Harrogate Borough Council’s Planning Committee has backed plans that will see the return of M&S to Ripon. The final decision will be made by the planning officer once the s106 agreement has been finalised.
The developer behind a new retail development that includes a new M&S and three other retail units welcomes the decision.
A spokesperson from Rothstone Estates said:
We are pleased to be able to let local residents know that work is expected to begin on site before Christmas this year.
Despite the challenging retail market, we are continuing discussions with a number of retailers who want to bring a store to Ripon.
We would like to reassure residents that M&S are still committed to bringing a store to the site, as Ripon continues to be a desirable location for retailers, and we will update the community as and when we have further developments.
Rotary Way, Ripon HG4 1LW, UK
The multi-million pound proposals would provide:
- A new 9,000 sq ft net sales M&S Foodhall
- Three smaller retail units ranging from 3,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft
- 154 car parking spaces with 10 disabled parking bays and three parent and child parking spaces
- Up to 80 new full and part-time job opportunities within the development, in addition to around 50 new construction jobs
The significant landscape buffer and trees surrounding the site will be retained.
A joint venture between Rothstone Estates and Peveril Securities Ltd, the £10 million investment in Ripon would create around 80 new full and part-time jobs for the city, in addition to 50 created during construction. A new bus service would connect the development to the city centre, encouraging people to use other shops and services in Ripon.
