Harrogate Borough Council has revealed plans for social housing at seven sites which it said would make a “small but important contribution” to the serious shortage of affordable homes.
With around 1,800 households on its housing waiting list, the council has made a push to bring forward new homes on small sites.
However, it has been criticised for not going further or faster enough to provide more homes for Harrogate’s low-income earners who are being driven out of the area by high rent and house prices.
The council’s latest plans include social housing at sites in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Huby.
The Knaresborough site off Halfpenny Close is the largest and could accommodate around 14 homes for market, social rent and shared ownership if approved. All of the properties would be classed as “affordable”.
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A total of £170,000 in government cash has been secured by the council to progress these plans, and some of the money has already been spent on site surveys.
There are also proposals for five shared ownership apartments at the former Cavendish House hostel on Robert Street, Harrogate.
The council said these apartments would be for “first time buyers unable to afford to access the property market”.
Also in Harrogate, two properties are planned for St Andrew’s Place where the council has admitted vehicular access would be “tight” on the single lane street.
Another home has been proposed for Gascoigne Crescent in the town.
On Knaresborough’s Charlton Drive, a garage site which has been described as in “very poor condition” could also become a new build.
There are also proposals for single properties on both Springfield Drive, Boroughbridge, and Kingsway in Huby.
A decision to submit planning applications for all six sites is set to be signed off by Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, at a meeting next Tuesday.
A report to the meeting said the development of similar sites has been “long established” and “makes good use of the council’s landholdings”.
The report also said the council would bid for extra government funding to develop the proposals if planning permission is granted.
It added:
Plans for new plant nursery in Harrogate progress – but council refuses to reveal location“There are circa 1,800 households on the waiting list for social/affordable rented housing and circa 650 first time buyers registered for shared ownership.
“These underutilised sites will make a small but important contribution to helping meet that need.”
Harrogate Borough Council is pushing ahead with proposals to build a new plant nursery as a replacement for its Harlow Hill site, which will become new housing.
However, the council has refused to reveal its preferred location for the new nursery.
Around 60 homes are set to be built at the existing site, which was allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35 two years ago, although a planning application has yet to be submitted.
The plans have previously been met with anger from residents who objected to the closure of the Harlow Hill nursery where thousands of plants are grown each year for the district’s award-winning gardens.
In March, the Stray Ferret revealed two proposals for the site.
£50,000 consultants’ fee
Councillor Sam Gibbs, the council’s new cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, has this week signed off £50,000 for “in-depth professional advice,” site surveys and other works to progress the replacement nursery plans.
A council spokesperson said these proposals are in the early stages and that it wanted to see whether the unnamed preferred site is “viable”.
The spokesperson said:
“To ensure we can continue to deliver and develop the award winning floral displays for which the Harrogate district is well known for and attracts thousands of visitors every year, alternative locations are now being explored.
“Following a successful bid for funding, the council has commissioned consultants to look at master planning and delivery options for the site with a focus on achieving innovative, quality design.
“The development will not be progressed in advance of certainty regarding the relocation of the nursery.”
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The spokesperson also said the housing plans will include “a range of private and affordable homes”.
The council previously spent another £50,000 on a “professional site appraisal” for the new nursery plans after holding a consultation on the future of the Harlow Hill site
One resident responded to the survey to say:
“I hope this nursery is not going to close. Don’t ruin anything with more houses please.”
Another said:
GPs ‘extremely concerned’ Knox Lane housing will put pressure on health services“It would be a very, very sad day if the site was sold off for housing.”
The organisation that commissions local GP services has issued a strongly worded objection to a plan to build 53 homes in Bilton.
North East property developer Jomast wants to build the homes on a field off Knox Lane, in what has been a controversial and long-running planning application.
Many objections from residents in Knox and Bilton have focused on the impact of the potential new homes on roads and congestion.
Knox Lane
However, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group says GP practices in Harrogate are already over-saturated and have “very limited capacity” to accept another 123 patients that the new homes could bring.
