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04
Nov
Harrogate MP to hold public meeting against Rotary Wood destruction
Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP, Tom Gordon, will hold a public meeting this Friday discuss how best to oppose the destruction of Rotary Wood.
The wood, which is part of the Pinewoods in Harrogate, is under threat from plans by Harrogate Spring Water, which wants to expand its Harlow Moor Road bottling plant – a development that would involve felling around 500 trees.
The company, which is owned by French multinational Danone, says the development would provide jobs and an economic boost, and has promised to plant 3,000 trees to make up for the loss of Rotary Wood.
But campaigners object both to the loss of the wood, which was planted 20 years ago by schoolchildren, and to the environmental impact of transporting plastic bottles around the country.
Rotary Wood in Harrogate.
The planning application, which attracted more than 1,000 objections from the public, was expected to be decided last week, but North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee deferred the decision pending further information over ecology and a section 106 legal agreement – giving campaigners a chance to regroup.
In an email to supporters, Mr Gordon, who first publicly opposed the plans a year ago, writes:
We need to save Rotary Wood – and not let Danone, a multi-national corporation, take it from our community. I'm dismayed that last week, a decision was taken by North Yorkshire councillors to defer a planning decision over Danone's application.
Between now and the next planning vote, I'll be helping save Rotary Wood by building a mountain of evidence to show that Harrogate rejects these plans – and that our community wants to keep our beloved woodland.
He adds that he is working with Cllr Graham Dixon, who represents the Harlow ward on Harrogate Town Council, to press the town council to take an official view on the matter.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Gordon has also launched an online survey and a petition against Harrogate Spring Water’s plans. He is urging supporters to fill in the survey and sign the petition in order to “build undoubtable evidence that we don't want to lose Rotary Wood”.
Mr Gordon’s public meeting will be held at Harlow Green Hut Community Centre on Friday (November 7), from 7pm to 8.30pm.
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