A controversial Harrogate planning application which has attracted more than 350 objections could be decided this week.

The proposal for 17 new homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank has attracted 364 public comments, all but five of which are against the plans.

A target decision date for the plans, which include a mix of self-build and affordable homes, has been set by North Yorkshire Council for this Thursday.

Objectors have raised concerns about the impact on the Crimple Valley, which is designated a special landscape area (SLA), as well as safety around the entrance to the homes on the A61 Leeds Road.

In documents submitted with the plans, applicants Square Feet Limited and Antela Developments Limited said:

“There are currently no dedicated cycling facilities/routes along the A61 between Pannal and the southern fringes of Harrogate.

“Coupled with that, the existing 50mph speed limit on this section of Leeds Road means that traffic speeds are not particularly conducive to providing a pedestrian/cycle friendly environment – including the Almsford Bank section where the existing overtaking lane only serves to encourage higher traffic speeds.

“This overtaking lane is historic (prior to the by-pass) and is considered to be unnecessary and in an inappropriate urban location, only serving to increase vehicle speeds further as traffic enters a 30mph residential [area].

“Whilst not considered necessary, particularly for a scheme of just 17 dwellings now, the proposed development presents an opportunity to address this infrastructure/accessibility deficiency and assist in encouraging sustainable travel.”

The applicants propose installing a shared pedestrian and cycle path on the footpath on the western side of the A61 going up Almsford Bank, as well as a cycleway on the southbound carriageway going downhill.

They also suggest removing the stretch of 50mph limit along the A61 and maintaining a 40mph limit from Pannal to the top of Almsford Bank, where it becomes 30mph.

However, North Yorkshire Council’s highways department has raised concerns about those proposals, saying traffic is already travelling too fast on the A61.

Its response to the application said the entrance to the site could lead to slow-moving traffic on the A61 as vehicles approach at speed, while introducing cycle lanes could make the road too narrow for large vehicles to pass bicycles safely.

Its statement added:

“Any reduction in capacity on Leeds Road will inevitably lead to more traffic using alternative routes through Burn Bridge, Yew Tree Lane and Pannal Ash Road which are less suitable, predominantly residential, and already congested.”

The red line shows the development area, and the yellow the self-build element, within the blue line of the owners’ land

Other concerns raised by consultees include the practicalities of enforcing any section 106 agreement, which require developers to pay for investment in local infrastructure when building new houses.

They says the inclusion of 10 self-build plots on the site would likely mean there would be multiple developers involved, making such an agreement harder to enforce.

The site, which is not included in the local plan guiding where development should take place, has previously had applications for larger numbers of houses turned down or withdrawn.

Last year, a proposal for 35 homes including 14 self-build plots was rejected by Harrogate Borough Council, after attracting almost 250 people to write in opposition.

Plans for 35 homes submitted in 2019 were withdrawn, as was a scheme for 65 houses put forward in 2018. Each had received more than 100 letters of objection.

Among the 359 letters objecting to the current plans is one from Mike Black, a Pannal resident, who said:

“Here we go again. This is another ridiculous attempt to build a housing development in a special landscape area that is one of the most precious and beautiful areas of countryside on the edges of Harrogate.

“It is highly valued by local communities as an unspoilt green space where you can walk and relax. A housing development will destroy much of this precious resource.

“Not only that, but its location will increase traffic flow at a very dangerous bend on the A61. There have been a number of fatal accidents here already. It is crazy to increase the dangers that already exist.

“Please do not let developers ruin our natural environment. Their gain would be a massive loss to thousands and thousands of people in our local community.”

To view the application, visit the North Yorkshire Council planning website and use reference 23/01082/OUTMAJ.

Read more:

• Residents rally against new Crimple Valley housing plans
• Harrogate school road safety petition handed in to council

A six-week consultation on a neighbourhood plan which will guide development in Pannal and Burn Bridge is underway.

The consultation is the last chance for local people to have their say on how the area around the two villages will be shaped going forward.

The Pannal and Burn Bridge Neighbourhood Plan, which was drawn up by the local parish council shortly after it was created in 2016, is the first such document sent out for consultation by the new North Yorkshire Council.

If approved, it will be considered alongside in all future planning applications — although it can be overruled.

