The Harrogate and District Green Party has started a petition opposing Harrogate Spring Water’s plans to extend its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.
Harrogate Borough Council will next month consider an application by the water company to expand its existing site from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.
Rebecca Maunder, a Green Party member and Pinewoods dog walker, said people were “shocked and dismayed” at the prospect of trees being felled.
Her petition to save Rotary Wood, which has so far generated more than 700 signatures since it began at the end of last week, says the proposal would destroy acres of woodland planted by children, damage wildlife and biodiversity and lead to the creation of more plastic bottles.
The petition adds:
“Harrogate district has 8% woodland cover compared to a national average of 12% and a European average of 36%.”
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- Bottling plant plans for Pinewoods to be decided in December
Harrogate Spring Water, which was bought last year by multinational firm Danone, has had outline planning permission since 2016 to expand to the west of its existing site.
The company is due to consult online with interested parties next week to discuss the proposal.
Nicky Cain, brand manager for Harrogate Spring Water, said it was “working towards presenting our application to the planning committee on December 8”. She added:
“The environmental aspects of our application remain top of our agenda and shall ensure any ecological impact is offset and provide commitment towards a local planting scheme.
“We shall continue to engage with stakeholders, both prior to planning and ahead of any future reserved matters scheme, providing opportunities to hear their views on planting and landscaping.”
The council has received more than 300 letters of objection since the plans were submitted, including from the Rotary Club of Harrogate, the Pinewoods Conservation Group and Harrogate Civic Society.
A report from the council’s arboricultural manager, Paul Casey, said the loss of 2.8 acres of woodland floor would remove the “green corridor” link between the north and south of the site. He said:
“There are no proposals put forward that would mitigate for the loss of this woodland.”
Bottling plant plans for Pinewoods to be decided in December
Councillors will meet in December to consider Harrogate Spring Water’s proposals to extend its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.
The water company, which was bought out last year by multinational firm Danone, has had outline planning permission since 2016 to expand to the west of its existing site.
Harrogate Borough Council confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the planning committee will meet next month to consider an application to change the footprint of the new building, which the company wants to increase from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares.
The plans would also remove public woodland in Rotary Wood, planted by local families to celebrate the organisation’s centenary.
A report from the council’s arboricultural manager, Paul Casey, said the loss of 2.8 acres of woodland floor would remove the “green corridor” link between the north and south of the site. He said:
“There are no proposals put forward that would mitigate for the loss of this woodland.
“In essence an area equal in size and appropriateness for woodland planting would need to be identified and allocated, preferably currently attached in some way to the Pinewoods, so as to meet any on-going objectives in terms of the following non-exhaustive list: biodiversity; woodland potential; carbon capture/sequestration potential; climate change and climate emergency objectives; flood alleviation benefits to match what is being lost; public use and benefits.”
More than 300 letters of objection have been sent to the council since the plans were submitted, including from the Rotary Club of Harrogate, the Pinewoods Conservation Group and Harrogate Civic Society.
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If the planning committee gives the plans the green light in December, another hearing at a future date will consider a separate application to confirm details of the new building, including its appearance and landscaping. The plans include planting some new trees near the bottling plant as well as a “living wall” to the north of the new extension.
In August, Nicky Cain, brand manager at Harrogate Spring Water, told the Stray Ferret the company planned to consult with local groups on the proposals but said the process had been delayed due to coronavirus. However, the Harrogate and District Green Party said the consultation had still not taken place.
Harrogate Spring Water has been contacted for a comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
To view the full details of the planning application, visit the planning pages of Harrogate Borough Council’s website and use reference 19/05245/DVCMAJ.