Final approval for 80-home Green Hammerton scheme

Harrogate Borough Council has given final approval to an 80-home housing development in Green Hammerton.

Leeds-based developer Loxley Homes was granted outline planning permission to build the homes in January 2019.

Today the council’s planning committee considered a reserved matters application that dealt with the design and layout of the site.

Five councillors voted to approve the plans, three voted to refuse and three abstained.

The development, which will include 32 affordable houses, faced fierce opposition within the village, with 229 objections and none supporting.

Chris Chelton, co-chair of the Keep Green Hammerton Green action group, spoke to councillors and cited an objection from Historic England.

The public body said the views towards York’s skyline were some of Green Hammerton’s ‘most precious but fragile qualities’.

Mr Chelton added:

“Out of all the developments in Green Hammerton, this is the one that’s aroused the most local outrage, and with good reason. It will have a massive impact on its surroundings.

“You could refuse and say you are no longer prepared to sanction a development on a site as sensitive as this. Send the developers back to the drawing board to work harder.”

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Ann Myatt, Conservative councillor for Ouseburn, objected to the plans and also revealed that Conservative Selby & Ainsty MP Nigel Adams had intervened and written to committee members about the proposals.

Responding to comments that there are too many homes in the development, the agent Roger Rippon, speaking on behalf of Loxley Homes, said:

“I don’t believe this is over-development. All the government guidance says you should make the most use of a site. We’re not allowed to waste land by carrying out unreasonably low-density development.”

 

Former Home Guard club in Harrogate for sale

The former Home Guard club on the corner of Tower Street and Belford Road in Harrogate has been put on the market for £500,000.

Property agent Feather, Smailes, Scales says the 2,700 square foot building near St Peter’s School is in need of extensive repair but could be refurbished and turned into housing or retail space.

It also suggests the building could be demolished and rebuilt, if planners allow it.

Simon Croft, from Feather, Smailes, Scales said the former social club is in a “sorry state” but has the potential to be redeveloped.

He said:

“The building could become what someone would think would work best economically and prevent it from being an eyesore.”

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Home Guard members played snooker at the club.

There have been two planning applications in recent years to demolish the building and build four flats in its place, but they were both withdrawn. Objections were raised from both the Ancient Monuments Society and Harrogate Civic Society.

Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam told the Stray Ferret that the building has historical importance to Harrogate. It was originally the town’s second hospital from 1873 until 1883 before being used as Harrogate’s first custom-built Masonic Hall.

It was also where Harrogate’s Crimean War hero Sgt Major Robert Johnston died.

With the advent of the Second World War in 1939, the local Home Guard began using the building as a social club to relax with a drink and play snooker.

Since 1987, the ground floor has been used by various businesses including Sweet Tooth Munchies.

According to a letter from a former Home Guard club member that is contained within planning documents, the club was forced to disband and close the venue in 2015 because it did not have enough money to repair a leaking roof.

Anger in Green Hammerton at 80-home development

Despite the spectre of a 3000-home “new settlement” eventually being built around Green Hammerton, a smaller application for 80 homes has arguably attracted just as much anger in the village.

Leeds-based developer Loxley Homes was granted outline planning permission to build the homes in January 2019 and the council’s planning committee is expected to consider a reserved matters application, that deals with the design and layout of the site, next month.

The homes would be built on Green Hills, an agricultural field that rises above the village and out towards York, where you can even see York Minster on a sunny day.

The original application received over 250 objections, more than the number of homes in Green Hammerton itself.

The plans also received an objection from Historic England who said the views towards York’s skyline are some of Green Hammerton’s “most precious but fragile qualities.”

Chris Chelton, founder of the Keep Green Hammerton Green campaign group said the homes will leave a “horrendous legacy” for villagers.

He said:

“The site stands out like a sore thumb and will project out on village on the hill to York. It’s an absolute travesty.”

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After Harrogate Borough Council chose the area around Green Hammerton for a major expansion of housing in the district, ahead of Flaxby, the village has become synonymous with development.

The new homes could eventually see the village grow from 675 people to over 10,000.

