The sale of Harrogate's Crescent Gardens has been cancelled - here's why

By Finola Fitzpatrick
Published 8th Apr 2019, 15:25 BST
Updated 8th Apr 2019, 15:29 BST
The sale of Harrogate's historic Crescent Gardens has been cancelled. TThe sale of Harrogate's historic Crescent Gardens has been cancelled. T
The sale of Harrogate's historic Crescent Gardens has been cancelled. T
The sale of Harrogate's historic Crescent Gardens has been cancelled. The former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters will be put back on the market after a contract to sell the building to a developer was cancelled.

The council took the decision to end a legal agreement after ATP (Crescent Gardens) Ltd failed to meet the deadline to submit a valid planning application for the site to turn it into luxury apartments - a development costed at £75 million.

The contract between the council and the developer was subject to a valid planning application being received. The most recent deadline for submission was April 5.

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The council served notice today, and decided to exercise its right to walk away from the sale so that the building could be put back on the market without delay. Work is already underway to re-advertise it.

The sale of Crescent Gardens was originally announced in 2014 as the council moved to consolidate its various buildings into a single, purpose built, civic centre.

ATP (Crescent Gardens) Ltd emerged as the preferred purchaser in 2016 after the council marketed the building.

Contracts were exchanged in 2017, but completion was subject to a number of pre-planning conditions being met ahead of a valid planning application being submitted.