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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.

Government inspector to assess plans for new town in Harrogate district

Plans to build a town the size of Thirsk in the Harrogate district are to be assessed by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

North Yorkshire Council said in a media release today it had submitted its draft new settlement development plan for Maltkiln to the inspectorate for independent examination.

The settlement, for a minimum of 3,000 homes, would be centred on Cattal rail station 10 miles east of Harrogate. Nearby villages, including Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton and Whixley, would be affected. The settlement would be built by developers Caddick Group.

The draft plan gives a broad 30-year vision for Maltkiln and a policy framework to guide how it is developed. However, many residents have concerns about the lack of detail that has been released so far.

They have also expressed concerns of feeling “bullied and threatened” after the council threatened to compulsory purchase land for the scheme after a disagreement with a landowner.

Cattal Station

‘Acute need for housing’

Nic Harne, the council’s corporate director of community development, said:

“We are acutely aware of the need for more housing across the whole of North Yorkshire to meet the demand for homes so that people can choose to live in the communities that they wish to.

“The Maltkiln development is a major scheme and is aimed at addressing the housing needs in the area.

“We have now submitted documents for the independent examination, and we will wait for the inspector’s comments to see how we can then hopefully progress the development.”

The draft plan, as well as accompanying evidence and consultation responses, will now be examined by an independent inspector to assess whether it has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements and if it is ‘sound’.

In most cases the examination will include hearing sessions which are held in public. The inspector will determine the appropriate format for these sessions.

At the end of the examination, the inspector will send a report to the council recommending whether or not it can adopt the plan, and if any modifications are needed.

Today’s statement said Maltkiln would be “heavily themed around sustainability and the environment and is set to provide local amenities and facilities alongside the new homes, as well as extensive areas of open space and landscaping”.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party member who represents Ouseburn on the council, said:

“I want to stress to residents that if they made representation to the inspector on the original document they have a right to comment on this amended document.

“I still have serious concerns about its deliverability and viability, relying on including land that is not available and thus using compulsory purchase orders is fundamentally wrong.

“There is still no agreement with Network Rail which is required to make this so called exemplar in sustainability and environmental terms.”

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