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23
Nov 2020
An investigation by the Stray Ferret has uncovered how some of Britain’s biggest land promoters deliberately targeted Harrogate to exploit cheap land and high property prices.
Between 2014 and 2020 the district's planning system was in disarray.
These failings made it easy for developers to get controversial housing schemes approved. The developers, knowing this, made speculative applications for thousands of homes across the district.
All this week, the Stray Ferret looks at the impact of six years of planning failings: thousands of extra cars on the roads, large detached houses prioritised over much-needed affordable homes for local people, and a lack of sustainable, environmentally friendly building.
Today, we examine how the Harrogate district became a target for opportunistic developers .
Conservative councillor Alan Skidmore, who was appointed cabinet member for planning at HBC in 2012, publicly defended the plan at the time. Yet speaking to the Stray Ferret this year, he said he knew the plan that had been prepared was “absolute rubbish”.
But the Federation of House Builders disagreed, saying:
Harrogate Borough Council planners advised councillors from 2014 to 2018 that there was a ‘tilted balance’ in favour of approval on almost every major development regardless of whether the site was well located and sustainable.
For almost every major housing scheme, planning officers advised committee members to approve the application.
The planning committee did turn down some applications during that time, though, and the council successfully defended its decision at appeal.
Even if the council refuses the application, it’s of no consequence.
Gladman Land stated that going to appeal was part of its business strategy, with a success rate of over 90%. They advertise themselves as one of the most successful land promoters in England.
It’s completely legal and was essentially a standard practice within the land promotion industry.
In 2016/17, Harrogate received the highest number of planning applications since records began.
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