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11
Sept 2023
Knaresborough Town Council calls for 138-home scheme to be rejected
Knaresborough Town Council has called for a scheme to build 138 homes alongside a site of special scientific interest to be rejected.
Hay-a-Park gravel pits is regarded as an important breeding site for goosander ducks and protected Canada geese.
Plans have been submitted to build the homes on two fields currently used for grazing on the other side of Water Lane to the gravel pits.
Hay-a-Park gravel pits
In its submission to North Yorkshire Council, which will decide whether to allow the scheme, the town council said:
The town council listed 15 reasons for declining the scheme, which include concerns about land contamination on the former landfill site and pressure on local GPs and schools.
It also said:
A petition started by Andy Bell, a Liberal Democrat town councillor whose ward includes the proposed development, has attracted more than 500 signatures, which qualifies it to be debated by North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, which advises the Conservative-controlled council.
Cllr Bell said there had been six housing developments within about a 15-minute walk of Water Lane in the last five years and his main concerns about the latest proposal were the suggested access route through a housing estate and the proximity to the SSSI. He said:
A footpath goes across the site.
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, has 'called in' the application, which means it will be determined by elected councillors on the planning committee rather than by an unelected council officer.
Cllr Walker told the Stray Ferret he had concerns about the SSSI, access and the design of the scheme.
He added calling in the application would enable it to be "fully scrutinised by council members in an open forum".
Fields to housing? Dave Worner's current view from home.
Dave Worner, whose home overlooks the proposed site, said:
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Site allocated for planning
Previous plans for 218 homes and 148 homes on the fields have been rejected.
However, the site is situated within the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where local development can take place.
A planning statement sent to the council by Cunnane Town Planning on behalf of applicant Geoffrey Holland, said the scheme would create 138 homes with associated access, parking, open space and a children’s play area.
How the scheme would look.
Because the site is in the local plan, it says the principle of development has been established and "there are no material considerations which would indicate that the development plan should be set aside" and "therefore planning permission should be granted for the scheme without delay".
A design and access statement by Haines Phillips Architects sent to the council said:
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