A total of 22 affordable homes have been proposed to be built in Staveley by developer Jack Lunn Properties.

The company hopes to build three one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes in the village, which has a population of 430 and is between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough,

The rural site is not allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where planning will take place.

But the application has been brought forward through a rural exception scheme, which allows councils to grant planning permission for affordable housing in the open countryside if a developer can prove there is a need for it.

A planning document lodged with Harrogate Borough Council cites affordable housing figures that show a shortfall in the number of new affordable houses built over the last five years.

It says:

“The only sustainable way of making housing more affordable in the long term is to build more homes in the right places. High house prices can prevent people from living near the best job opportunities for them, limiting the productivity of companies that might have employed them.”

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A new primary school catering for a rapid increase in housing in Knaresborough has been delayed, it was announced this morning.

North Yorkshire County Council is building the £5 million school to cater for families moving into the 600-home Manse Farm development on York Road and the 400-home development at nearby Highfield Farm.

It will provide 210 places for pupils, with the capacity to be expanded to 420.

The council said delays building the homes had impacted on the schedule for the school, which is now not due to open until September 2024.

It is the second time the opening has been delayed. It was initially planned for September 2022 but covid delayed it for 12 months.

The council said the housing-building delays meant pupil numbers were not rising as rapidly as expected .

Stuart Carlton, director for children and young people’s services at the council, said:

“While this is disappointing, it does not change our commitment to delivery of the school as soon as we are able. The current delay to housing delivery means that pupil numbers are not rising at the predicted rate.

“We will continue to monitor closely the availability of school places but our assessment of the current birth rate data is that a delay by one year will be manageable.”

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• Parents vow to fight closure of ‘fantastic’ Woodfield primary school

The Department for Education has appointed Elevate Multi Academy Trust to run the school.

Nigel Ashley, chief executive of the trust, said:

“We remain committed to the project and look forward to developing future educational excellence for new families who will be moving into the Manse Farm estate area.

“Our utmost priority is quality provision where we all can achieve together and we look forward to opening the doors to our new free school as soon as this is possible.”

The Thirsk-based trust, which was created in 2017, has 12 members schools in north and west Yorkshire, including three in Knaresborough.

They are Meadowside Academy, Aspin Park Academy and Knaresborough St John’s C of E Primary School.

A controversial plan to build a housing development in Harrogate’s Crimple Valley has been withdrawn.

The proposal submitted by Square Feet Ltd And Antela Developments Ltd would have seen 35 homes built on Almsford Bank Stables on Leeds Road.

The developers had initially planned 65 homes for the site in 2018, but later revised the application and reduced the number of homes.

A total of 107 letters of objection were lodged to Harrogate Borough Council over the proposal.

Now the developers have withdrawn the plans to build on the site.

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The Stray Ferret has contacted Seven Architecture, the agent for the developers, for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.

It follows a backlash from local residents over concerns that the scheme would damage the Special Landscape Area of the Crimple Valley, which is spanned by the distinctive railway viaduct.

In a letter to the council, Tristan Campbell, of the pressure group Save Crimple Valley, said the development “would demonstrably devalue the integrity of the much-valued Special Landscape Area itself”.

He added:

“It takes out a central strip of the most beautiful part of the Crimple Valley Special Landscape Area, sets a dangerous precedent for future planning applications within the SLA and fails to meet the council’s own current and future Local Plans.”

Plans to convert a former Hampsthwaite doctors’ surgery into a house have been rejected.

Dr Bannatyne and Partners, which was based at Winksey Cottage, High Street, in the village closed in March.

The surgery was part of Church Avenue Medical Group and shut down after practitioners felt the cottage was no longer a viable place for a medical practice.

Mozaffar Mari, a developer who bought the property, submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the building into a house.

However, the borough council has refused the proposal on the grounds that Mr Mari had not demonstrated that the site had been empty for more than three months.

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In a decision notice, the council said:

“It has not been demonstrated that the building has been vacant for a continuous period of at least three months immediately prior to the date of the application for prior approval.”

