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14
May
The leader of Ripon City Council is to call for a decision on whether to allow 1,300 homes to be built in the city to be deferred today.
Government agency Homes England has applied to redevelop Ministry of Defence land in the north-west of the city, between Clotherhome Road and Kirkby Road,
North Yorkshire Council's strategic planning committee, which adjudicates on large applications, has been recommended to approve the scheme when it meets at 10am this morning.
Cllr Williams warned the plans would lead to "traffic chaos" and the "destruction" of key military heritage sites. He said it would be premature to make a decision until these issues are resolved.
Cllr Williams, who also represents Ripon Minster and Moorside on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret:
Cllr Williams added:
The 98-page report by council case officer Kate Broadbank recognises the significance of Ripon's military heritage. It says "Deverell Barracks has extensive heritage significance" and that the demolition of buildings, such as a 1939 military camp and training bridges "represents the most severe harm to significance as it and most of the components within it will be lost".
One of the bridges.
The report talks about including measures such as a "public art strategy reflecting the history of the barracks" and installing interpretation boards with details about the site's military history but adds "it is not possible to require assets to be retained".
The lack of guarantees has heightened Ripon Military Heritage Trust's concerns that key military sites will be bulldozed.
The trust said in a statement it was only informed of the recommendation six days before the meeting, even though it had been talking to North Yorkshire Council and Homes England about the military concerns for 15 months.
The statement said:
The meeting is due to be broadcast on the council's YouTube channel here at 10am.
The Stray Ferret is backing Ripon Military Heritage Trust’s campaign to save key military heritage sites at Clotherholme, as reported here. Please join the campaign and sign the petition here. If it gets 500 signatures it will be debated by North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee.
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