‘No justification’ to delay building 200 homes in Pannal Ash

Harrogate Borough Council officers have said a decision to delay a controversial proposal to build 200 homes on a former police training centre site in Pannal Ash was “not justified”.

The council’s planning committee deferred a decision in June on whether to approve the development on the Yew Tree Lane site, pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.

The parameters plan will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

As reported by the Stray Ferret, the decision to defer was met with frustration by Homes England which told the council in an email it was “extremely disappointing”.

Now council officials have told councillors that the decision had “no policy basis” and urged them to approve the scheme next week.

In a report due before the council’s planning committee next week, they say the parameters plan will not “replace or alter any of the policy requirements set out within the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35”.

It adds that the Local Plan, which describes where development is permitted to take place in the district, is the “starting point” for determining any application submitted to the council.

The report says:

“As noted above there is no policy basis for deferring the determination of this application until the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan is concluded.

“There is no reason to delay the determination of this application pending completion of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

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The report goes on to say that the development would make “a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need”.

It recommends councillors approve the proposal at the planning committee meeting on December 7.

Homes England, the government housing agency, has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Indicative masterplan of the homes on the former police training centre, as included in the planning documents.

Indicative masterplan of the homes on the former police training centre, as included in the planning documents.

The proposal has proved controversial with Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, which said its faith in the planing system was being “severely tested” by the development.

A spokesperson for HAPARA said:

“HAPARA and the Western Arc Coordination Group will discuss our response very shortly, but the last time this went before committee we argued very strongly that any decision on this site before the parameters plan is agreed will jeopardise the objective of a joined-up approach to the developments and infrastructure on the west side of Harrogate and be contrary to the statements and assurances the community have been given by Harrogate Borough Council.

“Members agreed with this view.  The new officer’s report is based on a very narrow interpretation of the requirements of the Local Plan which was predicated on the earlier permission for 161 dwellings.  The current application is materially different in scale and content.”

Homes England has already appointed property company, Countryside Properties, to build the scheme as part of a £63 million contract.

The contract was awarded in March this year and runs until December 2026.

Taylor Wimpey gets £89.5m contract to build 390 Ripon homes

A housebuilding company has been awarded an £89.5 million contract to build 390 homes in Ripon.

Homes England, the government’s housing agency, has commissioned Taylor Wimpey to build the scheme off West Lane in the city.

The contract is due to start in November and finish in October 2027.

Homes England bought the site in February, along with two other developments in Harrogate.

The proposal for Ripon already has outline permission after a government planning inspector approved the development following an appeal in 2018.

It includes plans for 156 of the homes to be designated as affordable housing along with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes.

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Homes England submitted final plans for design and layout of the site in June. Harrogate Borough Council has yet to make a decision on the application.

A spokesperson for Homes England said:

“We intervened to buy West Lane in Ripon to unlock this stalled housing site.

“We’re really pleased that Taylor Wimpey have been selected as our preferred developer, to take on the mantle of providing quality new homes, including 40% affordable provision – that’s 156 affordable homes in an area where they are most needed.”

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said:

“We are delighted to have been selected as preferred developer to deliver in partnership with Homes England a high-quality scheme of 390 homes on the West Lane site in Ripon.

“We have taken a landscape-led design approach to develop a residential masterplan that will enhance the character and identity of the site. We are providing significant areas of open space to allow new residents and visitors to enjoy a high-quality living environment with an attractive outlook. The development will include locally-equipped play facilities and attractive biodiverse landscape features.

“The development will create jobs and employment opportunities in the local community during the construction phase. We expect to start work on site in spring 2022.”

History of West Lane site

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to Barratt Homes on appeal for the development.

It was previously rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and because of its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.

The site layout for the West Lane development, as submitted to

The site layout for the West Lane development, as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

However, Barratt Homes pulled out of the scheme in July last year.

The developer told The Stray Ferret the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update, the company announced revenue had fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means Homes England now has a major presence in the Harrogate district.

The developer already has plans submitted with the council for 200 homes at a former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate, and is working on a 1,300 home scheme at Ripon barracks.

Homes England also bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate at the same time as it purchased the West Lane site.

