The government’s housing agency, Homes England, announced today it will build over 800 homes in Harrogate and Ripon after the previous developers pulled out.

Homes England said it has bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate and the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.

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 now has a major presence in the district: it is already working on a 1,300 scheme at Ripon Barracks and 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre site on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate.

Bluecoat Park, Harrogate – 450 homes

In February 2016, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to HTH Harrogate LLP to build the homes.

It followed an earlier refusal of permission on the grounds of road safety and traffic flow problems.

The site is off Otley Road, opposite Cardale Business Park and Harrogate Police Station.

The proposals included retail units, a new primary school and a village green.

However, the developer since put the site up for sale to potential developers.

With planning permission due to lapse, Homes England said the homes would not be built unless it stepped in. It plans to submit a new planning application later this year.

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West Lane, Ripon – 390 homes

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.

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.

‘Fantastic news for Harrogate’

Both schemes are set to include 40% affordable housing, which Harrogate Borough Council asks developers to include in most developments.

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher said the acquisitions were “fantastic news” for the district.

“This is fantastic news for Harrogate and a realisation of this government’s mission to deliver quality, affordable homes, that are fit for future generations.”

Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture, Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We welcome Homes England’s involvement in seeking to bring forward and unlock these stalled sites.

“They are important in helping to deliver our strategic objective to provide new homes that meet the needs of the district.”

County councillor and Pannal Ash Junior Football Club president Cliff Trotter has described as “absolutely scandalous” plans to remove a football pitch from a housing development in Harrogate.

Government agency Homes England owns the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane.

It wants to scrap plans for a community football pitch and increase the number of homes on the site from 180 to 200.

The site currently has three football pitches and a disused cricket ground.

It was originally planned that one football pitch would be kept and used by local sports teams, and potentially adopted and managed by Harrogate Borough Council.

But according to planning documents, Sport England and the Football Foundation have said they consider it “unlikely” that the pitch would be actively used, instead advising Homes England to consider using the pitch for more housing.

‘Beggars belief’

Cllr Trotter formed Pannal Ash junior football club in 1978. It now has around 600 boys and girls involved with teams for ages 6 to16.

He told the Stray Ferret it “beggars belief” that the pitch will be removed, as the club is “desperately short” of quality surfaces to play on.

The club has a home at Almsford Playing Fields in Oatlands but the club’s large number of players means it also has to arrange matches elsewhere, such as on the Stray, which can get waterlogged during wet weather.

One club team has to travel as far as Green Hammerton, near York, to play home matches.

Cllr Trotter said:

“We’re desperate for more pitches with all the kids we have.”

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Instead of retaining a pitch, Homes England has agreed to pay £595,000 to improve facilities at Pannal Sports Community Park, which opened last year on Leeds Road.

‘Limited opportunities’

However, Mike Orton, a coach for Pannal Ash Junior FC, said that ground is for a different club called Pannal Sports Junior FC, and there are limited opportunities for other clubs to play there.

He told the Stray Ferret that Pannal Ash Junior FC would have made good use of the pitch at the former police training centre and questioned why it is set to be turned into housing. He said:

“Everybody needs a good facility. If Pannal Sports has a great facility then everybody will want to play for them. The opportunity should be spread around all clubs.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Pannal Sports JFC for a response but had not received one by the time of publication.

A Homes England spokesperson said:

“As part of our plans for the development of the former Police Training Centre in Harrogate, Homes England is agreeing to provide funding for sporting facilities, which will form part of a section 106 agreement.

“We will continue to engage with statutory consultees and the local authority on these plans to identify where this funding can be used to meet the local need.”

A residents group has spoken out against “unjustifiable planning creep” at a proposed 200-home development on the site of the former police training centre in Pannal Ash.

Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association’s comments came after the number of homes earmarked for the site on Yew Tree Lane increased from 161 to 200.

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission for 161 homes.

Ownership of the land was then transferred from the Home Office to Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency.

In June this year, Homes England submitted plans to add an extra 19 homes to the development.

Another planning application for the site was submitted by Homes England to Harrogate Borough Council earlier this month, increasing the number of homes to 200.

‘Exceeds need’

In a newsletter to residents, HAPARA said the new figure “far exceeds” the amount initially agreed.

“This is yet another example of unjustified planning creep in relation to sites across the west of Harrogate and this over-provision is not in accordance with the Local Plan as it far exceeds the identified housing need.”

The group also said the development would lead to congestion along Yew Tree Lane and surrounding streets, which it says is a “significant area of concern”.

It added:

“There is no commitment in the application to support public transport or cycling connectivity. Consequently movement to and from the site will be car reliant.”

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Homes England has said it wanted to remove a community football pitch in order to increase the total number of homes on the site to 200.

This was after Sport England and the Football Foundation advised it they thought the pitch was “unlikely” to be actively used.

Homes England wants to scrap plans for a community football pitch at the former Police Training Centre on Yew Tree Lane, in order to increase the total number of homes on the site from 180 to 200.

It was originally planned that the football pitch would be used by local sports teams, and potentially adopted and managed by Harrogate Borough Council.

