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Sept 2022

Last Updated: 12/09/2022

Environment

Developer proceeds with 'unseemly' Maltkiln event in mourning period

by John Plummer

| 12 Sept, 2022

Caddick Group is proceeding with a drop-in event today about its plans to build up to 10,000 homes in the Harrogate district, despite calls for it to be postponed until after the Queen's mourning period.

Sent by Caddick

The developer behind a proposed new Harrogate district town of up to 10,000 people are proceeding with a consultation event today despite calls for it to be deferred.

Caddick Group is holding a public drop-in event at Green Hammerton Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area and include up to 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

But some councillors and residents feel the event should be postponed until after the Queen's mourning period ends.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have postponed meetings this week.

Paul Townsend, a member of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council, questioned whether it was appropriate for the event to proceed. He said:

"The guidance we have been given as parish councils is that it is expected that non-urgent business should be deferred until after the period of national mourning.

"I have therefore informed the scheme promoters that Kirk Hammerton parish councillors will not be attending the event in their official capacity."

Council faces calls to hold in-person Maltkiln consultation events

New Harrogate district town could have up to 4,000 homes

Today's event is not part of any official consultation process. Harrogate Borough Council, the planning authority, is expected to open an official consultation next month.

Local resident Alex Smith said:

"It feels unseemly right now even to be drawn in to a debate about whether or not this event should go ahead. I think many residents were just assuming Caddick would postpone it out of respect — and also out of a professional concern to have an effective consultation, with residents’ full attention.

"Volume developers aren’t renowned for their sensitivity, and if Caddick have pressing commercial reasons to hold this event right now, however compromised it might be and whatever the optics — they’re within their rights to do."

'Cancelling now would cause confusion'

A spokesman for Caddick said it was "shocked and saddened" to hear of the Queen's death, adding:

"In line with government guidance on the period of national mourning, which was published on Friday, we decided that the correct course of action is to continue with our consultation event.

"To cancel this at very late notice would risk causing confusion amongst the 1,250 residents and businesses we have written to in the local area, and it is important that we conclude this specific consultation process well before Harrogate Borough Council consults on their draft development plan document in October.

"However, we can confirm that we will extend the duration of the consultation period by two days, to midnight on September 21. In addition, as part of our ongoing application and engagement with the local community we are always ready to discuss our proposals and receive comments regarding these.

"We updated politicians and stakeholders advising them as to our decision to proceed with the consultation, on Friday 9th September. We have been absolutely committed to consulting fully on our proposals throughout this process and are constantly reappraising what we need to do as a business to ensure the widest variety of views can be heard.

"If we receive any requests to meet separately with stakeholders, then we will of course consider those and seek to arrive at a suitable outcome. It is of course a difficult time for many and we will further review our approach as the consultation progresses."

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Developer proceeds with 'unseemly' Maltkiln event in mourning period

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'Cancelling now would cause confusion'