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17
Dec
Councillors back plan for housing on ‘complete tip’ Knaresborough site
Councillors have backed plans for two new homes in Knaresborough despite concerns over green space and biodiversity.
Astrum Planning Ltd submitted the housing plan to North Yorkshire Council on behalf of David Vollens for the site on Iles Lane.
The proposal would see two houses built along with alterations to the existing access and the erection of a stone gatepost. One of the homes would be four-bedroom and the other three-bedroom.
However, residents and Knaresborough Town Council raised concern that the move would amount to “over-development of green space in the town”.
In a statement to North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee yesterday (December 16), Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West on the council, urged councillors to refuse the plan.
Cllr Walker pointed to heritage and biodiversity concerns, including that much of the biodiversity net gain would be created off-site.
He added that Iles Lane was a “narrow congested route” which can only accommodate one-way traffic and plans to extend double yellow lines were a “reactive” move which would do little to allay concerns.
Designs for the homes on Illes Lane in Knaresborough.
However, Rachel Reaney, of Astrum Planning Ltd, told the committee that the council could not demonstrate a five-year land supply and the need for housing was “evident”.
She added that the site was private land and was not allocated as green space.
Ms Reaney said:
The site is not accessible. As discussed previously, it is private land and is not allocated as green space within the local plan, emerging neighbourhood plan or conservation area appraisal. The land has no meaningful use and is now overgrown and in generally poor condition.
She added that the land had been in the applicant's family ownership since the 1960s.
‘A complete tip’
Councillors on the planning committee paid a visit to Iles Lane to look at the site this morning.
Cllr Paul Haslam, who sits on the planning committee, said he did not see any benefit to leaving the land in its current condition.
He said:
I don’t know who thinks the area where we are looking at the building is anything other than a complete tip. It should not be allowed to have gotten to that situation. I cannot see any current benefit of leaving that piece of land as it is. I can’t see a reason to object to this particular development. It can only enhance that current area.
Meanwhile, Cllr Peter Lacey, who sits on the committee and has been a Knaresborough resident for 35 years, said he had no reason to object to the plan.
He said:
I’ve not been aware of this piece of what one might call brownfield land either being accessible or desirable in terms of its features. I can only see this as a positive contribution with the conditions. I’ve got no reason to suggest that this [site] should be left as it is.
Councillors backed the council officer’s recommendations to approve the plan subject to a legal agreement being agreed and no objections being raised by Historic England.
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