However, according to planning documents, Sport England and the Football Foundation have said they consider it “unlikely” that the pitch would be actively used, instead advising Homes England to consider using the pitch for more housing.

Homes England is the government’s housing agency and the owner of the site.

The new plans also reduce the size of a green space for residents called Central Parkland from 0.81 hectares to 0.41 hectares.

Homes England has instead agreed to pay £595,000 to improve facilities at Pannal Sports Ground. This includes a £100,000 contribution as compensation for the loss of the playing pitch.

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The site will now have 200 homes

It is the second time this year that Homes England has asked HBC to increase the number of homes at the development.

In 2018, the council granted planning permission for 161 homes to be built on the site. However, since then, the land was transferred from the Home Office to Homes England which, in June, submitted fresh plans to add an extra 19 homes to the development.

In HBC’s Local Plan, the site is allocated for 160 homes.

For decades, police recruits from all over the UK came to the site in Harrogate to train. It was closed in 2011 due to cost-cutting.

Ripon City Council has unanimously rejected a transport report commissioned by Homes England for the proposed 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development.

The report in support of the development came under heavy fire at Monday’s virtual full council meeting.

In the longest debate of Monday evening, the consultants’ findings were described as ‘flawed’

Council leader Andrew Williams said:

“The report fails to address core issues that local residents and the city council have raised.”

Cllr Williams said the council supported the principle of developing the former army bases, but added:

“A great deal more needs to be done, especially with regard to addressing the questions about the capacity of major junctions in the city.

“With such a flawed report, it is impossible for us to support the outline planning application for this huge scheme.”

The Ripon Barracks site

Councillor Mike Chambers, who is also a district and county councillor, agreed a number of key transport matters needed to be addressed.

He seconded Cllr Williams’ motion for a letter to be sent  to Harrogate Borough Council planners, calling for resolution of outstanding issues before outline planning can be approved.

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Both he and Cllr Williams met last week with David Walpole, a traffic consultant appointed by the city council to look at the impact of the Clotherholme scheme on the the feeder road network and the city as a whole.

One issue that featured in the Walpole report was the amount of traffic generated by a new primary school in the development.

Cllr Williams said the report for Homes England had not taken account of the fact that 132 places at the school will be provided for children living ‘off-site’ in other parts of Ripon, creating traffic movements that had not been accounted for in the overall assessment of mitigation measures that would need to be taken to alleviate pressure on the road network.

Councillor Pauline McHardy told the meeting:

“This is the biggest single development ever seen in Ripon and its size has consequences, not just for the immediate area, but the whole of the city for years to come.

“Traffic movements to and from the site will impact on everybody and we have a duty to ensure that the developers provide the required road infrastructure and don’t cut corners.”

Homes England has pushed forward with its plan for a 1,300 home development at Ripon Barracks.

Harrogate Borough Council has now validated a planning application for the site. It is a move the developers see as a “major step forward” towards construction.

The Clotherholme development will encompass Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. Homes England is working with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on the project.

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.

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Residents in Ripon are particularly interested in the proposed infrastructure which would come with a development of this size. Ripon City Council has already said the transport assessment was “flawed” because it was undertaken during a period when there was less traffic – something Homes England disputed.

Homes England expects Harrrogate Borough Council to make a decision on the planning permission in early 2021. Comments can be made on the Harrogate Borough Council planning website until October 7, using reference 20/02973/EIAMAJ.

Marie Kiddell, head of planning and enabling at Homes England, said:

“The validation of this planning application is a major step towards creating Clotherholme and helping meet local housing needs; 30% of the homes will be affordable alongside those for sale on the open market.”

Catherine Davies, head of estates at DIO, said:

“This proposed development supports the MOD’s ongoing commitment to invest in a more fit for purpose Defence estate. We look forward to seeing it progress further in the coming weeks and months.”

A total of 150 Ripon residents have signed a petition in the 24 hours since it started calling on Harrogate Borough Council to refuse the 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development due to its negative impact on traffic in the city.

The proposed development will be called Clotherholme and encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. It’s being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Homes England commissioned consultancy firm AECOM to undertake a study which said main access points for the development should be on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road.

However, Ripon City Council called this study “flawed” — and said a new road should be added on Galphay Road to alleviate potential congestion.

Barbara Brodigan, who launched the petition on behalf of the Ripon Residents Action Group, called on HBC to reject the application in its current form.

She also questioned why North Yorkshire County Council has this week begun a £7.7m roadworks scheme on the A1 (M) in Knaresborough to support future new housing whereas there are no major new roadworks planned to support Ripon Barracks. She described Ripon as the “poor relation” of the Harrogate district.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England have the arrogance to say these road improvements are not needed when there are 1,400 houses being built.”

“We’re not against more houses here, it would certainly add to the value of Ripon. We need houses for young people and for families but our major bugbear is it’s not been planned the right way. We need the infrastructure to support it if it’s going to be of value to the city.”

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Homes England has submitted plans to HBC for Ripon Barracks. The proposals due to be published on HBC’s website imminently.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“The impact of traffic from major developments with planning consent within Ripon has been taken into account as part of the transport assessment.