It said the two developments had stalled for various reasons, including the “associated enabling costs” and that their planning permissions were due to lapse imminently.

Homes England ‘frustrated’ by delays to 200-home scheme at Police Training Centre

Homes England has expressed frustration at Harrogate councillors for stalling its bid to build 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre.

The government housing agency has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

Instead it deferred the scheme pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

The plan was expected last year but has been delayed.

In an email dated June 18 to Harrogate Borough Council, which the Stray Ferret obtained through a freedom of information request, Homes England described the planning committee’s decision as “extremely disappointing”.

It said it was made due to councillors’ “misconceptions” about the role of Homes England.

The email claims these misconceptions were because council officers did not properly brief the councillors who voted on the scheme about what the housing agency does.

It also warned it was considering taking legal action against the council over the decision.

Councillors influenced by ‘misconceptions’

In the email to the council, Homes England stressed its importance in buying stalled sites that have been “subject to market failure” and helping the council meet government housing targets.

The email said Homes England had approached the council about briefing councillors themselves on the role of the housing agency but said this offer was rejected. It says this led to “misconceptions” that influenced councillors’ decision-making.

“Concerns in respect of the Agency’s role in ‘accelerating housing delivery’ are particularly frustrating and in our view could have been satisfactorily addressed at an early stage of the process via stakeholder consultation or a briefing to members from Homes England.

“This approach was suggested to HBC at various stages, but we were advised against direct engagement with members and our understanding was that officers would manage this process on our behalf. It is therefore frustrating that HBC have not addressed these fundamental questions in their role of briefing members on the application.”

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Homes England also disputed that the Police Training Centre site should form part of the parameters plan.

“Homes England does not consider any policy basis exists to delay determination of the application until the completion of the WHPP. The WHPP does not form part of the development plan, and has not been consulted upon and is not sufficiently advanced to form a material consideration to any application at this time.

“The Police Training Centre is an allocated site with an extant consent and we were surprised to be in a position whereby the application has been deferred pending the approval of the WHPP, which is likely to take a number of months to complete.

“We’d be grateful if HBC can provide a response setting out their proposed strategy for successful navigating this application through planning committee as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are seeking legal advice regarding our planning strategy, including the merits of an Appeal against Non-Determination.”

What happens next?

The site from above is highlighted in red.

The email to HBC says Homes England has appointed Countryside Properties Ltd to build the homes pending a successful planning application.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England continues to engage with Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and local resident groups regarding its outline planning application at the Police Training Centre, which is part of the borough council’s adopted Local Plan.”

A Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents’ Association (HAPARA) spokesperson said the council’s planning committee made the correct decision in deferring the application, pending the publication of the parameters plan.

“Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed during engagement sessions that the geographical extent of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan does include this site.

“Homes England is taking a deliberately narrow view of the planning framework when it is clear that the public interest is best served by the wider implications for the western arc area being considered, through the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The delivery of new homes and communities is a key corporate priority for us, and we work very closely with Homes England, and other partners, to deliver our housing delivery action plan.

“Councillors receive regular training sessions on all aspects of our housing delivery and strategic sites work to ensure we can all support this plan.”

Traffic fears over plans for 560 homes on Harrogate’s Otley Road

A proposed 560-home development on Harrogate’s Otley Road has sparked fears over traffic.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, wants to build the homes at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries, which is where the charity Horticap is based.

Homes England has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report to Harrogate Borough Council for the 26-hectare site, which is required ahead of a formal planning application.

The report proposes building 560 homes on the site — 25 per cent more than is allocated in Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines development in the district until 2035.

Council officials consulted a range of bodies on the environmental impact of the development and what would be needed to be addressed, such as traffic and infrastructure.

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Henry Pankhurst, of Harrogate Civic Society, which was among those consulted, said it objected to the plan on the grounds of traffic, encroachment onto greenfield land and adverse affect on the landscape.

Mr Pankhurst told the council in a letter:

“It seems logical that a much more intensive use of the land must have adverse consequences. The increase in dwellings, 110 units, from 450 to 560, is very significant – almost a quarter more.

