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04
Nov
Pannal and Burn Bridge gets neighbourhood plan to prevent ‘urban spread’ from Harrogate
The parish of Pannal and Burn Bridge is to get a neighbourhood plan after residents voted overwhelmingly in favour.
Neighbourhood plans were introduced by the government in 2011 to give communities a greater say in decisions that affect them, especially planning.
The process in Pannal and Burn Bridge, which includes Walton Park, got underway in 2018 and restarted after covid in 2021.
At a referendum on October 3 this year, 95.7% voted ‘Yes’ and 4.3% voted ‘No’ in response to the question, ‘Do you want North Yorkshire Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Pannal and Burn Bridge to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’. The turnout was 23%.
North Yorkshire Council’s ruling executive is expected to agree tomorrow (November 5) to formally adopt the plan at the next full council meeting in Northallerton on November 13.
The 112-page plan, written after a series of focus groups overseen by a steering group set up by Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, reflects local concerns and aspirations from now until 2035.
The second line of the plan’s foreword says the process began “so that as a parish we can keep our identity and separation from the urban spread of Harrogate”.
It adds: “It was very apparent that green space conservation was vital to our plan” and says it hopes “any future development will be proportionate and in-keeping with the local area”.
The plan aims to prevent 'urban spread'.
Neighbourhood plans are statutory documents, which means North Yorkshire Council must make decisions that affect Pannal and Burn Bridge in accordance with the plan “unless material considerations indicate otherwise”.
Cathy Burrell, who succeeded Howard West as chair of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council in December and also chairs the steering group, said the plan would help to “protect the village identity”.
The more development that goes on in the Leeds Road area, the more we get sucked into Harrogate. We live here because we are a village and there is that green space. There will always be new housing, but this is about trying to make sure it fits in with the identity of the village.
Ms Burrell said the process had been helped by “phenomenal” consultant Mike Dando and sending those involved on training courses. She said the £18,000 overall cost had been paid for by grants and urged any other parishes embarking on the process to hire a consultant.
Ripon and Roecliffe and Westwick have a neighbourhood plans; Knaresborough, Harrogate and Masham, and other smaller parishes, are in the process of drawing them up.
You can read report to councillors on the executive ahead of tomorrow’s meeting about the plan here.
What’s in Pannal and Burn Bridge’s plan?
The plan supports the creation of a ‘park and stride’ scheme on land to the rear of the Church of St Robert of Knaresborough, to alleviate Main Street parking problems at school drop-off and pick-up times.
This would be supported by the provision of a new footpath, incorporating the River Crimple footbridge, from Harrogate Ringway to Pannal Community Park
It calls for more electric vehicle charging points,
The plan designates 10 local green space areas and says ‘development on these areas will not be supported except in very special circumstances that justify the development’. They include Allen Wood, Pannal village green and Pannal Cricket Club.
It adds land at Almsford Bridge ‘presents an opportunity for new open space, providing for riverside biodiversity/nature conservation with associated sensitively-designed public access’.
The full plan can be viewed here.
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