Harrogate Borough Council is preparing a public consultation on the location of 3,000 new homes to be built near the villages of Green Hammerton and Cattal.
Planning consultant Gillespies has produced a report for the council setting out three possible sites for the development, including a preferred option on land south of Cattal train station.
Along with the housing, the plans include two new primary schools, employment space and retail units.
HBC’s cabinet will meet on Wednesday to discuss the report and potentially approve a consultation that would begin later this year.
In February, developers Oakgate Group submitted plans to HBC for Maltkin Village, a scheme near to Cattal.
The three new settlement options to be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday are below. The orange colour indicates where the new housing would be built, green indicates green spaces and purple indicates employment space. Blue shows where the “local centre” of the development would be.
Meanwhile, plans submitted in 2017 for 2,750 new homes at Flaxby which were due to be discussed by planners on Tuesday will now be heard at a later date. The developer, Flaxby Park Ltd, had not been informed of the committee date due to a “technical error”.
A council spokesperson said “as a gesture of goodwill” the authority would offer the developer more time to prepare. A new date is yet to be set.
Option One
This option focuses on the area north of the railway line between Cattal and Hammerton train stations and incorporates the village edges of Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.
Option One – ‘Central Focus’
Option Two
This option focuses on the area north of the railway line around Cattal station, with the majority of the development located south of the A59.
Option Two – ‘North of Cattal Station Focus’
Option Three
This option focuses on the area around Cattal station expanding towards the south and southwest of the railway line. This is the current preferred option, according to the report to be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday.
Option Three – ‘Cattal Station Focus’
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‘Clawback’
A report written in 2017 by Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources at North Yorkshire County Council, revealed that the county council would make money on some land at Green Hammerton if it were developed.
The report states that in 2003, NYCC sold land at Green Hammerton to farmer Derek Pickles. When the council sold the land, there was a covenant attached that said if planning permission were granted within 30 years for any other use of the property, a “clawback” would apply. This would result in NYCC receiving 70% of the uplift in the land’s open market value.
The land owned by Derek Pickles is highlighted in purple.
According to the report published by Gillespies, the land owned by Mr Pickles, which is close to the village of Green Hammerton, would primarily fall into options one and two and not the preferred option around Cattal train station.
Harrogate Borough Council adopted its Local Plan in March 2020 and chose Green Hammerton as the broad location for a new settlement in the district.
However, the choice has been contested by Flaxby Park Ltd, which wants to create a new village on a former golf course to the east of Knaresborough.
As reported in the Stray Ferret yesterday, Harrogate Borough Council will head to the High Court in London later this month for a judicial review that will decide whether or not the decision to choose Green Hammerton over Flaxby for a new settlement was unlawful.
If found to be unlawful, the decision on where to place the new settlement may have to made again.
BT Sport to broadcast Harrogate Town documentary tonightHarrogate Town’s fairytale ascent into the English Football League will be the subject of a major TV documentary tonight.
Proud To Be Town will be premiered on BT Sport at 10pm and will be available on the BT Sport app on Saturday.
BT Sport is billing the 90-minute programme as the first full-length documentary to highlight the “profound impact” of the Covid pandemic on football.
Filming for the documentary began in June when the club began preparing for the National League playoffs after the season had been curtailed in March due to the lockdown. Town went on to win a historic Wembley playoff final against Notts County 3-1 in August.
The behind-the-scenes film traces the club’s exploits on the pitch as well as exploring how coronavirus hit the club’s finances.
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Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said:
“This is not just the story of one club. It reflects aspects of almost every football club in the country amid the Covid pandemic.
“A large proportion of the film was self-shot by members of the team and club staff on phones and tablets, who enthusiastically recorded their experiences of lockdown, getting back into action and making their historic bid for promotion.
“We are grateful for the club’s collaboration.”
Residents on Whinney Lane have said lights used to brighten a temporary footpath at night are so intense they are like “a Leeds Bradford airport runway”.
Whinney Lane in Pannal Ash is closed to traffic until February 28 while work on the 130-home Castle Hill Farm housing development is carried out.
A temporary footpath has been created through a field that bypasses most of Whinney Lane.
The Squinting Cat pub requested developer Stonebridge Homes installed lights on the footpath to make it safer for people walking to-and-from the pub at night.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the lights have been in operation since Monday. He praised Stonebridge for installing them but said the brightness was “totally over the top”.
He said the lights were good for safety but added:
“It’s lit the footpath up but it’s also lit our bedroom up. I’ve had enough of it.”
