A housing association has lodged plans to build 60 new homes in Sharow.

Non-profit developer Broadacres Housing Association Limited, which is based in Northallerton, has submitted a joint proposal with V&A Homes (Yorkshire) this week to Harrogate Borough Council for land off Dishforth Road.

Sixty houses would be built in the area, 24 of which would be affordable homes and the rest open market.

The plans come after permission was granted for a housing scheme on the site in 2020, but has since lapsed.

The revised proposal sees a mix of one, two, three and four bed semi-detached houses as well as several three, four and five bed detached dwellings. 

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All the houses would have parking provisions and a pocket park will be on site. 

In documents submitted to the council, Broadacres said:

“Land to the south of Dishforth Road, Sharow offers a unique opportunity to provide housing and community uses in a logical and sustainable location that would bring benefits to the village and those who live there today and in the future.” 

It added:

“The site represents an appropriate and sustainable location for new homes within the village. Proposals will meet with the vision of achieving a development of high quality and inclusive design of buildings, spaces and landscaping. 

“Integrating well within its existing context, reinforcing local character and providing new connections to the village and surrounding countryside.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Harrogate Borough Council has extended a consultation into a planned new town the size of Thirsk.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, would be built in the Cattal and Green Hammerton area in the east of the district.

Council officials launched a six-week consultation on October 3 into its draft new settlement development plan document, which sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how the town is designed and developed.

However, Cllr Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn on North Yorkshire County Council, called for an extension to the consultation amid concern that the planning process was being rushed ahead of the new North Yorkshire Council coming into being.

He issued the plea after it emerged the consultation documents had been changed midway through – without people being told.

The council has since agreed to extend the consultation until November 25.

On its website, the authority said:

“After carefully considering requests from the local community and parish councils, we have extended the Maltkiln DPD consultation until midnight on Friday 25 November to provide more opportunities for the community to engage in the new settlement process.

“Comments received after that date will not be considered ‘duly made’.”

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The move follows Cllr Warneken submitting a letter to Janet Waggot, transition lead for North Yorkshire Council, and Richard Flinton, current chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, on behalf of local parish councils.

In the letter, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, he called for the consultation to be extended in the interests of transparency.

Cllr Warneken added that, while the parishes did not wish to go down the route of a judicial review, residents frustration should not be underestimated.

He said:

“As you will appreciate, use of that sort of terminology starts to take us into legal areas such as judicial review.

“We have no wish to go there. If nothing else, it would be a huge waste of public money. However, please don’t underestimate the level of frustration of local residents.”

You can take part in the consultation over the new town here.

A developer has lodged plans to create 55 retirement homes and a community hub in Kirk Hammerton.

SageHaus Living, which is based in the Isle of Man, has submitted the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council for land off Station Road in the village.

It would see 55 park homes built, which the developer said would be “sustainable modular retirement bungalows”.

A hub would also be built, which would be open for the community to use for meetings and other activities.

The developer said in documents submitted to the council that scheme would help bring more retirement accommodation to the district, while also being environmentally friendly.

It said:

“SageHaus Living are introducing a new concept for eco retirement living to overcome the lack of supply of age appropriate retirement options for the elderly population of Harrogate.

“The development will deliver a retirement lifestyle that is focused on community and independent living whilst being carbon net zero.”

A visual of the community hub planned for the Kirk Hammerton site.

The proposal comes as SageHaus acquired the land, known as Carlton Fields, back in 2021.

In a statement on its website, the company said the nine acre site would help to provide a “peaceful community”.

Simon Westray, managing director of SageHaus Living: 

“Our first site exemplifies our business model; a rural but sustainable site that is very well connected (both Harrogate and York are only 10 minutes by rail) where we can provide a peaceful community for our residents. 

“We very much look forward to working with Harrogate Council to deliver much needed elderly and truly sustainable accommodation in the district.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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Planning regulations should change to require developers to include infrastructure to support new homes, Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP has said.

Andrew Jones told North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee yesterday he had raised the issue in parliament.

He was asked by Green Party councillor Arnold Warneken, whose Ouseburn division includes the planned up to 4,000-home Maltkiln settlement, whether more should be done to ensure infrastructure could cope with a sudden rise in the population.

Cllr Warneken said:

“When I’ve had meetings with the developers for Maltkiln, it has become apparent that they are going to use existing infrastructure until it bursts before they do anything about it.