The letter says:
“Having consulted with the local GP practices and primary care networks directly impacted we wish to strongly object to this proposed residential development.
“As primary care providers, the GPs and primary care networks are extremely concerned regarding any proposals for further residential development within Harrogate. The existing health infrastructure in Harrogate already operates above optimum capacity and has very limited capacity to absorb additional pressures.
“Primary care and community services within the area are already running at, or far beyond their existing capacity. This is further compounded by the fact that primary care networks practices are operating in substandard buildings limiting their ability to cope with the existing high patient demand.”
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The letter adds the application offers “no provision” for healthcare services for residents, but approved, Jomast should make a payment to the CCG through a section 106 agreement.
The CCG has used an NHS formula to calculate that the developer should pay £63,974, which will be spent by GP practices.
But it warns that this figure would only make up a small part of what is required by GPs.
A spokesperson for Jomast’s planning consultant Spawforths said it is currently considering the comments from the CCG and will issue a response in due course.
Latest blow
The objection from the CCG is another blow for the developer’s hopes of building the scheme in its current form.
Last month, North Yorkshire County Council said the layout of the development was ‘not acceptable’ and the plan should be refused unless the developer agrees to pay to widen the road.
Spacious new village homes available to move into next monthThis article is sponsored by the Oakapple Group.
Nestled between Ripon and Thirsk lies the quintessentially English village of Rainton, complete with a cricket club, green and pub.
This idyllic rural setting provides the perfect location for Robinson’s Fold, a small development of 15 three, four and five-bedroom family homes.
As village locations remain in huge demand, the majority of the properties have now sold.
However, there is still an opportunity to own your dream house in the country, with three beautiful new spacious homes available to move into late next month.
Lucy Collinge, new homes marketing executive at Linley & Simpson, the agent selling the properties, said:
“The developers – Oakapple Homes – have done some incredible builds around North Yorkshire. They are known for building large, quality family homes.
“Internally the proportions of the houses at Robinson’s Fold are really quite substantial. The specification is high quality with stunning fitted kitchens, tiled bathrooms and ensuites, oak flooring in the hallway and one reception room, underfloor heating to the ground floor and bi-fold doors all coming as standard.”
A showstopper kitchen and dining room space.
The Newburgh – Plot 12
The Newburgh is a stylish four-double bedroom home with an adjoining garage.
Key features
• 4 bedroom detached family home
• Fitted shaker style kitchen with Bosch integrated appliances
• Private rear turfed garden
• Open plan dining kitchen with bifold doors to rear garden
• Master bedroom with ensuite shower room
The Studley – Plot 13
Constructed in artstone, The Studley is a superb executive home with five double bedrooms and an integral garage.
Key features
• 5 bedroom detached family home
• Fitted shaker style kitchen with integrated Bosch appliances
• Private rear turfed garden
• Open plan dining kitchen with bifold doors to rear garden
• Master bedroom with ensuite shower room and dressing room
The Studley is available now.
The Studley – Plot 14
Constructed in brick with artsone cills, this is also a substantial executive home with five double bedrooms and an integral garage.
This home backs onto open countryside and enjoys unspoilt and open views from the rear bedrooms.
Key features
• 5 bedroom detached family home
• Fitted shaker style kitchen with integrated Bosch appliances
• Private rear turfed garden
• Open plan dining kitchen with bifold doors to rear garden
• Master bedroom with ensuite shower room and dressing room
A beautiful entrance and staircase.
When it comes to deciding what type of property to buy, Miss Collinge said the benefits of new homes “are endless”. She said:
“They have 10-year warranties. That’s two years with the builder, where they will come out and address any issues that might arise. For the next eight years it’s covered by an insurance backed warranty picking up anything structural.
“Another benefit is the affordable running costs. I think that’s such an important factor for purchasers at the moment with the cost of living continuing to rise. New build properties also come with all manufacturers guarantees on these appliances and heating systems.
