Harrogate housing company says 60-home scheme ‘undeliverable’ due to costs

A Harrogate-based housing developer has warned that a 60-home scheme near Ripon is “undeliverable” because of the terms being imposed.

V & A Homes has planning permission to develop a 6.8-acre site in Back Lane, Sharow (pictured).

But the section 106 agreement agreed between the developer and the local authority setting out planning obligations has proved to be a stumbling block.

The agreement requires 40 percent of the homes to be classed as affordable housing.

Besides this, the section 106 agreement requires V & A Homes to make a number of other financial contributions ranging from supporting education provision and traffic calming measures to funding improvements for Sharow Village Hall.

The housing site in Sharow, which is earmarked for 60 homes.

The site in Sharow earmarked for 60 homes.

Working on behalf of V & A Homes, consultants Continuum have submitted a financial viability assessment to North Yorkshire Council planners, after conducting detailed appraisals relating to the scheme.

The report, which has been uploaded on the North Yorkshire Council planning portal, said:

“Continuum conclude that the scheme cannot support any section 106 contributions (including affordable housing) as required by the current section 106 agreement and the section 106 agreement should be modified in order to allow for the scheme to be deliverable.”

The consultants added:

“The appraisals show that the proposed scheme makes a significant loss if the section 106 agreement’s contributions were not modified. Based on this, if contributions are not reduced, the scheme would be undeliverable.”

The report listed other factors, including increased developer finance rates, rising interest rates, a slowing residential market and ‘abnormal’ costs on site, which have impacted on  the viability of the development.

The developer is now seeking to modify the terms of the section 106 agreement.

The report said:

“At the time the application was being considered, our client highlighted that there were issues with the viability of the scheme due to cost inflation and abnormal costs.

“Harrogate council however informed that our client could undertake a viability assessment after receiving a planning consent instead of delaying the granting of a planning consent.

“Subsequently, since the granting of the planning consent, our client has requested that they be able to run a viability case to reduce the section 106 contributions through a section 106 modification. This has been accepted by North Yorkshire Council and this financial viability assessment forms the basis of the evidence behind the modification of the section 106 contributions.”

In November 2022, a planning application for the Sharow development was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council as a joint proposal by V&A and non-profit developer Broadacres Housing Association Limited. The application was approved by North Yorkshire Council planners in April.

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North Yorkshire Council set to lobby government for water quality measures

North Yorkshire Council looks set to write to the government calling for fundamental reform of the planning system to improve the county’s rivers, watercourses and coastline.

The Conservative-run council will consider pressing Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey, to make a series of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to avert pollution as a result of new development.

The proposal has been approved by the authority’s transport, economy and environment scrutiny committee as a recommendation to be considered at a full meeting of the authority next month, alongside a series of other proposals to get to grips with water pollution in the county.

The meeting heard councillors raise serious concerns over water pollution in rivers such as the Swale and Ure, which run through Rishi Sunak’s constituency, as well as the county’s coastal waters, where marine life has repeatedly been impacted by a mystery issue in the water.

Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Mason told the committee the proposals needed bolstering by national policy to ensure developers could not use devices such as viability tests to avoid consideration of water issues.

He said: 

“We need to be lobbying hard for this to be included in national legislation.”

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, whose division includes Knaresborough and the River Nidd, which saw 870 sewage dump incidents last year, said lobbying government would be viewed as “a major step” by the authority.

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The proposed measures will aim to establish what the impacts and receptors are in relation to any development.

The meeting heard neither Local Plan policies nor national framework have the capacity to extend consideration in planning decisions to where foul water is in the main sewer, in terms of how it is treated.

Councillors were told a motion of council, to make water issues a “material planning consideration” would be of limited weight, and were they to be treated as having more weight in a development decision than the Local Plan or national framework, the decision could be challenged by developers at appeal.

Councillors from a range of political groups told the meeting there was a clear mandate to seek to have more robust engagement with water firms “to fully understand capacity constraints and opportunities”.

It is hoped making water firms statutory consultees in planning decisions, in the same way as exists for flooding and highways authorities, would allow the companies to embed expanding their capacity and technologies to reduce the incidence of flooding, whilst accommodating increased usage.

