Developer apologises for debris in River Crimple at Spofforth

A housing developer has apologised after debris from its site near Harrogate entered a nearby waterway.

Polystyrene and plastic from the 72-home Yorkshire Housing site at Spofforth was floating in the River Crimple in the village over the weekend.

Yorkshire Housing was granted permission to build the homes at Massey Fold in October 2021 after a long-running campaign by some villagers against the development.

Crimple Beck at Spofforth 2023

Litter strewn across the river and the nearby area. Pic: @spofforthmark

The organisation, which owns and manages about 20,000 homes, said in a statement:

“On Friday, some insulation blew open in the high winds and broke up. The contractor notified the Environment Agency straight away to let them know what had happened.

“Because of the stormy weather over the weekend it wasn’t safe to retrieve and clear-up the debris until this morning. We’re working quickly to do this.

“Windy weather isn’t an excuse and this shouldn’t have happened. We’ve discussed this with the contractor who will ensure any loose materials are secure to prevent this happening again.”

Signs on site say the development, known as Bridgewell, will consist of two, three and four-bedroom homes built in partnership with construction company the Jack Lunn Group and the non-departmental housing agency Homes England.

Villager Mark Lee raised concerns about the incident on social media.

Devastating pollution in Spofforth today, waste and debris from the new development by @JackLunnGroup @HomesEngland @yhousing @EdwardArch the river Crimple is actually blocked by your mismanagement and carelessness! @ClimateDesk @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @UnderwaterMedia pic.twitter.com/IiszgX96hV

— mark lee (@spofforthmark) February 19, 2023

Conservationist Keith Wilkinson, who is chairman of Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership and honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, said the incident reinforced the need to look holistically at problems associated with Harrogate’s three rivers — the Nidd, Crimple and Oak Beck.

Mr Wilkinson said contamination from the Nidd tributaries inevitably impacted on the Nidd itself and therefore it would be better to adopt a more strategic view to managing water quality.

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