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Another resident Mike Newall, who is a former pilot, said the lights reminded him of his flying days. He welcomed them being installed but described the brightness as “overkill”.
North Yorkshire County Council said it had not received any complaints from residents about the lights.
The Stray Ferret contacted Stonebridge about the brightness but had not received a response at the time of publication.
A developer who wants to build 2,750 homes at Flaxby Park near Knaresborough has urged Harrogate Borough Council to delay making a decision until a judicial review takes place in the High Court next month.
Flaxby Park Ltd has been granted a judicial review that will examine HBC’s decision to choose Green Hammerton ahead of Flaxby for a new settlement in its Local Plan, which was adopted in March this year.
The Flaxby settlement would be on a former golf course four miles from Knaresborough and include a retirement village and two primary schools, as well as retail and office space.
The proposal is due to go before HBC’s planning committee on Tuesday, almost three years after it was first submitted.
A report prepared by HBC officers recommends committee members refuse the development because the Local Plan now allocates Green Hammerton for the new settlement.
But the developer says the council’s decision to choose Green Hammerton was based on “flawed information of a scant, conflicting and contradictory nature”.
The judicial review will take place on October 27, 28, and 29 at the High Court in London.
A judge will decide whether the decision was lawful and followed the correct procedure.
If found to be unlawful, the decision on where to place the new settlement may have to made again. Flaxby Park Ltd told the Stray Ferret this would be a “game-changer” for the Harrogate district.
‘Defer a decision’
In a statement released to the Stray Ferret, Chris Musgrave, chief executive at Flaxby Park Ltd, questioned the timing of the decision to bring the plans before councillors now, just weeks before the High Court date.
He said:
“Bearing in mind that the planning application was submitted to the council almost three years ago, we fail to understand why planning officers have decided to present the application on October 6, but I urge the planning committee to follow the right course of action and defer a decision on the application until the judicial review has been concluded.”
Mr Musgrave also said Flaxby Park Ltd was not told of the council’s decision to bring the plans before the planning committee until the company was contacted by the Stray Ferret this week. He said this gave them less than a week to prepare, puttng them at a disadvantage.
‘Separate processes’
A HBC spokesperson said Flaxby Park Ltd was not informed about next week’s planning committee meeting due to a “technical error”. The spokesperson said:
“While we do not agree that the applicant has been disadvantaged we do apologise for the error. As a gesture of goodwill we have offered the applicant a potential deferent of the application by a week, if they feel they need more time to prepare for the meeting.”
But the spokesperson said the council would not defer the planning committee meeting until after the judicial review:
“We are not proposing to defer consideration of this application until the judicial review has taken place, as these are two very separate procedural processes.”
Read more:
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Council accused of ‘steamrollering’ through Green Hammerton plans
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Developer launches judicial review into major extension to Green Hammerton
An independent body for care providers in North Yorkshire has said it would be “pointless and unnecessary” to allow devolution to dismantle the current system of social care in the county.
Under the existing two-tier system of local government, North Yorkshire County Council has full responsibility for social care in the county.
But this could change under government plans to devolve power.
The seven district and borough councils in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate Borough Council, would prefer to create an east / west model of local government.
NYCC prefer having a unitary authority for the county, which Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, said would offer the best outcome for older and vulnerable people in the area.
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Mr Padgham said effective county-wide social care services already existed built on years of close working between the local authority and independent providers of social care. He added:
“It would seem pointless and unnecessary to dismantle this.
“NYCC is looking to bring in more investment and more decision-making power to a single authority, which can only be a positive move forward for the overall future of North Yorkshire.
“The proposal from NYCC for a single unitary authority provides the best option for facing and overcoming those challenges.”
Speaking on behalf of the seven district and borough councils, Keane Duncan, leader of Ryedale District Council, told the Stray Ferret it was “surprising and disappointing” that the ICG has backed NYCC’s proposal.
He added:
“ICG’s support for a mega-council is particularly disappointing too when they have not engaged with us about their views, aspirations and concerns for the future of care in our county.
“We would welcome the opportunity to share with them how our alternative to a mega-council can best support care providers, and those who need care, not only in North Yorkshire, but in the City of York too.”
MPs WATCH: Care home visits, the Brexit bill and a visit to Ripon Cathedral
Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.
September saw MPs return to Parliament after the summer recess. Several important votes took place on issues such as Brexit, the military, and fire safety in high-rise buildings.
