Ripon Spa Baths redevelopment greenlit

Commercial units and office space will be created at the grade two-listed Park Street site, along with apartments in a new-build addition.

Sterne Properties is behind the project, working with Architecture:ab. The professional team also includes Elliott Consultancy and geotechnical advisor Fairhurst

The plans include the development of two commercial units and offices in a conversion of the spa baths building and boiler tower, with the swimming pool building to be demolished and replaced by a single-storey extension to the spa building.

Four apartments will be built in a new addition to the site. The office space will be created in the boiler house/water tower area.

Ripon Spa Baths dates back to the early 20th century, with the swimming pool being added in the 1930s. Locval swimming provision is now covered by the Jack Laugher Leisure & Wellness Centre, named after the local Olympian, which opened in March 2022.

The harm done to the listed building and wider conservation area was described as “les than substantial” by planning officers, who said that public benefits of the project would “include bringing a vacant listed building back into use to provide new commercial and office space within Ripon city centre, which would contribute to the vitality and viability of the city centre, and the construction of four apartments which would contribute to housing supply”.

Furthermore, officers noted, the project will remove from the site unsympathetic later additions.

The baths are close to several listed buildings, and to the west the site adjoins Ripon Spa Gardens, a park which includes a bowling green, listed bandstand, a café and landscaped gardens, along with a war memorial.

North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon area committee considered the proposals at its 2 September meeting, rubber-stamping the plans unanimously. The project’s reference number on the NYC portal is ZC23/03403/FUL.