Housing company Avant Homes Yorkshire has bought land in Green Hammerton to build a £21.5 million, 80-home development.

The development, which will be called Ambretone Park, will be built on land off the A59 between Harrogate and York.

Avant Homes has bought the land from Leeds-based Loxley Homes, which originally submitted plans for the development.

Harrogate Borough Council approved the proposal in March 2021 despite fierce opposition, with 229 residents in the village objecting on the grounds that it was over-development.

Read more:

• Anger in Green Hammerton at 80-home development
• Green Hammerton gets final approval for 3,000-home settlement

The scheme is set to include one, two and three-bedroom homes and 40% of the properties will be designated as affordable housing.

Chris Coley, Avant Homes Yorkshire managing director, said: 

“We are very pleased to complete this land purchase and move plans forward for our Ambretone Park development.

“Green Hammerton is ideally situated for buyers that are keen to be close to York, Harrogate and Knaresborough while also benefitting from its rural setting. We are now looking forward to commencing initial groundworks this summer.”

The Wakefield-based company said groundwork on the site was due to start next month.

The first residents are expected to move into the new homes in spring 2022 with the total development build taking approximately two-and-a -half years.

Green Hammerton has also been designated as the site of a new 3,000-home development by Harrogate Borough Council.

An unnamed housing company is in negotiations to buy a field in Bogs Lane in Harrogate with the intention of building new homes, the Stray Ferret understands.

The Kingsley area is already one of Harrogate’s main pressure points for housing – and could see more than 650 new homes eventually built. A local residents’ group said the area has reached a “saturation point” for new homes.

The field is between Henshaws College and Long Lands Common, where thousands of local people raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land to plant trees and protect it from development.

Local estate agent Lister Haigh is marketing the land as a “rare opportunity” to buy a greenfield site that could be used for a potential residential or commercial development.

The Stray Ferret has seen an email sent by the estate agent to a person who enquired about the land. The person asked not to be named, but the email confirms that negotiations are already under way with a housing developer.

The email says:

“Currently negotiations are ongoing with a commercial housing development company who want to build houses on the site.”

Read more:

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The site, which is 1.4 hectares, is not allocated for development in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan. This is a guide for where commercial or residential development can take place in the district until 2035.

Similar sites in the Local Plan have been allocated for between 30 and 40 homes.

John Hansard from the Kingsley Ward Action Group was alarmed at the news that the Bogs Lane field could be sold for housing.

He told the Stray Ferret that residents will fight any potential planning application for the land.

He said:

“In any new development area, there has to come a time when you reach saturation point, beyond which the area cannot continue to function as neighbourhood community and simply becomes a soulless conurbation, an out-of-town sprawl of housing, lifeless, with no community spirit or indeed willingness to create such a spirit.

“I feel so sad and afraid that in this area we are already at that tipping point, if not beyond it and that unless this mindless devastation of our green spaces stops, we will be at the point of no return for our community.”

Harrogate Borough Council is drawing up a plan for what infrastructure, such as schools, roads and doctor’s surgeries, are needed in the west of Harrogate where as many as 4,000 new homes could be built by 2035.

Harlow Hill, Rossett, and Pannal Ash are already some of the most popular residential areas in Harrogate and the stretch of Otley Road from Cardale Park to Beckwithshaw is set to be transformed.

Some of the biggest allocated developments in the Local Plan yet to be built include 776 homes on Windmill Farm, 750 homes near Lady Lane, and 550 homes on Bluecoat Wood.

Developments in the Local Plan are highlighted. Credit: HAPARA

During the Local Plan process, residents raised concerns about the impact of the housing on schools, roads, sustainable transport and green spaces.

This led the government’s planning inspector to request HBC create a so-called ‘West Harrogate Parameters Plan” to assess transport and infrastructure needs.

A coalition of resident groups, including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association (HAPARA) and Pannal & Burn Bridge Parish Council, produced a document of its own last year which lays out what it thinks needs to be done regarding infrastructure in the area.

What is the Parameters Plan?

It’s being coordinated by HBC working with North Yorkshire County Council, other infrastructure providers, and the site promoters to identify the infrastructure requirements for the area and how they will be delivered.

This includes new schools, local shops, sports facilities, green space and parks, roads and sustainable transport options. It will also identify how it will be delivered and who will pay for it.

HBC says the plan will allow a more joined-up approach to infrastructure rather than assessment on a site-by-site basis.

What is the current status of the plan?

Work started on the Parameters Plan last year. It has involved engagement with ward members, local parish councils and other local community groups, as well as promoters of other nearby sites.

This has included sharing and inviting comments on an early draft of the plan, as well as holding joint workshops and individual meetings. Further meetings are scheduled.

An independent design review has also been undertaken which the council hopes means that quality design is “at the heart” of the plan. Following this, the site promoters have jointly commissioned design expertise to carry out more detailed work, which is currently underway.