We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but we did not receive a response from any of them.
So here is what we know after analysing their online presence.
Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.
In Harrogate and Knaresborough here is what we found on Mr Jones:
- On September 15 and September 29, Mr Jones voted in line with the government on the Internal Markets Bill. The legislation sparked controversy after Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said it would break international law in a “specific and limited way”.
- On his website, Mr Jones called on local politicians at Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to “engage constructively” in the issue of devolution and “think beyond” party political rivalries. He called devolution a “moment of opportunity”.
- The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23. The bill states that prosecutions against overseas military personnel should only take place “in exceptional circumstances”. The former chief of the defence staff, field marshal Lord Guthrie, co-signed a letter to Downing Street that called the bill “disturbing” and said it could lead to immunity from torture prosecutions.
- Mr Jones published information on his website that in August 136,000 meals were sold in Harrogate and Knaresborough through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
- In the House of Commons on September 28, Mr Jones suggested that family visits at care homes could take place behind glass.
- At Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy questions on September 29, Mr Jones raised concerns about Harrogate’s hospitality sector to business secretary Alok Sharma.
- The MP hailed Harrogate Town’s start to life as an EFL club after they beat Southend United 4-0. He wrote on his website: “What a perfect start to the league battle – and away from home too!”
- The parents’ group Ready Steady Mums made contact with Mr Jones who reassured them that they can resume their weekly walks after the government’s rule of six came into place.
- On September 7, Mr Jones voted down recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry as part of the Fire Safety Bill. It would have forced building owners to share information with fire services about building design and materials.
- Mr Jones did not send a single tweet in September.
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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.
In Ripon here is what we found on Mr Smith:
- Mr Smith abstained on both Internal Markets Bill votes. He is a former Northern Ireland secretary and opponents of the bill said it could lead to a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
- Mr Smith tweeted 12 times in September.
- On September 28 he tweeted that he has spoken to North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services Richard Webb about how safe visiting can begin again in care homes. The council has asked all care homes in the county to restrict visitors during October.
- The MP visited Ripon Cathedral to view their £6m new design plans which include new toilets, a cafe and the creation of rehearsal space for Ripon Cathedral Choir.
- On September 25, Mr Smith was a keynote speaker at The Centre for Cross Border Studies annual conference, which was held online. The organisation aims to “foster practical co-operation” across the Irish border.
- Mr Smith tweeted that he had received an update from Harrogate Borough Council about their plans for “local place-making, transport and sustainability” in new developments in Ripon.
- The MP voted for the Overseas Operations Bill on September 23.
- On September 9, he voted against replacing the coronavirus support schemes for employees and the self-employed with more targeted income support.
Nigel Adams, MP For Selby and Ainsty
In rural south Harrogate here is what we found on Mr Adams.
- On September 23, the minister for Asia met with the Cambodia ambassador Kan Pharidh to discuss how the two countries can work together on trade.
- On September 14, he met the ambassador for South Korea, Enna Park, where they discussed collaborating on a coronavirus vaccine.
- On Twitter, Mr Adams praised MPs for backing the government’s internal Markets Bill. He tweeted: “Not only have they backed the bill, they’ve backed #Brexit, backed @BorisJohnson and honoured the result of the #EUReferendum and #GE2019″.
- Mr Adams hit out at environmental group Extinction Rebellion after they blocked vehicles from leaving a printing press in London, causing disruption to several national newspapers. He called the group “socialist anarchists masquerading as well-meaning hippies”.
- On September 3, he met with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rights of the Rohingya, which works to support the plight of the persecuted Rohingya population in Myanmar.
- Mr Adams’ website was updated for the first time since April with two updates about Selby.
- He tweeted 13 times in September.
Couple’s mission to plant 100,000 trees in Harrogate district
Husband and wife Christopher and Helen Neave are on a mission to plant 100,000 trees in the Harrogate district before 2030 — and they say the biodiversity benefits for everybody living here will be profound.
Their business Make It Wild started 10 years ago when they bought a 26-acre plot of land near Kirk Hammerton.
Helen told the Stray Ferret they were inspired after planting 20,000 trees on the land. She said after waiting five years for the trees to grow, the amount of wildlife that came was “absolutely incredible”.
She said:
“It was an oasis of nature with insects, birds and mammals.”
The site is now home to a vast array of wildlife and known locally as Sylvan Nature Reserve.
Helen was a consultant surgeon in the NHS for most of her career and said that what started out as a semi-retirement project for the couple has taken off massively.
