New! £75m Crescent Gardens: public consultation soon

After Harrogate Borough Council encouraged Adam Thorpe of ATP Crescent Gardens to undertake a public consultation prior to submitting the application, Mr Thorpe told the Harrogate Advertiser he would be holding a full public consultation in early February.

New Harrogate cyclepath: key public meetingThe developer has said previously he would be doing consultation at the full planning application stage which has to happen by April or he risks breaching his contract.

Mr Thorpe said: “We are going to have a public consultation in the coming weeks at Crescent Gardens with information and visuals for the public to see our exciting plans.”

The council’s commitment to involving the public more inplanning decisions goes back to 2014 when it adopted the policy of recommending a full community ‘pre-application consultation’ on major developments and areas of considerable commercial and civic importance.

The council first announced the Crescent Gardens sale in 2014 to help facilitate its move to a new multi-million pound purpose-built Harrogate Civic Centre.

After early hopes of it turning into a hotel failed to materialise, the council revealed in March 2017 its preferred bid from Mr Thorpe.

After approving a 12-month lease in November for the lower rooms of Crescent Gardens to enable Mr Thorpe’s property development firm, ATP (Crescent Gardens) Ltd to continue operating from them, the council is now awaiting further progress.

Having taken up a lease on the land outside Crescent Gardens, too, Mr Thorpe is now in discussions with the local authorities to get permission to stop traffic from using the road in front of the former civic asset.

It’s part of the final “milestones” outlined by the council in order for Mr Thorpe to be able to submit a full planning application in time.

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