The developer said in an application to the council that the building had been previously used as a house before becoming a surgery and could be “readily converted back” into a home.

Plans for 36 homes in Goldsborough have been approved despite fears the development will “tear up” the historic village’s conservation area.

Stonebridge Homes was granted final approval by Harrogate Borough Council yesterday at the third time of asking.

The housing company was previously told to rethink its Station Road scheme and hold a meeting with councillors and residents.

This meeting was held in August but it was followed only by complaints that the developers “weren’t willing to shift” on issues including the density and design of the homes.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s planning committee, councillor Andrew Paraskos, a Conservative who represents Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale, said:

“A meeting did take place but there was no movement from the developers at all.

“Residents understand that there will be something on this plot, but they would just like something that is more in keeping with the village.

“We have deferred this plan twice and I think it is now time to refuse it.”

‘Conservation area is a sham’

Resident Noel Evans also said the plans appeared to be “set in stone with no bridge for improvements” and that the development would amount to a “public tearing up of the Goldsborough conservation area”.

The conservation area sits adjacent to the site and was introduced in 2008 as an area of architectural and historical interest, including much of the village.

Mr Evans said:

“The tallest buildings proposed on this site will be amongst the highest buildings in Goldsborough – higher than the church and Goldsborough Hall.

“This will irretrievably destroy the historic skyline. This site needs an entirely fresh and appropriate set of plans.

“The conservation area is a sham and has no reason to exist with this council.”

Read more:

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• Government approves controversial 72 homes in Spofforth

In its latest proposals, Stonebridge Homes included additional tree planting and information relating to materials.

The developers also argued the plans met national requirements and had received the backing of council officers three times with recommendations of approval.

Becky Lomas, an agent for Stonebridge Homes, told the meeting:

“The proposal before you today creates a well designed scheme, which is able to meet national requirements.

“This is a position which has been supported by council officers three times now at planning committee and the proposal of 36 dwellings is not considered to be in conflict with the development plan.”

The plans – which include a mix of one to five-bedroom properties – received 39 objections from residents and no letters of support.

The application was approved by councillors on the planning committee with six votes for, three against and one abstention.

The Harrogate district has been awarded £50,000 of government cash to bring forward housing on two underused garage sites.

The cash will be used by Harrogate Borough Council to cover infrastructure costs for five new homes at the sites on Woodfield Close, Harrogate and Park Row, Knaresborough.

Other councils received more funding – including City of York which got more than £2.5 million – but the borough council said it was still “delighted” with its allocation.

A council spokesperson said: 

“£50,000 is no small sum and the council tenants of Harrogate will be more than happy to see this cost met by the grant award and not from council rents.

“This is a fund specifically aimed at the cost of infrastructure requirements on council-owned land.

“By helping meet these costs, sites will become viable for development, either by the local authority directly or by private developers, enabling the site to be placed on the open market.”

The council has secured almost £4.5 million for such sites over the past few years.

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The latest allocation comes from the government’s £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund which aims to bring forward affordable homes and get people on the property ladder.

Harrogate is one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times the median annual income of people who work in the district.

The council itself has admitted there is a “desperate” lack of affordable homes and has pledged to bring these properties forward through private developments, building social housing and bringing empty properties back into use.

Announcing the latest funding allocation, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, MP Michael Gove said: 

“We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.

“Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.”

Daniel Ainsley’s brutal stabbing of Mark Wolsey was the culmination of more than a decade of trouble at one of Harrogate’s most notorious crime hotspots.

Now, as Ainsley awaits his sentence, angry local residents want to know why North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council failed to clamp down harder on activities at the house where the murder happened.

They also want to know why the council transferred thousands of pounds to landlord John Willis Properties Ltd to accommodate homeless people, and accuse the council of being complicit in the problems by funding the volatile situation in the property when it should have been taking action.

Numerous residents, whose campaign to make the area safer fell on deaf ears, have vented their frustration to the Stray Ferret. They want to know why so little was done to address longstanding problems at the house — and what is being done to prevent a repeat.

