4,000-home Maltkiln scheme facing fresh land ownership headacheMaltkiln plans to be scrutinised at Harrogate public hearingMaltkiln developer updates proposals for 4,000-home settlementResidents react to revised Maltkiln plans

Residents have been urged to give their views on revised plans for a new town the size of Thirsk seven miles from Knaresborough.

Yorkshire developers Caddick Group, which applied for outline planning permission in 2019, plans to build up to 4,000 homes near Kirk Hammerton, Cattal and Green Hammerton.

Caddick held a public consultation at Kirk Hammerton Village Hall on Tuesday (May 7) to share its updated plans for the settlement known as Maltkiln.

The town will include affordable and eco-friendly houses, as well as two primary schools, a mixed-use local centre, a sports hub and green spaces.

The changes announced included moving the site boundary to the north east and east to provide access into the first phase of development from the A59.

The two roundabouts proposed to access the site have also been moved, with one on the east and one on the west of the site along the A59.

The amended locations of the two roundabouts. Pic: Maltkiln Consultation

There is also set to be an additional new road bridge over the railway line on the eastern edge of the site.

The firm added plans for the mixed-use local centre had extended east of Station Road and north of the railway station. In addition, the proposed location of the northern primary school has been amended.

Caddick also said delivery of the development will now start with a first phase in the north east and continue in a clockwise direction.

The revised plans and key. Pic: Stantec / Maltkiln Consultation

The scheme has faced backlash from some nearby residents since its inception and progress remains uncertain since the council threatened to compulsory purchase land for the new town.

Rural feel

The Stray Ferret attended the consultation event to speak to residents and Caddick representatives.

Kirk Hammerton resident James Browne (pictured above) told us people needed to have a “balanced approached” to the proposal.

He said:

“I share others’ concerns. I hope the amount of tension around the development means that things will be done in the right manner and not disrupt the rural feel around here.”

Mr Brown told the Stray Ferret he hopes, if the development goes ahead, there would be “benefits to amenities, cyclists, roads, shops and education” in what is a relatively “isolated area”.

He added:

“I’m hoping if it does go ahead, it would be delivered sympathetically, but once plans are approved, would it just become a case of delivering sheer volume?”

People at the consultation event.

Sue Husband, another nearby resident, questioned whether the potential number of houses was “really necessary”.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We do need some housing – I get that. My preference is that it’s ecological housing that supports climate change, rather than just luxury homes. We also need a wider community. But do we actually need this number of houses?

“If the plans were to create a small village and there was the potential to expand it gradually, I think people would be able to accept it more. But because it’s this big, sudden expansion people can’t necessarily adjust to it.”

Ms Husband also said she would “consider moving house” if the plans were approved. She added:

“I moved here because it’s so peaceful and quiet.”

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Infrastructure fears

The Stray Ferret also contacted Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, Arnold Warneken, about the new plans.

He said the “biggest concerns from residents in his inbox” included the infrastructure of the existing roads and drainage systems.

Cllr Warneken said:

“People feel there could, in reality, be thousands of additional cars around the settlement and they are concerned about the existing road networks.

“They’re also worried about existing sewage systems. Residents have contacted me to say they don’t feel the sewage system can cope as it is, let alone with new houses being built.”

Cllr Warneken said residents also expressed concerns about a GP practice not being included in phase one of the development process, particularly as Springbank Surgery in Green Hammerton is “already oversubscribed”.

Developer wants community to ‘shape masterplan’

The consultation comes after North Yorkshire Council submitted the Maltkiln development plan document to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for independent examination.

People now have the opportunity to give feedback on Caddick’s revised plans.

Chris Procter, director at Caddick Group, said in a statement:

“We’re particularly keen for communities in the area to shape key areas of the masterplan, including the design of the local centre, as well as the upcoming residential design code.

“All the information for the consultation is available on the Maltkiln website and we would really like people to get involved and give us their views. All feedback will be analysed and considered as part of our application for the first stage of the project, which we are anticipating submitting later this year.”

You can give your view on the refreshed plans and leave feedback here until Friday, May 27.

Councillor ‘absolutely amazed’ Maltkiln landowner able to pull out

A councillor whose division could be transformed by thousands of new homes says he is “absolutely amazed” that a landowner was able to pull out of the Maltkiln scheme at the 11th hour.

Last week, Harrogate Borough Council revealed a landowner had decided against selling a parcel of land that would have formed part of a 3,000 to 4,000-home settlement called Maltkiln.

The potential town, which includes two primary schools, would be built off the A59 towards York near the villages of Cattal, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.

The news came as a blow to Wetherby-based Caddick Group, which has been developing plans for several years.

The developer called the decision by the landowner “regrettable” but said it was confident the scheme would continue.

The broad location for Maltkiln is allocated for development in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which maps out where housebuilding can take place.

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Planning permission for Maltkiln is yet to be granted but a development plan document has been painstakingly prepared by the council over the last two years and was close to being submitted to the government for approval.

