Controversial Knox Lane 53-homes plan deferred for third time

A controversial plan to build 53 homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate has been deferred for a third time.

Councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency planning committee made the decision over land contamination concerns.

The committee requested that a further report into land contamination be produced, as was previously requested by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee.

The proposal, which has been proposed by North-east property developer Jomast, was initially recommended for approval subject to conditions by council officers.

Among the conditions is that Jomast would be required to pay £64,000 for healthcare, £140,000 for education and £60,000 for open spaces in the form of a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of development on local infrastructure.

However, councillors decided to defer the pan for a third time.

The meeting, which was held at Harrogate Civic Centre yesterday, was due to be streamed onto the authority’s YouTube channel — but was not broadcast.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council said a “problem with the connection” in the council chamber meant it was not possible to livestream the proceedings.

The application has proved controversial with residents in the Bilton area.

Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Meanwhile, Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously vowed not to vote for the scheme until he felt the “land is safe”.

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Council rejects Harrogate office block conversion over natural light concern

A plan to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats has been refused over natural light concerns.

Bramhope Property and Investments Limited tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the the former office block off Clarence Drive into 12 flats.

Documents submitted to the council outlined plans to create 12 two-bedroom apartments.

It would see the ground, first and second floors converted.

But, council officials have rejected the plan over concerns that those who would live in the flats would not have enough natural light.

In a decision notice, the authority said:

“The existing building abuts mature trees and hedges to the south on an embankment within the conservation area.

“The cumulative effect of the trees, hedges and site topography would provide large amounts of shade to the east, south and west elevation windows of six proposed dwellings during most parts of the day.

“These windows serve habitable rooms including living/dining rooms and bedrooms.

“The trees cannot be managed under this prior notification application, and there are no mitigating factors that would compensate for this significant loss of natural light.”

The move comes after two previous proposals to change the use of the office block to residential were refused in 2022.

Meanwhile, another application by Artium Group was withdrawn in July 2022 amid concern from Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.

In the latest proposal, developers said the building is already surrounded by residential properties.

It said:

“The ground and first floors of the building have been vacant for several years and the second floor of the building has recently become vacant.

“The building is surrounded by existing residential properties which are previously converted office buildings surrounded by mature trees.”

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Developer withdraws 88 home plan in Bishop Monkton

Developers have withdrawn plans for 88 new homes in Bishop Monkton.

Avant Homes tabled the plan for land off Moor Road in the village.

It would have seen a mixture of 53 market and 35 affordable homes built at the site.

However, the application proved controversial, with residents at Bishop Monkton Action Group objecting to the plan.

In a letter sent to North Yorkshire Council, the group raised concern over drainage at the site and described it as “hopelessly unfit for purpose”.

More than 250 people wrote to the authority to object to the plan.

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A spokesperson for Bishop Monkton Action Group said the decision to withdraw the plan was “a victory for the village”.

In a planning statement to the council last year, Carter Jonas, which submitted the plan on behalf of Alfa Homes, described the site as a “highly sustainable location”.

It added:

“As discussed, the proposal is in a sustainable and accessible location within reasonable walking distance of bus services and local services in Bishop Monkton.”

Plan for 15 flats on former Pateley Bridge garage site rejected

A plan to build 15 flats on a former Pateley Bridge garage site has been refused.

Chartwell Barns Ltd has tabled the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council to build a three-storey block on the site of Daleside Garage on Bridgehouse Gate in April 2022.

The proposal included an electric vehicle charging point along with 27 car parking spaces.

A total of three one-bedroom, eight two-bedroom and four three-bedroom flats were included in the scheme.

However, North Yorkshire Council, which replaced the borough council on April 1 this year, has refused the plan.

In a decision notice, it said the scheme would result in the loss of employment space and that the developer had failed to prove that the site had been marketed for employment use.

It said:

“No evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that the site has been actively marketed for employment use or that continued use of the site for employment is no longer viable, or that smaller scale or alternative employment requirements cannot be accommodated on the site.

“Therefore, on the basis of the information submitted, it is considered that the proposed development would have an adverse impact on the quality and quantity of employment land supply.”

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The council added that the development would be “unduly dominant and incongruous” within its surroundings and failed to provide an “acceptable level of privacy” to future occupants.

The decision comes as the former business on the site, Daleside Garage, has since moved in the town.

The firm has moved to brand new premises at Corn Close Farm on Low Wath Road.

Karley Haley, who owns Daleside Garage with her husband Glenn, told the Stray Ferret that the move helped to retain the MOT testing station, as well as servicing and repairs, in the town.

Council set to loan £500,000 to Harrogate housing company

North Yorkshire Council looks set to loan £500,000 to a Harrogate housing company to cover “high expenditure costs”.

Bracewell Homes was set up by Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 but is now fully-owned by North Yorkshire Council following this year’s local government shake-up.

It was created to generate a profit for the council and to intervene in Harrogate’s pricey property market by delivering much-needed rental and shared ownership homes at affordable prices.

It is currently marketing two-bed properties at Hughlings Close, Green Hammerton, and two and three-bedroom homes at The Willows on Whinney Lane in Harrogate.

However, the company requires a “drawdown” in order to cover high expenditure going into this financial year.

Council officials said it would cover costs before “high income amounts” are received.

A report due before North Yorkshire Council’s executive on Tuesday will recommend approving the loan.

It says:

“A drawdown of £500,000 is now required urgently in order to pay final invoices on sites that Bracewell are already in contract for.

“The loan will cover the high expenditure costs forecast for the beginning of the year before the high income amounts start to be received.”

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The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council which sites the loan is designed to pay invoices for and when it expects the sum to be repaid, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The move comes as questions have been raised over the performance of Bracewell Homes.

