Ripon family's brilliant heritage recognised in opening of new £4 million building
A newly completed £4 million commercial building has been opened in tribute to a late Ripon businessman.
The Bostock Building, features eight high-quality hybrid commercial units across two floors, offering modern workshop and office accommodation.
The exciting new development, the first of its kind on the site for 70 years, was opened in Farsley by Christine Bostock, the widow of former MD and Chairman of Gaunts Ltd, John Bostock, after whom the building is also named.
Mr Bostock lived in Sawley near Ripon for much of his life, with his wife Christine and three daughters and was a very active member of the community.
One of John’s three daughters, Ginny Lowndes, said “We are touched and delighted as a family that the company has decided to name the new development after my father.
"I am still a member of the board, so I am personally very proud that his name will continue through this exciting new venture as his legacy for all the brilliant work he did for the business and for the local community for the people he looked after.”
Gaunts Ltd is a family-owned commercial property management and development company.
Established in 1896 and based in Farsley near Leeds, it specialises in refurbishing former textile mills into, and letting, flexible office, workshop, storage, and industrial spaces across Yorkshire, with a portfolio of 11 sites serving around 200 businesses.
More than 50 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, including the Bostock Family, the Gaunts Team, Board Directors and Shareholders, representatives from OGL Construction who have built the development, as well as Architects Bowman Riley, and Shelby Group (Project Management) and other companies involved in the project, alongside local councillors, business owners and tenants from the mill.
Chris Pratt, who took over from John Bostock as MD in 2012, and is now a Board Director, oversaw the completion of the new development.
“It’s great to see this exciting new project come to fruition from its conception to completion and we’re really pleased with the results,” he said.
"The collaboration has worked well between ourselves and the Yorkshire-based companies we appointed.”