Shoppers baffled by construction work at Harrogate town centre retail units

As refurbishments go at vacant retail units, this one at 8 Cambridge Street appears more transformative than most.

With safety fencing surrounding what was formerly a phone repair shop, the whole unit at a site facing WH Smith is being gutted.

Located next to Card Factory, crews from Harecroft Construction, a Morley-based firm, are currently hard at work on the refurbishment.

The last official news about the empty retail units came in January 2023 when Grantside, a York-based property company, bought the 10,000 sq ft site on Cambridge Street.

The then occupiers of the ground-floor space included Card Factory, Fogal and Barnes jewellers, and Phone Patch store.

One unit was already vacant.

At that stage, planning permission had been given to convert the upper floors into five new apartments.