Read more:

• Controversial plans for 200 homes in Pannal Ash halted indefinitely
• Criticism over 560 homes plan for Otley Road in Harrogate

When will it be published?

HBC said there is no hard deadline for the creation of the Parameters Plan as its priority is “getting the content right.”

Further work is being carried out to incorporate the recommendations from the design review as well as ongoing work with infrastructure providers to finalise necessary requirements.

Residents’ groups had expected the plan to ready before the end of 2020. The council said it now expects the plan to finalised by the autumn. It will then be rubber-stamped by HBC’s cabinet member for planning Cllr Tim Myatt.

Once the Parameters Plan is agreed, how will it work in practice and how will it be implemented?

The plan will provide a framework that will guide the development of site masterplans which are submitted to the council when developers apply for planning permission.

It will also be a material consideration in the determination of relevant future planning applications, meaning councillors can use it to help them make a decision on a particular development.

The council will use legal agreements called section 106’s to secure funding for the infrastructure needed and to mitigate any impacts from the development.

A home in Harrogate has got creative to deliver a unique warning about climate change.

Whoever lives in the house has hung eco-bunting across a hedge for all to see on Oatlands Drive, opposite St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

It includes messages such as “if the climate were a bank it would already have been saved” and “you know it’s bad when introverts are doing this”.

Caroline Linford who runs the Sustainably Harrogate blog and website, noticed the bunting.

Ms Linford praised it and said “activism comes in all shapes and forms”.

She added:

Our story yesterday about the Harrogate district being left to grow wild to improve biodiversity and attract bees, birds and insects provoked a huge amount of interest.

Harrogate Borough Council has left large swathes of green spaces untouched by mowers and strimmers.

Even the neat and orderly Stray has a different look to previous years.

It’s a thorny subject for the district, which prides itself on its well tended, floral appearance.

Almost 100 people commented on our Facebook page, and the vast majority gave the new approach the thumbs-up.

One person praised the wildflower “anarchy” on display.

“I love it! Wild flowers are never untidy – just a bit anarchic!!”

‘The wilder the better’

Another reader called Harrogate Borough Council “brave” for taking the new approach.

“The wilder the better for wildflowers, insects and other wildlife. Well done Harrogate Borough Council for taking such a brave approach and not bowing to the ‘tidy brigade’. Currently it’s only a tiny percentage of our green space but it’s a start!”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s ‘rewilding’: untidy or biodiversity boon?
• Wildflower planting starts on the Stray tomorrow

Someone on our Twitter page said other parts of Harrogate were also looking better:

“It’s great – not just on The Stray but also in other places like along Wetherby Road near Woodlands. Looks great with the buttercups in flower.”

However, there were some dissenting voices. Several people accused the council of not cutting the grass to save money.

Another accused it of “hypocrisy” due to the scale of housebuilding in the district.

The Stray Ferret reported last year that green spaces the size of over 700 football pitches will be lost to housing.

“The crocuses and planted up flower beds also attract many bees and many insects but oh wait, the council are selling the horticulture nurseries on Harlow for yet more housing. 

“Total double standards but they they’ll cut maintenance costs and make money from developers.”

How wild is your neighbourhood? Send us pics and give us your views. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

The average price of a house in the Borough of Harrogate has increased by more than £28,000 in the course of the past year, according to the Land Registry.

This is a 5% rise, which is lower than the national average. The Office of National Statistics reported that house prices in the UK had risen by an average of 10.2% over the year to March 2021.

Demand has also shifted more towards spacious properties, with estate agents reporting an unprecedented shortage of detached family homes.

The trend can be attributed towards housebuyers’ changing priorities over lockdown and more people starting families.

However, certain factors affect the statistics and mean that they may not paint an accurate picture of the whole year.

The stamp duty land tax holiday on properties worth up to £500,000 is set to end on June 30, which will most likely reduce housing demand in later in the year.

Estate agents said that, anecdotally, there has been a post-vaccination rush for some people who now feel more comfortable attending house viewings and going through the moving process.

Read more

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• Plan to convert Harrogate B&B into a house

Charles Myring of Myrings Estate Agents summed up how the pandemic has changed the housing market in the borough:

“Stock levels in Harrogate were so depressed during the lockdowns, especially on certain properties (bigger family houses with good outdoor space/south-facing gardens/garages etc), which meant there wasn’t always enough quality stock available to buy and to encourage more people into the market.

“As a consequence prices started to edge up every month.”

The Harrogate borough encompasses the city of Ripon and a number of small towns including Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.

David Waddington of Linley and Simpson projected the average price rise to be even higher, at somewhere between 1% and 2% each month.

He agreed that the rise in demand for housing in the borough was also mostly related to covid:

“Harrogate became particularly desirable over lockdown as people realised they no longer had to go into the office and live in suburban areas.

“More people are looking to live in semi-rural areas, because of a subliminal need for space as a result of isolation.”

