Campaigners in Ripon hoping to save rare military heritage at a housing scheme have pointed to a recent council decision a positive example of heritage preservation.
Plans for 1,300 homes at the site of Ripon’s army barracks were given final approval in May.
However, the barracks site includes seven training huts believed to be some of the last remaining of their type in the country. It also features rare training bridges used by troops throughout the 20th century.
Homes England, which is the developer, has pledged to draw up a heritage strategy costing £100,000 that will look into whether a viable scheme can be developed to retain the military buildings.
Experts including Guy Wilson aren’t convinced. He helped create the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds during the 1990s and is the chair of Ripon Military Heritage Trust, a group spearheading efforts to save the buildings.
Last month, the council refused plans to demolish a WW2 prisoner of war camp at Kirk Deighton near Wetherby. It argued the homes would damage the “historic social narrative of the site.”
Mr Wilson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the nearby refusal shows that the council could be doing more to protect the buildings in Ripon.
He said:
“While it is good news that any part of the heritage is saved from destruction the differences between the Kirk Deighton camp and the Ripon barracks are stark.
"The camp is now in skeletal condition and is one of a number surviving, the wooden buildings of the barracks are in excellent condition and the Deverell is the last of its type to survive.”
He added:
“The end result is the very real danger that the last wartime huts of their type will be demolished and the real heritage of one of the most important Yorkshire wartime sites will be lost.
"Only public pressure now will give this important part of the heritage a chance. ”
North Yorkshire Council has been approached for comment but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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