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14
Nov
791 vs 11 — public delivers verdict on Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion plans
Almost 800 people have objected to Harrogate Spring Water’s revised plans to expand its bottling plant, as consultation draws to a close.
The company, which is owned by French multi-national Danone, wants to fell 500 trees in a section of the Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood at the back of its headquarters on Harlow Moor Road to make space for the expansion.
Harrogate Spring Water has said the scheme will boost the local economy and it has mitigated for the loss of the trees by planting a community woodland nearby.
But the potential loss of a woodland created by schoolchildren to combat climate change has proved divisive, particularly as it would enable more plastic bottles to be made.
Public consultation on the proposals is due to end on Sunday (November 17).
By last night, 791 people had objected to the scheme and just 11 had responded in favour on North Yorkshire Council’s planning portal.
This means for every one person who supports the scheme, 72 oppose it.
Harrogate Spring Water has had outline planning permission for the expansion since 2017, which means the principle of development has been established.
But it cannot proceed until its current reserved matters application, which deals with appearance, size and landscaping, is approved by the council.
A previous reserved matters application was rejected in 2021 after a campaign fronted by TV star Julia Bradbury.
That consultation received more than 400 objections so sentiment appears to have hardened against the project since then.
Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon is among those to have objected.
The Stray Ferret was told by sources the council would consider responses to the consultation after Sunday's deadline. We asked the council to clarify the situation.
A spokesperson said:
The date for public comments on the application is November 17. The council cannot make a decision before that date therefore representations should be submitted before that date to guarantee that they will be taken into account.
The council can make a decision on the application after November 17 once the comments period has ended. Any comments received after November 17 will still be taken into account up to the point where the application is determined.
Pinewoods Conservation Group, which maintains and conserves the Pinewoods, has yet to issue its response.
You can see the comments and have your say by clicking here and typing in 16/05254/OUTMAJ in the keyword search.
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