“In reference to the sewage they are going to use an existing, archaic sewage system until it’s up to bursting level and then they’re going to put efforts in to have new infrastructure put in and new sewage, working with the water authority.

“I would like to see the planning system changed that allows us to say, if you are going to build something as big as 4,000 houses, that the road infrastructure, the sewage infrastructure, has to be put in place as part of that process.

“I know it sounds naive, because who is going to pick up that tab? But if we make it that it’s part of the planning process, we can maybe enforce the investment in it before it actually happens.”

Mr Jones said the development was not in his constituency but in Selby and Ainsty, represented by fellow Conservative MP, Nigel Adams.

However, he said he agreed with the principle of ensuring infrastructure was fit for new development, digital connectivity, micro-generation of power and insulation of new homes.

He added:

“I have raised the issue of building standards in parliament. I agree with the basic point that we need to have build standards that are fit for the future.

“It’s significantly easier to construct things during the earliest phases of a construction project rather than go back and retro-fit.

“That applies to more than just water but it certainly applies to water.”

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‘Over-developed’

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred said he was frequently asked by people in his High Harrogate and Kingsley division about the amount of house-building.

He said there seemed to be too many large homes being built that were unaffordable to most local people, with no public transport, healthcare facilities or other provisions to support the growing population.

Cllr Aldred said he did not feel the planning system in the UK was fit for purpose and was too heavily weighted in favour of making profits for developers. He added:

“I really do think Harrogate and Knaresborough are over-developed. There are far too many people living in the area.

“The residents who have been here long-term are suffering because of this over-development.”

In response, Mr Jones said he had “no doubt” that more homes were needed across the country, with many people struggling to get onto the property ladder.

He said the local plan had provision for starter homes, but even creating that took a long time and would not always be popular with people who did not want to see their areas change.

He added:

“Getting the balance right between protecting areas and allowing people to get on the property ladder isn’t easy.

“I’m not sure we can say it’s over-developed. We’re certainly in a period where we have been under-developing across the country and people, I think, are very uneasy about all the work that has been done catching up on that.

“But I think if we get the right mix of houses so local people get a chance to put their roots down in their home areas and we see infrastructure developed in parallel then I think we can meet people’s needs and aspirations.”

Senior Harrogate councillors have rejected plans for a new business park in Pannal as the proposal was “not viable without significant support”.

Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet last night put the brakes on the proposals for a site off the A61 Leeds Road between the railway line and Crimple Beck.

Councillors also paused plans for a redevelopment of Dragon Road car park in Harrogate and agreed to progress with a housing plan for the Harlow Nursery site provided a new nursery is found.

It comes after council-appointed consultants BDP and Colliers undertook a study to come up with options for three brownfield sites under the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35.

Cllr Tim Myatt, cabinet member for planning at the council, told a meeting last night he was not comfortable with the standard of the design for the Pannal proposal.

He said:

“The options presented, which aren’t viable without significant support, are not up to a standard design with which I can feel comfortable.

“There seems little hope to producing something to the quality that I believe the site needs. I will therefore propose that we do not progress with options for the site.”

He also recommended that the employment site be removed from the local plan “at the review stage or during the creation of a new local plan on a North Yorkshire Council geography”.

The proposed layout of the employment site along the A61 near Pannal.

An officer’s report said the site could be used for high-tech manufacturing, research and development, or business headquarters. Buildings would be up to three storeys and 5,000m sq in size.

The total office space allocated for the site was 10,000m sq alongside 31,500m sq of industrial space.

The officer’s report acknowledged that any development of the site was likely to take place after Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next spring, when the new North Yorkshire Council comes into effect.

Dragon Road redevelopment paused

Meanwhile, senior councillors also decided to pause plans for development on Dragon Road car park in Harrogate.

The site could be used to create affordable flats or extra care housing.

However, Cllr Myatt proposed that the council should ensure that “adequate parking for Harrogate Convention Centre associated vehicles take primacy over site redevelopment”.

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He added that the council should “pause consideration of this site until it is clear that the Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment will be able to accommodate exhibition traffic on site”.

The cabinet did, however, approve plans to procure technical drawings and surveys into how infrastructure for the Nidderdale Greenway cycle route, which passes through the car park, could be improved.

Cllr Myatt said:

“We do certainly want to see improvements to the cycle path.

