Revived plans to build eight flats off Stockwell Road in Knaresborough look set to be refused.
Paul Franklin applied to demolish an existing property at 13 Stockwell Road and build six two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom flats on the site and adjoining land. Parking and landscaping would also be included.
North Yorkshire Council case officer Emma Walsh has recommended councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee refuse the application when they meet next week.
Mr Franklin submitted plans to the council last year for nine flats on the plot. But those plans were withdrawn after about 30 residents and Knaresborough Town Council objected, citing concerns the development would be “overbearing and will overlook neighbouring properties”, create parking problems and increase congestion.
The Stray Ferret has followed the issue closely and met residents on site in June last year to hear their concerns and to seek Mr Franklin’s response.
He told the Stray Ferret at the time the scheme would “provide local people a quality and sustainable place to live and enjoy Knaresborough”.
In its response to the consultation on the latest plans, the town council said it “sees no reason to change its objections from the previous applications at this site”.
It added:
“The increase in traffic from this site will have a negative impact on the overall traffic in the area and impact on parking around the St Margaret’s area that already experiences difficulties.”
Ms Walsh’s report said the site is within the development limits of Knaresborough but added the apartment block would be “visually cramped due to the limited width of the site, between St Margaret’s Road and St Margaret’s Gardens”.
It said:
“The development would appear as a visually incongruous addition to the street scene which does not respect the pattern of development.”
The land where the flats would be built.
The report also cited concerns about how close the building would be to neighbours’ homes on St Margaret’s Road and St Margaret’s Gardens as well as “an unacceptable impact on highways safety”.
The report concluded:
“The scale, form and massing of the development would fail to adequately safeguard the character of the street scene.”
Twenty-seven letters of objections were sent to the council.
Councillors on the Liberal Democrat-controlled planning committee will decide whether to accept Ms Walsh’s recommendation when they meet at the Civic Centre in Harrogate on Tuesday, May 7.
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Town centre living: a welcome trend for Harrogate?
Barely a month passes without a new planning application to create flats in Harrogate town centre.
This week we reported on plans to turn the offices on the first, second and third floors of 5 Cambridge Road into three flats.
Planning permission has been previously granted to create flats in buildings that used to host the Kings Club strip club and the main post office, among others. And, in a few weeks, the former River Island unit on Cambridge Street, will open as Trinity House, a 14-flat development incorporating retail units. It’s hard to think of a more central location.
Town centres are changing from places to shop to places to live — and Harrogate appears to be at the forefront of the trend. Is this good or bad, and what challenges does it present?
The former Kings Club
The Stray Ferret sat down this week with Tariq Shah, chief executive of Vigo Group, the property developer behind Trinity House, and Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, to discuss the trend and whether it posed a threat to retail.
Mr Shah, whose company is based in Doncaster, said Harrogate was particularly attractive to developers because it was seen as a desirable place to live and has good transport connections, which lessened the need for cars in town centres.
He said Harrogate had reasonable short-term accommodation for tourists and conference centre delegates but a shortage of town centre flats for living, adding:
“Harrogate is a town centre in transition. We are seeing more people from outside Harrogate wanting to come here.
“Trinity House has attracted more interest than any other scheme we have done. We would like to do more here.”
Cambridge Street
Trinity House flats will be marketed from £300,000 and although a nice town centre pad might suit some people, what impact will it have on retailers and on people who live here who regard the town centre predominantly as somewhere to shop?
The BID is funded by town centre businesses but Mr Chapman is not opposed to the change.
He said:
“A collaborative approach with landlords and developers is key. If people are willing to put something back into the community then we welcome it. Where I struggle is if buildings are owned by offshore investors, like Debenhams.
“Every town has probably had too much retail space for a long time. It’s an emerging trend but there needs to be a long-term vision for the town centre.”
Besides the 14 upper floor flats, Trinity House includes the existing Body Care shop and has additional room for a storage facility or small dance or yoga studio, as well as a kiosk space for a start-up business wanting a town centre presence.
Mr Shah said his company had agreed to improve lighting at the rear of the building, put up security cameras and create an internal bin storage area to improve safety and appearance and reduce the risk of vermin and fire. He said these were examples of the firm’s commitment to town centre improvement as well as profit.
He added having more people milling around at night added to the vibrancy and created “natural surveillance” at night in empty town centre streets where some people feel unsafe.
Mr Chapman said many of the units being converted to flats were first and second floor offices that had been unused for years, adding:
“If you have spaces that people live in and take pride in, it has to be better than having them crumble away.”
Despite his overall positivity, Mr Chapman said there was probably a ceiling on the trend and there were dangers. For example, he said converting ground floor retail units on the fully occupied James Street to flats “would be seen as a threat”.
Mr Chapman said the system of determining business rates needed reviewing to adapt to the trend, which he said would see an increasing shift towards “experiential activities” in town centres. He added:
“Whether it’s a cool independent retailer or axe throwing, people will want to experience something in town centres.
“Harrogate needs to be forward thinking and unique.”
Health services are being made available in Barnsley town centre.
So what will Harrogate town centre look like in 10 or 20 years?
Mr Shah said besides a more diverse mixture of retail and living, there would be more short-term leases, more leisure opportunities due to the higher population, more food halls and even community healthcare facilities. He cited Barnsley Council’s decision to work with partners to create a health and wellbeing hub in the Alhambra Shopping Centre as an example of how health managers will increasingly take services into towns.
He said:
“When it comes to long-term planning and thinking about these issues on a local level it’s important that a variety of partners are involved in these discussions and that is also a real strength of Harrogate, as a number of organisations are already open to having these conversations about how we can reimagine town centre usage.
“It’s not about drastically changing what is here but everyone working together with what we already have to bring clear economic and social benefits and secure our town centre for the next 30 years and beyond.”
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Plans revived to build flats off Stockwell Road in Knaresborough
Plans to build eight flats in Knaresborough have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council.
Applicant Paul Franklin has proposed building the flats on the site of one of the town’s oldest houses and its garden off Stockwell Road.
Under the plans, the existing property would be demolished and a two-storey building erected. The new building would house six two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom apartments.
The plans also show landscaping and eight car parking places.
Mr Franklin submitted plans to the council last year for nine apartments on the plot. He told the Stray Ferret at the time the scheme would “provide local people a quality and sustainable place to live and enjoy Knaresborough”.
But those plans were withdrawn last summer after about 30 residents and Knaresborough Town Council objected. They raised concerns that the development would be “overbearing and will overlook neighbouring properties”, create parking problems and increase congestion.
The town council is among more than 20 objectors to the new plans.
It said in its submission to North Yorkshire Council:
“Knaresborough Town Council object to this application and sees no reason to change its objections from the previous applications at this site.”
The town council raised concerns about the increase in traffic, location of the refuse and recycling bins and “is not convinced that any lowering of levels will prevent overlooking onto neighbouring properties.”
13 Stockwell Rd flats floorplan. Image: DNA Group
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- Plan to turn central Harrogate offices into flats
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