Ripon City Council is calling for a 500-homes reduction in the size of the barracks development.
The 1,300-dwelling Clotherholme scheme proposed by Homes England, has raised concerns about the impact of more vehicles on Ripon’s roads.
City council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
“We support comprehensive redevelopment of the former barracks site and welcome the much-needed new and affordable homes it will bring.
“However, we believe that to avoid traffic gridlock in Ripon, numbers need to be scaled back to 800.”
Residents living on Kirkby Road are among those concerned about the traffic that the Clotherholme development will generate.
The call for reduced numbers was supported at a recent special meeting of the city council.
Councillors also approved spending on a further report from Ripon-based traffic, highways and transport engineering consultant David Walpole.
When the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan was being drawn up, it was envisaged that the barracks site would provide space for 800 new homes.
The site, encompassing Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks, initially included 11 hectares earmarked for employment uses.
After the allocation of land for employment uses was reduced, Homes England sought outline planning approval for a 1,300-home scheme.
A transport assessment prepared in support of the development, was described as ‘flawed’ by Ripon City Council.
It claimed it fails to address core issues local residents have raised.
City councillor Mike Chambers, who is also Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet member for homes and safer communities and a North Yorkshire county councillor, said:
“There are clearly traffic issues that need to be looked at.
“We want to work with Homes England and planners to achieve the best possible result for the people of Ripon.”
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Kirkby Road will be the principal route linking the Clotherholme development with the city centre.
Residents living there, including members of the Ripon Residents Action Group, have consistently lobbied for road improvements ahead of the construction of new housing.