However he urged first-time buyers and those with mortgages not to give up hope, as the latest iteration of the Help to Buy scheme is still helping people with smaller deposits to take the first step on to the housing ladder.

Developers behind a plan for 12 new homes in Knaresborough have submitted final design proposals for the development.

The proposal was given outline approval for the site off Bar Lane back in 2018.

At the time, the developer said in its planning documents that proposal had been “carefully considered to provide an appropriate level of mix of housing”.

It added:

“Overall the proposed scheme provides a high quality development in a sustainable location with good links to local facilities.

“The proposed scheme has a clear identity and is sympathetic in density, scale and style to the surrounding context.”

Read more:

• Plans to turn Bishop Monkton pub into five houses
• Green Hammerton gets final approval for 3,000-home settlement
• Plans submitted to build 28 homes in Bishop Monkton

Now, Rouse Homes Ltd, based in Leeds, has submitted a reserved matters application for the design and landscape of the development.

It would see bungalows and two, three and four bedroom homes built on the site.

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

Plans have been lodged to convert a Harrogate bed and breakfast into a house.

The proposal would see Brookfield House, Alexandra Road, changed into a four bedroom house.

The plan has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, which will make a decision on the application at a later date.

Read more:

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• Four flats could be built above James Street shop in Harrogate

It’s the second conversion of its type after the approval of a similar application at Alexa House, Ripon Road.

Sandra Doherty, who sold the hotel for an undisclosed sum in March, had applied to Harrogate Borough Council for permission to convert it in February.

The council gave consent for the development a month later.

Ms Doherty, who owned the site for 15 years, had a previous proposal to convert the hotel into seven apartments refused.

Developers have submitted plans to build 28 homes in the village of Bishop Monkton, near Ripon.

Kebbell Development, which is based in Buckinghamshire, has lodged the proposal for land at Knaresborough Road in the village.

The plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council would see two, three, four and five-bedroom homes built on the site.

In its plans, the developer said 40% of the homes proposed for the site would be allocated to affordable housing.

Read more:

• Plans to turn Bishop Monkton pub into five houses
• Green Hammerton gets final approval for 3,000-home settlement

It added that the homes would be in keeping with the local area and that the development will “positively contribute” to the community.

The site on Knaresborough Road in Bishop Monkton which has been proposed for housing.

A decision on the proposal will be made by the council at a later date.

The development comes after Alfa Homes, a sister company of Wetherby-based developer Berkeley DeVeer, lodged plans for 98 homes in the village.

The 98 homes have been proposed for the western edge of the village on Knaresborough Road and Moor Road.

A residents group has said its faith in the planning system is being “severely tested” over the rush to approve a controversial 200-home development at the former Police Training Centre in Pannal Ash.

An HBC report recommends councillors approve the application on Yew Tree Lane by Homes England at next week’s planning committee.

It was due to be considered last month but was withdrawn from the agenda at short notice.

The withdrawal came after Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association said it had received both written and verbal assurances by Harrogate Borough Council officers the application would not be decided until a document known as the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan is agreed.

The parameters plan will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate. It was expected last year but has been delayed.

A HAPARA spokesman said:

“Although the council accept that the parameters plan is a ‘material consideration’ in this application, no definitive plan exists at this time so it is illogical, let alone bad faith, to bring this matter to a decision at this time.

“We cannot understand the rush to judgement on this application, considering the time normally taken for decisions on major developments. Our confidence in the council’s consultation process and indeed the Local Plan process itself, is being severely tested.

“We are writing to all members of the planning committee to urge them to defer the item to a later committee.”

Several residents who objected to the plans were not told about last month’s planning meeting and nobody from the group was invited to speak against the plans.

The council admitted it had made an error and withdrew the item on the agenda.

Read more:

• 200 homes in Pannal Ash set to be approved

• Football club’s fury at plans to axe Harrogate sports pitch for housing

The Police Training Centre site is earmarked for 161 homes in the council’s Local Plan, which outlines planning in the Harrogate district until 2035. It is called H36. The current application is for 200 homes.

A council spokesman said:

“Although there is no policy requirement for site H36 to prepare the WHPP or wait for its completion, the site is located within the geographical area of the WHPP. As such, work undertaken to date – including discussions with infrastructure providers – is a material consideration in the assessment of this new application on H36.

“Accordingly, the applicants have included provision of a segregated cycleway to link up with other west Harrogate sites and will be making transport improvements/contributions that take into consideration the impact of all of the sites within the west Harrogate area.

“Site H36 is a brownfield site with an extant permission (14/02970/FULMAJ) for 161 new homes and forms part of the council’s housing land supply position. Homes England acquired the site because it had stalled and they are seeking to unlock it as part of their housing delivery role.

“The current application has been with the council since June 2020 and full public consultation has been undertaken, with responses considered as part of the planning application process.

“Our position on the determination of the current application for site H36, in the context of the WHPP, has been explained directly to HAPARA and is set out within the report to members of the planning committee”.