Mark Wolsey, who was murdered at 38 Mayfield Grove.

A recipe for trouble

38 Mayfield Grove was branded the House from Hell in 2005 when a court granted a three-month closure order following a spate of crime, including a crossbow being held at a resident’s head.

The house, owned then and now by John Willis Properties Limited, of which the landlord John Willis is the sole director, has absorbed a huge amount of police time since then.

In this report we’ll hear the views of the local residents, Mr Willis, the council and the police. There is no suggestion of illegal activity by Mr Willis’ or John Willis Properties Limited’s behalf.

But the situation highlights how the system can fail to protect homeless people.

Flowers outside the home after the murder. The closure notice is pinned to the door.

255 police reports about 38 Mayfield Grove

A Freedom of Information request by the Stray Ferret revealed that between April 2008 and July this year, the public reported 38 Mayfield Grove 255 times to North Yorkshire Police. This averages almost two reports a month over 13 years.

The house is divided into six privately let bedsits and tenants often have guests. Ainsley was staying in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit when he killed him. Many tenants over the years have had multiple issues, such as drug and alcohol addictions and mental health problems, as well as backgrounds of homelessness and crime.

Local residents told us it’s difficult to think of a more dangerous scenario than housing people with multiple needs together in a terraced home on a busy street, and this problem should have been identified and tackled.

Daniel Neill, who until recently lived on Nydd Vale Terrace, a street parallel to Mayfield Grove that has other properties let by Mr Willis’ company, has been at the forefront of the residents’ campaign for a safer neighbourhood. He said:

“The entire set-up is a recipe for trouble. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out. The worst thing you can do with addicts is put them alongside other addicts.

“For 15 years people knew that 38 Mayfield Grove was the place to go for drugs. It was an open secret. Police did regular drive-bys. Yet it just kept going on.”

£7,000 council payments to John Willis Properties Ltd

Yet despite longstanding concerns about 38 Mayfield Grove, the council transferred £2,112 in 2017 and £5,424 in 2018 to John Willis Properties Ltd.

The council says the payments were “for the benefit of our homeless customers and were not made as part of a contract or agreement with the landlord”. It adds:

“The money paid to John Willis Properties Ltd was transferred to help customers assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness to access private rented accommodation.”

Taxpayers’ funds were transferred to John Willis Properties Ltd until as recently as December 2018.

Read more:

• Mayfield Grove: house at centre of crime concerns allowed to re-open
• Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley found guilty of murder

While the council was paying John Willis Properties between March 2017 and December 2018, it received six housing complaints relating to seven properties let by the company and seven noise complaints relating to five properties.

Residents, who tried unsuccessfully to get a closure order against another of Mr Willis’ properties in the area in 2018, say the council not only failed to tackle problems going on inside the house but contributed to them by funding the landlord.

A letter from 45 residents to Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council, sent after the murder, accused the council of oversight and complicity. It added:

“We don’t feel like valued members of the community. We don’t feel safe. We don’t feel like our voices are being heard.”

The letter also accused the council of “pulling the plug” on police and residents’ efforts to tackle issues at 38 Mayfield Grove.

Daniel Ainsley was staying in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit when he murdered him.

What could the council have done?

The council argues it has limited power to act but Mr Neill says the payments beggar belief considering the well-known problems associated with some of Mr Willis’ properties. The council, he says, was either blind or neglectful.

The options included adopting provisions in the Housing Act 2004, which give local authorities the power to use selective licensing to tackle anti-social behaviour, or introducing special interim management orders, which allow local authorities to take over the management of houses in multiple occupation.

The council’s private sector housing enforcement policy, which sets out its approach to complying with its statutory duties to ensure private sector residents live in good quality, safe accommodation, says the council will adopt ‘a positive prevention, intervention and enforcement approach’ to protect people from harm.

Three John Willis properties closed since murder

In the wake of the murder on March 5, the police and council moved swiftly to get a court order to close 38 Mayfield Grove for three months from March 22, which meant tenants had to find alternative accommodation.

