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Jul 2021

Last Updated: 28/07/2021

Business

Harrogate Spring Water to submit fresh plan for Pinewoods bottling plant

by Thomas Barrett

| 28 Jul, 2021

The company issued a statement today saying it will not appeal Harrogate Borough Council's decision in January to refuse its expansion — but instead will publish details of a new expansion plan 'in the coming weeks'.

Harrogate Spring Water, Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

Harrogate Spring Water is preparing to submit a new planning application to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.

The company issued a statement today saying it will not appeal Harrogate Borough Council's decision in January to refuse its expansion — but instead it will publish details of a new expansion plan "in the coming weeks".

Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by the French multi-national Danone, had applied to expand its bottling plant from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares, which would have meant destroying public woodland planted by local families in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.

To compensate, it offered to replant trees, create scrubland and build a pond on private land behind Harlow Carr Gardens.

The loss of trees at Rotary Wood provoked a major backlash and councillors on the planning committee voted overwhelmingly to reject it — against the wishes of council officers who had recommended approval.

Harrogate Spring Water was granted outline planning permission to expand to the west of its existing site in 2016, which meant the principle of development had been established but the details had not been agreed.

However, the company said today it was working on a completely new application and the 2016 application would be disregarded.

It has pledged to consult with the community before pursuing a formal planning application to the council.

James Cain, managing director of Harrogate Spring Water, said:

"We care passionately about acting in the best interests of Harrogate, its people and its natural environment. And that’s why we listen to the community.

“Our vision is to create a sustainable future for our business as one that supports high quality jobs, drives prosperity in the town and looks after nature.

“We’ve taken on board the feedback on our original expansion plans. Now we’ll continue to engage with the community – actively seeking views on a revised plan that responds to people’s concerns and ambitions.

“We’ll also be clear in explaining our rationale, and why we believe this move is important from an environmental and economic perspective.

“We’ll provide a further update in the coming weeks.”

Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods expansion refused

How Harrogate Borough Council benefits from Harrogate Spring Water plant

Rotary Wood fears remain

A spokesperson for the Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity that aims to protect the Pinewoods, said it would review any new plans "carefully and continue to engage" with Danone.

They added:

"We are also pleased to see that the feedback provided by ourselves and other groups will be taken onboard.

"However, any plans that result in the loss of any part of Rotary Wood that is part of a designated asset of community value under the Localism Act will continue to be difficult for our members to support.

"A key challenging factor that is likely to remain will be the offer of suitable publicly accessible land as mitigation for any loss of public green space that was much lacking in previous proposals."

Writing on Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones' website Community News, Sam Gibbs, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Valley Gardens, said:

"I am pleased that Harrogate Spring Water will not be appealing the decision to refuse a further extension. I hope that provides some reassurance to residents who were concerned about the loss of public access to the Rotary Woods."

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Harrogate Spring Water to submit fresh plan for Pinewoods bottling plant

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Rotary Wood fears remain