Housing Investigation: New homes out of reach for too many locals

In the six years Harrogate had no Local Plan, housing developers were able to flood the market with expensive four and five bedroom homes. 

It meant an opportunity to address Harrogate’s housing needs was missed and the district remains unaffordable for many young people and those on lower incomes, such as key workers.  

Megan’s Story: 

Megan McHugh

Megan McHugh, 24, has lived in Harrogate all her life and said it’s “heartbreaking” that she cannot afford to buy a house in her hometown. 

She has £20,000 in savings, earns a decent salary as a team leader at a local supermarket and is careful with how she spends her money.  

But she said she feels “stuck” living at her parents’ house, with her dream of owning a home further and further out of reach because the local market isn’t providing the type of home she needs at a price she can afford. 

“I always say this time next year I’d like to be in my own place,” she said. “Then I work it out and think I physically can’t afford it. I’d go tomorrow if I could, but I can’t.” 

Megan said she gets frustrated when she sees housing developments built in Harrogate with so many four– and five-bedroom houses.  

“It’s an affluent area so they want to bring more affluent people into the area and make Harrogate look better,” she added. 

“But if you’re like me and you want to buy your own home in Harrogate, you’ve got absolutely no chance. I feel stuck.” 

What types of homes are needed?  

When a developer builds on a patch of land, 40% of the homes must be classed as “affordable”. But because HBC had no Local Plan up to 2020, it was unable to dictate to developers the types of homes needed for the remaining 60%, which led to a flood of executive-style four-and five–bedroom properties being built. 

Harrogate published a Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) report in 2018 outlining the types of houses are needed in the Harrogate district. 

It reported a “notable” demand in the district for one- and two-bedroom properties, with estate agents suffering from a shortage in stock, which it said was driving up prices. 

It also said four-bedroom properties and above should only take up 20-35% of the homes in development. 

But the HEDNA report was published four years after Harrogate’s draft Local Plan was withdrawn, and in that time more than 6,000 homes had been given planning permission. 

The Stray Ferret analysed the period when Harrogate went without a Local Plan and found that house builders were building far more four- and five-bedroom homes than the report said the district needed. 

These include Miller Homes’ 176-home Milby Grange development in Boroughbridge, where 45% of the properties are either four– or five–bedroom, and Bellway’s 170-home Dalesway development on Skipton Road, where 43% had four bedrooms or more.  

Affordable housing 

While developers cashed in to build expensive four-and five–bedroom homes in the district, Harrogate Borough Council has largely ensured affordable houses make up 40% of developments. 

However, many of these homes are still not affordable in most normal people’s definition of the word. 

The government defines affordable as homes sold at 80% of the market rate or homes for social rent. 

But with the average house price in Harrogate £360,000, according to property website Zoopla, it means that an “affordable” property in Harrogate is still more than 10 times the average salary of £25,000. 

Then there is social housing, which are homes provided to people on low incomes or with particular needs by councils or housing associations.

The council has around 1,800 households on its social housing waiting list  — but in Harrogate, less than one in ten applicants are likely to be allocated a property each year. This waiting list has swelled as Right to Buy sales have depleted HBC of its housing stock.

To try to meet demand, the council recently spent £4.5m buying 52 homes in Stonebridge Homes’ 130-home development on Whinney Lane. 

Sixteen of the homes would be transferred to HBC’s housing company, Bracewell Homes, to be sold under shared ownership, and the rest would be made available for social rent. The council has said similar purchases could be forthcoming. 

“You need people of all ages to keep a place alive”

The Knaresborough Community Land Trust (CLT) is hoping to develop a disused area in the town centre to provide three flats as affordable housing. 

Hilary Gardner, treasurer at the CLT, said many young people are being forced to move to places like Leeds because they simply cannot afford to buy a place in Knaresborough. 

“It’s denying people the opportunity that was a given for their parents, providing they worked hard. 

“Being able to buy your own property when you’re in your 30s is important, isn’t it? 

“There are large properties being built in Knaresborough, but they are not for everyone.” 

The long–term effect on people not being able to afford homes could be profound in a town like Knaresborough, which could see its lifeblood disappear. She added: 

“You need a body of people of all ages to keep a place alive.” 