“Self-builds, home improvements and renovations are difficult at the moment due to the cost. So new builds are fantastic in terms of buying something you can go straight into, live in and enjoy.
“All the evidence, as well as our own research, highlight that flexible working patterns are very much here to stay. No longer is working from home a novelty – it’s now very much a growing lifestyle choice. The majority of the properties incorporate a home office and super-fast broadband in response to this.
“In Yorkshire and across the UK, COVID-19 has rebooted the property market. One of the few positives of the pandemic is that it has catapulted the idea of home-working from the edge of employment activity, into the mainstream.”
A living room perfect for those cosy nights in.
Sean Mayes Development Director at Oakapple said:
“Recent events have made us all reflect on what is important in our lives. A sense of community, work/life balance and the need for open space away from the crowd are still very much at the forefront of our minds.
However, as the world starts to open up again, connectivity is also high on the checklist. Rainton offers the best of both worlds thanks to its convenient location.
It is close to the junction of the A1 and A168, providing the commuter with options when travelling by car. Central Harrogate and York are 16 and 25 miles to the south respectively and Leeds is 38 miles away.
For longer journeys, the nearest train station is Thirsk which is just 7 miles away. From here, it is possible to catch direct trains to Leeds, London, Manchester Airport, Sunderland and York”.
In conclusion, Miss Collinge added:
Developers appeal Harrogate working men’s club flats plan“Rainton has got a lovely village green and a maypole and it certainly looks the part.
“You head over the bridge back to Ripon and you’re also a stone’s throw away from Thirsk. You’re bang in the middle. You’ve also got great transport links on the doorstop giving seclusion without remoteness. Rainton really is a stunning village in a fabulous location – the perfect place to buy a new home.”
Developers behind plans to convert a former Harrogate working men’s club into flats has appealed a council decision to refuse the proposal.
The National Reserve Club, on East Parade, formally closed in July following a unanimous resolution from its members last year. It was also known as ‘The Nash’.
The organisation had been registered as a working men’s club since July 11, 1913, when it was known as the Harrogate Battalion National Reserve of the West Riding of York Club.
ID Planning, which submitted a plan to convert the club into flats on behalf of Ashleigh and Caroline Wells, said in its application that the scheme would provide a viable use for the building.
However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan in May this year.
The council said in its refusal that the owner had not been able to prove that it was no longer viable before submitting planning permission.
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Now, the developers have launched an appeal to the government’s Planning Inspectorate to challenge the decision.
It said in a statement to the planning inspector:
“Based on the assessment provided, it is considered that the reasons for refusal of the planning application given by Harrogate Borough Council are unfounded and the proposed development accords with all relevant local and national planning policy.”
A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.
Demise of working men’s clubs
Working men’s clubs were once the heart of the community across the country but many have faced dwindling membership numbers with some forced to close.
The Nash never reopened after the first covid lockdown two years ago.
It had 28 members at the time and donated its remaining cash to charity.
However, other Harrogate clubs such as The Londesborough Club and Bilton WMC are still going strong.
Read Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam’s history of the town’s working men’s clubs here.
Developer resubmits Flaxby self-build homes eco schemeA developer is not giving up on his dream of delivering a self-build eco-development in Flaxby after being knocked back by Harrogate Borough Council.
Ben Holmes, from Birstwith, first submitted plans last year to build the cutting-edge development in the village near Knaresborough.
It was for a community self-build scheme, which is a different model of housebuilding from what is usually seen.
Mr Holmes would install infrastructure, such as paths, water, drainage and a communal area, on the site.
Nine plots would then be available to people who want to build their own home. The buyers then hire an architect and builder and design a home to suit their family’s needs.
A stipulation would ensure all the homes are built to strict environmental standards and include solar panels, air-source heat pumps and super-tight insulation.
The plans were refused by the council on the grounds that it was not in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which sets out where development can take place, and because the number of homes was below the council’s requirement per hectare.
