Controversial 72-home Spofforth development refused

A controversial application to build 72 homes in Spofforth was today rejected amid claims it would turn the historic village into a “carbuncle of urban sprawl’.

Harrogate borough councillors voted 6 to 3 to reject the plans, even though a council report had recommended approval.

Developers Vistry Partnerships and Yorkshire Housing won outline planning permission for the scheme in March 2019.

The council’s planning committee met this afternoon to consider the appearance, landscaping and layout of the development — but such was the level of concern it rejected the scheme.

The developers will now have to decide whether to appeal — a move that could lead to a costly legal battle.

‘Urban sprawl’

Spofforth parish councillor Chris Heslop, a third-generation farmer in the village, said the proposals would not benefit local people. He said:

“Development must be in keeping with the village and not a carbuncle of urban sprawl.”

Andy Paraskos, the Conservative councillor for Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale, called the application “wholly inappropriate”. He said:

“The application is essentially creating an urban estate at the entrance to a historic village. It leaves too many questions around flooding, its impact on countryside and urban development.”

Since winning outline planning permission, the developers had altered the layout and density of the scheme and raised the level of the homes by over a metre to prevent flooding.

‘Struck a balance’

Stephen Hughes, planning manager at Yorkshire Housing, said the scheme “struck a balance” between reflecting the characteristics of Spofforth and ensuring views of the village were not damaged by the housing. He said:

“We have been pushed very hard by your officers to ensure the scheme design is of high quality and reflective of the characteristics of the village and conservation area”.

But councillors were unconvinced the scheme was sympathetic to the village.

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The Stray Ferret revealed this morning over 300 local people, Historic England, Natural England, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the council’s principal ecologist, North Yorkshire’s highways, the Lead Local Flood Authority and Spofforth Parish Council had all raised concerns about the scheme.

Cllr Bernard Bateman, who represents Wathvale, said he would be refusing the plans to reflect the views of local residents. He said:

“Where do the residents come into the play? At end of the day, we are elected by the residents into Harrogate Borough Council, yet they have no say.”

Cllr Stuart Martin, who represents Ripon Moorside and voted against the refusal, asked the council’s legal officer Peter Atkinson to clarify if a refusal would risk a legal challenge because the council had already granted outline planning permission and the site was allocated for development in the council’s Local Plan.

Mr Atkinson confirmed it would and said the council would risk incurring costs.

Harrogate care home to be demolished and replaced with 19 homes

A former care home in Harrogate is to be demolished to make way for 19 homes.

Harrogate Borough Council has granted North Yorkshire County Council, which ran the home, permission to demolish Woodfield House on Woodfield Square in Bilton.

The county council will build the new homes through its housing company, Brierley Homes.

The new development will include 11 two-bedroom, six three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes.

The 28-bed care home was built in the 1970s but closed in 2018 because it was deemed no longer able to deliver the required standard of care.

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A Harrogate Borough Council report said the derelict care home had become a hub for anti-social behaviour.

It said:

“It is now becoming an eye-sore for local residents and they are experiencing increasing anti-social behaviour. There appears to be local acceptance of the proposed scheme and a desire for the site to be re-developed quickly.”

Brierley Homes was established in 2017 by North Yorkshire County Council. All profits are used to support essential frontline council services in the county.

This will be the company’s second major project in the Harrogate district. It also plans to build 20 homes in Pateley Bridge.

Woodfield school receives £28,500 to improve street safety

Woodfield Community Primary School in Harrogate has been awarded £28,500 to improve road safety.

Speed limits either side of the school will be reviewed, the crossing, beacons and barriers will be upgraded and other traffic calming measures introduced.

Jo Marwood, headteacher of Woodfield Community Primary School, welcomed the news.

She said:

“This is great news for the pupils, families and the wider community of Woodfield Community Primary School.

“Many of our families walk to school and have welcomed the news that the grant will help make Woodfield Road a safer place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”

North Yorkshire Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner’s AJ1 Project Road Safety Fund has awarded £20,000 towards the scheme.

