The developer building 130 homes at Castle Hill Farm in Pannal Ash has pledged to stick to agreements with the council following complaints from residents.

Several residents have contacted the Stray Ferret recently to raise various concerns about the Stonebridge Homes development on Whinney Lane.

These include builders starting work early in the morning, temporary floodlights being as bright "as an airport runway", and the road closure potentially putting the Squinting Cat pub out of business.

Whinney Lane closed to traffic in July and is not scheduled to re-open until February 28.

At a full council meeting last month, Conservative councillor for the Harrogate Pannal ward, John Mann, raised the prospect of enforcement action against Stonebridge unless it agreed to certain conditions.

In an email to residents, Cllr Mann said Stonebridge's site manager had told him the company had an "aspiration" to bring forward the reopening of Whinney Lane to February "but it depends on the weather and progress as its a complex work programme".

Read more:

• 
  

  Residents mobilise against Whinney Lane developments

  
  


• 
  

  270 homes and primary school proposed for Whinney Lane

  
  

Cllr Mann's email also says Stonebridge had agreed to reduce the intensity of the four floodlights, abide by the 8am start time, deploy road sweepers three times a week to clear mud and issue a newsletter to residents updating them of progress.

The Squinting Cat pub requested Stonebridge install the lights to make it safer for people walking to-and-from the pub at night.

A spokesperson from Stonebridge Homes said:

Local resident Bruce Allison praised Cllr Mann for contacting Stonebridge but said he remained "sceptical" about whether any commitments would be adhered to.