A residents’ group has called on Harrogate Borough Council to postpone a decision on a controversial 200-home development just hours before a decision is due.
The council’s planning committee is scheduled to consider tomorrow the redevelopment at the former police training centre in Pannal Ash.
A report to councillors recommends deferring and approving the plans subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement, which covers the infrastructure costs of developments.
However, Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association claims several people who objected to the plans were not told about tomorrow’s planning meeting and that nobody from the group has been invited to speak against the plans.
A spokesperson for HAPARA told the Stray Ferret there has been a “severe breakdown” in the planning process and called on the council to postpone a decision to give them more time to prepare.
They said:
“It is clear there has been a severe breakdown in the planning process with seemingly a number of those raising concerns not being invited to speak or being made aware that this application was even on the agenda. This is clear breach of the council’s standing orders.
“We note that the council’s own ecology report was submitted at the last minute that also raised questions on the net loss of ecology regarding this application. This needs further scrutiny.
“We’ve requested urgent confirmation from the council as to what may have gone wrong here and seeking assurance such an omission will not be repeated.
“In this case we feel that the council has no option but to postpone and defer this application to a future meeting so we can review documents as per the normal process and prepare properly for the planning committee.”
Harrogate Borough Council previously approved plans to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site in 2018.
But a new proposal, submitted in November by Homes England, aims to increase the number of homes to 200 despite concerns about “unjustifiable planning creep” and the removal of a football pitch in order to build more homes.
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Parameters Plan
The former police training centre is on Yew Tree Lane.
Following a recommendation from the government’s planning inspector, the council is currently developing a parameters plan for the western side of Harrogate, where 4,000 more homes are mooted including at the police training centre.
The plan will look at transport and infrastructure needs for the area. It was expected last year but has been delayed.
The spokesperson for HAPARA said they received assurances from the council that no new developments would be considered in the area until the plan had been agreed.
They added:
“The parameters plan is still some way away so disappointing that this commitment has not been met without any consolation or discussion.”
The council did not respond to the Stray Ferret’s questions on the matter.
But its report to councillors ahead of tomorrow’s meeting says:
“The potential impact of the development (together with other developments around Harrogate) on local infrastructure and the surrounding road network has been fully considered and appropriate mitigation is proposed.
“The proposals are considered compliant with the overarching policies of the development plan and national requirements. The proposed development will make a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need.”
