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14
May
Work halts at proposed Killinghall housing site after planning breach reported
Archaeologists exploring in a Killinghall field had to cut short their investigations after being told they were digging too close to protected trees.
The team, from Morley-based Archaeological Services WYAS, is understood to have been working on behalf of Strantec, the agent overseeing a planning application submitted by housebuilder Bellway.
Bellway has applied to build 120 homes on the 6.5 hectare (16 acre) site – a field west of the A61, on the northern edge of the village – and the archaeologists are believed to have been carrying out an archaeological survey, as is usual for sites of that size.
North Yorkshire Council was made aware of the archaeologists’ dig, which was flagged up as “unauthorised excavation” within the rooting zone of trees subject to a tree preservation order (TPO).
In a letter last week to local residents, David Potts, planning enforcement officer for North Yorkshire Council, said it had been alerted to a "possible breach of planning control".
The letter said archaeologists had been “unaware” of the TPO and the potential damage to the rooting areas that could result from digging so close to the trees.
He added:
They apologised for the error.
I advised them to cease works, and the site was visited by North Yorkshire Counci arboricultural officers, who gave advice on the correct method of remediation and backfilling of the trenches close to protected trees.
A methodology was submitted and improved checks implemented by WYAS and agent.
The exploratory trenches have now been filled in as instructed by the council, and no further action will be taken.
It is not known whether anything of historical interest was uncovered by the dig. Archaeological Services WYAS has been contacted for comment.
A masterplan of how the 120-home site could look. Credit: Bellway Homes.
The development proposed by Bellway would consist of 120 homes, 40% of them affordable housing for local people, as well as a “large new area of open space” accessible to residents, "wildlife-friendly planting", and a pond.
The application comes after a public consultation on the proposed development was held in October.
So far, the planning application has attracted 125 public comments, 123 of which are objections.
The case is expected to be decided upon by Friday, May 29.
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