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12
Jul
Fears over 'open season' for housing developers, says Harrogate mayor
The Mayor of Harrogate has said the town is braced for “open season” from housing developers.
Cllr Chris Aldred, Liberal Democrat mayor of the town, told a meeting of Harrogate Town Council that speculative developers could start taking advantage of the lack of land supply in North Yorkshire.
His comments came after councillors were asked about an increase in housing applications, in particular in Killinghall.
It comes as North Yorkshire Council is drawing up a Local Plan, which will designate where new houses can be built in the county and give it reasons to refuse applications which fall outside the plan.
Cllr Aldred, who also represents High Harrogate and Kingsley division on North Yorkshire Council, said there was concern that some areas, including Harrogate, may be braced for further "speculative" schemes while the Local Plan is still being drawn up.
He said:
It’s a problem with speculative developers. It was a problem a few years ago. There is no five-year housing supply and we are anticipating open season from the developers again.
Perhaps there is not enough land in Harrogate. However, the Local Plan is getting going.
As part of the Labour government’s housebuilding agenda, ministers increased North Yorkshire’s housing need to 4,156 a year — it had previously been 1,361.
In January, Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, raised concern that the national drive to build more homes was moving faster than the council's development of a Local Plan, which he claimed could leave the authority susceptible to "speculative" schemes.
As a result, he said the authority had lobbied government over a “transitional arrangement” while it draws up a Local Plan — the blueprint which will set out where new houses and commercial developments can be built in the region over the next 15 to 20 years.
However, in a statement to the Stray Ferret last week, the council said ministers had not changed their position over transitional arrangements for housing targets despite lobbying from the authority.
Local Plan
The council is currently consulting on its Local Plan, which will supersede plans created by now defunct authorities, such as Harrogate Borough Council which was abolished in April 2023.
The first consultation is open now and runs until July 15.
You can have your say on the first consultation of the local plan here.
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