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18
Jun 2021
Grantley Hall withdraws helipad plan for third time
A luxury hotel in the Yorkshire Dales has for the third time withdrawn an application to operate a helicopter landing pad after being recommended for refusal by council planners.
Grantley Hall – an 18th-century mansion located five miles west of Ripon – wanted permission to use the helipad to fly guests into and out of the five-star venue but concerns were raised over the impact of flight noise on the surrounding countryside.
A decision was due to be made by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee next Tuesday, but after a recommendation for refusal was made the hotel withdrew its application.
Grantley Hall has since been contacted for a comment but did not respond at the time of publication.
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The hotel has withdrawn three applications and had another rejected since first asking for permission to use an existing helipad in 2018.
In documents submitted with its latest plans, the hotel said it wanted to use the helipad to attract top events and that if refused it could lose around £650,000 in income.
It also said it had proposed to restrict flights to no more than three a month after listening to concerns over noise disruption.
Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Grantley and Sawley Parish Council and several residents objected to the plans, with one local describing the application as “totally unnecessary” and “self-fulfilling”.
The reasons for recommending refusal given by council planners were the impact on the Nidderdale AONB and Studley Royal Park, which is classed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, as well the impact on ecology and biodiversity.
Planners also questioned how the helipad could generate so much income and said the restricted number of flights would still have too great an impact on the area.
A report to the committee said:
Grantley Hall opened as a hotel after a £70million refurbishment in 2019.
It was once used by West Riding County Council between 1947 and 1974 as an adult education residential college, as well as a training and conference centre by North Yorkshire County Council.
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