After the meeting, the council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said he sympathised with proposals to make water firms statutory consultees in planning decisions.

He said he believed councillors would all support lobbying the government to enable water firms to levy infrastructure charges on property developers to enable them to finance improving the capacity of systems such as sewage.

When asked whether the government should introduce a tougher system of fines for pollution breaches, Cllr Les said he was concerned water users would face increased charges to cover the firms’ fines.

Business Breakfast: Minskip bedding company secures £100,000 funding

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Minskip-based luxury bedding company has secured £100,000 worth of investment to help expand the brand.

Floks, which is based at Yolk Farm on Minskip Road, has been awarded the funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The company was founded by Sophie Platts after she came up with the idea for a bedding brand during the covid lockdowns.

The fund is managed by Mercia Asset Management and aims to award companies funding to help with growth.

The investment will help Floks to step up its marketing campaign and develop new products to expand the range.

David Wright of Mercia said: 

“Sophie has a wealth of experience in designer homewares. Floks builds on Yorkshire’s wool trade heritage and fills a gap in the market for sustainable luxury bedding that promotes healthy sleep.

“The funding will help her to expand the business and establish the brand as a market leader in premium British wool bedding.”

Ripon Racecourse nominated for awards

Ripon Racecourse has been shortlisted as a finalist at an industry awards ceremony.

The Racecourse Association’s Showcase and Awards are set to be held on November 23 at Aintree Racecourse.

The event aims to celebrate excellence and innovation in racecourse operations and raceday experience.

Ripon has been shortlisted in both the marketing and racing foundation green categories at the ceremony.

Jonathan Mullin, operations and marketing manager at Ripon Racecourse, said: 

“It’s wonderful for us to be finalists in two categories. We’ve managed to win an award at the last two Showcase Awards, at Hamilton in 2019 and at Pontefract in 2022, which is fantastic for a small independent racecourse and it’s great to be in with a chance once more.”

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Harrogate wins gold at national Britain in Bloom awards

Harrogate Business Improvement District has won gold at the RHS Britain in Bloom awards.

The organisation, which aims to increase footfall in the town centre, was successful in the BIDs, town centres and city centres category.

It was recognised for its Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration campaign, a fortnight-long initiative that celebrated the town’s international connections through a series of town centre floral designs.

The summer of celebration was in addition to Harrogate BID’s regular floral offering of almost 200 barrier baskets, shop doorway planters and hanging baskets.

One of the gold-winning displays.

Matthew Chapman, the manager of Harrogate, said:

“Three years ago this award was a huge aspiration of Harrogate BID and after winning gold in last year’s Yorkshire in Bloom awards and then being entered as an RHS Britain in Bloom finalist, we are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a gold award.”

“This summer’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration was the second year of the campaign and it was a huge success, increasing footfall, spend and first impressions with visitors and residents alike.”

Pictured receiving the award from left to right: Pam Grant (Harrogate in Bloom), Bethany Allen (Harrogate BID), Matthew Chapman (Harrogate BID), Kitti Johnson (Harrogate BID) and Nick Smith (Harrogate Flower Shows)

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Taxi drivers threaten judicial review over new single zone

Taxi drivers have threatened legal action against North Yorkshire Council’s decision to abolish hackney carriage zones.

Senior councillors backed the introduction of a county-wide zone on April 1 at a meeting last Tuesday (October 17). It means drivers can now operate anywhere across the county, rather than being limited to areas such as the former Harrogate district.

Taxi drivers say this has led to a range of problems, including drivers flocking to popular urban areas while ignoring less profitable rural areas.

Now licensing consultant David B Wilson has claimed the decision to introduce the single zone was unlawful and has threatened action.

In a letter to Barry Khan, the council’s monitoring officer, seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Wilson gave notice that drivers had instigated a judicial review pre-action protocol.

He urged the authority to find a resolution to the matter and investigate why the council’s executive had legally approved the measure.

Mr Wilson said:

“Before instructing solicitors to pursue an application for judicial review, including service of the pre-action protocol letter before action, my clients have instructed me to write to you in the hope this matter can be finally resolved without the need for either party to incur significant further costs.

