North Yorkshire Council accepts offer to rent out former Viper Rooms building in Harrogate town centre

The council owns Harrogate’s historic Royal Baths building which was partly home to the Viper Rooms from 2007 until December 2022 when it closed after failing to negotiate a new lease.

The council changed the locks and 30 staff lost their jobs just a couple of weeks before Christmas.

After its closure, property agent Savills has been marketing the property but despite reported interest, it had appeared difficult for the council to find a taker willing to pay £150,000 a year in rent.

However, that is now set to change with a council spokesperson confirming that an offer for the Viper Rooms unit has been accepted.

It declined to say what type of organisation or business had made the offer.

The spokesperson also revealed that a separate offer, which has not yet been accepted, has been made for the former Potting Shed bar that is also part of the Royal Baths site.

It’s been empty for several years and is next to the Winter Gardens Wetherspoons pub.

Meanwhile, the council announced earlier this month that it will move the Tourist Information Centre from the Royal Baths to the Pump Room museum, which could raise £40,000 a year in rental income.

The move follows a sharp decline in tourists using the centre on Crescent Road since the Covid pandemic with numbers falling from 135,000 in 2019 to 68,000 last year.

Former Viper Rooms, Kings Club and Moko Lounge owner Paul Kinsey took over the Pitcher and Piano, now known as the Harlow, in November.