It has already been the subject of local surveys – but this new consultation is the last before it goes for independent examination.

Those surveys aimed to ensure the plan reflects aspirations and concerns and showed that green area conservation was a prime factor, along with the need to address traffic pollution and parking congestion around the school.

Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council chair Howard West said:

“We realise the villages need to grow, but we trust that any future development will be in keeping with the local area.

“We want to retain and cherish the rural character of our villages while still catering for our future employment and residential needs. Village protection is at the heart of this plan and we urge people to make sure they have had their say.”

Read more:

• 200-home Pannal Ash scheme ‘fails to address infrastructure’, say residents
• New book reveals storied history of Pannal and Burn Bridge

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman (pictured above), said:

“Neighbourhood plans are an important part of the planning process, allowing communities to help shape their area and therefore guide future developments.

“North Yorkshire Council has to consult on the plan the parish council has submitted and we are calling on people to express their views before it goes for final examination.”

The consultation runs until Wednesday, May 31. The documents and comment forms are available here and representations can be submitted online.

Alternatively, the comment form can be downloaded and comments sent to PlanPolicy.har@northyorks.gov.uk or Planning Policy, North Yorkshire Council, PO Box 787, Harrogate HG1 9RW.

Updates and information on earlier stages of preparing the plan can be found here.

Residents on the south side of Harrogate are rallying against another application to build housing on the edge of a treasured stretch of countryside.

The Save Crimple Valley group is urging people to object to plans for 17 homes at the bottom of Almsford Bank, just off Leeds Road.

A message put out by the group said:

“If you have already commented on this application in the past, please reaffirm your objections to this development by commenting again.

“This site has already been turned down and applications withdrawn or refused on multiple occasions – but the developers are persistent and will get their way if not stopped. Because this is a new application all previous comments are disregarded.”

Residents say access to and from the site via the A61 would be dangerous, while the housing itself would spoil the area.

The application site includes an area that has been used as stables for many years, but it is not included in the local plan, which guides development across the Harrogate district.

The development boundary in red and housing areas in orange, with the owners’ land outlined in blue

Since plans were published at the end of March, 22 objections have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council. Nearby resident Penny Robinson said:

“It is sad that I find myself having to object to this building plan again. This area has been repeatedly refused planning permission to build on, so it is not clear why this application is even being considered.

“All the reasons stated in the last rejection in November 2022 have not changed… The local plan doesn’t need these houses, they are just a money making venture. The same objections stand as they did since the first application to build several years ago.”

Read more:

• Developers resubmit plan for new homes in Crimple Valley
• Controversial plan for 35 homes in Crimple Valley rejected

The current application by Antela Developments Ltd and Square Feet Ltd is significantly reduced compared to the first, submitted in 2018, for 65 homes. That plan was withdrawn by the applicants, along with an application for 35 homes submitted the following year.

In 2022, a proposal for 35 homes, including self-build plots, was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council.

‘High standard housing’

The latest application is for 10 self-build homes and seven affordable homes. In documents submitted as part of the application, the developers said:

“The form and massing of the new houses will be designed in response to the topography of the site, taking influence from the surrounding context.

“The introduction of self and custom build homes will allow each house to be individually designed but each plot will be set out in response to the natural landform.”

They added:

“The houses will be built to a high standard with quality natural local materials to help integrate within the landscape. It is proposed that traditional principles of rural design will be adopted within the design, with the addition of subtle contemporary details in order to distinguish the new development from earlier buildings within the surrounding context.

“This will ensure continuity of the local vernacular and harmonious integration into the existing setting.”

However, many of those objecting have said they would not accept any number of homes on the site, which they argue is unsuitable for development.

Another local resident, Victoria Draper, wrote:

“We do not want our beautiful, local countryside ripping up to make way for unnecessary, expensive, unsightly houses. We bought our house in the local vicinity so we could enjoy family walks and explore nature with our young daughter.

“The increase in traffic and subsequent danger with additional junctions, on an already extremely busy main road, cannot go ahead. We are such a depleted country in terms of wildlife, we should be trying to increase our natural areas, not reduce them. This cannot go ahead.”

To view or comment on the plans before the deadline of April 23, visit the planning pages of North Yorkshire Council’s website and use reference 23/01082/OUTMAJ.

