Pizza Hut to close before Christmas

The Parliament Street restaurant will close on December 6 after planning permission was granted to redevelop the building.

A Pizza Hut spokesman said: “We can confirm that we are not able to renew our lease of our Harrogate Pizza Hut and the restaurant will close on December 6.

“The landlord has decided to redevelop the property and as such we are unable to remain in Harrogate.

The spokesman added: “We would like to thank our valued guests in Harrogate for their continued custom. We are working with staff during this time and where possible we will try to relocate to other restaurants.”

Plans to redevelop 17-23 Parliament Street were approved earlier in the year, despite the Harrogate Civic Society’s concerns that the street was becoming too dominated by restaurants.

Montpellier Lofts Ltd were granted planning permission in June for a three storey rear extension on the building which dates back to 1870 and changing the unit from one shop and one restaurant, to two shops, one restaurant with terrace, one bar/restaurant and one other unit which could be a shop or a restaurant.

Developers said the planned new restaurant would complement the Harrogate House development, where Jamie’s has opened and Nando’s is due to open and would help make Parliament Street ‘a social hub destination.’

The Civic Society has raised concerns about the ‘proliferation’ of bars and restaurants and asked: “At what stage is it considered that saturation point will have been achieved?”