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20
Jun 2023
Civic society plea to protect key Knaresborough heritage building
Knaresborough Civic Society has called on North Yorkshire Council to protect Knaresborough House from vandalism.
The High Street building is one of the Knaresborough’s grandest properties and was built in 1768 for the town's former vicar.
It’s now owned by the new council after previously being in the hands of Harrogate Borough Council until it was abolished on March 31.
The Northallerton-based authority is currently advertising office space to rent inside Knaresborough House.
But according to the civic society, which has a motto of ‘protect, preserve and conserve’, the building is in a poor state of repair following a spate of vandalism.
Andrew Grinter, secretary at the civic society, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the group has written to the new council to ask when boarded-up windows will be replaced.
He said:
Long-term concerns
North Yorkshire Council is facing much-publicised cost pressures that are set to continue over the next few years.
It is estimated the council will cut £70m over the next three years just to balance its books.
One of the new unitary council’s early cost-cutting programmes will be to sell off some of the former district, borough and county council properties, which comes to more than 3,500 properties excluding schools.
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Although there is no indication at this stage that Knaresborough House will sold, Mr Grinter raised concerns that the cost-savings could lead to further decline at the property.
He added:
North Yorkshire Council has been approached for comment.
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