Harrogate Summary

[Leeds No.1]

http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk...lier_1_4284930

Festive market for Montpellier
Monday 27 February 2012 12:00

PLANS to bring a ‘high-quality and upmarket’ Christmas market to Harrogate are being proposed by Harrogate at Christmas.

The group responsible for bringing the annual Christmas light display to the town is hoping to set up the marketplace at the bottom of Montpellier Hill for four days in November and help bring visitors to the town during the festive period.

The treasurer of the Harrogate at Christmas group, Brian Dunsby, said: “We’ve come to the conclusion that just the lights actually leaves people a bit short so we decided to go for a Harrogate Christmas market.”

Mr Dunsby said other towns and cities attracted large numbers of people each year to their own markets and while Harrogate didn’t have a large open square the way that somewhere like York did, there were alternative options.

“What we’re going to do, all being well and subject to the approval of the borough council and the county council, is take over the section of St Mary’s Walk at the bottom of Montpellier Hill,” said Mr Dunsby.

“We’re going to run four rows of chalets and gazebos and high hat tents, high quality stalls, for the four days of the switch on of the Christmas lights and the weekend immediately after it.”

He said the market would be focused on local products and would mostly feature crafts, rather than food.

Stalls will be sold to traders, with discounts offered to Harrogate Chamber members, in order to cover the costs of bringing the market to the area with no funding currently set aside for the proposal.

The market, which will be driven by Harrogate Chamber together with the Harrogate at Christmas group, the Promoting Harrogate Group and the Town Centre Development Group, will aim to increase footfall for town centre businesses at the same time.

Mr Dunsby said he hoped to convince coach companies which already visit the town during the summer months to bring shoppers to the market.

“The aim is not to take business out of the town, it’s very much to bring people into the town,” he said.

[Leeds No.1]

Not sure it's been particularly well thought through. If it's only for four days, it's not a great idea to do it in November to start with.

I'd also question the suitability of St. Mary's Walk. What about Montpellier Street? Or around The Cenotaph? Victoria Gardens would work practically, but not the best side of town.

[di Livio]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ide_Yorkshire/


Go to 29 mins.

Harrogate - home of obese 'northern' women.

[Leeds No.1]

At which point? It's just about the water is it not?

[Leeds No.1]

ASDA set to develop the Harrogate store

Customers at Asda’s Bower Road store in Harrogate may be set to benefit from the return of an in-store cafe, along with further additions and improvements. The proposed amendments will be the subject of a planning application submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by Asda later this month.

Planning consent was granted to Asda in 2010 for an extension to the store but the new application includes some changes to the original application, designed to further enhance the overall experience for local shoppers. The scheme is also set to create around 20 new jobs for local people.

Asda’s proposal centres around the construction of a mezzanine floor, which would link to the existing car park deck, along with some associated internal reorganisation within the store. The combination of the new mezzanine floor and changes to the internal layout would result in the store’s sales area increasing in size and able to provide customers with an enhanced shopping experience overall.

The mezzanine floor would focus on the sale of ‘comparison’ (non-food) goods, while the proposed cafe is also likely to be a popular addition to local customers. A previous cafe within the Asda store was removed but a recent customer survey clearly indicated that its return would be welcomed. The cafe formed part of the previous application and remains a key part of the updated proposal.

A 2007 retail study by the Borough Council echoed the current need for an improved Asda store, concluding that the existing store is in need of modernisation. With Tesco having recently been granted planning permission for a new outlet in the town Asda says it is even more important that real choice and strong competition continues for the shoppers of Harrogate.

ASDA Senior Property Communications Manager, Philip Bartram, said:

Our Bower Road store has been serving Harrogate shoppers since 1985 and has played a key role at the heart of the community throughout its life, providing genuine choice and competition for shoppers, as well as providing local employment. In order to continue providing these services, it is crucial that Asda responds effectively to the constantly evolving needs and expectations both of our customers and our colleagues.
Given how well established the store is in the local community, we are confident that an improved Asda store would prove a major benefit to the town in the long term. The proposed improvements – including the return of a cafe, as a direct result of listening to customers – would deliver an even better Asda store to local shoppers and an even greater contribution to Harrogate as a whole.

[micromagic]

What's going on with the plans for Marks & Spencers on Leeds Road? All seems to have gone quiet for a while.

[Leeds No.1]

I was wondering that recently too.

I seem to recall them not saying construction would start until the end of the year though. I suppose Nidd Vale have to move first.

[micromagic]

I noticed on the way to work this morning that a demolition team have started pulling down the Mile Post on Leeds Road.

[Leeds No.1]

For the new Sainsburys. I thought they were going to convert it though, not pull it down..

The Petanque on the Pier Head is now open too.

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by micromagic

I noticed on the way to work this morning that a demolition team have started pulling down the Mile Post on Leeds Road.

If they are demolishing the former Mile Post on Leeds Road it would certainly be a shame and certainly very wrong and typical of the relentless closure of pubs up and down the UK. What was the Mile Post pub like?

image hosted on flickr

[Irish Blood English Heart]

That looks like a nice building to be just demolished, surely it could've been converted to a shop or flats at the very least.

[Leeds No.1]

Could be a pretty nice house in a very desirable area too.

I just hope the new Sainsbury's is well designed. I'm not really sure why it's been given permission when there's a Fulton Foods and CO-OP next door, as well as an M&S Supermarket opening on the same parade.

[Smoggie_Si]

Originally Posted by Val Verde

If they are demolishing the former Mile Post on Leeds Road it would certainly be a shame and certainly very wrong and typical of the relentless closure of pubs up and down the UK. What was the Mile Post pub like?

image hosted on flickr

It was quite a nice traditional boozer, I've spent many a happy hour on the pool table there. Surely demolition can't have been approved, it's a lovely building and totally typical of the surrounding area although I can't see how it would work as a supermarket layout wise.
It would have made a lovely restaurant or gastropub IMO.

[di Livio]

They appear to be demolishing the cement render left hand side of the building only, not the frontage.

[micromagic]

Originally Posted by di Livio

They appear to be demolishing the cement render left hand side of the building only, not the frontage.

That's what I saw. I assumed that they were moving onto to the main section of building after the left hand side section but it makes sense that the main frontage would be retained.

[di Livio]

Originally Posted by micromagic

That's what I saw. I assumed that they were moving onto to the main section of building after the left hand side section but it makes sense that the main frontage would be retained.

My guess is that they'll need space on one side of the store for deliveries. The Hyde Park Local is the size of a broom cupboard so I don't expcet the old pub building to be a problem.

[micromagic]

Good news, for me anyway, only live round the corner.

http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk

M&S will be built at Nidd Vale

A new Marks and Spencer Simply Food will be built on the south side of Harrogate after permission was given by Harrogate Council today.

After lengthy debate, particularly over the impact on neighbours and the road network, the committee voted to pass the plans for the Nidd Vale site.

Two councillors were against the proposals and two abstained, while the rest of the committee followed the planning officer’s advice to give permission to St James securities, which is overseeing the project on behalf of M&S.

[Leeds No.1]

While I support this, I don't see why the store couldn't have been at the front with the car park at the back.

[micromagic]

Couple of images from the planning portal.

[Leeds No.1]

I hope work commences soon. As far as I know, work still hasn't started on Tesco, nor am I aware of the council yet receiving the funding Tesco promised for the new fountains and repaving in the town centre.