Grantley Hall has won an appeal against a council order preventing it from using a helipad after an alleged planning breach.

The former Harrogate Borough Council issued an enforcement notice in September 2022 against the hotel for using the helipad for take off and landings without planning permission.

However, the luxury hotel, which is located five miles west of Ripon, challenged the order and appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

In documents submitted to a planning inspector, the hotel argued that there was “clear evidence for the demand for this facility”.

But, the council argued that the helipad location caused damage to the area and the significance of a heritage asset in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Now, a planning inspector has sided with the hotel over the matter and quashed the enforcement order.

Picture of the helipad in the Grantley Hall grounds, as submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

B S Rogers, the inspector who oversaw the appeal, said in a report that he recognised that the hotel had already offered conditions for the proposal in a report know as the “Grantley Hall Hotel Helipad Aviation Summary Report”.

These included restricting flights to 72 visits a year, restricting arrival and departures between 9am and 7pm and that the hotel retain flight data and provide this to the council upon request.

Mr Rogers said it was common ground between the two parties that uncontrolled use of the site would “not be acceptable in this highly sensitive location”.

However, he added that compliance with the conditions would mean the helipad would not “unduly harm the historic environment, the natural environment or the living conditions of local residents”.

Mr Rogers said:

“It would provide a small but significant additional benefit to the local economy. As such, the development would not unduly conflict with the provisions of the development plan or of national policy.”

In response to the appeal outcome, Nuno César de Sá, general manager at Grantley Hall, said:

“Grantley Hall is delighted with the outcome of the appeal and the positive impact this will bring to our business.

“As the hotel enters its’ fifth year of operation and with trading going from strength to strength this decision will allow us to continue to attract key clients to the hotel who wish to arrive by helicopter.

“We will work closely with the local authority to fulfil the operational obligations set in place and remain open to constructive feedback and communication with relevant parties to ensure that minimum disruption is caused within our local environment.”

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Three planning withdrawals

The hotel withdrew plans for the helicopter landing pad for a third time in June 2021 after council officers recommended rejecting the proposal.

Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Grantley and Sawley Parish Council and several residents objected to the plans, with one local describing the application as “totally unnecessary” and “self-fulfilling”.

The hotel has withdrawn three applications and had another rejected since first asking for permission to use an existing helipad in 2018.

Grantley Hall opened as a hotel after a £70 million refurbishment in 2019.

It was once used by West Riding County Council between 1947 and 1974 as an adult education residential college, as well as a training and conference centre by North Yorkshire County Council.

Grantley Hall has appealed a council order to prevent it from using a helipad after an alleged planning breach.

Harrogate Borough Council issued an enforcement notice against the hotel for using the helipad for take off and landings without planning permission.

The luxury hotel, which is located five miles west of Ripon, withdrew plans to operate the helicopter landing pad in June 2021.

The authority then ordered the hotel to “cease the use of the land for the taking off and landing of helicopter flights” and remove the helipad from the land.

According to the notice, the helipad’s location causes damage to the area and the significance of a heritage asset in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The order adds:

“It fails to protect or enhance those features which contribute to the special architectural or historic interest of the heritage asset and does not make a positive contribution to the character of the area.”

A picture of the helipad in the Grantley Hall grounds submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

However, Grantley Hall has since appealed the order and requested that permission is granted for the helipad.

The hotel said that 70 flights took place at the hotel between October 2021 and September 2022, with visitors coming from Jersey, Bournemouth and Melrose in Scotland.

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It added that all the flights took place during the day time and it was “clear evidence for the demand for this facility”.

In documents submitted to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with appeals, the hotel said it had met with the council in September 2022 and confirmed it had stopped taking helicopter bookings.

The hotel said it was happy for conditions to be placed on its proposals and was willing to meet with the council to discuss mitigation measures.

It said in its planning documents:

“The appellant is eager to work with Harrogate Borough Council to ensure that Grantley Hall’s ability to deliver a first-class service and contribution to the local and regional economy does not compromise the local amenity and setting and significance of Grantley Hall.”

The Stray Ferret approached Grantley Hall for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Three planning withdrawals

The hotel withdrew plans for the helicopter landing pad for a third time in June 2021 after council officers recommended rejecting the proposal.

Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Grantley and Sawley Parish Council and several residents objected to the plans, with one local describing the application as “totally unnecessary” and “self-fulfilling”.

The hotel has withdrawn three applications and had another rejected since first asking for permission to use an existing helipad in 2018.

Grantley Hall opened as a hotel after a £70 million refurbishment in 2019.

It was once used by West Riding County Council between 1947 and 1974 as an adult education residential college, as well as a training and conference centre by North Yorkshire County Council.

A five-star luxury hotel and wedding venue near Ripon looks set to be refused permission to use a helicopter landing pad at the site.

Grantley Hall – an 18th century mansion which opened as a hotel after a £70m refurbishment in 2019 – wants to use an existing helipad to attract top events including luxury car launches and yachting clubs.

But its application has been recommended for refusal at a Harrogate Borough Council meeting on Tuesday.

After a previous application was rejected in March last year, the hotel said it had restricted flights to no more than three a month to address concerns about noise to nearby residents and animals.

It also said it could lose £650,000 in income if the helipad was not made available to the type of clients that it wants to attract.

However, a council planning officer has questioned how the helipad could fetch that much money and said the restricted number of flights would still have too great an impact on the area. The officer said in a report:

“Whilst there are economic benefits to be considered with relation to the local economy, it is not considered that these are sufficient to outweigh the harm created by the proposal.

“Concerns are raised that the content of the business plan does not directly appear to correlate with the small number of flights proposed and it is difficult to assess if the numbers proposed.

“Nor is it considered that the visitors arriving by this manner are likely to be direct spending with other attractions in the area, rather they will fly in and fly out.”

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Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Grantley and Sawley Parish Council and residents have also objected to the plans, with one local warning the noise from flights would disturb daily lives and nature. Robert Ash said in a letter:

“Grantley is a peaceful village, much-loved for its tranquillity both by residents and visitors. In these days of mindfulness it is very therapeutic to be able to listen to the countryside rather than intrusive helicopters.

“This is a totally unnecessary, self-fulfilling application which should once and for all be rejected.”

Michelin star

As part of its application, Grantley Hall commissioned its own noise impact report, which concluded restricted flight times and paths would mean access to the helipad would be carried out in the “quietest manner”.

However, the reasons for recommending refusal are the impact on the Nidderdale AONB and Studley Royal Park, which is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well the impact on ecology and biodiversity.

The planning officer’s report added:

“A temporary permission for 12 months would allow for a more robust assessment of the impacts of the proposal and the viability of the proposed number of flights and hours of operation, however, it is considered that without the ability to adequately control the routes of the helicopters that these impacts would be significantly adverse.”

Grantley Hall has 47 rooms and four restaurants, including one with a Michelin star, as well as 30 acres of wooded parkland and grounds.

It was used by West Riding County Council between 1947 and 1974 as an adult education residential college, as well as a training and conference centre by North Yorkshire County Council.