The council has said work on the development plan has now been “paused”.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn division on North Yorkshire County Council, described the situation as “a bit of a mess”.

Cllr Warneken told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“How did Harrogate Borough Council and the developer not tie-up people to legal agreements for the sale of land? I’m absolutely amazed they didn’t tie-up all these options.

“They are back to the drawing board and I wouldn’t want to be paying for this. The development plan document goes back on hold and will need to be redrafted. It almost starts again.”

Cllr Warneken said he understood the parcel of land formed a significant part of the overall masterplan.

He described an initial celebratory mood in the affected villages after the council released its statement, with residents hoping it could throw the whole project into doubt.

Now the dust has settled, he fears it could mean the developer will have to reduce its ambitions for the scheme in order to make it financially viable. 

He said:

“The viability will have to be adjusted and could mean a change in the nature of properties. There might be higher density, bigger properties, and they could build one primary school instead of two. I wanted this to be an ecologically exemplar development but I’m concerned they will chip away at that.”

Responding, a spokesperson for Caddick Group said:

“It is usual for landowners to want differing terms when entering into agreements to sell their land and all such agreements are only for a specific period. In this particular case, the family concerned were previously willing to sell but wished to limit their legal agreement to a shorter period of time than the other landowners and subsequently decided not to extend or renew their agreement.

“Our proposals include innovative approaches to reducing both energy and vehicle use which will still apply to an updated new settlement boundary, which will also now incorporate a significant element of renewable energy generation.

“We are now in the early stages of reviewing our draft masterplan for Maltkiln in consultation with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, both of which will need to decide how best to advance the new settlement from this point on.

“Once we know how the councils wish to approach the change in land area, and we have explored how our proposals could be best aligned with their intended process, we will engage with the community and key stakeholders once again.”

Maltkiln developer still ‘confident’ in new town near Cattal

The developers behind a planned new town of up to 4,000 homes said they “remain confident” the project will go ahead, despite one of the landowners pulling out.

Caddick Group, which has submitted plans for a settlement called Maltkiln near Cattal, said it is continuing to work with other landowners and local authorities on the project.

It comes after Harrogate Borough Council announced yesterday it was “pausing” its work to submit a development plan document (DPD) to the Secretary of State for a new settlement in the area because one of the pieces of land was no longer available.

A spokesperson for Caddick Group said:

“As with most large and complex developments, the proposed new settlement at Maltkiln involves several landowners and we have been working with them for a number of years.

“It is regrettable that one of the landowners has now expressed their intention to withdraw their support for the development. However, we continue to have positive relationships with the other landowners and we remain confident that development can progress in accordance with the policy objectives of Harrogate Borough Council’s Development Plan Document for the new settlement.

“The Maltkiln site was established as the preferred option by Harrogate Borough Council based on its location, accessibility and relative freedom from constraints.

“In parallel with the council’s DPD process, we have undertaken thorough community and stakeholder consultation as part of defining our proposals to deliver much needed new housing and associated amenities for this part of North Yorkshire.

“We intend to continue a positive dialogue with all the landowners in the vicinity of our site and any updated proposals will be publicised after we have discussed with the borough and county councils how the amended site area may best be developed in accordance with the proposed DPD.”

Caddick put forward plans last year for two primary schools, a GP surgery and shops as part of its proposal. It also said the homes would be built to “very high environmental standards” with communal air and ground source heat pumps, solar power generation and electric vehicle charging points in every home.

Several “mobility hubs” are planned to offer fast charging for vehicles as well as repairs and storage for e-scooters and bicycles, and flexible working spaces available to hire.

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Cllr Arnold Warneken, whose Ouseburn division includes the proposed site, said he was concerned that changes to the land available could impact the viability of the whole development.

The Green Party councillor said he was “not surprised” one of the landowners had pulled out, as any of them could be considering other uses for their land that might be “more viable”. He added:

“I’m not surprised but I’m concerned about the impact that might have on the rest of the development.

“My concern is that the viability would be an excuse for changing the specification to not being an exemplar for carbon neutrality and so on. At some point, we could end up with a developer wanting a standard housing estate.”

Cllr Warneken said he would work to bring together all the affected parish councils in the area again to discuss any changes to the proposals as a result of the piece of land being withdrawn.

Developer proceeds with ‘unseemly’ Maltkiln event in mourning period

The developer behind a proposed new Harrogate district town of up to 10,000 people are proceeding with a consultation event today despite calls for it to be deferred.

Caddick Group is holding a public drop-in event at Green Hammerton Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area and include up to 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

But some councillors and residents feel the event should be postponed until after the Queen’s mourning period ends.

Cattal train station would be at the heart of the new development.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have postponed meetings this week.

Paul Townsend, a member of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council, questioned whether it was appropriate for the event to proceed. He said:

“The guidance we have been given as parish councils is that it is expected that non-urgent business should be deferred until after the period of national mourning.