Make It Wild has since bought more sites in Nidderdale including 111 acres at Bank Woods and a 44-acre neighbouring site known as Dowgill Grange.
Working with the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission, Make It Wild has already planted more than 16,000 trees across both sites and this year Bank Woods was designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
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To fund the tree planting, Make It Wild sells tree dedications for weddings or birthdays, carbon offsetting for businesses and eco-friendly products including animal habitat boxes.
Helen added:
“People are always building houses, roads and runways so we thought we’d do our little bit to give some space back to nature. It’s captured people’s imagination.
“With lockdown people are appreciating how important it is to connect with nature. We’ve lost so much of that as a society.”
The Woodland Trust says trees provide crucial habitat for much of the UK’s wildlife. However, we lag behind other European countries when it comes to woodland. 13% of the UK’s land area is woodland whereas France and Germany have 31% and 32% respectively.
Make it Wild’s mission statement is to “give space back to nature” and several local companies have partnered with it to plant more trees. These include Full Circle Funerals, which is paying for a tree to be planted for every family it supports whilst off-setting the carbon of its funerals.
Helen said Make It Wild is on the lookout for more land in the Harrogate district to reach its target of 100,000 trees.
Helen said anyone who owns a piece of land can do their bit.
She said:
“Even if you can’t plant hundreds of trees, just plant one in your garden that will attract wildlife. Everybody can do their little bit to help.”
North Yorkshire Police has so far issued 1,151 fixed penalty notices to people who have breached coronavirus restrictions.
The figure was revealed at North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s public accountability meeting yesterday.
The meeting, which was broadcast on YouTube, also revealed the county’s police force has so far only issued five fixed penalty notices to people who refused to self-isolate.
NYP chief constable Lisa Winward said the “vast majority” of fines were issued during the start of lockdown when police found people taking non-essential journeys, which was a breach of restrictions at the time.
NYP chief constable Lisa Winward.
Under coronavirus legislation, the police have the power to issue £60 fixed penalty notices to anyone breaching restrictions. The sum is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.
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Police say they will act to disperse any post-curfew parties in Harrogate
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Harrogate police officer ‘bitten by man claiming to have coronavirus’
The police have adopted a ‘four Es’ approach to coronavirus; engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforcement.
Chief constable Winward said:
“We adopt and engage with the community to explain to them what the guidance is, we then encourage people to follow that guidance or legislation.
“It’s only as an absolutely last resort we would move to an enforcement outcome for that person because they absolutely refuse to take that advice and are therefore putting other members of the public at risk of spreading the infection.”
The principal of Harrogate College has welcomed the government’s announcement that it will pay for adults to retrain and study at further education colleges.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this morning the government will fund adults who do not have Level 3, or equivalent qualifications such as A-Levels, to study at a college course in England from April 2021. It will be funded via the £2.5bn national skills fund.
Harrogate College at Hornbeam Park offers a range of Level 3 qualifications in subjects including construction and healthcare. Principal Danny Wild told the Stray Ferret that the measures will help boost the local labour market post-covid.
He said:
“It’s really, really positive news thats going to allow the workforce to keep pace with the changing labour market. That’s only going to help productivity and employment opportunities across North Yorkshire.”
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Currently, the government will only pay adults up to the age of 23 to study what they deem to be essential courses, such as English and Maths.
However, the Prime Minister said this morning he wants to see a “radical change” in how the country trains people as it recovers from coronavirus. The Labour Party said the funding would not reverse the impact of “a decade of cuts”.
Mr Wild said sectors in Harrogate including construction, digital, science, and healthcare will all benefit from the increased skills funding.
He added:
“The skillset people need to work in these sectors they didn’t need 10 years ago. People need an opportunity to upskill or retrain and this is what these measures will help with.”
Nidec SR Drives will relocate across Harrogate from its current premises on Otley Road to Hornbeam Park.
The company, which is part of the Japanese electric motors firm Nidec, has signed a long-term lease on an 8,184 square foot unit at Hornbeam Park.
It will be adding additional offices, lab space and upgrading the power supply.
The company employs 18 people in Harrogate. It has been at its Otley Road site since 1996 after relocating from Leeds.
Paul Rawlins, financial director at Nidec, said:
“It’s a perfect location for the business to relocate to due to its close proximity to our existing workforce.”
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Harrogate council to hand back up to £530,000 in business grants
- Harrogate BID aims to bring town centre businesses together