The Knaresborough Community Land Trust is hoping to develop a disused area in the town centre to provide three flats as affordable housing.

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“We need homes to be distributed more fairly”

The proliferation of housebuilding in the district has largely been driven by central government, which wants to see 300,000 new homes built across the UK, with every region building its share. 

However, Dr Quinton Bradley, lecturer in housing and planning at Leeds Beckett University, told the Stray Ferret the government’s economic theory for housebuilding is “fundamentally flawed” because it’s led to an uneven and unequal housing market, as seen in Harrogate. 

“It’s not as simple as saying, ‘build more homes then the price will come down’…The house builders don’t want that, so that whole analysis is fundamentally flawed.

“The housing crisis is not a crisis of undersupply –, we need homes to be distributed more fairly.” 

Homes for ‘economic growth’ 

Harrogate’s 2018 HEDNA report concluded that the district needs 669 new homes to be built every year, yet it said only 296 of these homes are to serve the genuine housing need of the local population, which might be a young family trying to buy their first home or an elderly couple wanting to downsize. 

The report added that 314 of these 669 homes should be built for “economic growth”: attracting wealthy people into the town and into high-value jobs in the science, logistics and finance industries, which are the sectors Harrogate Borough Council wants to boost, according to the HEDNA report. 

However, Dr Bradley said building homes for economic growth is “basically wish fulfilment”. 

“Nobody knows how the economy will grow. The people writing the HEDNA report would have asked HBC, ‘how would you like Harrogate to be in the future?’  

“They’d say, ‘Well we’d like it to be really prosperous so let’s allocate some more housing for that’, but it’s a fantasy.” 

With development set to progress at its current pace for at least the next 15 years, the gulf between the housing haves and have-nots in Harrogate is likely to widen further. 

It means that Megan McHugh’s hopes of owning her own property in her hometown will continue to be out of reach. 

Throughout this week we’ll be looking at the impact of the unprecedented levels of development in the district:

Showcasing the beauty of Nidderdale through art

Many of us have come to appreciate nature more during lockdown, including Nidderdale landscape artist Sarah Garforth.

In normal times, Nidderdale’s rivers, reservoirs and footpaths are Sarah’s muse — but the last year has given her breathing space to look at where she lives in a new way.

She said:

“Even though I’m very much about the countryside and nature I’ve noticed more things this year. I’ve taken the time to look at things properly, and we all feel we’ve had that time this year.”

Sarah works from Ramsgill Studio in Upper Nidderdale, which she bought nine years ago as a derelict barn to convert into a contemporary space to showcase her work and that of fellow artists.

She said she is fortunate to be able to call Nidderdale her home and to be able to use creativity as a tool to get through this strange year.

She said:

“That was a conversation that often came up amongst my friends. Also, how lucky we are to have a creative mind. A lot of people found the solitude as something really hard for them to cope with.

“Being creative people, we’re also quite happy setting ourselves a project and cracking on with it. We get a lot of pleasure making things and producing things.”

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Nidd Gorge by Sarah Garforth

Sarah has had lots of commissions during lockdown. She said more people were coming to Nidderdale to take inspiration for art, to explore or simply relax.

She said:

“Up here it really is all about nature and the countryside. It’s encouraging that people are tapping into that a little bit more and starting to notice what’s free and around us all the time.”

An exhibition based on Nidd Gorge will take place from December 12 until spring at Chantry House Gallery in Ripley. It is also being held online for people who cannot attend due to lockdown.

The exhibition includes art from Sarah as well as Hanna Kerwin, Mark Sofilas, John Thornton and William Watson.

Sarah added:

“It’s a cracking topic. It’s to showcase the beauty of it and how picturesque the woodland and the gorge itself are.”

 

Harrogate Town clarifies stadium rules after complaints from fans

Harrogate Town have released a statement after some fans raised concerns about the number of people allowed in the club’s home ground to watch the team play.

With spectators banned from attending matches due to covid, many fans currently pay £10 to watch a livestream of the game’s fixtures through the club’s website.

As reported by the Stray Ferret last month, some fans have complained on social media about what they considered to be an excessive amount of people in the stands.

Although fans are not permitted to attend fixtures, club directors and staff, media and match volunteers, such as ballboys and girls, are allowed in.

