The old council buildings at Crescent Gardens have hit the headlines in recent months. In the heart of what was originally the spa and civic quarter of Harrogate, the Crescent Gardens were bought by local developer Adam Thorpe in March 2017.
The Residents’ Association is sceptical about Mr Thorpe’s plans to convert the building into multi-million pound apartments, which include leasing the gardens at the front of the building (described on the website www.crescentgardens.co.uk as “parkland” which is frankly stretching it), replacing the public through road at the front of the building with private gardens and creating a restaurant in the centre of the green space inspired by a “Faberge egg”.
The council is currently consulting on the first phase of the development, which involves leasing the green space at the front of the building to Mr Thorpe. This is to enable him to “improve” the area, which presumably includes the building of the restaurant, a sales office for the apartments and the “large private gardens” described on the website.
It is in the public interest to know more about this development. Crescent Gardens has always been a public building built with public money. Let’s hope the Council have a financial interest in its conversion into luxury apartments so there is some public benefit. We will be asking questions in response to the consultation notice in the Harrogate Advertiser.