“But greater development isn’t possible until the site’s role as a car park for Harrogate Convention Centre traffic has been explored during Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment.”

Harlow Nursery housing

The council approved plans to press ahead with housing for the site at Harlow Nursery provided a replacement nursery is found.

Cllr Myatt recommended that any sale of the site was “contingent on the relocation of the existing council nursery”.

Consultants hired by the council came up with two options for the site this year. The first option was to build a mix of 57 family homes and flats. The second was to build 62 homes and flats with smaller gardens.

The Harlow Nursery site in Harrogate.

A report before councillors recommended the 62-home option and invites expressions of interest for the land before proceeding to tender for a conditional sale.

Cllr Myatt told councillors:

“On Harlow Nursery, we must make sure that a successful nursery relocation is prioritised and that should be explicitly referenced in our recommendations.”

A new sports hub and playing fields have been added to plans for a new settlement in the Harrogate district.

The new town, called Maltkiln, will have up to 4,000 homes and is earmarked for the Cattal and Green Hammerton area.

It is also expected to include two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

Amendments to the latest plans show that a sports hub with playing pitches is now included in the proposals.

According to documents on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning portal, the hub was included following discussions with Sport England, which had objected to the proposal amid clarity on contributions for sports facilities.

An updated planning statement from developer Caddick said:

“Sport England also issued a holding objection awaiting additional information on the proposed sports facilities and any off-site contributions to enhance existing sports facilities.

“Discussions have been held with Sports England about what additional details they require. The scheme will deliver a new 3.6ha sports hub comprising pitches, car parking and an associated building providing changing, toilet and refurbishment facilities.

“In addition, youth pitches are provided within the primary schools.”

Read more:

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The move comes amid concerns about a current six-week council consultation on the new development plan document that provides broad details about the new settlement.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party councillor on North Yorkshire County Council, called for the consultation to be extended or started again. after it emerged the documents had been changed midway through – without people being told.

The move has heightened concerns among residents in the area affected that the planning process is being rushed before Harrogate Borough Council is abolished on April 1. They say allowing more time would increase support for the process and show transparency.

The former McColl’s store ravaged by fire in Starbeck could be turned into housing.

Built on High Street as a Harper’s grocery, the building was later used as a McColl’s but closed and was derelict when fire struck in 2018.

Since then, the building has frequently been described as an eyesore, although it was brightened this year when volunteers painted it in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

An agent for the owners of the building said today there are plans for a “residential-led development”.

Pete Gleave, from Zerum Consulting, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our client is looking to progress proposals with the local planning authority and has entered into pre-application discussions with planning officers.

“This will be a residential-led development and we will shortly be commencing work on a formal planning application.

“Our client recognises the importance of bringing the site forward for redevelopment and we will now look to do so in a timely manner.”

Mr Gleave would not reveal who owned the building. He said he was “unable to pass on client details without their approval”.

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Andrew Hart, founder of Starbeck Community Group and owner of Starbeck Post Office, said the building was “just rotting away” and urgently needed attention. He added:

“Anything is better than nothing — it can’t stay as it is. The building is dangerous. We know it has asbestos problems inside and is an eyesore.

“But I’ll be disappointed if they don’t put some kind of retail function in on the ground floor.

“If we can get a prestigious restaurant, bar or shop in there then we can get other businesses in. There can be housing upstairs.”

In February, Harrogate Borough Council granted an application by Leeds-based developer Bates & Hemingborough to demolish the building.

The plans had been put on hold in December after the council asked for safety documents, which were later provided, addressing how the demolition would impact the adjacent St Andrew’s Church.

Residents in Pannal have called for “real solutions” to congestion amid an upcoming “explosion in housing” in the west of Harrogate.

Thea area is set to see up to 2,500 new homes built over the next two decades.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are currently working on the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy, which looks at how the area will cope with increased homes.

The strategy is part of the wider proposals for the area and builds upon the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, which sets out how the area’s infrastructure and services will look.

However, Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council has said some of the measures planned by the county council, which include junction modifications, “will do nothing” to ease congestion and called for “real solutions” to the problem.

John Mann, a Conservative county councillor representing Pannal and Oatlands, spoke on behalf of the parish council at a county council executive meeting today.

Cllr Mann (pictured) said an increase in homes would have an impact on local road infrastructure, including the A61 towards Leeds and Bradford.