“I have therefore informed the scheme promoters that Kirk Hammerton parish councillors will not be attending the event in their official capacity.”

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Today’s event is not part of any official consultation process. Harrogate Borough Council, the planning authority, is expected to open an official consultation next month.

Local resident Alex Smith said:

“It feels unseemly right now even to be drawn in to a debate about whether or not this event should go ahead. I think many residents were just assuming Caddick would postpone it out of respect — and also out of a professional concern to have an effective consultation, with residents’ full attention.

“Volume developers aren’t renowned for their sensitivity, and if Caddick have pressing commercial reasons to hold this event right now, however compromised it might be and whatever the optics — they’re within their rights to do.”

‘Cancelling now would cause confusion’

A spokesman for Caddick said it was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the Queen’s death, adding:

“In line with government guidance on the period of national mourning, which was published on Friday, we decided that the correct course of action is to continue with our consultation event.

 

“To cancel this at very late notice would risk causing confusion amongst the 1,250 residents and businesses we have written to in the local area, and it is important that we conclude this specific consultation process well before Harrogate Borough Council consults on their draft development plan document in October.

 

“However, we can confirm that we will extend the duration of the consultation period by two days, to midnight on September 21. In addition, as part of our ongoing application and engagement with the local community we are always ready to discuss our proposals and receive comments regarding these.

 

“We updated politicians and stakeholders advising them as to our decision to proceed with the consultation, on Friday 9th September. We have been absolutely committed to consulting fully on our proposals throughout this process and are constantly reappraising what we need to do as a business to ensure the widest variety of views can be heard.

 

“If we receive any requests to meet separately with stakeholders, then we will of course consider those and seek to arrive at a suitable outcome. It is of course a difficult time for many and we will further review our approach as the consultation progresses.”

 

 

 

 

New Harrogate district town could have up to 4,000 homes

The planned new town for the Harrogate district could have up to 4,000 homes — 1,000 more than previously indicated.

The town, called Maltkiln, will be based around Cattal train station and is likely to have a higher population than that of Boroughbridge and Pateley Bridge combined. But its precise size has yet to be determined.

The Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, said the new settlement would provide ‘at least 3,000 homes’.

Most coverage since has referred to the 3,000 figure but a new press release by property developer Caddick Group, announcing plans to consult with residents, says the site could have ‘up to 4,000 homes’.

Cattal station

Asked to clarify the number, Caddick said in a statement to the Stray Ferret that its outline application in 2019 also referred to ‘up to 4,000 homes’, adding:

“There are advantages of a larger settlement in terms of its ability to deliver and sustain a range of new infrastructure such as schools, shops and healthcare facilities.

“Our proposals would deliver new homes at a similar rate to that envisaged in the Local Plan but over a longer period of around 25 years.”

Caddick is consulting with residents and stakeholders before submitting updated proposals for Maltkiln to Harrogate Borough Council, which will determine the number of homes permitted.

The developer is holding a public exhibition at Green Hammerton village hall on Monday next week. It is also mailing leaflets to more than 1,000 properties in the area and has created an online portal for consultation responses.

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Besides the new homes, Caddick’s plans include a local centre with retail, community and health facilities, two primary schools and employment space, centred on Cattal station.

It said:

“Maltkiln will offer a wide range of housing types for sale and rent, including family homes, starter homes, affordable homes, and homes for older people.

“This wide mix of residents means that the new homes would have differing occupancy levels, but based on a completed settlement of up to 4,000 homes we estimate there could be between 8,000 and 10,000 residents.

“This would help to address the acute shortage of housing of all types within the area and it is important to note that if outline approval is given, it will still be several years before development can begin and the population will then grow gradually in phases.”

Land in Cattal earmarked for development

It said its plans would provide “safe and convenient walking and cycling routes”, which will reduce the reliance on cars and “financial support for new and extended bus routes”.

Caddick added:

“The proposals include new bridges over the railway line and the removal of level-crossings, which will also allow for operational improvements on the Leeds-Harrogate-York railway line.

“Improvements are also earmarked for the A59, replacing dangerous junctions.”

Chris Procter, from Caddick, said:

“We’ve carefully considered the feedback provided to date and arrived at proposals we believe will address an acute need for housing in this part of North Yorkshire, whilst incorporating a raft of community, transportation, and environmental innovations which we believe will make Maltkiln a great place to live and work.

“We have worked with residents and stakeholders from across the region for a number of years and are very encouraged by the way the Maltkiln development has taken shape to date.

“Being a company with its roots in the immediate area, we are truly committed to bringing an exceptional scheme to life and this latest round of community consultation holds the key for helping us do just that.”

Preparation for Maltkiln began in 2018, when Gillespies, supported by Cushman & Wakefield and Vectos, was commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council to develop a concept framework for the delivery of a new settlement within the broad location.