“As futile as it may be, as the challenged resolution was made with legal advice provided by you (monitoring officer) and Laura Venn (deputy monitoring officer), for the sake of completeness, my clients ask you to review the law and reconsider whether the council has acted lawfully when purportedly passing an extension resolution by the executive on 17 October 2023.”

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The move comes after Ripon-based taxi driver Richard Fieldman urged councillors to delay the decision on October 17 as legal advice he received suggested the decision should be made during a full meeting of all 90 councillors rather than by its 10-person executive.

However, in response, Cllr Greg White and the council’s chief legal officer Barry Khan both said they were satisfied the executive had the right to make the decision.

The executive then voted unanimously to confirm the abolition of the seven zones and to create the single county-wide zone.

 

Council removes anti-speeding scarecrows in Nidd for ‘safety reasons’

North Yorkshire Council has removed several scarecrows created as part of an anti-speeding campaign in a village between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Residents in Nidd put up about 16 scarecrows near the B6165 and Town Street this month as part of a campaign to reduce the speed limit after two recent fatal accidents.

Several were designed to look like police officers and some contained messages.

But North Yorkshire Council removed the ones immediately alongside the highways last week. Several on private land remain.

A council spokesperson said:

“Our highways team contacted festival organisers on Thursday requesting that scarecrows near the road were removed ahead of Storm Babet.

“They were not able to get hold of the organisers so officers were sent to remove scarecrows close to the road due to safety reasons.

“The scarecrows are being kept safe at the highways depot for collection. The organisers and parish council were informed of this.”

Several scarecrows have high visability jackets.

A police officer scarecrow.

The activists’ creative scarecrow stunt has divided opinion in Nidd.

Some villagers embraced the move to raise awareness of the campaign to reduce the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

The B6165, which links Ripley and Knaresborough, has some sharp, narrow bends in Nidd, especially near Nidd Hall.

Villager and co-organiser Jayne Brown said the scarecrow festival served its purpose:

“It definitely had an big impact on reducing the speed and making the lives of the people in the village safer.”

Ms Brown added that less than 36 hours after the scarecrows were removed a car crashed into a wall.

But others thought the stunt was ill-advised.

The clerk of Nidd Parish Council, who asked not to be named, said although it sympathised with the cause it did not think the methods were appropriate.

The clerk reiterated her previous comment, which said:

“We are concerned that any distractions to drivers as they approach, what we all agree is a dangerous bend, is not sensible.”

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Proposals for Harrogate Town Council expected next year

New proposals to set-up a Harrogate Town Council are now expected next year, according to North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate and Scarborough were expected to get their own town councils in May 2024 but the process was delayed after councillors on North Yorkshire Council, which is charged with setting up the local authorities, asked to redraw its ward boundaries.

Residents had previously backed the creation of two councillor wards arranged by the current 10 North Yorkshire Council divisions. Saltergate would have had just one councillor.

However, Conservative councillors on North Yorkshire Council said they didn’t want to proceed with this model and instead wanted to see single councillor wards based around the 19 former Harrogate Borough Council boundaries.

This means there will have to be a third public consultation so the public can have their say on the new wards.

The consultations are a legal necessity but it will take the combined cost of holding them to more than £140,000.

Barry Khan, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant chief executive legal and democratic services, said: 

“Officers are continuing to work on possible warding patterns for both Harrogate and Scarborough town councils and a report setting out options will be taken to the standards and governance committee next year.”

This month, the council revealed the winners and losers of the 12 ‘double-devolution’ bids from parishes that would like to take control of assets in their areas.

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Harrogate Town Council, if it’s created, could apply to run services in the town such as looking after its parks or the Stray, operating car parks or managing the Royal Hall.

The council has said that households would initially be asked to pay between £40 and £60 on top of their council tax to allow the town council to have an annual budget in the range of £1m to £1.6m.

If residents approve the proposals laid out in the next consultation, the council would likely form in April 2025 with elections taking place in May, although this has not been confirmed yet.

Harrogate poppy appeal seeks volunteers

The Harrogate branch of the Royal British Legion has issued a plea for volunteers to help with this year’s appeal.

