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23
Feb
Masham homes scheme recommended for approval
A proposed housing development in Masham has been recommended for approval ahead of a planning meeting next month to decide the issue.
The scheme of 46 homes on the southern edge of the town has drawn plenty of opposition since Loxley Homes (Masham) first applied for planning permission in 2022.
To date, 48 comments have been submitted by the public to North Yorkshire Council’s online planning portal, 45 of them objecting to the plans.
Many of the objections have cited concerns about flooding. The comment posted by Mr Robert Blades is typical. He wrote:
This meadow acts as a natural store for surface water after prolonged spells of rain, it collects in this field and drains away naturally, causing no problems. To interfere with this natural process would be madness.
But a report published by the council ahead of a meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Area Planning Committee on March 3 states:
The proposal has undergone revisions since first submission in respect of site layout, detailed design, house typologies, housing mix, highways and flood risk and drainage. These matters are now sufficiently resolved to make the scheme acceptable.
The development which would be built on fields to the north and south of Swinton Road, would also include a new access, open space and drainage infrastructure.
Some issues remain outstanding, however. The report recommends that committee members be “minded to grant” planning permission, subject to receiving outstanding comments from the council’s tree officer, and prior completion of a Section 106 (S106) agreement.
The S106 proposed includes payments of £105,000 for improvements to various outdoor spaces including The Oaks and Bellfield Gardens Allotments, as well as £88,000 for Masham Town Hall, £53,000 to fund works at Masham Surgery and/or contribute towards new development for the Primary Care Network.
The developer would also pay smaller amounts relating to the scheme’s impact in terms of traffic and biodiversity.
The report also notes:
This application is to be presented to the Planning Committee as it is a sensitive site and raises significant material planning issues. Furthermore, Councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister has an interest in the land as owner of Swinton Park.
Cllr Cunliffe-Lister holds the Masham and Fountains division on North Yorkshire Council for the Liberal Democrats.
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