Mr Chelton said it rankles that the Loxley scheme was granted outline permission during the years when Harrogate had no Local Plan, which he said “condemned” Green Hammerton to its current fate.

During that time, councillors say they were “forced” to approve major developments to boost housing numbers.

In November last year, villagers in Green Hammerton were encouraged after a HBC planning committee refused a reserved matters application in another historic village — Spofforth.

Like the Loxley proposal, the developer had outline planning permission but councillors agreed that the proposals in Spofforth would turn the historic village into a “carbuncle of urban sprawl”.

Loxley Homes was approached several times for comment but has not responded.

Government to build 800 homes in Harrogate and Ripon

The government’s housing agency, Homes England, announced today it will build over 800 homes in Harrogate and Ripon after the previous developers pulled out.

Homes England said it has bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate and the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.

It said the two developments had stalled for various reasons, including the “associated enabling costs” and that their planning permissions were due to lapse imminently.

Homes England now has a major presence in the district: it is already working on a 1,300 scheme at Ripon Barracks and 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre site on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate.

Bluecoat Park, Harrogate – 450 homes

In February 2016, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to HTH Harrogate LLP to build the homes.

It followed an earlier refusal of permission on the grounds of road safety and traffic flow problems.

The site is off Otley Road, opposite Cardale Business Park and Harrogate Police Station.

The proposals included retail units, a new primary school and a village green.

However, the developer since put the site up for sale to potential developers.

With planning permission due to lapse, Homes England said the homes would not be built unless it stepped in. It plans to submit a new planning application later this year.

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West Lane, Ripon – 390 homes

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to Barratt Homes on appeal for the development.

It was previously rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.

However, last summer Barratt Homes pulled out of the scheme.

The developer told The Stray Ferret that the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update, the company announced its revenue had fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

‘Fantastic news for Harrogate’

Both schemes are set to include 40% affordable housing, which Harrogate Borough Council asks developers to include in most developments.

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher said the acquisitions were “fantastic news” for the district.

“This is fantastic news for Harrogate and a realisation of this government’s mission to deliver quality, affordable homes, that are fit for future generations.”

Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture, Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We welcome Homes England’s involvement in seeking to bring forward and unlock these stalled sites.

“They are important in helping to deliver our strategic objective to provide new homes that meet the needs of the district.”

Plans for 69 retirement apartments in Knaresborough refused

An application to build 69 retirement apartments with additional care facilities near St James Retail Park in Knaresborough has been refused.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee voted overwhelmingly to reject the bid yesterday. Eleven councillors refused and one abstained.

Adlington, part of the Gladman group, applied to build on land adjacent to the single-track Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road, alongside the River Nidd.

Adlington has built similar developments for retired people across the north of England, including Adlington House on Bridge Street in Otley.

Cllr Phil Ireland, who sits on both Knaresborough Town Council and Harrogate Borough Council, said the plans would increase traffic and air pollution for children walking to Aspin Park Academy primary school.

He said:

“The size and scale of the development is overpowering. The visual intrusion will be evident to all entering Knaresborough.”

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Robert Gaskell, planning manager for Adlington, said new retirement complexes were “critical” to the Harrogate district as they helped to release existing homes back into the housing market.

He added:

“The accommodation brings a social life that combats isolation and loneliness. In the context of current lockdown, this is surely something to be supported.”

Several councillors raised concerns about flooding, including Sue Lumby, who said elderly residents would not “be able to make a quick getaway” if the Nidd flooded.

However, Nick Turpin, the council’s planning manager, said officers were satisfied the development would have “minimum risk” of flooding.

The development was proposed be built to the left of Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road.

Grimbald Bridge is a pressure point for congestion and the proposals faced objections from both Knaresborough Civic Society and Knaresborough Town Council on transport grounds.

‘Build affordable housing at Harlow Nurseries’

Harrogate Community Land Trust has appealed for the chance to develop affordable housing on the Harlow Nurseries site.

Harlow Nurseries, next to the Pinewoods, is owned by Harrogate Borough Council and sells plants, pots and compost to the public.

However, the council’s Local Plan says 40 homes can be built on the site. The nursery will relocate if the development goes ahead.