On June 28, magistrates granted the police and council partial closure orders against two other properties let as bedsits by Mr Willis, at 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck, due to crime concerns.

The police and council have also organised a residents’ summit and a community engagement drop-in session to discuss 38 Mayfield Grove and to reassure people that ‘the Harrogate district remains a safe place to live and any anti-social behaviour is taken very seriously’.

But residents say the recent flurry of activity contrasts sharply with years of inertia that allowed crime to scar the neighbourhood and blight residents’ lives. They also want to see action to prevent a repeat.

Mr Neill, who like many people in the area was concerned about the safety of his family, said:

“These problems have been going on for years.

“I don’t want individuals fired. I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, but I don’t get the impression the council is facing up to it.”

Mayfield Grove is close to Harrogate town centre.

Residents scared

Mr Neill says local police officers “have been nothing but helpful and straightforward” and share residents’ frustrations about the lack of council action.

But he was critical of a police initiative asking 120 homes to log anti-social behaviour, which attracted just three replies. The log obliged people to leave their names and addresses, which many residents were scared to do because it came shortly after a woman who was dragged down the street by her hair was threatened after going to the police

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said she had struggled to sell her house because of the area’s reputation. Another said:

“The amount of hassle caused by people in that house over the years is unbelievable.

“It’s almost like there are no lessons being learned. The same things happen again and again. I’m sick to my back teeth about it because nothing ever gets done.”

“I’m passionate about helping disadvantaged people”

The Stray Ferret put these accusations to John Willis. He said he was passionate about helping disadvantaged people, unlike many other housing providers, and did everything he reasonably could to protect them.

“Other landlords cherry pick the best tenants and sadly that leaves a disadvantaged group. Homeless hostels are full. I try to help them.”

Mr Willis said he lets 10 properties in Harrogate and the average age of his tenants is 50.

He said he’d taken many tenants from the council and partner agencies, such as Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, close to Mayfield Grove, during his 31 years as a landlord. Some tenants, he said, had been with him throughout that time.

Asked whether housing people with multiple problems under one roof was a recipe for trouble, he said:

“Some have drug and alcohol addictions but they are mostly engaging with healthcare providers. Sometimes I’ve had to evict tenants but I have always had to work within the framework of the law.

“Sometimes you have to find likeminded people to live together. It can be difficult with tenants with challenging behaviours, that’s why it’s so important to engage with external agencies. But it can accentuate problems when you have them largely living under one roof.”

John Willis

Mr Willis said he offered to pay for a support worker to help tenants in his 10 Harrogate properties.

“I advertised for it and had 22 applications. But the council said it wasn’t a direction they wanted to go in because there was sufficient help already.”

The council, he said, had told him it had “paused” recommending tenants to him.

He said the 255 police reports about Mayfield Grove could include numerous cases of incidents merely being logged. But he added:

“There have been incidents and they have been followed up. Most tenants did have some healthcare professional or support worker. They were all on the radar.

“But it’s not 24/7 support and there’s only so much you can do.”

Mr Willis said he occasionally moved tenants between properties if they didn’t settle.

“Some tenants want to move and this is discussed with external agencies.”

He said he was responsive to tenants’ needs and operated legally.

“I’m not an absent landlord. It’s just unfortunate that there has been this incident.”

He said he and police had met Mr Wolsey a month before his death to discuss ways of helping him.

“He was a jovial character and I was very sad about what happened but at the end of the day there’s only so much a landlord can do.”

Forensic officers at the scene after the murder.

Police and council joint statement

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police a series of specific questions about why they hadn’t done more to address concerns at 38 Mayfield Grove and their relationship with Mr Willis. It also asked what actions were being taken to prevent further problems.

The two organisations issued a joint statement after the murder verdict. It said:

“Anti-social behaviour can blight the lives of residents and shatter local communities and we are absolutely committed to taking a multi-agency partnership approach to deal with any issues in Harrogate in both the short and long term via a range of strategies.