Chairman Mike Comerford said the branch needed six to eight people to distribute poppies and collection tins as well as to take part in street collections.

Poppies were due to start going up in Harrogate today ahead of Remembrance Sunday on November 12. Ripon already has a magnificent display.

Mr Comerford said there was a shortage of volunteers this year because some regular helpers were either too old or unwell to give as much time.

He said volunteers who could drive were required from tomorrow (Tuesday) to distribute the poppies and collection tins on prescribed routes.

Street collections begin on Saturday (October 28) but shops can sell poppies before then.

Six hundred boxes, each containing 150 poppies, are distributed as part of Harrogate’s poppy appeal.

The poppy appeal provides support for members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.

The town raised about £50,000 of the £48 million generated nationally by the Royal British Legion last year.

Anyone interested in helping can call Mr Comerford on 07954125891 or email him at mike.comerford@ntlworld.com.

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Rigby & Peller in Harrogate – the art of making all women feel beautiful

The story is sponsored by Rigby & Peller. 

Wearing beautiful lingerie makes a woman feel sensational. It makes us feel confident in our bodies, no matter what shape we are.

At Rigby & Peller in Harrogate, the manager, Donna Rose and her team understand this and have created a bra-fitting experience that is personal, empathetic and joyful. They understand women, our bodies at all ages and put you at ease. They are masters at knowing which of their beautifully crafted lingerie brands will work best with your shape. There’s never any pressure to buy.

This holistic, female-centred approach has been honed over decades. Rigby & Peller was established in London in 1939 and is famous for its ‘fit by eye’ technique which means there’s not a measuring tape to be found in any of Rigby & Peller’s 45 boutiques across the world.

Donna says the power of beautifully made lingerie that fits perfectly can be transformative:

“Our new collections invite you to celebrate your authentic self, elevate your wardrobe from the foundations up, and help you enjoy your inner glamour. Stunning lingerie is not just for special occasions or gifts – it’s a wonderful way to boost your own confidence whilst ensuring you have that silhouette you’ve always wanted.

“Whatever your shape or personal style, there is gorgeous lingerie waiting to flatter, sculpt and support you.”

Campaign photographs showcasing Andres Sarda Miley set (L) and Marie Jo Etoile set (R)

Now the boutique is combining this personal expertise with an innovative 3D mirror. The mirror takes 140 measurements of a woman’s upper body in less than a minute. It can instantly determine your exact bra size. You can then compare styles using photos and see what style of bra and brand is for you.

Donna, says :

“With assistance from one of our stylists, this unique technology helps you find your perfect bra size, as well as giving you a unique shopping experience.

At Rigby & Peller, we’re committed to evolution and this demonstrates just one of the ways we put our clients’ experience and comfort along with the best fit of the highest-quality lingerie and swimwear.”

Photo of a customer trying on lingerie during a fitting session at Rigby & Peller, using new 3D mirror technology.

Rigby & Peller’s new technology takes 140 measurements of a client’s body to find the perfect fit for its luxury lingerie.

To celebrate this new addition to the Rigby & Peller experience, the boutique on Station Bridge is holding an event on Thursday November 9 between 6pm and 8pm.

Hobbs clothing and luxury skincare brands Temple Spa and La Prairie will also be showcasing their exceptional seasonal products.

To meet Donna and her team and to book your place at this special event, call the boutique on 01423 521613 or email harrogate@rigbyandpeller.com

 

Find out more: 

No appointment is needed at Rigby & Peller, but they are available if your time is more limited.

You can book a free lingerie styling appointment online. 

To view Rigby & Peller’s latest ranges, visit the shop at 1-2 Station Bridge in Harrogate or head to the website.

Met Office issues another rain warning in Harrogate district

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain in the Harrogate district.

The warning is in place from 3am until 4pm tomorrow (October 24).

It warns the district could see heavy rain, which may lead to further flooding.

Land remains saturated in the wake of Storm Babet, which disrupted travel and closed attractions across the district.

All Storm Babet flood alerts and warnings for the district have now been removed.

An alert for the River Ure in Ripon was taken down this morning.

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