‘Moving away from the car’
Mr Holmes appealed the council’s decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate but it upheld the refusal.
He has this week submitted new plans to the council, which he hopes address the reasons for refusal.
The revised plans include plots for 20 homes, which would be available to those who have joined Harrogate’s self-build register.
He said:
“All of the principles of our original scheme will be included, which is again trying to move away from the car, with use of shared electric vehicles and further an electric mini-bus for the school run.
“The homes will generate their own electricity with photovoltaic panels on the roofs and rainwater harvesting will be used to cut down on energy bills.
“They will all be Passivhaus, relying mainly on solar gain for heating, and have air source heat pumps for any extra heating required. They will be extremely well insulated and air-tight. The intention is that they will set the standard for new homes across the area, and be a catalyst for greener developments.”
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- Eco-development could be catalyst for green housing in Harrogate district
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New village hall
The initial proposal received a seven-page objection from Goldsborough and Flaxby Parish Council.
It cited concerns over flooding, sustainable transport and claimed the plans “gave no thought whatsoever to the village of Flaxby”.
To help win over locals this time, Mr Holmes has added a village hall and nature reserve for anyone to use.
He added:
“This was in response to some of the existing villagers’ comments that there was nothing in the original scheme to fulfil their social needs, and it should be more integrated for community cohesion.
“The joined parishes of Flaxby and Goldsborough don’t currently have a village hall so this would be an opportunity for them to have their own village asset, that they can use as they see fit.”
The council will decide on the plans at a later date.
Harrogate district’s leisure and housing companies ‘will transfer’ to North Yorkshire CouncilHarrogate Borough Council has confirmed its leisure and housing companies will be transferred to the new North Yorkshire Council, but questions remain over what will happen thereafter.
Brimhams Active and Bracewell Homes were launched in the last three years with the backing of just under £11 million from taxpayers.
The borough council said in a statement this week that “there are no plans to change how they’re currently run, albeit they will transfer” when the authority is abolished next April.
This comes as council officers from across North Yorkshire are working together on county-wide plans for how all services will work when they come under the control of the new North Yorkshire Council.
Currently, housing and leisure services across the seven districts are run in different ways through arm’s-length companies, management firms, charity trusts and by the local councils themselves.
Councillor Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said the correct decision-making process would be followed for the future of services and that he would not be drawn on whether it would be better to scrap the current set-ups.
He said:
“Leisure and housing are two of our work streams going forward for the next 10 months and it would be wrong to try and prejudge what recommendations are going to be made for the new council to adopt.
“These are two important issues and we recognise that Harrogate has companies doing these pieces of work.
“But this has to be fed into our ongoing work which will then give recommendations to the executive and wider council.”
Brimhams Active launched last August when it took over control of leisure centres and swimming pools in Harrogate, Starbeck, Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge.
‘New vision’
Harrogate Borough Council hailed the move as a “new vision for the future” of services and said it would save around £400,000 a year through business rates relief and VAT benefits.
Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group and Brimhams Active board member, said the company has so far been a success despite challenges with covid closures and staffing shortages:
“Several local authorities have stopped even providing leisure services, it is not a compulsory service.
“Setting up Brimhams Active has meant the council continues to offer and develop the service for the benefit of our residents.”
However, Cllr Marsh was less praiseworthy of Bracewell Homes which launched in 2019 with the aims of turning the council a profit and delivering much-needed affordable homes.
She said:
“I had hoped that Bracewell Homes would deliver social housing, but that has not happened. It was never the kind of housing company that I was arguing for.”
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Confirming both companies will be transferred to the new council, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
Key planning document delayed for west Harrogate residents facing 4,000 new homes“We are working collectively with the county council and neighbouring district councils to ensure a smooth transition to the new authority on 1 April.
“Part of this work involves looking at local authority controlled companies such as Brimhams Active and Bracewell Homes.