This story is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law.

A Harrogate lawyer says the enthusiasm of his latest three recruits has transformed the working culture of his firm. 

Andrew Meehan, who is founder and director of Harrogate Family Law, has hired a solicitor apprentice and two paralegals over the last few months to help the firm service an expanding client list. He said: 

“The best thing about them is their enthusiasm. They’ve come straight from school and university and their keen interest in things we take for granted is infectious. They’ve really invigorated the rest of us.” 

At 19, Freddy Wharton is the youngest of the bunch. He was spotted by HFL director Laura Mounsey when she gave a careers talk at St Peter’s School in York, where he was a sixth-former. Recognising his potential, HFL offered him a contract as a solicitor apprentice, and he started the programme in January. 

Andrew said:

“Freddy works four days a week on the job, and does a mix of online and face-to-face learning one day a week at the University of Law in Leeds. He’s mature beyond his years and is doing very well. In six years’ time he’ll qualify as a solicitor with a law degree. It’s a great way to enter the profession.” 

Harrogate Family Law’s two new paralegals are Tija Purandere, who earned a first-class degree in law from the University of Liverpool and took a Masters degree at Durham University, and Charlie Main, who graduated from the University of Leeds last year with a first-class degree and a prize for excellence in European Union law. 

Both started at HFL in November and will complete two years of on-the-job training, passing their Solicitor Qualifying Examinations (SQE1 and SQE2) before being signed off as fully-qualified solicitors by Andrew. 

Andrew said: 

“We find it difficult to find good, trained solicitors who are still in their 20s and want to work in Harrogate. So, we identified fresh talent straight from education and train them the way we want to. 

“When we’re looking for someone new, we look for people who are very bright, personable and empathetic, and Freddy, Tija and Charlie all fulfil that brief very well. 

“Taking them on makes good business sense too. From an internal perspective, it’s reinvigorated the team, and from a client’s perspective, it’s cheaper to have the more routine work done by paralegals rather than by me. Everybody wins.” 

Andrew Meehan founded Harrogate Family Law in 2010. The firm has grown significantly over the last couple of years, almost doubling in size to cope with client demand. The firm is consistently ranked as a leading law firm for divorce and family law in Yorkshire by prestigious legal guides Chambers UK and Legal 500. An office move to bigger premises to accommodate the growing team is planned for the summer. 

Find out more:

When going through divorce, getting the very best legal advice can make a huge difference to your future.

If you think you may benefit from a free telephone consultation with acknowledged experts, call Harrogate Family Law on 01423 594 680. 

Parish councils have called for a halt to plans for a new settlement to the east of Knaresborough until after devolution takes place.

With the hand-over to the new unitary authority now just six weeks away, councillors in the area have asked the new North Yorkshire Council to prevent Harrogate Borough Council from spending any more time or money on its development plan document (DPD).

It follows news last month that one of the key landowners in the area earmarked for a new town near Cattal had pulled out of the plans, leaving question marks over their viability.

In a joint letter, representatives of Kirk Hammerton, Whixley, Green Hammerton, Moor Monkton, and Cattal, Hunsingore and Walshford parish councils asked Cllr Simon Myers, NYCC’s executive member for housing, to “step in”. They wrote:

“The DPD process and the Maltkiln planning proposal have lost all credibility and their time is up. HBC should stop work now and concentrate on making the handover to NYC as orderly as possible.

“The developer should be invited to withdraw its application and an indication given (formally or informally) that, if it insists on pressing for a determination, a refusal is inevitable, in the circumstances…

“Meanwhile, it’s high time NYC stepped in and called time on this, before any more mistakes are made (the consequences of which NYC will inherit).”

HBC’s planning policy manager Natasha Durham this week contacted parish councils in the area to invite them to a meeting next month.

She said work was being done to decide whether the DPD could be delivered on the remaining land.

Read more:

• Parish councils to get update on ‘paused’ plans for new town near Knaresborough
• Maltkiln developer still ‘confident’ in new town near Cattal

NYCC has said work by most of the district councils on local plans and DPDs had been paused until the new unitary authority came into effect, but it had agreed Harrogate should continue with its new settlement DPD because it was at an advanced stage.