The council has appointed three external consultants to draw up plans for the site before the end of the year.

But Harrogate CLT, which wants to develop homes to meet community needs, such as affordable housing or low-carbon housing, fears whatever is proposed will be too expensive for most people.

Sarah Hart, who helped to create Harrogate CLT four years ago after becoming demoralised with the cost of housing in the town, urged the council to consider selling Harlow Nurseries to it rather than a private developer.

Ms Hart thinks Harrogate CLT, which has 39 individual members, could provide homes the current property market does not cater for.

Harrogate Borough Council requires developers to include 40% affordable housing, which includes social housing, shared ownership schemes, and homes sold at lower than the market rate.

But Ms Hart said these options are still out of reach for too many people, forcing some to move outside of the district.

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Highly sensitive development

Any housing on the popular Harlow Nurseries site is likely to be controversial, especially after the local community recently rallied against Harrogate Spring Water’s controversial expansion plans into Rotary Wood.

Ms Hart says the “highly sensitive” nature of any development made it ideal for community-led housing that put the needs of local people first.

Her vision is to create homes for older people who want to downsize, people at the end of the council’s social housing waiting list, and people trapped in the private rented sector due to high rents.

She added:

“If you do housing from the bottom up you can find out what people really need.

“You hear people’s frustrations [about Harlow Nurseries]. So instead of being against a development, it’s better to bring people along”

Flagship scheme

Last week the local Green Party also suggested a housing development at Harlow Nurseries could be Harrogate’s flagship community-led housing scheme.

Residents in community-led housing schemes govern themselves to keep housing affordable in perpetuity.

A well-known local example is LILAC, which is a community of 20 eco-build households in west Leeds.

Raising capital to buy the Harlow Nurseries site would be a hurdle for Harrogate CLT.

Ms Hart said the group was in discussions with a local housebuilding company about working in partnership on the scheme.

She added she wanted Harrogate CLT to be “around the table” with the council before the land is sold.

A council spokesperson said:

“We have now appointed a specialist to progress with masterplanning work on the three strategic sites allocated in our Local Plan.

“We will be working closely with them to engage with and involve key stakeholders and local groups to ensure we create the right type of communities for existing and future residents of the Harrogate district.”

Calls for community involvement in Harlow Nurseries housing

The local Green Party says a future housing development that will be built at Harlow Nurseries could be Harrogate’s “flagship” community-led housing scheme.

Harlow Nurseries, next to the Pinewoods, is owned by Harrogate Borough Council and sells plants, pots and compost to the public.

However, the council’s Local Plan says 40 homes can be built on the site with the nursery relocating if the development went ahead.

What is community-led housing?

Community-led housing developments are designed and managed by local people and built to meet the needs of the community, such as for more affordable or low-carbon housing.

Rebecca Maunder, Harrogate & District Green Party campaigner for Harlow says the site offers a “great opportunity” for the council to support community-led housing.

This means the council would offer the site to a community group rather than selling it to a property developer, who may choose to maximise the land for profit.

Ms Maunder wrote to HBC’s director of economy and culture Trevor Watson calling on the council to explore offering the site to the community:

“The site provides an ideal opportunity for any new development to be led by the community for the community.

“The proximity to the Pinewoods means special consideration should be given to integrate it into the landscape, prioritising wildlife and biodiversity, alongside mental and physical health.

“Such a sensitive site would benefit from maximum community input and help to create a sense of ownership and full integration with the existing community and landscape.”

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The council is moving forward with plans to develop the nurseries and has appointed three external consultants who will draw up a programme for what might happen to the site before the end of the year.

If the local community decided it wanted to get involved, it would first need to form a Community Land Trust (CLT).

HBC is able to issue financial grants to CLTs to help establish themselves and to conduct feasibility studies for potential schemes.

A HBC spokesperson said:

“We thank Harlow Greens for their letter and will respond shortly.

“We have now appointed a specialist to progress with masterplanning work on the three strategic sites allocated in our Local Plan.

“We will be working closely with them to engage with and involve key stakeholders and local groups to ensure we create the right type of communities for existing and future residents of the Harrogate district.”

