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28
Oct
Councillors debate crunch Harrogate Spring Water expansion
Councillors voted today to defer Harrogate Spring Water’s plans to expand its bottling plant.
The Stray Ferret was be live from Harrogate’s Civic Centre bringing coverage of Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee as they made a decision. You can catch up on today's proceedings in our blog below.
Here is a recap of the story:
- Harrogate Spring Water wants to expand its bottling plant into nearby Rotary Wood, which would see the loss of around 500 trees.
- Outline permission for the scheme was granted in 2017. Today’s proposal is a reserved matters application, dealing with issues such as appearance and scale. a previous reserved matters application in 2021 was rejected.
- North Yorkshire Council has recommended the plan be approved. Seven councillors will decide whether to agree.
- Campaigners will be staging a peaceful protest at 1pm outside the Civic Centre against the plan.
- You can read the council officer's recommendation to approve the plan here.
3.35pm - Councillors defer plan
Councillors vote to defer Harrogate Spring Water's expansion plan. The committee will seek more information on ecology conditions and a section 106 agreement. The plan will be brought back to the committee at a later date.
Councillors voted for the deferral by three votes to two.
3.25pm - Proposal to defer
Mr Sharpe, the council's legal officer, says the council does not accept a legal letter sent on behalf of objectors.
Cllr Peter Lacey says it is "regrettable" that there is "no trust between the parties" — referring to Harrogate Spring Water and objectors.
Cllr Broadbank proposes to refuse the plan.
However, Cllr Aldred proposes to defer the application to a later committee for clarification over ecology conditions and a section 106 agreement.
3.15pm - Councillors set their stalls out
Cllr Broadbank says he has "real concerns" about the plan. He says he will not be supporting the plan.
Meanwhile, Cllr Walker says it is a "really difficult decision". But, he says it is a "moral vote" for him.
Cllr Walker says the committee should be "setting an example" for the council. He says he will not be supporting the plan.
3.10pm - 'I find myself in a difficult position'
Opening debate on the matter, Cllr Mann says he finds himself in "a difficult position".
He says he feels his "hands are tied". He adds that the planning system "does not always reflect democracy".
Cllr Mann says he "regrettably" has no other choice but to support the plan.
3pm - Harrogate Spring Water MD speaks
Richard Hall, managing director of Harrogate Spring Water, is speaking on behalf of the applicant.
He says he will address the "considerable local attention" to the proposal. He says the company wishes to expand its productions and that it met with residents after he became managing director in 2022.
Mr Hall also describes the company as a "small business", which is met with audible laughter in the public gallery.
He adds that it will plant "six times as many trees" as are removed, which he says is 10% biodiversity net gain.
2.55pm - 'Incomplete and inconsistent'
Cllr Michael Schofield, who is the ward member for the plan, and Cllr Arnold Warneken are next to speak.
Cllr Schofield says there is "incomplete and inconsistent" information and that conditions have "not been met" in the application.
Meanwhile, Cllr Warneken adds that the application is about "doing what is right not what is convenient". He asks why conditions over ecology have yet to be met.
2.50pm - Speakers begin
The first speaker before the committee is Neil Hind, chair of Pinewoods Conservation Group.
He says an enviornmental impact assessment has "never been done" and that conditions over ecology need to be approved prior to determining the application.
Mr Hind adds that the former Harroagte Borough Council rejected a similar plan in 2021, which he says had similar problems to the current application.
He urges the committee to refuse the plan.
2.35pm - Principle of building established
Cllr Walker asks a further three questions on appearance, landscape charcacter and biodiversity net gain.
Mr Worthington says the principle of the building "has been established" in the outline permission. He adds that the ecology of the site can be managed through conditions in the application.
2.25pm - 'Some things have yet to be resolved'
Cllr Philip Broadbank says he has concern that "some things have yet to be resolved". He points to conditions in the application.
Officers say it is not uncommon for agreements not to be completed before a decision is made.
2.20pm - Council's land interest
Cllr Matt Walker, who is sitting on the committee in absence of Cllr Gostlow, points out that there is a question over the the asset of community value and the council's interest in the land.
Mr Sharpe says councils are asked to determine planning applications where the council "corporately" may have contractual interests. He says those applications are dealt with through the independence of planning committees — such as this one.
2.15pm - 50 jobs expected to be created
Mr Worthington says 50 jobs would be created as part of the expansion.
He adds that a legal letter has been forwarded to councillors on behalf of objectors regarding the legality of the proposal.
Meanwhile, John Mann, vice-chair of the committee, asks council officers about the Pinewoods being designated as an asset of community value. He asks for guidance on the ACV.
Glenn Sharpe, legal officer, says the asset of community value is not "material" to the determination of the application.
2.10pm - Officer outlines expansion proposal
Mr Worthington confirms that the application is a reserved matters proposal — Harrogate Spring Water already has outline approval.
He says the matters for determination today are "layout, landscaping and scale".
2pm - Meeting starts
Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the planning committee, opens the meeting. He says he looks forward to a "respectful debate between members".
Cllr Aldred confirms that he participated in a debate as a town councillor over the council's contract with Harrogate Spring Water. However, he says that it has "no bearing" on the current meeting and he approaches the meeting "with an open mind".
John Worthington, council officer, begins by presenting the case officer's report.
1.50pm - Meeting to start soon
Councillors are due to start the planning committee meeting in 10 minutes.
As a reminder, the North Yorkshire Council case officer has recommended that the expansion plan be approved.
1.35pm - 'Carnival atmosphere' as councillors arrive
It's a carnival atmosphere outside Harrogate Civic Centre as councillors arrive for today's planning committee — which is due to start in around 25 minutes.
Around 100 people are outside the council offices.
1.30pm - Dame Judi Dench objects to expansion
Dame Judi Dench has objected to the expansion of Harrogate Spring Water's bottling plant.
She said:
To destroy Rotary Wood for corporate expansion would be an act of environmental vandalism — erasing a thriving habitat planted by children and nurtured by a community that believed in protecting our future.
I dread hearing that it may still go ahead.
Dame Judi's comments come after she weighed in on the loss of trees for the Ripon Cathedral's £8 million annexe project in September 2024, which you can read about here.
1.20pm - Protesters turn out against expansion
Protestors have gathered outside Harrogate Civic Centre to hold a peaceful demonstration against Harrogate Spring Water's plans.
Campaigners include Save Rotary Wood and rebels from Extinction Rebellion Harrogate.
1.15pm - Welcome
Welcome to our live blog of today’s crunch decision on Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion plans.
Councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee will meet at 2pm at Harrogate Civic Centre to decide on the proposals, which have proved controversial ever since they were submitted five years ago.
The expansion would mean the loss of around 500 trees in Rotary Wood, an area of community woodland planted around 20 years ago and owned by the council.
However, the company, which is owned by French food and drink multinational Danone, says almost 3,000 new trees will be planted to make up for those lost due to the expansion and the scheme will boost jobs and the local economy.
A protester against the plans to build over Rotary Wood.
But, the proposals have been met with opposition from campaigners and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon.
One of the key objections is that the plan would “destroy valuable public green space that forms part of the Pinewoods and wider Harrogate green corridor”.
You can read a full recap of the saga over Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion in our Explainer article here.
Here are the councillors due to be on today's committee:
- Cllr Chris Aldred, chair of the committee
- Cllr John Mann, vice-chair of the committee
- Cllr Philip Broadbank
- Cllr Hannah Gostlow
- Cllr Robert Windass
- Cllr Peter Lacey
- Cllr Paul Haslam
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