“Decisions on what they might look like in the future will be made by North Yorkshire Council.”
Residents worried that west Harrogate won’t be able to cope with thousands of new homes are facing further delays to see another key document on how under strain services should be improved.
The West Harrogate Parameters Plan was met with dismay when it was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in February after almost two years of work between council officers and housing developers.
It was criticised as a “developers’ charter” by locals who said the long-delayed plan failed to recognise the pressure that around 2,500 new homes will put on the area’s roads, schools and health services.
And now a delivery strategy on when proposed improvements will be carried out and how much they will cost has been hit by yet more delays.
The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy was due for completion in May – but the borough council has now failed to say whether it will be approved before the end of the year.
Cllr Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, said he had “little faith” in the outcome of the delivery strategy, but added he was prepared to accept the latest delays if it “yields the infrastructure we need”.
He said:
“Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council has offered to cooperate with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council from day one regarding highway infrastructure for the new settlement on Harrogate’s Western Arc.
“Our offers of continuous involvement have constantly been rebuffed with a ‘we know best’ attitude that allows only a token consultation once the draft has already been made.”
West Harrogate was identified for major expansion during the creation of the district’s Local Plan when a government inspector ordered the parameters plan to be made.
Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.
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There are proposals for two new primary schools and four playing pitches, as well as two new local centres for shops and health services.
Land has also been designated for other businesses, as well as new cycle lanes, footpaths and bus routes.
As part of the delivery strategy, a review of existing infrastructure is being carried out ahead of the document being published in draft form during a public consultation.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said it aims to publish the draft document in mid-July, but did not say when it could be signed off.
The spokesperson said:
Housing plan for Lamb and Flag pub refused“Since the completion of the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, we have been working with our appointed consultants to prepare the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document.
“This has included topic based discussions with technical officers on matters such as education, sports and green space, transport and health alongside phasing and trajectory input from site promoters.
“We are currently in the process of pulling this information together to provide a document to help the long term coordination of infrastructure across the west Harrogate sites.
“We intend to hold an information session with local stakeholder groups in mid-July to present the draft West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document, with a further session scheduled for autumn before the document is signed off.”
Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to build five houses at the Lamb and Flag pub in Bishop Monkton.
The proposal was tabled by Carol and Trevor Pawson for the 200-year-old pub, which also had a bed and breakfast.
As part of the plan, two houses would be created by converting the pub itself and another would be created at the barn next door.
A further two homes would be built at the car park at the back of the pub.
However, council officials have refused the application on the grounds that “insufficient marketing” has been done to demonstrate that the pub could not be used for community use.
Officers added in a decision notice that two of the houses on the car park are outside the development limits.
Officials said:
“Insufficient marketing has been carried to demonstrate that in the absence of any use as a public house there is no alternative community use for which the property may be suitable and the proposed use of the public house as two dwellings consequently is in conflict with Policy HP8 of the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-2035.”
Read more:
Bishop Monkton, which the Domesday Book referred to as the Tun of the monks, has seen a significant increase in residential development in recent years.
Despite new developments and growing populations, village pubs have found it difficult to survive.
At one time, there were seven pubs within Bishop Monkton’s parish boundaries but it is now currently served by just the Mason’s Arms.
Plan to convert Harrogate office block into flatsPlans have been lodged to convert a Harrogate office block into seven flats.
Artium Group has submitted the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council to create the flats at Simpson House, off Clarence Drive.
It would see the vacant offices turned into one one-bedroom, five two-bedroom and one three-bedroom flats.
The developer also plans to use the current 14 car parking spaces and create storage for seven bicycles.
In documents submitted to the council, Artium Group said the proposal would help to make efficient use of the building.
It said:
“The conversion of the building is considered to be entirely appropriate give the lack of any viable interest in retaining the existing employment use.
“The property is in a highly sustainable location and surrounded by existing buildings which have also been converted in recent years.
“The provision of additional residential units within a highly sustainable location should therefore be welcomed.”
Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.
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