However, Kirk Hammerton Parish Council chairman Paul Townsend responded to ask how work on the DPD could continue when the land it was based on could no longer be used.

He wrote:

“Since the circumstances underpinning the NYC executive’s decision to proceed with the DPD in December have fundamentally changed (it is hard to think of anything more fundamental to developing a new settlement than no longer having land on which to build it) how has the executive convinced itself that the DPD should continue?

“Does this mean the statement that work on the DPD has been paused is now out of date? It’s all very confusing for us and our residents.”

Parish councillors have also claimed HBC had previously said it had a “duty to determine” a planning application for the site from Caddick, proposing a new town of up to 4,000 homes to be known as Maltkiln.

The councillors said the plans were being pushed through with undue haste in order to have the whole matter dealt with before HBC is abolished on April 1.

However, the council has strongly denied it ever said it had a “duty to determine” the application.

A spokesperson said:

“In response to requests for information on when the DPD would be submitted, we indicated that we were working towards a target of end of 2022 for submission.

“But in view of the recent change of circumstance, the decision to submit the DPD has been paused, something that we have made the public aware of.

“We have also not changed our position regarding the determination of the Caddick/Maltkiln planning application, once again this is hearsay. Currently, there is no timeline for determination as there are still matters to be resolved.

“The principle of development in this location has been established in the adopted Harrogate District Local Plan. Planning applications are determined in accordance with the development plan and circumstances of the time.”

This article is sponsored by Linley & Simpson.

An exclusive new development of luxury four-bedroom bungalows has gone on the market in the picturesque village of Rainton.

Boasting a cricket club, green and pub, the idyllic rural setting provides the perfect location for Grange Farm.

As village locations remain in huge demand, one property has already been sold.

However, there are two spacious detached homes with double garages remaining, with prices starting from £630,000.

They have been built by Harrogate-based independent developers JWK Developments Ltd.

Plot 1 at Grange Farm Barns, Rainton.

Lucy Collinge, new homes marketing executive at Linley & Simpson, the agent selling the properties, said:

“It is unusual for a development of bungalows to come to the market – particularly as new builds.

“These properties are around 1,800 sq ft. However, they are really energy efficient as they are fitted with air source heat pumps and underfloor heating.

“The specification is high quality with stunning contemporary open-plan fitted kitchens, french doors opening to a private garden and patio and tiled bathrooms and ensuites. There is also a feature oak handrail in the hallway.”

The homes boast a carefully considered layout, with living and sleeping accommodation shared on the ground floor, as well as featuring a principal bedroom to the first floor in a dormer bungalow style.

A bathroom at a similar development in Alne, near Easingwold, by JWK Developments.

A separate sitting room and optional study or snug allows for a second reception room, ensuring that these homes provide for versatile living accommodation.

The ground floor also provides a utility room, cloakroom WC, house bathroom, two further double bedrooms and a single fourth bedroom/study.

Ms Collinge said:

“They also feature large landscaped gardens, which have been planted with crabapple trees and are really pretty. They are very much in-keeping with the village landscape.”

Rainton is a quintessentially English village, nestled between Ripon and Thirsk.

It is close to the junction of the A1 and A168, providing the commuter with options when travelling by car. Central Harrogate and York are 16 and 25 miles to the south respectively and Leeds is 38 miles away.

A kitchen at a similar development in Alne, near Easingwold, by JWK Developments.

For longer journeys, the nearest train station is Thirsk which is just seven miles away. From here, it is possible to catch direct trains to Leeds, London, Manchester Airport, Sunderland and York.

Ms Collinge added:

“Rainton has got a lovely village green and a maypole and it certainly looks the part.

“You’ve also got great transport links on the doorstop giving seclusion without remoteness.

“Rainton really is a stunning village in a fabulous location – the perfect place to buy a new home.”

James Knight, director of JWK Developments, said:

“Grange Farm is a truly unique development and the importance of an energy efficient and sustainable home has been recognised.

“From Mitsubishi air source heat pumps, underfloor heating to the ground floor and electric vehicle charging points, this offers buyers luxury eco-friendly living.”

To enquire about plots 1 and 2 at Grange Farm Barns, call Linley & Simpson on 01423 540054

Plans to create a new business and industrial site on the southern approach to Harrogate could be progressed next week.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet will decide on Wednesday whether to begin speaking to developers to gauge interest in the site.

