PLANS which will include Grassington Fire Station being converted into a shop and the relocation of the doctor's surgery have been revealed to the Craven Herald this week.

The proposals, submitted by Grassington builder and property owner Hedley Patrick, are only in their preliminary stages, and have yet to be approved by local planners.

The plans centre around the Country Garden Centre in Station Road, and other property in the village owned by Mr Patrick.

The proposals include the closure of the plant side of the garden centre shortly, and the closure of the hardware side of the business at around Christmas time.

This area, if the plans get the go-ahead, will be used for housing, while the Rustic Rabbit shop could be relocated to Grassington's old fire station in the village square.

It is proposed a new fire station would be built on a site running from Grassington Service Station to the Country Garden Centre, where there is currently a block of unused buildings.

Skipton's assistant divisional fire officer Stuart Stoney told the Herald he was aware of the planning applications and that the fire brigade's lease on the old fire station building, owned by Mr Patrick, had run out.

He added: "The owner of the property has put up an alternative plan and I have a meeting with our building contractors and the owner this week - so pretty soon I might be able to say we have alternative premises!

"The chief fire officer is committed to keeping a fire station at Grassington, and I'm fairly hopeful in the long term that we'll probably come out with something a little bit better than what we've got."

As well as the possible relocation of the fire station, the doctor's surgery, currently in Main Street, could also be moved to the site.

The plans for the new surgery and medical centre are perhaps the most adventurous on the site and include car parking, which was lacking at the former premises.

Other facilities proposed are a lift, more consulting rooms, and a treatment room in which minor operations could be carried out, taking some of the strain off staff at Airedale Hospital.

And the additional space might also mean physiotherapy, chiropody, osteopathy and homeopathy consultancies could be offered on site.

Meanwhile, the future use of the old doctor's surgery has to be decided, and Mr Patrick has submitted outline planning applications for residential use, offices and a possible shop or cafe.

All the plans are subject to planning consent and agreement between all the different parties involved. They will be discussed at a planning meeting of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in October.

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