LUXURY housebuilder Charles Church, which two years ago was acquired by York-based Persimmon, has set up a new Yorkshire HQ at Harewood, between Harrogate and Leeds.

The office, headed by area director Ian Ruthven, brings the total of Charles Church regional offices to seven and already it has its work cut out.

Work is about to begin on converting a listed building at the former Ripon Nurses' College into 53 one and two-bedroom apartments plus four new-build town houses.

Another new development set in rural acres in Hampsthwaite, near Harrogate, will consist of four and five-bedroom detached homes and three-bedroom townhouses.

Updated: 09:42 Tuesday, July 08, 2003