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16
May
£22 million Harrogate College redevelopment set for approval
A £22 million plan to build a new teaching facility at Harrogate College has been recommended for approval.
The scheme would see the demolition of the existing college buildings and construction of a mock hospital ward, digital technology suite, electric vehicle workshop and a construction centre focused on modern building methods.
Planning officers at North Yorkshire Council have recommended that the plan be approved at a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee on May 27.
A report due before the committee said:
The principle of the proposal is considered to be acceptable as well as the detailed design of the scheme. Key issues for consideration relate to operational impacts and construction impacts relating to parking, amenity, design, landscape and drainage.
The scheme was originally approved in April 2024. It was envisaged that work would start shortly afterwards and be completed by this July.
But Hornbeam Park Developments, which owns the business park next to the college, launched a judicial review after raising concerns that the project would leave too few parking spaces available during construction.
A CGI showing how the college's proposed new renewable energy technology centre would look.
Concerns were also raised by nearby residents and businesses that drivers would be forced to park outside neighbouring homes and premises, blocking parking spaces and causing obstructions.
In response, Luminate Education Group, which the college is part of, uploaded a raft of new documents to the council’s planning portal, including a 20-page planning statement addendum outlining various changes to the original plans.
Chief among these are amendments to the parking arrangements both during and after construction work – the sticking point that gave rise to the legal challenge.
It adds that a revised travel plan sets out a number of other measures to ensure there are enough parking spaces during the construction period, including the provision of funds to encourage staff to use public transport.
It notes that the existing site has a total of 242 parking spaces – described as “a substantial overprovision compared to the actual demand observed during the college's daily operations” – as a result of the building’s former use as offices.
Following a study of expected need, a total of 110 parking spaces are included as part of the new proposals, post-redevelopment – a 25% increase on the 88 originally planned.
Councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee will meet at Harrogate’s Civic Centre on May 27 to make a decision on the plan.
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