One said it’s “not fair on the fans” and another described it as a “kick in the teeth”.

Newly appointed Supporter Liaison Office (SLO), Phill Holdsworth, and members of the Harrogate Town Supporters Club recently met and the issue was raised.

The club has now released a statement that clarifies who is allowed into the EnviroVent Stadium and urges everyone connected to the club to “stick together”.

It says:

“In these difficult times, we all rise to the challenge and we stick together, players, supporters and staff.”

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The club statement continued:

“These restrictions are frustrating for everyone, supporters and players alike. However, there is a bigger picture and we all have our part to play in controlling the spread of this virus – sport included.

“This includes employees and contractors of the sports ground, for example safety management and facilities management teams, ground staff and catering. EFL guidance states essential personnel permitted to attend matches is also extended to Directors from each Club.

“This also covers accredited media staff, including TV, radio, press, photographers – numbers of which are set by the EFL guidance. We take great care in ensuring that all of the requirements, guidelines and directives are adhered to.”

In an interview with talkSPORT yesterday, sports minister Oliver Dowden raised the prospect of fans returning to football matches before Christmas in areas where coronavirus infection rates are low.

Baltzersen’s to open pop-up shop in Knaresborough

Harrogate independent bakery Baltzersen’s is expanding into Knaresborough next week with a new pop-up shop.

Baltzersen’s Bakeri will open on Wednesday at 33 Market Place for six weeks and will specialise in artisan bread, pastries and cakes.

Paul Rawlinson, the owner of Baltzersen’s, told the Stray Ferret that if the six weeks goes well, the move could become permanent. He said:

“We need to test to see what the reception is like from the people of Knaresborough and whether it will be something that can sustain a shop.

“We’re testing the water. Harrogate is our base but it’s the first time we’ve gone a bit further afield and we want to see how it works”.

The shop, which won’t provide hot drinks, will be open seven days a week from 9am until 2pm.

Mr Rawlinson was inspired by his Norwegian grandmother to open his first cafe in Harrogate in 2012.

The business expanded in late 2018 when a coffee shop opened in the neighbouring unit on Oxford Street. Then in October this year Baltzersen’s Bakeri opened, also on Oxford Street.

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Steve Teggin, president of the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, told the Stray Ferret the new bakery was “really good news” for the town.

He said Knaresborough had been resurgent this year, with several vacant units now filled, after a period of decline.

He said:

“We’ve got lots of good bakeries already in Knaresborough and it’s good to get another one in. We’ll welcome Baltzersen’s with open arms.”

Harrogate Spring Water Pinewoods plans: decision delayed

A decision on whether to allow Harrogate Spring Water to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods has been delayed until the new year.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was expected to consider the controversial proposals, which include felling trees, next month.

But after talks between concerned local groups and Danone, which owns Harrogate Spring Water, the issue has been put back to allow time for further discussions around the ecology of the proposal.

Trees in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood, which were planted by families in 2015, would be lost as part of Danone’s plans.

The groups involved in the discussions are not satisfied that the loss of trees and biodiversity will be compensated for.

The groups include Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate and District Green Party, Pinewoods Conservation Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, the Rotary Club of Harrogate and Duchy Residents’ Association.

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Danone has had outline planning permission to expand to the west of its existing site since 2016.

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group told the Stray Ferret it hoped the extra time resulted in a plan that is “acceptable to all parties”.

The spokesperson said:

“We welcome the pause on this planning application and the offer from Harrogate Spring Water for further discussion on this important topic.

“There was a clear condition on the original planning application that there must be replacement land and trees to compensate for the ecological loss to the area.”

Nicky Cain, brand manager at Harrogate Spring Water, told the Stray Ferret the company planned to have discussions with local groups every two weeks until at least the new year.

She said:

“The delay gives us longer to consult with local stakeholders and discuss the issues around landscaping. All round it’s worked out well.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“These plans are yet to be submitted and when they are there will be a period of consultation to allow residents and interested parties the chance to comment on these proposals ahead of the matter being reported to our planning committee.

“The provisional date of 8 December is no longer achievable and a date for when the application will be presented to planning committee will be decided at a later date following the receipt of the plans and consultation period.”