Allocated for employment use in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, the site lies along the eastern side of the A61 near Pannal. It is between the railway line and Crimple Beck, north of the Mercedes garage and the M&S Food shop at the petrol station.

A strategic sites masterplanning document prepared by consultants BDP and Colliers will be reviewed by the cabinet as part of the decision next week. It says:

“Crimple Valley Viaduct, to the north-east of the site, is a Grade II* listed building.

“Development of the site should minimise harm to the setting of this designated heritage asset and seek to enhance its significance; this should include retaining key views of the viaduct from within the site and from beyond the site through the site.”

An officer’s report summarising the document said the focus of any development should be on “high quality place-making and low carbon development”, referring to the council’s “aspirations for high-tech/high skilled job creation”.

Access to the site would be via public transport or the A61

The consultants’ report suggests the site could be accessed via traffic lights or a roundabout, with pedestrian and cycle access further south to link with bus stops on Leeds Road and the railway station in Pannal.

It says the site could be used for high-tech manufacturing, research and development, or business headquarters. Buildings would be up to three storeys and 5,000m sq in size.

The total office space allocated for the site is 10,000m sq alongside 31,500m sq of industrial space. The report says:

“In order to support the local economy there is a need to provide a range of office, manufacturing and warehousing accommodation from shared spaces to single occupiers.

“There is also the opportunity to include a hub building at the heart of the development that can offer a mix of business space and shared facilities for the business community.

“The site should feel like an extension of the existing community, rather than a gated ‘estate’. Access to the existing right of way along the eastern boundary of the site is to be retained and enhanced with new pedestrian connections through the site and safe crossing points on Leeds Road.”

With the site designed to encourage sustainable travel, one parking space has been allocated for each 40m sq of office space or 50m sq of industrial space.

As well as tree planting through the site, the document suggests a wildflower meadow and attenuation pond could be created to the north of the site, adjacent to Crimple Beck.

The suggested layout, with industrial space in orange and office in brown

The officers’ report acknowledges that any development of the site is likely to take place after Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next spring, when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into effect. It adds:

“Taking into consideration current market conditions/costs and uncertainties around the new strategic objectives of North Yorkshire Council from April 1, 2023, it is currently not clear how much direct involvement the council should or could have in the development of the site.

“Officers therefore recommend the next steps to be engagement in expressions of interest with developers to test market appetite, focussing on high quality place-making and low carbon development.

“This can then inform a future decision about the appropriate level of local authority involvement and timescales for delivery of the site.”

Read more:

• Fears for trees over plans to build 62 houses at Harrogate plant nursery
• Plans to build 72 flats and care home in Harrogate’s Dragon Road car park

The Dragon Road car park in Harrogate could be used to create affordable flats or extra care housing if a proposal is approved next week.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet is set to decide on Wednesday whether to take the next steps in planning for the site’s redevelopment.

The project could see 72 apartments created, including 40% affordable homes, and part of the site could be used to create an extra care facility.

However, officers presenting a report for the cabinet have said the use of the car park to support events at Harrogate Convention Centre will take precedence over any development. They said:

“Given the current HCC investment project, it may be more appropriate to keep the site available for that facility until the full details of the HCC project are finalised. However this needs to be balanced with the development opportunity…

“During the course of the masterplanning study and in response to the market-led challenges, housing officers have expressed an interest in the site.

“They are in the early stages of looking at plans to develop the rear part of the site for either extra care (for which there is an identified shortfall in the district) or affordable housing. This provides an opportunity to maximise grant funding to improve viability.

“Officers recommend further discussions are held with housing colleagues to explore this registered provider led opportunity and consider whether this can be achieved without compromising HIC parking requirements. Officers note that adequate parking for HCC associated vehicles takes primacy over site redevelopment.”

Read more:

• 62 homes set to be built at council’s Harlow Nursery
• Campaigners launch petition to save Bilton’s Knox Lane from housing

The report suggests development of the site would be an opportunity to improve the Nidderdale Greenway entrance to the town centre:

“The masterplan illustrates how a high quality urban residential development could be accommodated within the site. The masterplan proposes three apartment blocks of three storeys that will enhance the character of the site to provide an attractive setting for living and an enhanced gateway to the Nidderdale Greenway.