The other £8,500 will come from county councillor Paul Haslam’s locality budget for local projects.

Work is expected to begin early next year.

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Primary school road safety has been a major issue in the Harrogate district recently.

In September, Tim Broad, headteacher of Western Primary School, said some people were taking risks crossing the busy Cold Bath Road at pick-up and drop-off times to avoid crowding at the nearby pelican crossing.

During the same month Sarah Bassitt, headteacher of Killinghall Church of England Primary School called for urgent speed measures in Killinghall before a child is killed or seriously injured.

There is a national project gaining momentum called School Streets, which bans vehicles from outside school gates during pick-up and drop-off times.

North Yorkshire County Council has not said it will introduce School Streets but its Open Harrogate project, which encourages active travel, confirmed on Twitter the possibility is being explored.

Women ripped off by ‘shoddy’ Harrogate builder

Two women who say they have been ripped off by a builder from Harrogate have formed a Whatsapp group called “The Avenging Warriors” to try and get their money back.

They claim the group has six other members who have had similar experiences with James Moss, who they say owes thousands of pounds and has left a trail of ‘shoddy’ workmanship across Harrogate.

“Mr Charming himself”– Gill’s story

Gill Lawrence works for a homeless charity and takes in vulnerable young people into at her home near to Wetherby Road whilst they get back on their feet. Last year, she decided she wanted a kitchen extension at her house to create more space for her guests. 

After advertising for a builder to do the work on the website MyBuilder.co.uk, she was contacted by James Moss, a tradesman based in Harrogate who said he would do the job for £13,000 plus VAT.  She told the Stray Ferret she thought this was a really good deal. 

Ms Lawrence described Moss was “Mr Charming himself”. After agreeing to the quote, work began in June last summer. 

Fast-forward six months to December 2019 and Ms Lawrence claims Moss left the kitchen half-finished whilst pocketing almost the total agreed quote.  

She says the problems with the kitchen were endless with the walls needing replastering, faulty electrics and plumbing, and a “wonky” window.  

How Ms Lawrence’s electrics were left by Mr Moss.

So far this year she has spent around £5,000 repairing the work — and it’s still unfinished. 

She said she feels very naïve for trusting Moss and that it’s had a big impact on her mental wellbeing. 

 “It’s soul-destroying. I don’t trust anyone anymore” 

Ms Lawrence subsequently wrote to Moss several times urging him to finish the job he had started, without reply. In March 2020 she took Moss to a small claims court, who ordered the builder to pay her £8,297 plus court costs.  

MyBuilder.co.uk told the Stray Ferret that Mr Moss’s account was banned in July 2019 after a complaint. 

A chequered business history 

According to Companies House, a government website that publishes information about businesses in the UK, he has been a director of 11 different building companies in the Harrogate district since 2012 with 8 of them now dissolved. 

A search on the website Trust Online also reveals that Moss currently has three county court judgements against his name, worth almost £8,000. 

However, a Companies House spokesperson told the Stray Ferret they have no powers to reject someone forming a new company unless they have been declared bankrupt. 

The name of the company which undertook Ms Lawrence’s kitchen extension was Yorkshire Outdoor Design. The company was dissolved in October 2019 whilst Moss was still working on Ms Lawrence’s kitchen extension.

Normally, Ms Lawrence would not be able to bring a civil case against a dissolved company but she managed to prove to the courts that there was no mention of Yorkshire Outdoor Design being a limited company in any of her correspondence with Moss, so she was able to sue him personally, even after the company folded. 

She has even hired a private investigator to find out where Mr Moss currently lives so she can send him letters about the money he owes her.

However, Ms Lawrence said she does not expect to ever see the money repaid to her. She has reported him to trading standards but said they have so far been “absolute rubbish”. 

North Yorkshire County Council trading standards told the Stray Ferret they would not comment on individual cases.