“In relation to 38 Mayfield Grove, extensive work has been undertaken over the years to ensure that a robust plan is in place to respond to concerns about crime, drug use and anti-social behaviour at the property and improve the quality of life for those living in the area.

“This has included undertaking a full options appraisal to consider the best use of available legislation and powers; progressing the use of a closure order at the property; and meeting with the landlord to specifically discuss the management of the property including the vetting and letting of perspective tenants. Further to this, a number of online meetings have taken place with community representatives; a community engagement event took place in June 2021 with representatives from both the police and council and residents have been sent several updates via letter.

“Since 2008, North Yorkshire Police has received 255 reports connected to the address – an average of around 20 reports a year – which has enabled authorities to respond and deal with issues quickly and effectively. The local community are our eyes and ears, and we would urge neighbours and residents to continue reporting matters and intelligence to us and we will continue to take the necessary action. If people commit criminal acts then they will be held to account for their actions.”

A resident has defended a new build housing estate on Harlow Hill following claims that it was built with poor energy efficiency.

Dan Waters lives in a house on Taylor Wimpey‘s Harlow Green development with his wife and daughter. He told the Stray Ferret that around 100 homeowners were unhappy with how the development was portrayed on Channel 4 News and in our subsequent article, and that they could damage the value of properties.

An energy-efficiency consultant claimed on Channel 4 that one of the homes was badly insulated, cold and a potential fire risk.

The daughter of an 82-year-old woman who bought the home claimed she was so cold due to draughts that she was forced to wrap up in warm clothes.

Mr Waters said that when he moved into his home in 2019 there was a draught, but this was quickly rectified by Taylor Wimpey, which tightened the windows. He said the report “doesn’t stack up” with his experience of living there.

He said:

“Heating bills are low. It’s so warm now it’s untrue.”

Mr Waters is concerned the negative publicity surrounding the report could affect house prices for residents in the future.

“It’s an exclusive site, we spent years worth of money to be here. They are our dream houses.

“In that instance [on Channel 4 News] it was draughty and she was elderly, it wasn’t ideal but it was very much an isolated incident.

“But Taylor Wimpey do jump on things quickly. If there’s a problem, they fix it.”

Read more:

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Mr Waters was disappointed by social media comments on the Stray Ferret article and said new builds had an unfair reputation for poor quality.

“Blanket statements were attached to the article, such as ‘new builds are all shoddily built’ or ‘they are drafty and will fall to bits in 10 years’.

“It’s farcical. Every house was once a new build.

“With new builds you are always going to get the odd niggle. They haven’t had 100 years of settling down.

“These were stone-built to a high level, and the price tag reflects that.”

Taylor Wimpey told the Stray Ferret it was working with the homeowner featured in the Channel 4 News report for a “fair outcome”.

A spokesperson said:

“At Taylor Wimpey we take sustainability incredibly seriously with a clear environmental strategy including ambitious science-based targets covering our business activity and the efficiency of the homes we build.

“We design our homes to be energy efficient and to accord with the energy requirements as set out in the building regulations. These afford a necessary level of air movement within the home and its structure for the purpose of adequate ventilation and air quality whilst ensuring they remain as energy efficient as possible.

“A permeability test was undertaken on the property by an independent consultant, the results of which demonstrated the home is outperforming the intended design criteria.” “We are committed to delivering high-quality homes and providing excellent service to our customers.

“We acknowledge that sometimes we get this wrong and recognise that in this instance, aspects of the customer’s experience did not meet the high standards we expect. We are guided by the principle of doing the right thing and continue to engage with the customer to gain access to the property to investigate certain outstanding queries in order to reach a fair outcome.”

Taylor Wimpey has promised to work with a Harrogate homeowner who says her dream home turned into a “nightmare” due to draughts and poor insulation at a new build housing estate on Harlow Hill.

Channel 4 News featured a report on whether the government’s Build Back Better agenda is good for the environment.

