer weather, Ripon City Council is arranging for portable toilets to be put in place at the playground for the third consecutive summer.
Read more:
Hopes high for fireworks to light up Ripon’s Coronation celebrationsHopes are high that Ripon will once again be able to stage a city centre fireworks display as part of the coronation celebrations for King Charles and Queen Camilla on Saturday May 6.
Traditional New Year’s Eve displays in 2021 and 2022 did not go ahead because of safety concerns about the launch site at the rear of the town hall, but a new location on a section of The Arcade Car Park looks set to get official approval.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“Following constructive discussions with officers at the new North Yorkshire Council, I am confident that we will receive the necessary approval required from the authority and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to hold a city centre display.
“Subject to that approval, the display on May 6, will provide the finale to an evening of free musical entertainment on Market Square, featuring a number of tribute acts.”
Cllr Williams added:
“It will also mean that the city can return to the tradition of holding a fireworks display as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.”
Ripon City Council’s programme for coronation celebration activities taking place on the evening of Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6, is still to be published, but will include free live music on both days and free fairground rides for children on May 6.
Mayor of Ripon nominated to serve a third term in officeRipon City Council has announced that the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, has been nominated to serve a third mayoral term.
He was the city’s mayor in 2008/09 and has now been nominated as mayor elect for 2023-24.
Cllr Hawke’s wife, Linda will accompany him during his year in office as mayoress.
Elected to Ripon City Council in 2002, he represents the Ure Bank Ward on both Ripon City Council and on Harrogate Borough Council.
Cllr Hawke said:
“I am delighted to be nominated by Ripon city councillors in the selection for the position of mayor for the second year running.”
Born and bred in the city, Cllr Hawke is semi-retired and has previously served in the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in Ripon.
The current mayoral year has proved a busy one for the mayor and mayoress, including the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations in June, the mourning of Her Majesty’s death in September and the subsequent proclamation of King Charles III – all of which involved major civic events in Ripon.
The city’s annual mayor making ceremony will take place on May 10 and on May 21. Cllr Hawke will be installed as mayor in a service at Ripon Cathedral.
On becoming mayor for the third time, he will be matching fellow Independent councillors Eamon Parkin and Pauline McHardy, both of whom served three terms in mayoral office.
Cllr Parkin will serve as Cllr Hawke’s deputy.
Read more:
Ripon councillors consider judicial review on 1,300-home Clotherholme plan
Ripon City Council is to take legal advice on the merits of seeking a judicial review of Harrogate Borough Council’s handling of the 1,300-home Clotherholme planning application.
The Homes England development on Ministry of Defence land at Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks was granted outline approval on February 23 on the casting vote of planning committee chair and Conservative councillor Rebecca Burnett.
This came after votes were tied at six for and six against supporting a recommendation to defer the plans to officers for approval subject to conditions.
At the planning meeting no reference was made by officers to a traffic assessment commissioned by Ripon City Council in 2020, because of fears that additional vehicle movements generated by the barracks scheme would cause permanent gridlock across Ripon.
A subsequent report from the consultant, who carried out the assessment, contained recommendations on a range of mitigation measures that could be taken at key junctions and traffic hotspots to reduce pressure on Ripon’s roads.
In the light of the report, the city council called on Homes England to reduce the number of houses in the development to an initial 800, with the option to seek approval for a further 500 once the traffic impact of the first phase of the scheme had been assessed.
At Monday night’s full Ripon City Council meeting, Independent council leader Andrew Williams said:
“It is clear that our traffic survey and the correspondence that we had with Harrogate Borough Council planners was totally ignored.
“They have ridden roughshod over the wishes of people living in the city, leaving them with a potential problem to deal with for years to come.”
Ripon Liberal Democrat county and city councillor Barbara Brodigan told the meeting:
“I attended the planning committee to speak on behalf of the Ripon Spa Residents Action Group about the concerns we have about traffic, but it appeared to me that this was a done deal.
“The city council’s own traffic assessment wasn’t even raised by officers.”
City councillors unanimously supported a proposal put by Cllr Williams and seconded by Cllr Brodigan, to take initial legal advice on the merits of seeking a judicial review of Harrogate Borough Council’s handling of the planning application.
At the February 23 planning meeting, David Rowlinson, speaking on behalf of Homes England, said:
“We’re not new to this site, we’ve been working on it for five years. We’ve looked at this very thoroughly and worked with North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department to get their on-the-ground views.
“We feel we’ve robustly assessed the impacts and come up with the best solution possible for Ripon.
“North Yorkshire County Council has confirmed there is no defensible reason to refuse the application on highways and transport grounds.”
Read more:
Vandalism prompts closure of Ripon playgroundQuarry Moor playground in Ripon has closed to the public after vandals damaged equipment and daubed graffiti.
Ripon City Council, which manages the site, said on social media it had taken the decision today “for safety reasons”.
It added:
“Unfortunately the site has been vandalised, we’ve been left with damaged equipment and really unpleasant graffiti written on site.
“We are seeking quotes for repair and will provide an update on when the repairs will be undertaken when we can.”
Signs have been put up announcing the closure.
The 24-acre Quarry Moor limestone grassland was donated by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945, and held in trust for the benefit of the people of Ripon.
It was designated a site of special scientific interest in 1986.
The playground previously closed for six months from September 2021 due to rats.
Read more: