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North Yorkshire Council has begun the process of developing a new planning blueprint for the county.

The local authority is now accepting call for sites submissions as part of its plans to draw up Local Plan.

The Local Plan will set out where development can take place across North Yorkshire over the next 15 to 20 years.

The Harrogate District Local Plan was adopted in 2014 and was set to be in place until 2035.

However, following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council and the formation of the unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council is now in the process of drawing up the new North Yorkshire Local Plan, which will replace existing plans for former district authority areas.

As part of the process, landowners or developers have until June to offer their sites for consideration for the new Local Plan.

The council said in a statement sites can be “put forward for any use or designation”. These include housing; employment and commercial development; retail and leisure; renewable energy generation and other environmental enhancement schemes.

Those submitting sites are advised to provide as much detail about the land and intended use as possible, the council said, adding this would enable the local authority to “consider the impacts of the site”.

The council also said it will take “expert advice” on the impact of each proposed site, including the effects on local schools and health services, sewage capacities, wildlife and the infrastructure of surrounding roads.

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

“The call for sites represents a crucial early stage in our local plan preparations and we welcome submissions from across North Yorkshire.

“However, submitting a site for consideration does not necessarily mean it will be taken forward for development. This exercise is not the planning application process and at this early stage, it is often the case that more sites are submitted than are needed to meet the future needs of the area.”

The council said it would be a “lengthy process that will take several years to complete, including an independent examination of the plan and all of the proposed sites by an appointed planning inspector”.

It added:

“When submitted, these sites will be carefully assessed by planning officers with advice taken from both internal and external specialists on a range of matters from flooding and heritage to impact on the local roads, schools and ecology.”

The news comes just over a month after councillors backed a plea to exclude Knox Lane, in the Bilton area of Harrogate, from the new Local Plan.

Teeside developer Jomast’s plans to build 53 homes off Knox Lane (pictured) were refused last September. However, the Stray Ferret revealed this week the developer has now lodged an appeal with the government’s Planning Inspectorate against the decision.

North Yorkshire Council aims to adopt the revised Local Plan by late 2028.

People will be able to comment on submitted sites at a later date.

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North Yorkshire Council ‘still feels detached’ one year on, says peer

North Yorkshire Council still feels “detached” from its residents one-year on from its launch, says a House of Lords peer.

The authority replaced the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council in April 2023 with the promise of making savings.

One year on from its launch, the Stray Ferret has looked at whether people feel the council has improved governance in the county.

Among those we spoke to was Lord Wallace of Saltaire, a Liberal Democrat peer, who was highly critical of the move 12 months ago.

At the time, Lord Saltaire told the House of Lords that local democracy in North Yorkshire had been “destroyed” by devolution and described the introduction of a unitary authority as an “incoherent mess”.

He also criticised the number of councillors to residents, which he said made constituents feel detached from their local council.

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The Stray Ferret asked Lord Saltaire if he still stood by his criticisms 12 months on from the council’s launch.

He said he felt that people feel detached from their local authority and that councillors could not cope with the number of constituents within their divisions.

Lord Saltaire added that a district and county council model still worked, despite being criticised as “inefficient”.

He said:

“We still have county councils and district councils in some places. That in some ways is less efficient, but it does at least give people a connection.

“People do not feel any connection with their local authority.”

Taxi drivers ‘pulling their hair out’

Since its launch the changes in governance in the Harrogate district have been far reaching. Among the most controversial has been taxi licensing.

Under the authority’s harmonisation agenda, the zone which taxis could operate in was widened to county-wide. Previously, cabbies could only trade within the Harrogate district.

However, the council overhauled its licensing policy so that taxis can now operate anywhere in North Yorkshire.

In theory, the move would allow drivers to pick up business across the county.

Photo of Ripon taxi driver Richard Fieldman

Richard Fieldman, who runs his taxi in Ripon.

The council argued that the move would provide “flexibility to operate across the county, encouraging environmental efficiencies and creating a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles”.

But, Richard Fieldman, who has operated his cab in Ripon for three decades, said he did not feel the move had improved the trade.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I cant comment on what is going on in other areas

“But the drivers in Harrogate are pulling their hair out. They [the council] do not want to know. We have been told that they are on the verge of sending out a new consultation.

“I have encouraged all the drivers to respond to that consultation.”

The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire Council for a response and asked how it feels governance has been improved in the county.

Council a ‘watershed’ for public services

At the time of its launch, Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the council, said the move was a “watershed” for how public services could be delivered to the county’s residents.

Meanwhile, Richard Flinton, chief executive of the authority, said in March last year that “millions” would be saved from the new council.

He said:

“Millions of pounds in savings that will be made by streamlining operations and the delivery of services could not have come at a more important time.

“We are faced with major financial pressures and the new council will need to drive the transformation of services at pace, taking every opportunity to support green economic growth and working with communities and partners to ensure the money of North Yorkshire’s taxpayers is used most effectively.

“Public services could have been placed under even greater pressure without the move to bring together eight councils into one organisation to create the new North Yorkshire Council.

“There is still a lot of work to do to ensure we are able to take full advantage of the opportunities available to bring the most cost-effective way of delivering services for North Yorkshire’s taxpayers, but I am confident that this can be achieved with the experience, expertise and talent we will have available in the new council.”

Group supporting siblings of disabled children comes to Harrogate

A group supporting the siblings of disabled children is set to have its first meeting in Harrogate this month.

The Sibling Group is an organisation offering a safe space for children with siblings who are disabled or have special needs. The first event in the area is set to take place January 20 from 10am-12pm at Christ Church.

The group for children aged six to 11 aims to “support their wellbeing and happiness”. The event will include activities and games to build positive relationships.

Grace Williams, founder of The Sibling Group created the organisation to support families who have children and siblings with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

She has a younger brother with special educational needs who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and autism. Grace has become devoted to supporting other families in a similar situation. She has a degree in special education, is pursuing a masters degree in autism and inclusion, and currently works as a specialist key worker for the NHS.

She said

“Growing up there was not much support available and there was a lot of stigma around this. It was very challenging for my family and I, as we had to take on a care giving role and adapt to my brother’s needs very quickly.”

Grace grew up in Harrogate and her brother attends Springwater School. She says that despite the large SEND community in the area she has always been “aware of the lack of support for families”, so when creating The Sibling Group, she “thought it would be a good area to work in.”

“Siblings are not thought about when services are created and offered to families, and I want to change this. Siblings experience extreme stress, isolation and miss out on things other children their age are doing.”

“The Sibling Group offers a safe space for children to come and meet other children with similar experiences. We offer fun activities such as arts and crafts, singing and dancing, sports and games.”

The meetings are free of charge and will be running during the school holidays and on Saturdays. To book a place at the event click here.

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