A 25-year guarantee — Vicky’s story

Vicky Cooke is a French teacher from Ilkley who needed a new roof on an extension at her home. After struggling to find a local builder who was available, she found a website for another one of Moss’s companies, DBL Yorkshire, in November 2019. 

Ms Cooke paid Moss £3,400 for the job, and he even offered a 25-year guarantee that the work would be built to last. 

But after apparently completing the job in December, it took just two months for the roof to start leaking. 

She said:

“There was no insulation, and it was obvious the roof was bad. It wasn’t properly fixed on. It was loose with big gaps in between the coping stones and water was getting in.” 

From being a “really nice bloke” when work began, Ms Cooke said Moss became “evasive and quite unpleasant”. 

After asking Moss to repair the leaking roof without reply, Ms Cooke took him to the small claims court who ruled in her favour, ordering Moss to pay £2,745, which he is now refusing to pay. 

She’s since spent around £1,000 repairing his poor work and says she now feels like an idiot for trusting Moss to do a good job. 

She said:

“Me and my husband feel quite stupid, angry and upset. I work properly for my money. I turn up to work and do what I’m paid for and I get my money. Then there are people like him who take that money from you.”  

Mr Moss’s response

Mr Moss told the Stray Ferret he disputes the allegations made by both women and confirmed that he does not intend to pay the money the courts have ordered him to pay.

He claimed he did not receive any correspondence from the small claims court regarding the civil cases. As a result, he was unable to defend himself at the court which is why they both ruled against him. He said he is now trying to fight both rulings.

He added he has now ceased trading as a builder.

Ripon to get new luxury glamping site

A glamping site with luxury yurts and hot tubs will open near Ripon next year, to capitalise on the current “staycation” boom.

Yorkshire Yurts, which already operates a similar site called “Yurtshire” near to Fountain’s Abbey, was granted planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council this week to develop the new campsite.

The site on the edge of Eavestone Lake near Ripon will have 12 yurts for people to stay in as well as a spa, fire pits and pizza ovens.

Demand for glamping has soared this year and Tom Stern from Yorkshire Yurts told the Stray Ferret that there’s no better time to expand his business.

He said:

“Staycations are massively on the increase due to Brexit and coronavirus. People want to get away from it all and have a back-to-nature experience where they can stay in a bit of luxury and have the benefits of the great outdoors”.

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The planning application received objections from local residents who said that it will harm the “peace and tranquility” of the rural setting, but Mr Stern said the campsite will be sympathetic to its surroundings.

He added:

“It’s a beautiful spot, and what we are planning is low key. We are putting a lot into it to maintain the land, planting more trees which will enable us to manage the nearby woodland.”

The camspite will open in Spring/Summer 2021.

Is Harrogate big enough for two major climate coalitions?

There are now two major coalitions in Harrogate of groups tackling climate change, but there is tension between the two. So is Harrogate big enough for the both of them to co-exist? Will either or both be able to deliver change?

Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC) was set up by Harrogate Borough Council a year ago with the aim of bringing together local government, green groups and business.

HBC called it a “great leap forward” for the environment but members have criticised it for being little more than a “talking shop”.

In response, the similarly named Harrogate District Climate Action Network (HD-CAN) was launched last week, with a stinging criticism of how the HDCCC has been run.

HD-CAN founder Nic Haughton told the Stray Ferret that HDCCC was too top-down, which led to inaction and little being done. He said he wants to build a new type of relationship with the council.

He said:

“A key factor for the network is wanting a different kind of relationship with the council, which moves beyond the polarised positions which tend to dominate between council and concerned groups.

“We need to move onto a different kind of conversation of equals, involving council, businesses and local communities.”

What are the differences between the two groups?

HDCCC has four subgroups, which meet several times a year to discuss issues such as sustainable transport, tree planting, renewable energy, recycling and communications.

The main group last met in August and included representatives from Harrogate College, Transdev, Harrogate District Hospital, Highways England, as well as HBC councillors.