“Traffic will increase, any buffer zones at the boundaries may well be reduced and amenity space both private and public may be compromised. Intensification in these and other ways will harm the special landscape area and harm the setting of the green belt.”

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Group of the Ramblers Association said the site had no recorded public right of ways or bridleways.

It said:

“With a site of this considerable size we would like to see a number of footpaths created through the site, and incorporated within natural green spaces.

“These should be of generous width, with a suitable surface, and routed logically. The routes should fulfil anticipated need.”

Homes England projects in Harrogate district

The proposed development is one of three sites in the district that Homes England has purchased for housing.

One of the other sites is the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane, which is earmarked for 200 homes. That site is in the Local Plan for 161 homes and faced similar criticism for “unjustifiable planning creep”.

The government agency has also submitted final plans for 390 homes at a site in Littlethorpe.

Homes England said previously that the environmental impact assessment for the Bluecoat site was an “early stage of the planning process” and that further consultation will be required for a formal planning application.

Company awarded £277,000 ground investigations contract for Ripon barracks site

A Darlington-based company has been awarded a £277,000 contract to undertake ground investigations on land earmarked for a potential 1,300-home development in Ripon.

Homes England has commissioned Dunelm Geotechnical and Environmental, a ground investigations firm, to carry out the work at the former Ripon barracks site.

The government housing agency has tabled a plan to build 1,300 homes on the site.

Ripon has a history of ground instability and sinkholes caused by the soluble of nature gypsum, the rock that lies under much of the area.

The brief for the contract, which is worth £277,108.77,  says the work is to:

“Complete an intrusive ground investigation as Principal Contractor under the CDM Regulations 2015 at a site in Ripon, including factual report on ground investigation.”

The proposal for the barracks site has caused controversy in the city with councillors opposing the development and residents signing a petition objecting to the plan.

Harrogate Borough Council is currently considering the proposal and will make a decision at a later date.

History of Ripon barracks plan

When the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan was being drawn up, it was envisaged that the barracks site would provide space for 800 new homes.

The site, encompassing Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks, initially included 11 hectares earmarked for employment uses.

After the allocation of land for employment uses was reduced, Homes England sought outline planning approval for a 1,300-home scheme.

A transport assessment, prepared in support of the development, was described as ‘flawed’ by Ripon City Council.

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Harrogate Borough Council validated a planning application for the site back in September 2020 in a move which developers saw as a “major step forward”.

However, in May this year, Highways England called for further assessment of the transport and traffic impact of the proposed development.

The planned homes will include a significant number of two- and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

It means Homes England now has a major presence in the Harrogate district.

The developer already has plans submitted with the council for 200 homes at a former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate.

Last week, the Stray Ferret reported that Countryside Properties had been awarded a £63 million contract to construct the scheme.

The housing agency also has plans lodged for 390 homes on land off West Lane, Littlethorpe.

Housebuilder awarded £63m contract to build 200 homes in Pannal Ash

A property company has been awarded a £63 million contract to build 200 homes on the site of the former police training centre in Harrogate.

Homes England, the government’s housing agency which bought the site in February, has handed the contract to Countryside Properties.

The controversial plans to build homes on the site off Yew Tree Lane have been delayed after Harrogate councillors deferred the proposals until concerns about traffic and infrastructure in the west of Harrogate were addressed.

Countryside Properties, which has offices in Leeds, will be paid £63,814,699 to construct the scheme if it is given the go-ahead. The contract was awarded in March this year and runs until December 2026.

Chris Penn, managing director of partnerships in Yorkshire at Countryside Properties, said:

“Since establishing our presence in Yorkshire in 2019, we have delivered a number of developments across the region that fulfil our ambition to create beautiful homes that collectively form new and sustainable communities.

“This is a vision we share with Homes England and we are delighted to have exchanged contracts for the redevelopment of the site at Yew Tree Lane in Harrogate.

“We look forward to progressing the scheme with Homes England to accommodate the local need for high quality and efficient new homes.”

200 homes plans delayed

Homes England already has permission for 161 homes on the site, but has seen efforts to increase the number halted by councillors.

The latest proposal, which would have seen the number of homes on the site increased by 23 per cent to 200, was deferred by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee in June.

