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09
Nov 2020
Major Pannal Ash development could lose football pitch for more housing
Homes England wants to scrap plans for a community football pitch at the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane, in order to increase the total number of homes on the site from 180 to 200.
It was originally planned that the football pitch would be used by local sports teams, and potentially adopted and managed by Harrogate Borough Council.
However, according to planning documents, Sport England and the Football Foundation have said they consider it "unlikely" that the pitch would be actively used, instead advising Homes England to consider using the pitch for more housing.
Homes England is the government's housing agency and the owner of the site.
The new plans also reduce the size of a green space for residents called Central Parkland from 0.81 hectares to 0.41 hectares.
Homes England has instead agreed to pay £595,000 to improve facilities at Pannal Sports Ground. This includes a £100,000 contribution as compensation for the loss of the playing pitch.
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It is the second time this year that Homes England has asked HBC to increase the number of homes at the development.
In 2018, the council granted planning permission for 161 homes to be built on the site. However, since then, the land was transferred from the Home Office to Homes England which, in June, submitted fresh plans to add an extra 19 homes to the development.
In HBC's Local Plan, the site is allocated for 160 homes.
For decades, police recruits from all over the UK came to the site in Harrogate to train. It was closed in 2011 due to cost-cutting.
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