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Mar 2023

Last Updated: 21/03/2023

Environment

200-home Pannal Ash scheme 'fails to address infrastructure', say residents

by Calvin Robinson

| 22 Mar, 2023

The entrance to the former police training centre site on Yew Tree Lane.

A plan for 200 homes at Harrogate’s former police training centre “fails to address” increased pressure on infrastructure in the area, say residents.

The plans from Homes England and Countryside Properties include the conversion of several former training centre buildings into 16 homes and building 184 new properties.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, already had permission to build 161 homes on the site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on three planned football pitches and one cricket field.

Harrogate Borough Council granted outline permission for the scheme to go ahead in December 2021.

But Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association has criticised the plan.

In a letter to the council, the group raised concern over the “over-intensification” of affordable housing, the impact on carbon emissions and disruption caused by construction traffic.

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Hapara added the proposal did not address how the increased pressure on infrastructure will be addressed.

It said:

“Disappointingly, this application, like many others, fails to specifically address the increased pressure that will be placed on infrastructure. Where do children go to be educated when schools in the vicinity are already at capacity?

“Where will people receive primary medical care when there are no doctors’ surgeries in the area?

“Will people really catch a bus into town rather than take their cars when the nearest stop is 1km away?”

Homes England appointed Countryside Properties in a £63 million contract to build the homes and a reserved matters application has now been submitted for the scheme.

This includes details such as landscaping, how the homes will look, and the site layout.

The developers said in a planning statement that the scheme will be of “high quality”.

It said:

“Careful consideration has been given to the detailed design of the proposal to ensure that it creates a high-quality and distinctive development that establishes a strong sense of place and provides an attractive and comfortable place to live.”

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200-home Pannal Ash scheme 'fails to address infrastructure', say residents

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