“The entrance to the site is enclosed by an ‘L’ shaped block to follow the grain of Dragon Road and enclose the route into the site. This is followed by a more regular shaped block, which reinforces the building line and defines the second edge to a green courtyard through which the Nidderdale Greenway passes.

“A third block positioned along the line of the railway replicates the terraced form of adjacent street and creates a buffer to the railway with apartments facing eastward to overlook the greenway.”

It recommends council officers should draw up plans and find a contractor for the work, as well as reporting back on costs and potential sources of funding for the improvements. It also suggests speaking to providers of affordable housing and extra care facilities about the potential of developing the site.

The report recommends speaking to providers about the feasibility of maintaining HCC use of the site for service vehicles during events if it were developed, noting again that adequate parking “takes primacy” over any development.

The proposal suggests access through the site for deliveries to the neighbouring Asda supermarket and to the railway for maintenance would be maintained.

The site is allocated for mixed use in the local plan, but the latest report suggests it is unlikely to be suitable for business development. It said:

“Employment use on this site was discounted early on in the study due to viability constraints and lack of market demand for this location. The masterplan reflects the sustainable, edge of town centre location with a high density apartment scheme.

“[Seventy-two] units are shown including 40% affordable housing. Improvements to the Nidderdale Greenway within the site will provide a welcome entry into Harrogate, much improved from the current provision.

“Access for Asda service lorries is retained through the centre of the site as well as Network Rail access to the railway line. The masterplan assumes the current use of the site as a public and HCC car park is ended, as per the local plan allocation.”

The council’s seven-man cabinet will decide whether to proceed with officers’ recommendations when it meets next Wednesday at 5.30pm. The meeting at the civic centre is open to the public, as well as being live streamed on YouTube.

A section of a busy Harrogate road is to be closed for up to a year to allow work to begin on a 133-home housing scheme.

Kingsley Road will be completely sealed off beyond the junction with Kingsley Drive up to the bridge leading to Bogs Lane.

It means people travelling along Kingsley Road will be unable to get to Bogs Lane without a lengthy 1.4-mile detour on to the main A59 Knaresborough Road.

Pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists, who use the route to get to the bridge going down to the shared off-road walking and cycling route to Bilton, will also be affected.

The bridge leading down to the pedestrian and cycle route.

Jenny Mills, who lives in the area, said

“It will now mean when I take my two little boys for a bike ride or a dog walk I will now have to walk the entire way around Starbeck to get to the cycle track, which is less then 50 metres from my front door.

“The sad part is I meet so many elderly and disabled people on the cycle path for whom the path is a lifeline, basically. Without it they don’t have access to a safe and level walk in the fresh air or to a safe place to walk their dog.

“There’s no way these people will be able to walk the huge distance to get to the cycle path which then leaves them limited options to walk their dogs safely.”

Read more:

• Final approval for 133 Harrogate homes
• Starbeck and Bilton community libraries set for 10-year council deal

North Yorkshire County Council has issued a temporary prohibition of traffic order, which says the closure will come into force on November 7.

The order says “it is envisaged” to last until May 8 next year, but the maximum duration is 12 months.

A map showing the Kingsley Road detour.

Councillor seeks solution

Harrogate Borough Council granted final approval in July for Redrow to build 133 homes on Kingsley Road, in what will be the latest development in the Kingsley area.

Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire County Council, said he planned to hold talks with Redrow to see if access for walkers and cyclists could be maintained for some periods while work is carried out.

Cllr Aldred said the road closure would stop the route being used as a “rat run” by motorists trying to avoid the A59 Knaresborough Road and there were long-term plans to close it permanently to through traffic.

But he said those plans involved maintaining non-vehicular access and he couldn’t see why this couldn’t also be achieved now.

“They won’t be digging for all six months so I would have thought there might be option where pedestrians and cyclists can go up there for maybe five months out of six.”

Harrogate man Rod Findlay takes a minute out of each day to take stock of where he is — working with one of the best views of one of Britain’s finest stately homes, Castle Howard.