Last year, the company paid no dividends despite the now-defunct borough council budgeting to receive £267,000.

At the time, Paul Foster, who was head of finance at the council, said the company was still “extremely profitable” and that it had continued to sell properties, although at a smaller percentage of shares than expected.

He said: 

“The company isn’t able to pay a dividend this year and the reason for that is a proportion of the shared home properties it has sold have been at shares of 25% and 30%.

“It would need to have sold shares of up to 50% for them to have enough cash to provide a dividend.

“In December, four or five properties were sold at a lower share than the company was forecasting and as a result there is less cash in the company.

“The company is not underperforming in particular. It is just not selling the larger shares which make it more cash rich.”

Controversial 53-home Harrogate scheme recommended for approval

Council officers have recommended a controversial plan to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Harrogate is approved next week.

North-east property developer Jomast‘s planning application for the Bilton area was deferred for a second time in February this year.

At the time, councillors requested new reports and information about ground contamination and overhead power lines.

However, a report published today in advance of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting on May 31 has recommended the plans are approved subject to conditions.

Among the conditions is that Jomast would be required to pay £64,000 for healthcare, £140,000 for education and £60,000 for open spaces in the form of a section 106 agreement to compensate for the impact of development on local infrastructure.

Knox Lane

The homes would be built off Knox Lane.

The application in the quiet Knox area has proved controversial with residents.

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Campaign group Keep Knox Natural has previously called on the council to remove the parcel of land from the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Cllr Robert Windass, a member of the council’s planning committee, previously called for an independent survey into contamination into the site.

Cllr Windass raised concern that a previous survey into the site was paid for by the developer and requested that an independent report was drawn up.

He told a committee in February:

“I will not vote for this scheme until I know that that land is safe.”

Councillors will vote on Wednesday next week whether to accept case officer Andy Hough’s recommendation to proceed with the scheme.

Plan for 50 new homes near Cattal station

A plan has been submitted to build 50 homes near to Cattal station.

London-based Ptarmigan Land North has submitted the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for land south of the station.

It would see 50 homes built, including public open space and potential connections to the railway.

The land near to the station is not included in wider proposals for at least 3,000 homes in the area, known as Maltkiln.

However, the developers said the site could be influenced by the project in terms of appearance.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said:

“The focus of the proposal is to create a sustainable development within the heart of the new settlement. 

“People and vehicles can easily access all areas of the proposal and make good connections to nearby roads and services. Importantly the proposal includes a potential pedestrian link to the station to the north and potential pedestrian link to the south of the site.

“It has attractive features including a series of arrival spaces and a large area of open space. 

“The proposal has opportunity to create areas for the benefit of biodiversity and generate new habitats. 

“The proposal does not prejudice future development of surrounding spaces. Potential connections to future development could be provided.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

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Plan approved for two more houses on Markington pub site

Plans have been approved for two new houses on a former pub site in Markington.

The proposal, which was submitted by Leeds-based Lotherton Property Services, would see the homes built behind what was the Cross Keys Inn on High Street in the village.

The pub closed in 2016 due to declining turnover and profitability.

It is currently being converted into a house after plans were approved in January.

Now, North Yorkshire Council has given approval for a further two four-bedroom homes built on the site

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said:

“The site seeks to accommodate two detached dwellings, which would generate less vehicular traffic than the previous use.”

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The move comes after the developer received permission to convert the Cross Keys Inn into a four-bedroom house.

It said in planning documents that the building had been extensively marketed for sale as a pub.

But it added potential buyers had shown little interest in reopening it for that purpose.

Developers lodge fresh plan to convert Harrogate office block into flats

A developer has lodged fresh plans to convert Simpson House in Harrogate into flats.

Bramhope Property and Investments Limited has tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council to convert the the former office block off Clarence Drive into 12 flats.

Documents submitted to the council detail plans to create 12 two-bedroom apartments.

It would see the ground, first and second floors converted.

The move comes after two previous proposals to change the use of the office block to residential were refused in 2022.

Meanwhile, another application by Artium Group was withdrawn in July 2022 amid concern from Harrogate Borough Council officers over the impact on neighbouring trees.

However, in the latest proposal, developers have said the building is already surrounded by residential properties.

It said:

“The ground and first floors of the building have been vacant for several years and the second floor of the building has recently become vacant. 

“The building is surrounded by existing residential properties which are previously converted office buildings surrounded by mature trees.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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600-home Harrogate housing scheme to get shop and community centre

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to build a shop and community centre at the 600-home King Edwin Park scheme on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate.

The development by Persimmon Homes is one of the largest housing projects to be built in Harrogate for many years.

It’s being constructed in stages with outline plans first given the go-ahead by Harrogate Borough Council in 2015.

As part of the original approval, the developer agreed to build retail and community facilities that residents can use.

Planning documents state the shop will be 201 square metres, which is a similar size to a small convenience store run by national supermarket chains. The community centre will connect to the shop and have a floorspace of 121 square metres.

They will be built to the east of the site where homes have already been put up.

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A new footpath link will be created to connect residents living at King Edwin Park.

The developer says it will plant flowers, trees and hedges amongst wildflowers and grassland around the new building.

It will also include 12 car parking bays and 12 cycle spaces. This is higher than what the guidance suggests but it the developer says it wants to avoid shoppers parking on pavements and inconveniencing residents.

Solar panels will be placed on the roof to generate renewable energy.

Planning documents state:

“The single storey design ensures that the retail unit and community centre is accessible to everyone including wheelchair users.

“The proposal would contribute to providing an accessible new community facility and retail unit for existing and future residents of the area including the housing estates located near to but outside of the wider development boundary.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Persimmon Homes if it has a tenant for the retail unit but we did not receive a response by the time of publication.