Two long-serving councillors who vocally opposed Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion plans into Rotary Wood at yesterday’s planning committee have expressed their pride at the decision to refuse the application
Eight councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s 12-person planning committee voted to refuse the plans, with four abstaining.
Conservative councillor for Harrogate Harlow Jim Clark told the Stray Ferret the decision “showed the common sense of the planning committee”.
He said:
“I was very pleased and it was the right result. It will restore people’s confidence that there are excellent councillors on the planning committee.”
Mr Clark also paid tribute to local residents who he said “are very well informed” on issues surrounding the environment.
He said he hopes the debate around the bottling plant shows that local issues can be “at the forefront of climate change.”
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Liberal Democrat councillor for Hookstone, Pat Marsh, who has been a councillor in Harrogate since 1990, told the Stray Ferret the Pinewoods application has been one of the most passionately felt issues in Harrogate in decades.
She praised members of the planning committee as well as many members of the public who wrote to her about the plans.
“I was very grateful to fellow members for standing up and saying this is wrong.
“I’m so grateful for all the people who took time and energy to contact me, especially the children. It made me very emotional.”
What happens next?
Harrogate Spring Water, which was bought last year by multinational firm Danone, already has outline planning permission to expand to the west of its existing site.
The company could choose to stick with this outline planning permission, appeal yesterday’s decision or submit a different application.
Immediately following the decision yesterday, Harrogate Spring Water released a statement that said it was considering its options.
Sales and marketing director Rob Pickering added:
“We would like to reassure our local community that we are committed to keeping them informed and involved with any environmental measures and landscaping developments at the Harrogate Spring Water site in the future.”
The Pinewoods Conservation Group charity called on Harrogate Borough Council to safeguard Rotary Wood from development.
In response, a HBC spokesman said:
“Outline planning permission, granted by the planning committee in 2017 for Harrogate Spring Water Limited to expand its bottling plant, still exists. This approved application (16/05254/OUTMAJ) permits the applicant to expand into Rotary Wood. Should an application for reserved matters be received, this will be reported to the planning committee.
“A separate decision by the council as landowner, regarding any potential disposal of the site and the status of the site as an Asset of Community Value, would still be required and subject to elected member approval.”
