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11
Feb 2021
Rotary Wood 'remains at risk', say Pinewoods group
Campaigners say Harrogate's Rotary Wood "remains at risk" after a senior Harrogate borough councillor said it would be "premature" to comment on a future sale of the site.
There have been calls to protect the wood after Harrogate Borough Council’s 12-person planning committee voted to refuse Harrogate Spring Water's controversial plans to expand its bottling plant, which would have involved the loss of more trees at the woodland.
The company already has outline planning permission to expand into the wood, but applied for a revised application for a bottling plant that was 22% larger than originally agreed.
HBC owns the Harrogate Spring Water site on Harlow Moor Road and leases it back to them.
At last night's full council meeting, Neil Hind, chair of the Pinewoods Conservation Group, asked Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development, if HBC would commit to retaining Rotary Wood "with no plan to lease or sell it" in the future.
In response, Cllr Swift said he was "personally surprised" by the committee's decision to refuse the extension, but added that the reserved matters application still had to be determined.
He said:
He added that should the council decide to lease or sell the site it would "abide by proper procedures", including considering an asset of community value status.
Read more:
Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods expansion refused
Harrogate Spring Water to ‘consider options’ following expansion refusal
Following the meeting, a spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said:
What happens next?
Harrogate Spring Water has already said it will consider its options following last month's decision.
The company could choose to appeal the decision, submit another application or stick with the original outline planning permission obtained in 2016.
If they decide to proceed with the original outline planning permission they need to submit a full application before May, which would again be considered by HBC's planning committee.
In 2015 the Pinewoods was registered as an Asset of Community Value. This would give the local community a chance to buy or lease the site if the council decided they wanted to dispose of it.
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