Spofforth villagers ‘over the moon’ at 72-home planning refusal

Spofforth villagers are “over the moon” that an application to build 72 homes in the historic village was refused yesterday — but there is uncertainty over what happens next. The proposed development has been the subject of fierce opposition.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee rejected the proposal yesterday at a meeting that dealt with the appearance and landscaping of the scheme even though a council report recommended approval.

Houses will be built on the site in some form as outline permission for the development was granted to Vistry Partnerships and Yorkshire Housing in March 2019.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret today, Spofforth parish councillor Chris Heslop said the decision was the “best possible outcome” for the village.

He urged the developers to work with residents on a scheme that better addressed housing density, appearance and flooding.

“All we hope as Spofforth Parish Council is we now get some involvement in the application that comes forward. That site has outline planning so they won’t just walk away from it.

“It was refused so we were absolutely over the moon about it. That was the best possible outcome. For once it looks like sense has prevailed.”

If the applicants appeal it raises the spectre of a costly legal battle for Harrogate Borough Council, but Cllr Heslop believes there would be grounds to fight it.

At yesterday’s planning committee, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh referred to the government’s National Planning Policy Framework, which says, “permission should be refused for development of poor design that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions”.

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If Vistry Partnerships and Yorkshire Housing do go develop a new plan for the site, people in Spofforth hope they will be able to have more of a say.

Cllr Heslop added:

“This plan was put on us and the wants needs and requirements of the village weren’t thought of at all. I would hope with this, [the developers] would have learned they need to work with the village not railroad over it. We won’t give in to another poor application.”

Andy Gamble, director of development at Yorkshire Housing, told the Stray Ferret it was considering its options.

“We are disappointed with the decision to refuse our application and await further details from the council, after which we will consider our options.

“Yorkshire Housing is passionate about creating new communities and delivering quality affordable homes that will help address the housing crisis and provide homes in Yorkshire.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“Decisions made at planning committee are determined by councillors based on officers’ reports and information held on the application file. Officers do make a recommendation but it is entirely up to the committee how they vote on applications.

“In regards to an appeal, we would not comment on something that hasn’t even happened.”

Bilton housing scheme criticised for lack of affordable homes

Harrogate Civic Society has said it is “very disappointed” a 19-home council development in the Bilton area of the town doesn’t include any affordable homes.

North Yorkshire County Council was granted permission last week to demolish its Woodfield House care home on Woodfield Square and build the new homes through its property company, Brierley Homes.

Henry Pankhurst, ex-chairman and current planning spokesman for the society, told the Stray Ferret he was not happy that all the new homes will be sold at market value with no provision for affordable properties, particularly as they are being built by a local authority.

He said:

“It’s very disappointing. I would have hoped North Yorkshire County Council would have recognised that Harrogate Borough Council has a difficulty in providing affordable housing. It’s an ideal location to have more affordable housing.”

The government defines affordable as homes sold at 80% of the market rate or homes for social rent.

Harrogate Borough Council policy requires 30% affordable on all brownfield developments.

However, for this scheme North Yorkshire County Council applied for a Vacant Building Credit — a government mechanism to encourage vacant properties back into use, which can be used to remove the provision for affordable housing.

Instead, it will make a financial contribution of £72,528 to Harrogate Borough Council, which granted planning permission.

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Mr Pankurst called the Vacant Building Credit a “dreaded thing” and said North Yorkshire County Council should have done more to provide affordable housing, particularly as Harrogate Borough Council had identified a need to build 208 affordable homes in the district every year.

Prior to the decision to grant planning permission, a report from Harrogate Borough Council case officer Kate Broadbank also expressed “disappointed” in the lack of affordable housing in the scheme.

‘Excellent opportunity’

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

A spokesperson for Brierley Homes said:

“Brierley Homes welcomes the planning approval to redevelop the former care home at Woodfield Square, Harrogate into 19 quality new homes.

“The regeneration and redevelopment of brownfield land is recognised by government as an important aspect of our national ambition to deliver much needed homes.

“The scheme will deliver a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes, with over 50% of the homes being 2 beds. This will offer first time buyers an excellent opportunity for modern and contemporary living within walking distance of the town centre of Harrogate.”

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.