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Police set to move into Ripon Town Hall

Wednesday, 11 September 2024 11:23

By Thomas Barrett, Local Democracy Reporter

Ripon Town Hall

North Yorkshire Police look set to move into a vacant space in Ripon Town Hall before the end of the year following several delays.

In February 2023, then-North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe announced a refurbishment of part of the council-owned town hall to give officers more of a presence in the city centre.

Commissioner Metcalfe said it would become an additional site to Ripon’s main police and fire station based at Stonebridgegate and councillors were hopeful the move would help tackle crime in the city.

But almost two years on, the town hall space is still not being used by the police.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands North Yorkshire Police have been paying rent to the council since April 2024 despite not using it, which Cllr Andrew Williams (Conservative and Independents Group, Ripon Minster & Moorside) described as a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

Labour deputy mayor Jo Coles took over from the crime commissioner following an election in May and there were concerns that she could decide to scrap the project she inherited from her predecessor.

But in an update this week, a spokesperson for the deputy mayor said that building work will be finished within the next two months.

The spokesperson said:

“The keys have been handed over to the builders to continue the renovation work at our joint police and fire station in Ripon, today, 9 September.

“The work in the town hall will be completed within the next 6 – 8 weeks at an estimated cost of £6,150, for renovation work, signage and IT provision.”

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