Housing developer Taylor Wimpey has submitted plans to build 402 new homes in Knaresborough.

The scheme, known as Highfield Farm, would see a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom homes built on York Road.

It would be built near to the planned 600-home development at Manse Farm and follows a public consultation held in February.

The prospect of 1,000 new homes reignited concerns about the volume of housing being built along the A59 to the east of the town centre and whether local services can cope.

However, in documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council as part of a reserved matters application, the developer said the scheme would “ represent a highly sustainable form development”.

The site layout for Highfield Farm, as proposed by Taylor Wimpey.

The scheme proposes a mixture of house types including bungalows, semi-detached, semi-terrace and detached homes.

It also includes agreements for 40% affordable housing and access to Highfield Farm via a roundabout, as included in the section 106 agreement.

Consultancy firm Pegasus Group, which has submitted the plan on behalf of Taylor Wimpey, said in documents lodged to the council:

“The submitted drawings show a development which sensitively integrates with the local environment, including existing built form, and ensures it is appropriate to the character and appearance of the area.

“The development has also been designed to respect the amenity of existing and future residents. It is also demonstrated that the proposals will create a mixed and balanced community.”

School delays

The submission of the plans comes as the opening of a new school to serve Manse Farm and new housing developments in the area is expected to be delayed until 2026.

North Yorkshire County Council unveiled plans for the school in 2020 as part of proposals “to serve housing growth”.

It was initially planned to open in September 2022, but was delayed twice until September 2024.

The council previously said that the project had been delayed due to an overhead electric cable that runs across the land where the school is due to be built. 

Read more:

• 10-point guide to Knaresborough’s 1,000 new homes
• New Knaresborough primary school delayed until 2026

In March this year, Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at North Yorkshire Council, told councillors that the earliest the school could be opened was September 2026.

The new school is expected to cost £6 million and serve up to 1,000 homes as part of the nearby Manse Farm developments.

Knaresborough Town Council has previously expressed frustration at the lack of progress at the school site.

Labour and the Green Party have revealed candidates to stand in the Wetherby and Easingwold constituency at the upcoming general election.

Voters will head to the polls to elect 650 MPs to the House of Commons on July 4.

The new Wetherby and Easingwold constituency, which includes parts of Harrogate, will be contested for the first time at the election.

Ben Pickles, 29, a Bradford schoolteacher, has been announced as Labour’s candidate to contest the seat.

Mr Pickles said:

“I’m a proud council estate kid, grew up with a single mum, and was the first in my family to go to university.

“I was a teenage parent myself, and know full well how difficult it is to simply pay the bills at times.

“My two children shape my values and view of social justice – giving every child the opportunity to succeed is my primary goal.”

Meanwhile, the Green Party has selected Anna Jacobs to stand in the constituency.

Ms Jacobs, a lawyer who has lived in Wetherby for the last nine years, said:

“I want to be a part of the change to make our Wetherby and Easingwold a better place. 

“We are so lucky to live in beautiful surroundings, but that doesn’t mean that it is without its problems or cannot be improved. I want to use my skills to properly represent residents, to really listen and help individuals to take action and make a difference to the quality of lives. That would be a privilege.”

Current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrook, will contest the constituency for the Conservatives.

Mr Shelbrook’s current seat is among those being abolished as part of the boundary review which proposed the new constituency.

Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan as its candidate and James Monaghan will stand for the Liberal Democrats in the new constituency.

Read more:

• Explained: The new constituency which will cover part of the Harrogate district
• Opposition parties prepare for chance to end Tory stranglehold in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have confirmed candidates for Skpton and Ripon at the upcoming general election.

Voters will head to the polls on July 4 after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an election.

Labour has confirmed that local architect, Malcolm Birks, 48, will stand for the party in the Skipton and Ripon constituency.

Mr Birks, who lives in Skipton with his wife and two children, said he would campaign for a better deal for the working people of the region.

He said:

“If elected I will listen to local people and highlight the issues facing this region in Westminster. 

“I feel we are a forgotten outpost, ignored by central government and policy makers, but I am optimistic we can change this and get our fair share of the investment in infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats has revealed local councillor, Andrew Murday, will contest the seat for the party.

Mr Murday, who was formerly a consultant heart surgeon in the NHS, has represented Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on the North Yorkshire Council since 2022.

He said:

“For years our area has been taken for granted by an out-of-touch Conservative government that has failed to get the basics right and lurched from crisis to crisis – now it’s time for a change.

“Local health services have been brought to their knees, people’s mortgages and rent have skyrocketed and water companies have been allowed to pump their filthy sewage into our rivers and beaches. All this by a Conservative government more interested in fighting between themselves than standing up for the country.”

Current Conservative MP, Julian Smith, will be standing for re-election in Skipton and Ripon.

Meanwhile, Andy Brown will contest the seat for the Green Party and Simon Garvey has been selected as the Reform UK candidate.

Read more:

• Explained: The new constituency which will cover part of the Harrogate district
• Opposition parties prepare for chance to end Tory stranglehold in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Voters in some parts of the Harrogate district will fall under a new constituency in six weeks’ time.

Polling day on July 4 will be the first time that the Wetherby and Easingwold seat will be contested.

The constituency replaces part of the former Selby and Ainsty seat, which will now be known as Selby.

In this article, the Stray Ferret looks at the implications of the new constituency and explains why it has been introduced and what it means for voters in our district.

Why has Wetherby and Easingwold been introduced?

