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15
Sept
Harrogate housing scheme details disclosed ahead of public meeting
Taylor Wimpey has provided more information about the 350 homes it proposes to build off Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate.
The housebuilder announced its intention to develop the scheme last month, but details were sparse and even the exact location of the site was unclear.
But in a leaflet sent to local residents ahead of a public meeting this week to discuss the plans, the company has revealed that the houses would be built to the south of Penny Pot Lane, on a 22 hectare (54 acre) site opposite the Queen Ethelburga’s and King Edwin Park developments.
The leaflet says that Taylor Wimpey is proposing to build a mix of homes “suitable for a wide range of people including first homes, family housing and for downsizers”, as well as affordable homes, including social rented properties.
It continues:
The homes would be set around significant open green space including several children's play areas and pocket parks. Landscaping plans will achieve a biodiversity net gain and include sustainable travel routes through tree-lined streets, grasslands and orchards for everyone to enjoy.
The plan for the site.
The proposal is the latest in a long list of developments planned for sites to the west of Harrogate. The so-called “Western Arc” already has schemes – either already built, under construction, or in the pipeline – for another 4,000 homes.
The scale of construction has come in for a lot of criticism, largely from residents who feel that not enough is being done to develop the area’s infrastructure in advance of the new estates.
One of the first comments left on Harrogate Town Council’s Facebook post about Taylor Wimpey’s plans is typical. The resident wrote:
It is all very well to talk about ‘open green spaces, children's play areas and community orchards and plenty of trees’. These cost nothing. Where is the infrastructure like doctors’ surgeries, schools, clinics etc to support the potential influx of 1,000 people?
Taylor Wimpey has not yet applied for planning consent for the development, but says it will apply for outline planning permission “in the near future”. In the meantime, it has applied to North Yorkshire Council for a screening opinion to see if the impact on the site would be significant enough to require an Environmental Impact Assessment.
A representative of Taylor Wimpey will be presenting the company’s plans at a Harrogate Town Council planning meeting from 5.30pm this Wednesday (September 17) at Harrogate Civic Centre.
The meeting is open to the public and there will be an opportunity for public questions and comments.
More information about the development can be found at Taylor Wimpey’s dedicated website.
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