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06
Aug 2024
New Homes Pannal - we talk to the people who've moved in
This week the Stray Ferret has been on the road finding out who lives in the new housing estates in your area. In this article we spoke to those living in Pannal.
The Stray Ferret has extensively reported on new housing schemes in the district, including major developments in Knaresborough, Ripon and Harrogate. as well the proposed Maltkiln new town near Boroughbridge.
We have investigated what the Labour government’s housing target plan means for the district and covered protests against new builds in the area.
New developments are being built or planned in almost every area in the district and each one is often a bone of contention, the latest being a 224 home development to the west of Harrogate.
The Stray Ferret headed out to speak to some of the people who live in these developments to understand more about who lives in the new homes and what they think of the area.
Previously we spoke to people living in the new estates in Boroughbridge.
On a blazing hot Tuesday afternoon, we chatted with residents at the Jubilee Park estate in Pannal about why they chose to move in and what they think of the area.
The Bellway Homes development, which includes one to five-bedroom houses, is between the train line and the A61.
Jubilee Park
Who lives in the new houses?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many people commute to Leeds from Pannal station and there were many families and first-time buyers.
The development consists of a mixture of housing association, rented homes and larger townhouses.
Jubilee Park in Pannal
Nikita Sakhare, 28, lives with her husband. They moved into their first home two-and-a-half years ago.
She said:
We moved from Guisley, we were first time buyers and noticed that this was a quiet estate in a lovely area, it was an easy decision.
I work in Leeds and shop in Harrogate, we have found the doctors and everything very good.
Phil Higgins, a Harrogatonian who has lived on the estate for three years, works from home. He said: “I really enjoy it here and having the station is great.”
Rob, 33, said he moved to the area three years ago when the estate was built.
He said:
I moved up from London and I have family that live in Knaresborough so I came to be near them, it is my first home and I work remotely in Paris. I find it easy to commute to Leeds and there are some nice walks in Harrogate.
It feels safe and peaceful here, which I think is like Harrogate in general, the worst thing is that it gets really windy because we are in a bit of a valley.
Naomi Hall
Naomi Hall, 50, lives with her husband and daughter in a rented house. The family moved here in March from the centre of Harrogate.
She said:
I have lived in the area all my life. We like it here and we are on the good side of town, we moved because we needed to rent somewhere else.
It has worked out well - I work remotely, my husband works in south Leeds and my daughter is soon to begin at Leeds college.
'People are lovely here'
Retiree Lisa Tully, 52, moved in three years ago and lives with her husband and daughter who is currently at university.
She said they have family nearby and wanted to be near Harrogate, she added:
There are good restaurants in Harrogate and it is really good with the train nearby. We go to Harrogate, Leeds and York often. People are lovely here.
Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith, 43, moved to the area with his family in 2021.
They relocated from Wakefield to be closer to family near Skipton. He said:
I work in Leeds so being near the train is great and the school is very good. We moved because we wanted a change of environment and we moved during Covid, so it was more affordable.
We shop at Sainsbury’s, Aldi and M&S and like going to Knaresborough for days out.
Adam Johnathon and his family have lived on the estate for four years in a housing association home.
Theirs was one of the first houses to be built and he said getting it was “luck of the draw” and that he is “well chuffed” to live in Pannal.
He lives with his partner, their two children who attend the local school, and their dogs.
He said:
We really like it. I am from Harrogate originally and I work in Harrogate, it is good being on the border of town — there isn’t as much traffic. We like it but it is short term, and I am looking to buy next.
A few doors up is the ex-show home, where Andrew Scott, 61, lives with his wife who he describes as “a serial house mover".
The couple initially moved to the estate in 2022, opposite the show home where the now live. Mr Scott said his wife “had designs on the show home from the start” and when the estate was completed, they moved over the road into it.
The pair work from home and Mr Scott has an office in Leeds. He said:
The best thing is the infrastructure, all the buses and trains. Living in Pannal is nice, it is a nice place — we like it here.
Butterskye Way
What did we find out?
The Stray Ferret’s afternoon in Pannal painted a picture of an area in which residents appear to enjoy living on the estate and are impressed by local transport links.
Some people originated from the area or had links to Harrogate; others chose the location for its proximity to the spa town and Leeds.
The area appeals to first-time buyers and families. Retired people, it seems, opt for larger houses away from the train tracks. But those on the estate seemed happy to be part of Harrogate's growing population.
Do you live in a new build house? If so, we’d love to learn about your experience. Comment below to get involved with the conversation.
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