HDCCC launched a new website earlier this week, which includes tips on reducing emissions and details of how to get involved.

HD-CAN has a larger membership, representing 4,000 residents from 13 groups, including Extinction Rebellion Harrogate, Long Lands Common and the Pinewoods Conservation Group.

When they launched, they said they want to develop a “true collaboration” between communities and council to address what they call the most pressing issue of our time.

What needs to be done?

HD-CAN and HDCCC member, Zero Carbon Harrogate, published a detailed report last week setting out what needs to be done to avert climate catastrophe.

The messages it lays out are stark and warns that action in Harrogate has not been quick enough.

Whilst energy use has got cleaner as the UK weans itself off its dependence on coal, emissions from transport in the district have reduced by just 0.6% over the last 10 years and CO2 emissions from farming continues to be high.

The report sets out a roadmap for how the district can become ‘net zero’ by 2030 with suggestions including ramping up the number of wind farms in the district, retrofitting poorly insulated old buildings and introducing a brand new network of pedestrian and cycle routes to encourage people out of their cars.

A thawing of the relationship?

Members from HD-CAN met with HBC council leader Richard Cooper and cabinet member for sustainability Phil Ireland this week. Mr Oughton described the meeting as “positive on the whole but was just a start.”

He said:

“We have a long way to go to establish a shared understanding of what a different kind of partnership could look like and achieve. We hope to meet again in the near future.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said HD-CAN will be attending the next HDCCC meeting.

They added:

“Responding to the climate crisis facing us all is not just an issue for the council.

“It’s an issue for every resident and business across the district. That’s why we created a climate coalition, so we have the right organisations around the same table to jointly tackle climate change together.

“We welcome any residents, or action groups, who believe we can work together to create a better place for all of us.”

 

New group to protect western Harrogate from urban expansion

With unprecedented levels of housing planned for the western fringes of Harrogate, a new campaign group has called for developments to have a greater focus on sustainability and infrastructure.

The Western Arc Coordination Group brings together organisations including Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, Duchy Residents’ Association, Hampsthwaite Action Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, Harrogate District Cycle Action and Pannal & Burn Bridge Parish Council.

As many as 4,000 houses could be built in the area by 2035. Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan includes 800 homes at Windmill Farm on Otley Road and 200 homes at the former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane.

Several other sites have either been recently completed or are under construction, such as Persimmon’s 600-home King Edwin Park development on Pennypot Lane and Stonebridge Homes 130-home scheme on Whinney Lane.

With construction set to continue in the area for at least the next 15 years, the group has produced a document warning of “serious disruption” to people living in what is one of Harrogate’s most popular areas.

Read the document in full here.

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‘Severe’ congestion

Queueing traffic in Burn Bridge this year.

The new group predicts the majority of developments in the western arc of Harrogate will be car-dependent, which will require a “major upgrade” of roads.

It says since North Yorkshire County Council scrapped plans for a controversial “relief road” last year, there has been little progress in tackling congestion.

It warns “accepted congestion problems” have been left unaddressed and says nearby villages such as North Rigton, Burn Bridge and Pannal will bear the brunt of increased traffic in and out of Harrogate. The document says:

“All the communities we represent already experience severe congestion and the environmental and road safety problems from existing volumes of traffic.”

Tackling climate change

A key focus of the group will be putting pressure on developers and the council to ensure homes are future-proofed to mitigate the effects of climate change.

However, it says current housing developments in Harrogate fall short of the mark when it comes to the environment. It says planners, developers and house builders have a “huge responsibility” to do their bit and recognise that the decisions they take will have ramifications for climate change.

It calls on house builders to ditch their dependence on old fashioned building techniques and move towards renewable energy and off-site construction methods, which it argues will slash carbon emissions during the production process and after residents move in.

The document says:

“We would like to see that any developments in this area are exemplars of the way in which new housing addresses the net zero challenge of the next decades.”

What do local councils say?

