Plans have been lodged for the refurbishment and extension of Crescent Gardens, the former Harrogate Council Municipal Offices to create multi let office space and roof garden restaurant.
Impala Estates Limited acquired the Former Council Offices from Harrogate Borough Council in January 2020.
Following their public consultation in October a full planning application to create multi let office space as well as roof top restaurant, bringing the building back into use has now been submitted.
Their proposals are to refurbish the building up to an energy efficient standard for use as offices for multiple occupancy. These will incorporate meeting rooms, gym and shower facilities and a roof garden restaurant.
The meeting rooms will include the spaces previously used as the Council Chamber and Mayors Parlour, which, together with the roof top restaurant, will be available for use by the public.
James Hartley from Impala Estates said:
I am hugely excited to submit a planning application after what has been a tough year for everybody. I am extremely proud of what is proposed and very excited to hopefully be granted the scheme we have sympathetically designed.
Our plans will ensure that this high-quality local asset is brought back to use and regenerated to deliver a building that provides not only employment space in the town centre but contributes to a community benefit that keeps Crescent Gardens as a vibrant part of Harrogate.
Graham Swift, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at HBC said:
When HBC sold Crescent Gardens to Impala Estates, we were impressed by their commitment to bring much needed office space into the centre of town to support the growing and changing economic needs of Harrogate.
They blended this plan with the use of public space that will make Crescent Gardens and its locality a thriving, community area that boasts flexible, modern offices with functional and attractive public spaces.
Preliminary work has already been complete with a clean-up of the exterior and internally. The next stage of review by planning committee would be complete by around mid-summer.
What demand is there for such a scheme? The nearby Windsor House office building is largely empty and some of it has been converted into flats, with more conversion proposed. There are already significant empty restaurant spaces in the town centre (Ask, Las Iguanas, Jamie’s Italian, Le Bistrot Pierre never reopened since the first lockdown). If the council had any sense, they could have had Crescent Gardens refurbished as their modern headquarters instead of moving out to an entirely new building, though who cares when taxpayers pick up the bill!
Windsor House is almost full and there is actually a real lack of office space in Harrogate. Welcome news
Where is Graham swift looking there are quite a few office spaces to let in the town let alone empty shops with empty rooms above ,we need to look at the whole town centre and plan the use of empty buildings if not it will end up a ghost town ,councillors wake up .!!!