Ripon councillors' plea to save military huts from demolition

Ripon councillors have made a plea to save several historic military buildings from demolition.

A 1,300-home development, called Clotherholme, has been approved for the barracks site in North Yorkshire.

But questions have been raised over the future of seven military training huts and rare training bridges, some of which date back to World War One.

Developer Homes England said it remained committed to delivering a military heritage strategy.

Three barracks in Ripon are set to close by 2025 to make way for the development.

The historic buildings on the site include training huts that are believed to be among the last remaining of their kind in the country, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The plans put forward by Homes England were approved in early 2023, but Councillor Barbara Brodigan told a Ripon City Council meeting she believed the government housing agency was under no legal obligation to protect the structures from demolition.

The Ripon Military Heritage Trust, a registered charity, has also spearheaded efforts to save the buildings and has previously suggested they could be used to attract tourists to Ripon.

Councillors unanimously backed a proposal by Mrs Brodigan to write a letter to Homes England on behalf of the council calling for protection of the site's heritage assets.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: "The buildings don't just have historical significance but they could also be used by scouts and cadets and would be a huge benefit for Ripon.

"It can't be understated the significance of these buildings although unfortunately they're not listed."

Mrs Brodigan went on to say the buildings were used in World War One and Two, as well as the Cold War.

"Just to take the buildings down and replace them with information boards around the site undervalues their significance," she added.

Councillor Pauline Hardy said that Homes England appeared to be listening but had got "cotton wool in their ears".

A Homes England spokesperson said: "We remain committed to delivering a military heritage strategy as part of our wider proposals for the site and continue to discuss options with the Local Planning Authority and the Ripon Military Heritage Trust."

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