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council told the Stray Ferret that the Local Plan provided a “clear and robust” framework for developments, including the requirement for a “parameters plan” that will organise infrastructure.

He added:

“North Yorkshire County Council are carrying out a series of sustainable transport improvements following investment from central government, ourselves and developer contributions.

“These improvements, that will include smart traffic lights, improvements to the junction of Harlow Moor Road and Otley Road, a new off-road cycle route on Otley Road and new or improved pedestrian crossings, will help to improve safety and alleviate the current level of congestion and accommodate the future growth.”

Members of WACG spoke at North Yorkshire County Council’s area constituency committee this morning.

NYCC’s executive member for highways, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said the authority hopes to work together with the group going forward.

He said:

“I did comment on the contents of their Campaign for Sustainability of Development publication, asking for more clarity on the group’s precise aims, since it seemed to be calling for new highways infrastructure and downplaying the effectiveness of sustainable travel measures at the same time as advocating low carbon dependency infrastructure.

“I assured the delegates that NYCC wishes to continue the dialogue with their group and to work with them to introduce effective measures in the west of Harrogate to address the challenges of congestion which the high level of residential development in that area will bring.”

 

130-home Pannal Ash developer pledges to stick to agreements

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”.

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The entrance to the Castle Hill Farm development on 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:

“We can confirm that we have agreements in place with Harrogate Borough Council that our team continue to adhere to.

“We are working to reopen Whinney Lane as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience this is causing to local residents.”

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

Consultation on new 3,000-home settlement for Harrogate district extended

A consultation on a new 3,000-home settlement in the Harrogate district has been extended amid concerns some residents weren’t aware of it.

Harrogate Borough Council’s consultation, which opened on October 19, asks for views on three possible sites for the development in the Green Hammerton and Cattal area, close to York.

The preferred option is on land south of Cattal train station.

A report says the scheme would offer a 21st century village lifestyle with convenient links to Harrogate, York and Leeds.

But so far the consultation has generated nine responses, which are overwhelmingly opposed to the development.

One describes it as “a desecration of a beautiful unspoilt area” and “environmental vandalism”. Several say the Flaxby site, which the council discarded, would be better.

The consultation was due to close on December 11 but will now run until January 22.

Chris Eaton, from the Keep Green Hammerton Green action group, told the Stray Ferret local groups had asked the council to extend the deadline because some residents had still not received a leaflet informing them the consultation was taking place.

Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of the council, pledged last month it would be a “genuine consultation”, adding it was “critically important” for the council to get it right.

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Cllr Tim Myatt, the council’s new cabinet member for planning, said the extra time would ensure all residents and community groups had their say.

He said:

“We are listening to the community and following feedback have decided to extend the consultation so that everyone has had enough time to fully review the plans.

“We want this new settlement to be something which will serve the needs of new and existing residents. By extending the consultation and gathering further feedback we can ensure that residents and community groups have had time to provide a full response.”

Unemployment claims in Harrogate district fall by almost 300

The number of people claiming jobless benefits in the Harrogate district fell by almost 300 in October, the largest drop since the pandemic began in March.

A total of 3,595 people in the district claimed out-of-work benefits in October, down from 3,875 in September.

The figures, which were published today by the Office for National Statistics, reveal 3.8% of the district’s population claimed out-of-work benefits — down from 4.1% in the previous month.

Harrogate is below the UK-wide figure of 6.3% for people claiming the benefits, which include Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit.

The number of UK benefits claims fell from 2.7 million in September to 2.6 million last month.

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The government has now extended the furlough scheme until the end of March, and today’s figures suggest it has helped Harrogate safeguard jobs during the pandemic.

The scheme sees the government pay for 80% of employee salaries up to £2,500 a month. Employers cover pension and national insurance contributions.

However, a Harrogate employment lawyer told the Stray Ferret last month he was aware of cases where firms had put restructure plans in place for October 31 and shed staff then, shortly before the Prime Minister announced another lockdown and an extension to furlough.