Harrogate Spring Water and local voluntary groups have failed to reach agreement on where to plant trees to replace ones that would be lost as part of the company’s plans to expand in the Pinewoods.
Trees in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood, which were planted by families in 2015, would be felled as part of Danone’s plans to expand its bottling plant.
The plans are controversial, and the groups are putting pressure on Danone to ensure the loss of trees and biodiversity will be compensated for.
The groups have met representatives from the company’s owner, Danone, twice over the last month. Further meetings are planned for late December and early January.
The groups include Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate and District Green Party, Pinewoods Conservation Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, the Rotary Club of Harrogate and Duchy Residents’ Association.
A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said Danone’s current proposals to re-plant trees close to the site were not satisfactory as the area is not currently open to the public.
The spokesperson said:
“It is felt the current plan does not take account of the full ecological loss and this area would not be open to the public. As such it does not account for the loss of public space and amenity either.
“The working group has therefore suggested a few alternative suggestions that the consultants have agreed to investigate further.
“Should planning be agreed there will still be a need for public consultation on the loss of public land and the disposal of an asset of community value.”
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Danone’s plans were originally due to be considered by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee in December but were delayed to allow for more talks between the company and the public.
The committee is now due to discuss the proposal on January 26 and the Pinewoods Conservation Group spokesperson said there was still time for an acceptable solution for all parties to be found.
Nicky Cain, brand manager at Harrogate Spring Water, told the Stray Ferret last month the company hoped to find a solution that will satisfy all parties.
She said:
Harrogate Spring Water Pinewoods plans: decision delayed“The delay gives us longer to consult with local stakeholders and discuss the issues around landscaping.”
A decision on whether to allow Harrogate Spring Water to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods has been delayed until the new year.
Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was expected to consider the controversial proposals, which include felling trees, next month.
But after talks between concerned local groups and Danone, which owns Harrogate Spring Water, the issue has been put back to allow time for further discussions around the ecology of the proposal.
Trees in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood, which were planted by families in 2015, would be lost as part of Danone’s plans.
The groups involved in the discussions are not satisfied that the loss of trees and biodiversity will be compensated for.
The groups include Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate and District Green Party, Pinewoods Conservation Group, Zero Carbon Harrogate, the Rotary Club of Harrogate and Duchy Residents’ Association.
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Greens petition against Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods plans
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Bottling plant plans for Pinewoods to be decided in December
Danone has had outline planning permission to expand to the west of its existing site since 2016.
A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group told the Stray Ferret it hoped the extra time resulted in a plan that is “acceptable to all parties”.
The spokesperson said:
“We welcome the pause on this planning application and the offer from Harrogate Spring Water for further discussion on this important topic.
“There was a clear condition on the original planning application that there must be replacement land and trees to compensate for the ecological loss to the area.”
Nicky Cain, brand manager at Harrogate Spring Water, told the Stray Ferret the company planned to have discussions with local groups every two weeks until at least the new year.
She said:
“The delay gives us longer to consult with local stakeholders and discuss the issues around landscaping. All round it’s worked out well.”
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:
Greens petition against Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods plans“These plans are yet to be submitted and when they are there will be a period of consultation to allow residents and interested parties the chance to comment on these proposals ahead of the matter being reported to our planning committee.
“The provisional date of 8 December is no longer achievable and a date for when the application will be presented to planning committee will be decided at a later date following the receipt of the plans and consultation period.”
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%.”
Read more:
- Littering in the Pinewoods ‘a continual problem’
- 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.