Latest news with #RiponCityCouncil
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Decision deferred on Ripon petrol station site flats plan
A decision on whether to allow flats to be built on the site of a former petrol station in Ripon has been deferred by Fuel Oils had sought permission from North Yorkshire Council to build a four-storey six-apartment block on the site of Skellbank Garage, in a meeting on Monday, councillors heard the application was "strongly" supported by Ripon City Council, while Ripon Civic Society had welcomed changes to the original officials recommended the plans be turned down as the height of the new building would be "harmful" to the setting of a nearby listed building, and councillors decided to discuss the application again at a future date. A report seen by councillors stated that the design of the proposed development, which included three two-bed flats and three one-bed flats, "fails to reflect local characteristics of the Ripon Conservation Area at ground floor level".It would prove "harmful to the character of that conservation area and, through its form, the setting of the adjacent listed building", it the report also raised concerns that no ground stability report had been carried out, despite the site being in "an area with shallow gypsum that could cause subsidence".Documents supporting the application stated that the site, which had been vacant for over 20 years, was currently boarded off and in poor condition, according to the Local Democracy Reporting underground tanks from the former petrol station had been removed, the documents heard that Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished in 2023, approved a plan in 2003 to demolish the former petrol station and build eight that work never took place and the permission had since lapsed, and a similar plan for the site which was submitted in 2016 was withdrawn three years later. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
14-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Plans for £8m Ripon Cathedral annexe withdrawn
Plans for a new £8m annexe at Ripon Cathedral have been withdrawn after they failed to gain council proposals for the two-storey structure to be built on part of the public open space known as Minster Gardens were due to be debated by councillors later this the cathedral chapter said it had been decided to withdraw the application after the plans were not supported by Ripon City Council at a meeting in a statement, the cathedral chapter said the debate surrounding the annexe scheme had been "challenging and difficult for everyone, but especially for cathedral staff and supporters". 'Eloquent arguments' The proposals for the building, which would have contained a song school, cafe and toilets, had divided opinion within Ripon and the surrounding plans for work on the site had included the felling of 11 trees to make way for the annexe's under revised plans to be considered within weeks by North Yorkshire councillors, 12 trees would have been removed, a heritage beech tree would have been saved and 23 trees would have been planted in its statement, the cathedral chapter said its members "were saddened" the council did not support the proposed annexe in its December meeting "despite the many eloquent arguments placed before them and the amendments that had been made to retain the beech tree".According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the statement said the application had been withdrawn to "allow the further development and amendment of our plans to be discussed constructively and positively, balancing the many complex constraints and opportunities"."We now look to work constructively with North Yorkshire Council and Ripon City Council on how the essential needs of the cathedral can be met and will be asking them to share their vision for how the Cathedral Quarter will be developed," it added. 'Meaningful discussions' A spokesperson for the Save Our Trees campaign, whose members had fought the scheme, said the withdrawal of the plans was "a vindication for campaigners who have tirelessly fought for the past two years to protect the local park against a large development and developer".Meanwhile, Ripon Civic Society, which has an advisory role on local planning applications, said the move by the cathedral chapter would allow "meaningful discussions" to be held with planners, the council, Historic England and local residents."The society has never denied the cathedral's needs, and looks forward to finding a way of meeting them that heals the present divide," it the withdrawal, the cathedral chapter said it wanted to clarify that all costs for developing the annexe proposals had been covered by fundraising from to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
