Tesco pull out of Skipton Pub...but still plan Harrogate superstore

Tesco won’t go ahead with plans for an express store in the former Skipton Pub, but insist it will not pull out of plans for the superstore in the town.
The Skipton pub on the corner of Skipton Road and Bilton Lane.The Skipton pub on the corner of Skipton Road and Bilton Lane.
The Skipton pub on the corner of Skipton Road and Bilton Lane.

The supermarket giant dismissed rumours it will not go ahead with building a superstore on the old gas works site on Skipton Road.

However it said The Skipton Pub plan was ‘unviable’ after Harrogate Borough Council demanded a traffic barrier to stop access from Bilton Lane at school pick up and drop off time.

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Tesco spokesperson Mark Thomas said: “We have reviewed our proposals at the Skipton in Harrogate and made the difficult decision not to proceed with plans for the new store.

“We’re very grateful to everyone who supported our proposals and will continue to work hard to serve the Harrogate community from our other stores in the area.”

The building has been returned to Enterprise Inns who say they are ‘reviewing their options’ after Tesco pulled out of the lease.

The proposals to convert the Bilton pub were met with outrage from parents of pupils at Bilton Grange School, who said the increase of traffic so close to the school gates would be dangerous.

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Councillors were unable to refuse plans due to a planning ‘loophole’ allowing pubs to be converted into supermakets without needing a change of use permit. However their calls for a barrier have led to the plans being scrapped.

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