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26
Jan 2021
Harrogate Spring Water's Pinewoods expansion refused
Harrogate Spring Water's controversial plans to remove trees in the Pinewoods to expand its bottling plant have been overwhelmingly rejected.
Eight councillors on Harrogate Borough Council's 12-person planning committee voted to refuse the plans this afternoon, with four abstaining.
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.
A report to councillors recommended deferring and approving the new application to expand but it was rejected following a heated debate.
Harrogate Spring Water said immediately after the verdict it would now consider its options.
The company 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 land behind Harlow Carr Gardens, which is on private land.
'Not just any wood'
Conservative councillor for Valley Gardens Sam Gibbs spoke first and called on the planning committee to reject the application.
He called Rotary Wood "not just any wood" and said he had spoken to many local residents who were "confused, upset, or angry" about the application.
Neil Hind, chair of the Pinewoods Conservation Group charity, said the "world has changed" since the covid pandemic, which "has shown the importance of our green spaces".
He added:
Stuart Natkus from planning agent Barton Willmore spoke on behalf of Harrogate Spring Water.
'Not plastic vs trees'
He described the application as a "one-off opportunity" to expand the business, adding it did not intend expand further into the Pinewoods after this.
He said the argument is "not as simple as plastic vs trees" as the company was exploring alternative materials for bottles, such as cans and cardboard, which the extension would help facilitate.
He said:
Conservative Cllr Jim Clark for Harrogate Harlow questioned claims by Harrogate Spring Water that they have been "good neighbours" to people living close to the bottling plant. Instead he described them as "neighbours from hell".
Read more:
How Harrogate Borough Council benefits from Harrogate Spring Water plant
- Costly appeal could await council if Harrogate Spring Water plans refused
In response, Rob Pickering, marketing manager at Harrogate Spring Water, said the company "have always had an approach to the community and environment that we consider hugely important to us".
'Not on my watch'
Nigel Simms was the only councillor who spoke in favour of the plans. He called the concerns around plastic waste and the environment "hang-ups" and urged councillors to back the plans.
He said:
Liberal Democrat Cllr Pat Marsh, who sat on the planning committee when the bottling plant was first proposed in the year 2000, cited national planning policy around protecting the natural environment and the council's Local Plan as reasons for refusal.
She said:
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