HARROGATE
Civic Society
Post Office Building
Former Post Office
December
2020
Harrogate Civic Society responded to the planning application for the above site, and the Harrogate Advertiser later asked for our comments.
Overall we welcome the principle of conversion to a mixed-use incorporating retail, residential and office use. If you look at the upper floors of many of our fine town centre buildings you will see that they are often underused (even for commercial purposes) and sometimes look very run down. Residential uses in these upper floors would bring life back into the town centre, which otherwise falls into darkness once the shops and restaurants are closed. It would also provide much needed town centre accommodation for single people and small households, near their places of work, or near the bus/train station for those who commute to work.
Unfortunately, part of the proposal is for an additional floor to this building (which is in the Conservation Area) but we felt that this does not enhance the existing building or the streetscape. So, while we support the concept of the mixed use on this site we had to object to the design. While the application (as of 22/2/21) has not yet been determined we are pleased to see that the Conservation Officer for the Council agreed that that the alterations to the building were too extreme.