Councillors said they wanted to see the publication of the council’s parameters plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate, before making a decision.

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The parameters plan was expected last year but has been delayed and councillors heard it could take years to be finalised.

The development has proved controversial with residents in the area, particularly as it could see the loss of sports pitches.

Nick Viles, chairman of Pannal Sports Junior Football Club told the meeting in June he had “serious concerns about the loss of pitches for community use”, which he said went against the ethos of the club.

But Homes England’s planning consultant said the application was compliant with the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-2035, which sets out the district’s planning strategy until 2035, and that section 106 infrastructure payments by the developer would fund ‘much needed sports facilities’ elsewhere.

The consultant added it was a “viable and deliverable scheme” which, if approved, would begin next year.

The council is expected to make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Homes England submits final plans for 390 homes near Ripon

Homes England has submitted final plans for 390 homes near Ripon after previous developers pulled out of the scheme.

The site on West Lane, Littlethorpe, was bought by the government’s housing agency back in February.

The proposal already has outline permission after a government planning inspector approved the development following an appeal in 2018.

Now, Homes England has submitted design and layout plans for the site, which include public open space.

It also includes plans for 159 of the homes to be designated as affordable housing.

The site would see a mixture of one, two, three and four bedroom homes built.

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In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developer said:

“The proposals create a high-quality, memorable and distinctive residential development that is well connected to its wider context. 

“The safe and accessible development will create a broad-based community in an environment that supports health and well-being.”

The borough council will make a decision on the development at a later date.

History of West Lane site

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to Barratt Homes on appeal for the development.

It was previously rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.

The site layout for the West Lane development, as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The site layout for the West Lane development, as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

However, last summer Barratt Homes pulled out of the scheme.

The developer told The Stray Ferret that the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update, the company announced its revenue had fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means Homes England now has a major presence in the Harrogate district.

The developer already has plans submitted with the council for 200 homes at a former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate, and is working on a 1,300 home scheme at Ripon barracks.

Homes England also bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate at the same time as it purchased the West Lane site.

It said the two developments had stalled for various reasons, including the “associated enabling costs” and that their planning permissions were due to lapse imminently.

Controversial plans for 200 homes in Pannal Ash halted indefinitely

A decision on whether to allow controversial plans to build 200 homes in Pannal Ash has been deferred.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee yesterday voted against a recommendation to approve the development on the site of the former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane.

Homes England, the government housing agency, already has permission to build 161 homes on the site.

But it now wants to increase this by 23 per cent to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Councillors voted by four votes to two against the recommendation to approve the scheme, with one abstention.

They then voted by four to three in favour of deferring a decision pending the creation of the council’s parameters plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

The parameters plan was expected last year but has been delayed and councillors heard it could take years to be finalised.

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John Mann, chair of the planning committee, said he agreed with the principle of planning on the site but the uplift in houses and the loss of sports facilities meant the application was now “too dense”. He added:

“It is not a good idea to remove children’s playing fields especially as we hear reports that many young people have been badly affected by being cooped up during lockdown.

“Perhaps the last thing we need at the moment is the removal of outdoor space for them to play in.

A statement read on behalf of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council said the parameters plans was essential before making a decision. It added:

“To date there is no information on any infrastructure to cater for the 4,000 houses to be built on western arc of Harrogate

“Our request is for deferment until everyone knows what the parameters plan reveals.”

Nick Viles, chairman of Pannal Sports Junior Football Club said it had “serious concerns about the loss of pitches for community use”, which he said went against the ethos of the club.

But Homes England’s planning consultant said the application was compliant with Local Plan policy and, through section 106 infrastructure payments, would invest in ‘much needed sports facilities’ elsewhere.

He added it was a “viable and deliverable scheme” which, if approved, would begin next year.

But the final vote means the future of the development is now uncertain.

Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association tweeted after the meeting:

“We now hope this will accelerate the development of the parameters plan to allow for considered consideration of suitable infrastructure needed.”

Residents bid to halt decision on 200 homes in Pannal Ash

A residents’ group has called on Harrogate Borough Council to postpone a decision on a controversial 200-home development just hours before a decision is due.