He said:

“New or vastly improved roads are required, not merely a few modified junctions.

“Previous consultation meetings have been little more than Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council outlining a few junction modifications plans plus a great deal of promotion for cycle and pedestrian paths, plus increased bus services that would not come into operation until all the developments are finished.

“Active travel and buses in and out of Harrogate from the west of Harrogate developments will do nothing to alleviate the daily commute, rat running and school runs through our parish.”

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In response, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive county councillor for access, said 

“The county council is working to address congestion in and around Harrogate now and in advance of the planned development in the west of Harrogate, which will see an extra 2,500 homes constructed between now and 2035.

“This major strategic development is key to providing much needed housing and promoting Harrogate’s future economic growth, as is the proposed Maltkiln development.

“It is vital therefore that the council continues essential work on both of these schemes in parallel.

“While the west of Harrogate development is spread over several sites and a number of separate planning applications, a unified approach is being taken for the delivery of essential infrastructure and mitigation of traffic impacts.

“We are working with the land promoters and their consultants, who have been instructed to look at traffic impacts cumulatively and this will be documented in a transport strategy.”

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Duncan added that a “number of junctions” had already been identified for improvement, which would be paid for by developers.

He said further consultation on infrastructure would be held with resident groups and parish councils.

The move comes after the Stray Ferret revealed that North Yorkshire County Council appointed RPS Consulting Services Limited to oversee a review of junction improvements in the west of Harrogate.

The Oxfordshire company was awarded £200,000 as part of the contract.

Park and ride plans still in the works

Meanwhile, Cllr Duncan said work on a park and ride for Harrogate was “still in the feasibility stage” and no decision on its site had been made.

The scheme has long been seen as part of the solution to congestion in the town.

The county council said previously that the plans would take around six months to assess and could be published next year.

Cllr Duncan said today:

“Given this, it would be wrong to rule out or rule in any particular site at this stage”

Pinewoods Conservation Group has called on Harrogate Borough Council to be “transparent” over a housing plan amid concerns over loss of green space.

The council looks set to press ahead with plans to build on the Harlow nursery site next to the woods.

Consultants hired by the local authority came up with two options this year. The first was to build 57 homes and flats. The second was to build 62 homes and flats with smaller gardens.

A report due before councillors next week recommends the 62-home option and invites expressions of interest for the land before proceeding to tender for a conditional sale.

The nursery, where the council cultivates plants for floral displays and sells plants to the public, falls within the 96-acre woodlands known as the Pinewoods.

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity set up to protect the area, says it has concerns over the potential loss of green space due to the need for an access route.

They said the proposals indicate that trees would be lost and have called for the authority to be transparent with the group and address the concern.

The spokesperson added:

“We were pleased by the early consultation in May 2021 but had heard nothing since on plans or feedback regarding our initial concerns. The nursery site is a key across point to the Pinewoods used by hundreds of people every week, especially local residents.

“Whilst we are encouraged by the confirmation that it seems public access will continue, there will obviously be major disruption for a substantial period, and we suspect path closures during any development works. However, this is still likely to be several years away.”

They added:

“Our main concerns raised during the consultation were around proposals to widen Nursery Lane East, from the proposed development site to Harlow Moor Road. This is currently a single width track and we understand that the highways authority were looking for two-way access with associated footpath.

“This would likely require the loss of an area of the Pinewoods with this area being a designated green space under the local plan with additional protection under the Localism Act as an asset of community value.

“The published proposals seem to indicate the building on an additional access route that would result in loss of trees and green space.

“We would encourage the council to be transparent on its plans and engage further with groups such as us to help address the concerns already being raised.”

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In response to the concerns, a council spokesperson said:

“The existing horticultural nursery off Harlow Moor Road is allocated for new homes within the council’s adopted local plan. This site provides an exciting opportunity to deliver innovative, high-quality private and affordable homes to help meet the current housing demand.

“It is also hoped that this development will complement the surrounding area and provide a dedicated pedestrian and cycle tree-lined avenue at its heart.

“Any proposals for the development of the site would need to go through the formal planning process and at this stage no plans are yet to be submitted. Once an application has been submitted, community groups and members of the public will be able to share their views that will be considered through the planning process.

“If the proposal identifies any loss of trees, these will be replaced at a minimum ratio of 2:1 should the application be approved.”