Craven College's historic Skipton High Street campus on market for over £1m

The historic Craven College building in the heart of Skipton is on the market for over £1 million.

West Yorkshire property consultancy DE Commercial is inviting offers of £1,025,000 for the 18,075 sq ft three-storey property on Skipton High Street.

Richard Heslop, managing director of Ilkley-based DE Commercial, says: “This is a unique development opportunity as this historic building is suitable for a variety of uses.

“Subject to planning, it could be transformed into a bar and restaurant, offices, retail or residential. It has tremendous potential. The location is superb, right in the heart of Skipton, and the impressive façade gives the property real character. It is a statement building."

The property backs on the Leeds-Liverpool canal and is close to Skipton Castle and Skipton Town Hall.

“Internally, there are modern facilities for both fully operational hair and beauty salons and catering kitchens and a restaurant. These facilities are complemented by ancillary accommodation which includes classrooms, offices and storage, together with a social area,” says Mr Heslop.

Craven College is selling its Skipton High Street campus in order to locate the majority of its courses at its edge of town site next to the auction mart. Hair, beauty and catering courseswill cease to run from the centre of town and will move to the Aireville Campus, which has recently seen the opening of a new £1.6 million Animal Management Centre.

Refurbished accommodation for college students will include new salons, while catering students will be able to work in a commercial kitchen.Tyro Training, the college subsidiary, which provides training directly to businesses and employees, has also recently moved from the centre of town to the college’s Auction MartCampus to work alongside the college’s apprenticeships team, which was recently outstanding by Ofsted.

In addition, the college has submitted a joint bid with Craven Cattle Marts to build a new equine centre on land to the south of the auction mart.The college says the developments will ensure all students get the very best of facilities and get access to the same services and support.

College principal Andrew Cropley says: “Through focusing our activity at the Aireville Campus and Auction Mart Campus the college is able to provide all our students with accessto the best facilities possible and the widest range of services to support them in their education and training.

"It has been the ambition of the college over the last seven years to concentrate its activities at Aireville and Auction Mart campuses, and reduce the number of different college locationswithin Skipton in addition to the Aviation Academy at Leeds Bradford Airport, Evolve at Ripon and Tyro Training at Scarborough”.