Breathtaking as the estate is, with more than 200 listed buildings and monuments set over around 8,800 acres, there is much to do to ensure Castle Howard retains its prestigious reputation for generations to come.

The estate, 15 miles north of York, has been home to the Howard family for 300 years and is rich in history. The Great Fire of 1940 devastated the building decades ago and, more recently, covid has proved hugely disruptive.

Castle Howard’s worldwide reputation, enhanced by its many screen appearances in films such as Brideshead Revisited, meant it relied heavily on international visitors, mainly from China, so covid restrictions hit visitor numbers dramatically.

With every cloud comes a silver lining, though. Covid also made people want to seek out local places of beauty they had previously taken for granted, and the challenge now is to capitalise on that.

Mr Findlay started his career in law before moving into leadership roles in sports such as rugby league, golf and cycling. His current role as chief operating officer and company secretary at Castle Howard presents numerous challenges. He said:

Rod Findlay enjoys nothing more than a walk with his dogs.

“It’s really varied. You know, one day you are talking about Santa Claus and the next day you are talking about the long-term strategic vision for Castle Howard.

“That is interesting to me. We have a really ambitious plan to turn the house around. In the last few years we have done some work to look at the heritage deficit here.

“To look at Castle Howard, it’s a beautiful house but it needs investment.

“The mausoleum on the outskirts of the estate needs £18 million, the house needs £50 million, the gatehouse needs £15 million.

“It is a 300-year-old house so it needs continual investment. This is a long-term vision and requires a major change in our approach as we won’t get that money by putting up the price of scones.”

More than a house

Profit from the estate is invested in areas such as reports, conservation and restoration.

Castle Howard posted a loss of £2.1 million in its 2020 financial year, but recorded a profit the following year of £5.7 million.

A major reason for that quick turnaround was £7.5 million in upwards property revaluation on Castle Howard’s investment property portfolio, which is made up of the estate, residential accommodation and the holiday park.

So if an opportunity arose to expand its property portfolio in areas identified for development in the Ryedale Local Plan, Castle Howard would be keen to get involved.

The estate has bid to develop four areas of its 8,800 acres, which is made up largely of farmland and woodland.

There is, Mr Findlay says, a severe need for housing in the area surrounding the estate:

“We have a waiting list to get into our properties of 180 people. So it’s clear there are a lot of people who want to live and work in the area but they can’t find those opportunities.

“So if we increase the housing stock there’s another benefit as we can invest that money back into the estate, which also benefits the local economy.

“The first job is to get these properties included in the local plan, as it is currently listed as farmland. Then we can start work with a developer to bring them to life.

“We are keen to keep some control over the look and feel of these properties while the developments need to be responsible and sustainable.”

Can Harrogate improve its events?

Mr Findlay, who is originally from Newcastle, moved to Harrogate in 2014.

He has always enjoyed living in the town but the open spaces of Valley Gardens, Crimple Valley and the Stray enhanced his appreciation during covid lockdowns.

Castle Howard is embracing new kinds of events.

Mr Findlay believes the town should embrace more larger events. He said:

“I do think those large events will drive people.

“We certainly have seen that at Castle Howard where, we have attracted visitors we perhaps otherwise wouldn’t get with events like Cafe Mambo, Duran Duran and the Chemical Brothers.

“This attracts a demographic we’re not necessarily seeing. Harrogate shouldn’t shy away from those events, even if the town had a mixed experience like with the UCI.

“People should remember the positive benefits of those large scale events and I feel we should be using our incredible public spaces to that end all year round, weather depending.”

What next for Castle Howard?

Building work began at Castle Howard in 1699 but it took more than 100 years to complete, spanning the lives of three earls.

The estate has seen a lot in that time. While Castle Howard works well as a visitor attraction with around 250,000 expected annually, it’s clear the leadership will not rest on its laurels.

Mr Findlay and his team work for the Howard family, specifically Nicholas Howard and Victoria Barnsley, who are heavily involved in the business and its direction. He said:

“The family wants to make sure this is a place welcoming visitors for many years to come. It’s that long term vision which is important, we are talking about developments we will never see.”

Christmas is coming to Castle Howard.

There are lots of reasons to visit Castle Howard this year with Stately Superstitions: Eerie Encounters at the Castle from October 21 to 31 and Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas from November 12 to January 2.