In June 2023, the Boundary Commission made final recommendations to government over changes to constituency boundaries.

As part of a periodical review of the 650 constituencies in the UK, it looked at whether some seats needed to be reduced in size, increased in size or abolished altogether.

Among the recommendations was to introduce a new constituency called Wetherby and Easingwold.

At the time, Tim Bowden, secretary of the Boundary Commission, said the proposals were made following extensive consultation.

The Wetherby and Easingwold seat.

He added that the move to change the boundaries was made to “best to reflect local community ties”.

The changes, which include retaining a total of 650 constituencies across the UK, see each seat contain no less than 69,724 voters and no more than 77,062.

Where in the Harrogate district will fall under the new constituency?

Wetherby and Easingwold will take in areas of five current constituencies including Harrogate and Knaresborough, Thirsk and Malton, Elmet and Rothwell, Selby and Ainsty and Skipton and Ripon.

A total of 5.6% of the current Harrogate constituency will fall under the new seat.

This includes Boroughbridge, Minskip, Marton-cum-Grafton, the Dunsforths, Ripley and Nidd.

Goldsborough, Flaxby, Allerton Park, Hopperton, Follifoot, Spofforth and Burton Leonard will also be added to the seat.

The estimated electorate size of the new constituency will be 71,455.

Who will be contesting the seat?

It’s early days in the election campaign, but two candidates have already been announced for the seat.

Current Elmet and Rothwell MP, Alec Shelbrook, will contest the constituency for the Conservatives.

Mr Shelbrook’s current seat is among those being abolished as part of the boundary review.

Meanwhile, Reform UK will field Mike Jordan as its candidate and James Monaghan will stand for the Liberal Democrats in the new constituency.

So far, Labour and Greens have yet to announce candidates for the seat.

Read more:

• Who will be standing in the Harrogate district at the general election?
• Opposition parties prepare for chance to end Tory stranglehold in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Over the next six weeks, politicians will be vying for votes and clashing over what they see as the key issues in the Harrogate district.

From the state of the NHS to the quality of water in our rivers, candidates of all party colours will be having their say on topics as they head into a six-week election campaign.

With this in mind, the Stray Ferret has looked at what could be the key election issues in the Harrogate district.

Water quality

Perhaps the most pertinent issue over the last six months is the quality of water in the district’s rivers.

Andrew Jones, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, led the campaign for bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido.

Mr Jones is likely to use the success of the Nidd being granted bathing water status as part of his election pitch to emphasise his record as the town’s MP.

Robbie Moore, Defra Minister, and Andrew Jones at the Nidd.

But, Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat candidate, will likely point to the amount of sewage dumped into the district’s rivers as a counter narrative.

As recently as Thursday, Mr Gordon highlighted river pollution as one of the key issues in the area. Labour candidate Conrad Whitcroft also cites the state of the Nidd as one of his key issues.

Health service

Much like the rest of the nation, the Harrogate district is not immune to pressures on the NHS.

The area particularly struggles with GP appointments and dentists, with Harrogate in particular acutely lacking NHS provision for dentistry.

It’s a topic that has not escaped the attention of some of the candidates on July 4.

Tom Gordon pictured with Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem health spokesperson.

Both Mr Jones and Mr Gordon have raised the issue in their own way.

The Conservative MP brought up the topic of dentistry in the House of Commons in September while Mr Gordon met with the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson to raise the issue in March last year.

Expect the lack of dentistry in Harrogate to raise its head again at some point in the next six weeks.

Housing

Whether it be new estate off Kingsley Drive or 3,000 homes in the west of Harrogate, or the Manse Farm development in Knaresbrough, housing is a major issue.

The Stray Ferret has covered the extensive housebuilding in the area and its knock on effect onto local residents extensively.

Given its prominency in Harrogate and Knaresborough, the topic is expected to be debated extensively by candidates.

Mr Jones raised the issue over new build estates in the House of Commons as recently as April, where he pointed out he had run a ‘fair deal for new estates’ campaign for over a year.

Meanwhile, Mr Gordon is no stranger to criticising the government’s record on housing.

In April, he told the Stray Ferret that new homeowners should be protected from “dodgy developers” by strengthening the law on leaseholds and freeholds.

Education

The provision of education is always a hot topic at elections.

Both Mr Gordon and Mr Jones have clashed before over the issue of funding for schools.

But, in the Harrogate district, perhaps a more pressing issue is the provision for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Read more:

• Who will be standing in the Harrogate district at the general election?
• Opposition parties prepare for chance to end Tory stranglehold in Harrogate and Knaresborough

The Stray Ferret reported recently on a significant increase in demand for SEND places.

A report before councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on March 14 showed a significant increase in the number of education health and care plans submitted to the council.

The plans detail a child’s needs and are given to schools to consider ahead of a potential admission.

The matter has even seen parents from Harrogate go to Leeds to demonstrate over provision for SEND pupils.

Transport

The need for people to get around is another issue frequently raised in Harrogate.

Mr Jones, who is a former rail minister, has campaigned for better rail services and championed the town’s electric bus fleet.

Some of this has led to noticeable improvements in the town, such as more direct services to London. But other areas remain questionable.

Take for instance the pledge by government to divert millions of pounds of HS2 money towards potholes and road repairs.

While some roads in the Harrogate district have benefited from resurfacing, others still await repair.

Readers of the Stray Ferret this week shared with us pictures of some roads in the district which they feel are in need of some attention.

It’s a topic which election candidates in Harrogate may face at some point this campaign.