The council’s planning committee is scheduled to consider tomorrow the redevelopment at the former police training centre in Pannal Ash.

A report to councillors recommends deferring and approving the plans subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement, which covers the infrastructure costs of developments.

However, Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association claims several people who objected to the plans were not told about tomorrow’s planning meeting and that nobody from the group has been invited to speak against the plans.

A spokesperson for HAPARA told the Stray Ferret there has been a “severe breakdown” in the planning process and called on the council to postpone a decision to give them more time to prepare.

They said:

“It is clear there has been a severe breakdown in the planning process with seemingly a number of those raising concerns not being invited to speak or being made aware that this application was even on the agenda. This is clear breach of the council’s standing orders.

“We note that the council’s own ecology report was submitted at the last minute that also raised questions on the net loss of ecology regarding this application. This needs further scrutiny.

“We’ve requested urgent confirmation from the council as to what may have gone wrong here and seeking assurance such an omission will not be repeated.

“In this case we feel that the council has no option but to postpone and defer this application to a future meeting so we can review documents as per the normal process and prepare properly for the planning committee.”

Harrogate Borough Council previously approved plans to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site in 2018.

But a new proposal, submitted in November by Homes England, aims to increase the number of homes to 200 despite concerns about “unjustifiable planning creep” and the removal of a football pitch in order to build more homes.

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Parameters Plan

The former police training centre is on Yew Tree Lane.

Following a recommendation from the government’s planning inspector, the council is currently developing a parameters plan for the western side of Harrogate, where 4,000 more homes are mooted including at the police training centre.

The plan will look at transport and infrastructure needs for the area. It was expected last year but has been delayed.

The spokesperson for HAPARA said they received assurances from the council that no new developments would be considered in the area until the plan had been agreed.

They added:

“The parameters plan is still some way away so disappointing that this commitment has not been met without any consolation or discussion.”

The council did not respond to the Stray Ferret’s questions on the matter.

But its report to councillors ahead of tomorrow’s meeting says:

“The potential impact of the development (together with other developments around Harrogate) on local infrastructure and the surrounding road network has been fully considered and appropriate mitigation is proposed.

“The proposals are considered compliant with the overarching policies of the development plan and national requirements. The proposed development will make a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need.”

 

200 homes in Pannal Ash set to be approved

A controversial 200-home development at the former police training centre in Pannal Ash looks set to be approved.

Harrogate Borough Council previously approved plans to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site in 2018.

But a new proposal, submitted in November, aims to increase the number of homes to 200 despite concerns about “unjustifiable planning creep”.

Homes England, a non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing, submitted the latest plans.

The council’s planning committee will next week decide whether to accept the latest plans.

Housing plan is “planning creep”

The application has proved controversial because of the increase in the number of homes from 161 to 200 and the loss of playing fields.

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Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association has described the plan as “yet another example of unjustifiable planning creep”.

The site boundary of the development on Yew Tree Lane.

The site boundary of the development on Yew Tree Lane.

A letter to the council from the Harrogate Civic Society said:

“The principle of development of this brownfield site for housing is acceptable. However, there are reasons why this application is not acceptable, either at 180 dwellings or even more so at 200 dwellings.

“There is no current need for a huge increase above housing provision figures in the Local Plan as allocations and commitments plus other housing proposals coming forward are more than sufficient.”

A report due before councillors next week recommends approving the development.

The report says the council recognises concern over the 24% uplift in houses proposed. However, it said this does not mean suitable housing “should be resisted” on brownfield sites.

It says:

“The council can currently demonstrate more than five years housing land supply, but this does not mean that additional housing can, or should be resisted on suitable non-green belt sites.”

Concerns have also been raised about the loss of three football pitches and a cricket pitch as part of the latest plan to build more homes.

However, Homes England has offered the council £595,000 in mitigation for the loss of the pitches in Pannal after discussions with Sport England.

The sum will be paid as a section 106 agreement, which developers pay to councils to mitigate the impact of their developments on the local community and infrastructure.

According to planning documents, Sport England and the Football Foundation said they consider it “unlikely” that the pitch would be actively used. Instead they advised Homes England to consider using the pitch for more housing.