 

 

Plans for major retirement development in Knaresborough

Councillors will next week consider proposals for 69 retirement apartments with care near to St James Retail Park in Knaresborough — but concerns have been raised that it will worsen traffic on Grimbald Bridge.

Adlington, part of the Gladman group, is behind the development which would be built on land adjacent to the single-track Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road which passes the River Nidd.

Adlington has built similar developments for retirees across the north of England, including Adlington House on Bridge Street in Otley.

The company said the Knaresborough scheme will follow its ‘extra care’ model which tries to maintain the residents’ independence.

It said in its plans:

“Residents can live with as much independence as they wish, but have care support available to suit their needs with advancing age, without moving to more specialised accommodation.”

The developer wants to demolish a derelict bungalow and house that is currently on the site. The three-storey development includes 22 one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom apartments.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will meet a week on Tuesday (February 16) to consider the proposals, which have been recommended for approval by a council officer.

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Grimbald Bridge is a pressure point for congestion and the proposals include a new, single priority-controlled junction on Wetherby Road.

The development would be built to the left of Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road.

However, this has not been enough to allay concerns over traffic and pedestrian safety, with both Knaresborough Civic Society and Knaresborough Town Council objecting on transport grounds.

Knaresborough Town Council called the development “over-intense with poor access”.

It added:

“The scale of the development is overpowering, blocking natural daylight from adjacent properties.”

Housing developers pay £1.2m to fund Harrogate projects

Harrogate Borough Council charged housing developers £1.2m in 2019/20 to fund infrastructure projects, such as children’s play equipment and village halls.

The figure is revealed in the council’s first infrastructure funding statement.

The statement includes details of section 106 payments, which developers pay as part of the planning process to fund infrastructure that residents will use. 

A report to councillors revealed that of the £1.2 million generated, the council has so far collected £550,000.

Almost £200,000 of this has already been spent on schemes such as children’s play equipment, allotments, cemeteries, open spaces, village hall improvements and outdoor sports repairs around the district.

Examples of specific projects include: improving the toilets at Killinghall village hall, improving a multi-use games area in Kirkby Malzeard, installing planters in Darley and erecting village signs in Little Ouseburn

Harrogate Borough Council’s section 106 payments relate only to open space, village halls and affordable housing.

Developers also pay section 106 payments to improve education, roads and public transport but these are collected and monitored by North Yorkshire County Council.

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The report also reveals the council has collected £2.4 million in section 106 payments from previous years, which it has not yet spent.

The document says section 106 payments can only be spent when the final payment from a development has been received.

It also says it keeps the money to “avoid the risks associated with developers going out of business”.

The report is expected to be rubber-stamped by the council’s cabinet member for planning, councillor Tim Myatt, on Tuesday.

37 homes in Ripon look set for go ahead

Thirty-seven houses look set to be built on the site of former warehouses in Ripon after Harrogate Borough Council granted outline planning permission this week.

Prime Talent Ltd submitted plans to demolish vacant buildings at the Old Goods Yard, 2 Hutton Bank, which were previously used by companies such as Millennium Windows and Power Plastics, and build the homes.

Originally, 43 homes were mooted but the number was reduced after concerns were raised about the loss of the site for employment use.

An updated scheme was put forward with fewer homes and six units, which can be used by local businesses.

In August 2019, the council’s planning committee deferred approval to the chief planner subject to conditions, which included the completion of a legal agreement that dealt with the number of affordable homes.

Councillors also asked for a study on how the homes would be protected against subsidence.

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Because the development involves bringing a vacant brownfield site back into use, the developer was able to apply a vacant building credit.

The government introduced vacant building credits to encourage developers to bring back into use previously developed sites containing vacant buildings by reducing the number of affordable homes they are obliged to build.

This reduced the number of affordable homes for this development to six, which is 16% of the development.

Normally on brownfield sites, the council asks developers to include 30% affordable housing.

As the site is in an area that may be subject to gypsum-related subsidence, developers undertook a study that recommends using rafting foundations on the buildings to mitigate any potential subsidence issues.

The developer is now set to submit a reserved matters application, which deals with the site’s appearance and types of homes.