Councillors are set to make a crucial decision on Tuesday as to whether approve a plan for Harrogate Spring Water to expand its bottling plant.

The controversial plan is set to appear before planners at a Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee meeting at Harrogate Civic Centre. It is the second time in five years that the plans are to be adjudicated on.

Council officials have recommended that the plans be approved. But how did we get to this point and what do the plans entail? The Stray Ferret has taken a closer look in the explainer below.

What are Harrogate Spring Water’s plans?

The company wants to expand its bottling plant into a section of the Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.

The expansion would mean the loss of around 500 trees in Rotary Wood, an area of community woodland planted around 20 years ago and owned by the council.

However, the company, which is owned by French food and drink multinational Danone, says almost 3,000 new trees will be planted to make up for those lost due to the expansion and the scheme will boost jobs and the local economy.

Harrogate Spring Water already has outline planning permission for the expansion, which means the principle of development has been established. It received this permission in 2017.

But it still requires its reserved matters application, which outlines the details of the scheme, to be approved before it may proceed.

The plan due to be considered on Tuesday is a reserved matters application.

Why are people against it?

Many of the objections to Harrogate Spring Water’s plan are about the loss of woodland.

Rotary Wood was planted in 2005 by volunteers, including schoolchildren, in an initiative by the Rotary Club of Harrogate. It is managed by the Pinewoods Conservation Group and is registered as an Asset of Community Value.

One of the key objections is that the plan would “destroy valuable public green space that forms part of the Pinewoods and wider Harrogate green corridor”.

Pinewoods Conservation Group, which is among the main objectors, raised funds to hire a lawyer to assess the application before submitting its objection.

A spokesperson said “key environmental and community conditions still haven’t been met”, eight years after outline planning permission was granted with conditions.

Meanwhile, campaigners have also cited the loss of natural habitat, the increase in plastic bottle waste, the carbon footprint of delivering water around the country, and the amount of money received from the company by North Yorkshire Council — which they see as too low.

Who is against the plan?

In total, the plan received 1,068 objections and just 11 supported the plan.

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has objected to the expansion. Mr Gordon said a a new community woodland proposed to replace any trees lost was not enough.

Other objectors include the Green Party group on North Yorkshire Council and the Duchy Residents Association.

What does Harrogate Spring Water say?

The company has focussed its case on what the expansion would mean to the town economically.

When the company submitted revised plans last year, managing director Richard Hall said the project would bring economic benefits to the town and a new community woodland created to offset the loss of trees “will become a valued resource for the local community for many years to come”.

According to the planning report due before councillors on Tuesday, the expansion would create 32 new jobs.

Mr Hall added that the company had “listened carefully to the community and planning officers” throughout the planning process.

Harrogate Spring Water has also said it will replace the trees with six times as many in new woodland — though this has been criticised by both campaigners and Green Party councillors.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the company sought to bolster its case by commissioning a survey to support its PR campaign.

The press release claimed:

What happens now?

On Tuesday, the seven-person Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee will decide whether to approve the reserved matters application.

The meeting will be the first since January 2021 to adjudicate on the plans.

With increased public scrutiny and interest in the proposal, the meeting will be one of the council’s most watched both on YouTube and in the council chamber.

The committee, which is primarily made up of Liberal Democrat councillors, will have a crucial decision to make.

Should they approve the plan, they will no doubt come in for criticism from those who have long campaigned against the proposal. However, a refusal could lead to a costly appeal for the council.

The meeting will be held at 2pm at Harrogate Civic Centre and is open to the public.