On Wednesday 8 May, the National Park Authority held public drop-in sessions for residents of Helmsley and the wider community to view the initial designs and share thoughts on a building intended as the new Headquarters and Ranger depot for the North York Moors National Park Authority.
Ian Nicholls, Director of Corporate Services, said:
"We'd like to thank everyone who were able to attend the drop-in sessions and discuss the new development. The project is still at an early stage, but we are working with Bowman Riley to refine the plans following the feedback received.
"The drop-in sessions were very well attended with constructive feedback received. As a result, we have:
- Moved the front car park entrance to the side access road, rather than from Riccal Drive. This has also enabled better screening of the building
- Increased the use of natural materials with local stone and timber
- Improved the landscaping using drystone walling and hedging
"One of the exciting elements of the project is the opportunity to refurbish and creatively re-use the dilapidated but beautiful Helmsley Station Signal Box. Lots of suggestions were put forward for this and the hope is that building can become a real asset to the local community."
The Authority has been working with a company called Bowman Riley to develop these ideas. To read a general overview of the development, please see the About Us area of this website.
If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing general@northyorkmoors.org.uk
Next steps
Working with your comments and feedback, the National Park Authority will continue to refine various elements of the design. The intention is to apply to North Yorkshire Council for planning permission in summer 2024.