They filmed part of it at the 124-home Harlow Green development that is opposite RHS Harlow Carr off Crag Lane. It was built by Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest housebuilders.

The development was initially refused by Harrogate Borough Council which said in 2014 the homes would score poorly against the council’s environmental objectives and would have a “detrimental and incongruous” impact on the rural landscape. The council’s decision was overturned on appeal in 2015.

Homes have been sold there for over £600,000 and the reporter questioned whether this price tag means they are built to the highest environmental standards.

But an energy-efficiency consultant showed one of the homes was badly insulated, cold, and potentially a fire risk.

‘A nightmare’

Marion, 82, bought a home on the estate hoping it would be her “dream place” but it turned out to be a “nightmare”.

Her daughter said the house was so badly insulated that she was forced to wrap up warm with extra clothes.

She said:

“She had to reach for hat and gloves because of so many draughts. She was freezing cold.”

The energy consultant used smoke to show viewers how heat seeps out of the house under the windowsills.

The consultant also used a heat-seeking device that showed heat leaking out of the lining of the walls.

Marion’s daughter said she was so concerned about the potential of fire spread due to the airflow, she bought her mother a fire blanket that she slept beside.

She then moved out and is currently asking Taylor Wimpey to buy the home back off her.

Read more:

• Housing Investigation: land the size of 700 football pitches lost to new housing
• Green Shoots: Harrogate’s most environmentally-friendly house?

‘Clear environmental strategy’

Taylor Wimpey told the Stray Ferret it is working with the homeowner featured in the Channel 4 News report for a “fair outcome”.

A spokesperson said:

“At Taylor Wimpey we take sustainability incredibly seriously with a clear environmental strategy including ambitious science-based targets covering our business activity and the efficiency of the homes we build.

“We design our homes to be energy efficient and to accord with the energy requirements as set out in the building regulations. These afford a necessary level of air movement within the home and its structure for the purpose of adequate ventilation and air quality whilst ensuring they remain as energy efficient as possible.

“A permeability test was undertaken on the property by an independent consultant, the results of which demonstrated the home is outperforming the intended design criteria.” “We are committed to delivering high-quality homes and providing excellent service to our customers.

“We acknowledge that sometimes we get this wrong and recognise that in this instance, aspects of the customer’s experience did not meet the high standards we expect. We are guided by the principle of doing the right thing and continue to engage with the customer to gain access to the property to investigate certain outstanding queries in order to reach a fair outcome.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said its Conservative councillor and cabinet member for planning Tim Myatt, is writing to Housing Secretary, Michael Gove to ask that carbon reduction is considered in future national planning and building regulation changes.

Net-zero

Environmental charity Zero Carbon Harrogate has published a roadmap to 2030 outlining, among other things, how housebuilding needs to be improved in the district.

It proposes all homes are built to innovative Passivhaus standards and are heated with air or ground-source heat pumps. 

In May, the Stray Ferret visited a Passivhaus on Bogs Lane.

Developed in Germany in the 1990s, Passivhaus is seen as a game-changer for low-carbon housing.

It’s an innovative design code that prioritises insulation so that a home doesn’t need any heating or cooling at all, resulting in minimal energy bills. 

Homeowner Tim Larner said:

“We wanted to do the right thing environmentally. That was our main motivation for doing it.”

“It’s incredibly comfortable, really quiet and probably a lot healthier place to live. It’s a very controlled environment. You are never sitting in a draft. It’s lovely.”

A derelict former workshop opposite Harrogate’s Asda supermarket will be converted into six flats.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved an application this week from TRG Developments to convert the building on Back Dragon Parade, which is visible as you drive into the supermarket from Bower Road.

The flats will provide rental accommodation for care staff working for Vida Healthcare, which the applicant is associated with.

The building was previously used by ironmongers Beardmore Dobson and Sons, which ceased trading in 2017 after 82 years.

In 2015, the council approved an application to demolish several commercial buildings on Back Dragon Parade and convert them into 14 flats.

Read more:

• Harrogate town council: the Stray’s future and relationship with business
• First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation