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07
Sept
‘The death of Wetherby’: 361 objections to plans for 210 homes on county border
A plan to build 210 new homes on the edge of Wetherby has drawn 361 objections.
The 13-hectare site lies within the former Harrogate district – so legally in North Yorkshire – but in practice would form an extension of Wetherby, which is in West Yorkshire and served by Leeds City Council.
Hallam Land Management, which is based in Sheffield, submitted the proposal to North Yorkshire Council in June.
Since then, 361 letters of objection have been submitted and just four in support.
‘The only outcome is the death of Wetherby’
One of the objectors is Janet Simpson, who said she “strongly objected” to the housing plan on Harrogate Road.
She said:
The only outcome is the death of Wetherby. Should be planning more usable parking in order to accommodate all the communities who use the various aspects of the town including the safety of our children attending the schools.
Meanwhile, Josephine Williams, who lives in Kirk Deighton, said a similar proposal on the site had already been rejected in 2020.
She added:
Any development of land to west of Wetherby and Kirk Deighton would be contrary to national and local planning policies already in place and would be severely detrimental to the landscape character and visual amenity.
The land, to the north of the A661 road between Harrogate and Wetherby, abuts the edge of the Spofforth Park residential development by Bellway at Ingbarrow Gate.
Many objectors said the proposal would see residents rely on Wetherby for roads, schools and amenities rather than North Yorkshire.
A visual of the homes from a bridleway off Harrogate Road, as included in the plans.
Meanwhile, Leeds City Council has also raised concern over the scheme.
In a letter to North Yorkshire Council, the city council said the site would primarily affect Wetherby’s housing need rather than North Yorkshire’s.
The letter said:
Although the land in question sits outside Leeds Local Planning Authority area, it is very closely sited to one of the districts major settlements (Wetherby) and as such Leeds City Council wishes to raise significant concerns in relation to this site being considered in isolation and not within the wider context of current and future planned development within the area, and the impact on local infrastructure.
The letter added that the scheme “would primarily contribute to meeting the housing needs” of Wetherby despite being in the Harrogate district.
The council said that the town had already seen housing expansion with developments at Spofforth Hill and Sandbeck Lane.
It added that it was aware that North Yorkshire currently had no five-year land supply and it was “unclear” how this would be dealt with.
North Yorkshire Council is currently 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.
Lichfields, acting on behalf of the applicants, points out that there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
It says that, since the Harrogate District Local Plan published by Harrogate Borough Council has not been updated since that council’s abolition in 2023, it is out of date and permission should be granted in the absence of other overriding considerations. It concludes:
...the adverse impacts of the granting of planning permission do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits. The proposals therefore accord with NPPF paragraph 11(d) and planning permission should be granted.
North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.
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