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14
Apr
Developer appeals Montpellier shop refusal
A developer has appealed a decision to refuse plans for a new shop and apartment in the centre of Harrogate.
Headingley-based developer ATC Properties Limited tabled the plan to North Yorkshire Council for the site on Montpellier Street in June last year.
It would see two 19th century cottages rebuilt to create a retail unit at ground floor and one two-bedroom apartment at first floor and second floor.
The unit would be based to the rear of 15 to 18 Montpellier Parade, which the developer also owns.
However, council officials rejected the proposal in October 2025 on the grounds that the move would have an adverse impact on the conservation area and would have an “enclosing feeling for its future residents”.
Now, the developer has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.
In a statement to the inspector, the developer said there is “no strong reason” for refusal offered by the council.
It added:
The rebuilding of two former cottages on the same footprint and to the proposed design is unlikely to cause sufficient harm to the Conservation Area to result in a strong reason for refusal.
Therefore, the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies with the tilted balance engaged, and this forms a material consideration that carries significant weight in the planning balance.
The developer added that the proposal represented an “optimum viable use of the site” which would help to enhance the conservation area.
A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.
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