“The proposed Galphay Road link is not needed, and a new road in this location is not supported by the HBC adopted Local Plan or the NYCC Local Transport Plan.”

Ripon City Council says a transport assessment for the 1,300-home Ripon Barracks development is “flawed” — and a new road should be added to alleviate potential congestion.

The development will be called Clotherholme and encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks. It’s being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

As well as the new homes, the plans include a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

Homes England commissioned consultancy firm AECOM to undertake a study which would provide evidence on where roads will be built. This informed their masterplan for the development which included main access points on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road.

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However, Ripon City Council called this assessment “flawed” because it was undertaken during a period when there was less traffic coming through the city.

It said:

“It was collected during a very quiet period of time in the city, namely June. The city is quieter at that time for a number of reasons; many residents are on holiday – taking advantage of going away before the school holiday season; seasonal visitor numbers have yet to increase; some year groups at the secondary schools are absent, having already sat exams; the milder weather means that many residents might choose to walk rather than drive into the city centre.”

The council’s report, which was undertaken by Andrew Cameron & Associates, said a new road from Chatham Road to Galphay Lane and Studley Road could potentially relieve some of the congestion on Clotherholme Road.

It also said the development should reuse or replace the existing military bridge over the River Laver, to create a new connection to the south of the city.

It added that AECOM’s transport assessment did not do enough to encourage walking and cycling and called for a review into reopening the Harrogate to Ripon train line that was closed in 1967.

Homes England said Ripon City Council’s report “was not correct” and released the following statement to the Stray Ferret:

“The  impact of traffic from  major developments with a planning consents within Ripon have been taken into account as part of the transport assessment.

“The approach used by Aecom builds on ‘the Ripon Transport model’ which was used to inform the Harrogate Borough Council (HBC)  Local Plan (which included the key allocations and consented developments).

“The approach behind the surveys is robust and the surveys were undertaken at a time which is in line with national guidance.

“The timing and location of the surveys formed part of a report to inform the Transport Assessment and this was agreed by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) who is the Local Highway Authority. The ACA report also did not raise concerns regarding the timing of surveys.”

“The proposed Galphay road link in not needed, and a new road in this location is not supported by the HBC adopted Local Plan or the NYCC Local Transport Plan.”

Homes England has published updated plans online for the 1,300 home development at Ripon Barracks, after concerns were raised from Ripon residents about transparency during lockdown.

The development, which encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks is being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

There are 1,300 homes mooted and it’s designated within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

The development will be called Clotherholmes and the new plans include a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

Homes England had been accused of “a lack of transparency” around the plans due to lockdown, with local resident Barbara Brodigen telling The Stray Ferret that local residents have failed to have their voices heard.

Whole process online

Homes England said they initially wanted to publish the proposals online and to display them at a public event. However, due to the restrictions in place as a result of Covid-19, they have instead put the whole process online which includes information boards, an FAQ document and a pre-recorded presentation from the project team.

Ripon councillor Mike Chambers told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the plan but said its “achilles heel” is its lack of transport provision.

He said:

“I’m very concerned about displaced traffic and rat runs. I’m continuing to press to ensure we have the best possible traffic plan going forward so residents can live their lives as they want.”

Read more:

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People can submit questions about the development until July 26. Responses will then be added to the FAQ document and uploaded to the project website.

A planning application is due to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council later this summer.

Martin Wilks, Ripon Barracks project manager at Homes England, said:

“After being impressed with the level of interest shown in our proposals last autumn, we provided local groups with further opportunities to comment on our proposals – we paused, listened, and refined our proposals.

“We now feel confident that our updated plans meet the needs of Ripon’s community, both present and future, as well as providing a number of additional benefits that will allow community spirit to be placed at the heart of the development of Clotherholme.

“These include greater access to green space through the establishment of parkland in Laver Banks, more diverse employment opportunities through the provision of flexible workspaces, and a range of facilities such as allotments, sports pitches and mixed-use community spaces.”

Meanwhile, Julian Smith MP has published a response from Homes England on his website, dated July 9, after he raised concerns from residents in a letter last month.

Fresh plans have been submitted for housing at the former Police training centre on Yew Tree Lane.

The site is now owned by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, who wants to build 164 new build homes on the land whilst converting North Lodge, Headmasters House, Kensington House and Library into an additional 16 homes.

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission for 161 homes to be built on the site. However, since then, the land has been transferred from the Home Office to Homes England who now wants to add an extra 19 homes to the development, which is also above the 160 allocated for the site in HBC’s Local Plan.

The development would keep some playing fields which Homes England says could be used by local football teams and potentially adopted and managed by HBC.

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Homes England said the extra homes would “better suit the profile of local housing needs emerging from the recently adopted Local Plan evidence base.”

A consultation of residents found that 73% of respondents either strongly disagreed or disagreed that an increase of 19 homes with a broader mix of house sizes will help to meet local housing needs, with just 13% agreeing and 13% neutral.

Homes England is now inviting expressions of interest from developers.

For decades police recruits from all over the UK came to Harrogate to train, however the site was closed in 2011 due to cost-cutting. In 2006, HBC gave the green light for the site to be turned into housing but these plans never materialised.