The museum would be created in Dr Buck’s House, a Grade II-listed building in the centre of Settle which was most recently home to Natwest Bank until 2017. The building was bought by North Craven Building Preservation Trust last year to safeguard its future. The trust also runs the Museum of North Craven Life in The Folly, which tells the stories of the people and landscape of the area.
But planning documents warn that the building, which dates to 1787, will continue to deteriorate without refurbishment. With a shortage of affordable long-term rental properties in Settle, the proposals also propose creating three apartments above the museum for local people. Document state: “Dr Buck’s House is a significant building, architecturally as an integral part of the fabric of the conservation area and historically through its links with Elgar.