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11
Dec
New 1,100-home development proposed in Harrogate district
A land agent has made initial moves towards submitting plans to build 1,100 homes on the edge of the Harrogate district.
Hallam Land has identified Tockwith Airfield for the development, which would also include a primary school, a convenience store, health centre, community hub and sports pitches.
The location is within 600 metres of the site of the Battle of Marston Moor, where more than 4,000 people died in 1644.
Hallam Land has submitted a scoping opinion to North Yorkshire Council to determine whether the development would require an environmental impact assessment as part of the planning process.
No formal planning application has been submitted at this time.
The scoping opinion says Hallam Land “have secured contractual agreements with all landowners across the site, meaning the full site has a simple, robust ownership position which would allow development to come forward at the site without any undue delay”.
It adds:
“At this stage, it is anticipated that the build out period for the proposed development will be circa 13 years, and for construction to commence in early 2029. It is therefore anticipated that the construction period will reach completion in 2042.”
The proposed site in Tockwith.
'They are testing the water'
Councillor Arnold Warneken, chair of Tockwith Parish Council, said it had held initial talks with Hallam Land and stressed that things were at a very early stage.
He added it was part of North Yorkshire Council’s recent call for sites, in which it invited proposals for land that could be developed as part of its ongoing bid to draw up a new local plan outlining where development can take place.
Cllr Warneken, who is also the Green councillor for Ouseburn on North Yorkshire Council, said:
This is an extremely tentative enquiry. They are testing the water based on local government guidelines and the national planning policy framework.
We have to accept that this kind of enquiry from opportunist land promoters is going to happen on a regular basis.
The development would be close to the proposed new settlement Maltkiln, where 3,000 homes could be built.
Tockwith is 10 miles from Knaresborough and 12 miles from Boroughbridge.
Cllr Warneken said 1,100 homes would double the size of Tockwith. He added the village primary school was already “bursting” and required portable cabins and any development needed to be sustainable and meet public transport needs.
Early concerns
Harrogate and Dales Bridleway Group has already raised concerns as part of the council’s public consultation on the scoping opinion.
Its response said:
“Any development of this scale will add significantly to the weight of motorised vehicular traffic, thus increasing the risk to vulnerable road users such as horse riders and cyclists. Should this be approved then the development needs to include off road links for horse riders, cyclists and walkers to access the public path network."
Northern Gas Networks has said it has no objections.
Tockwith Airfield, previously known as RAF Marston Moor, opened as an RAF base in 1941 and was an operational airfield throughout the Second World War and continued to be used by the RAF until 1949.
The site is now used for commercial uses, including driving experiences.
The proposed development site includes two former tarmac runways, hardstanding, agricultural land and areas of grass land.
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