An investigation by the Stray Ferret has uncovered how some of Britain’s biggest land promoters deliberately targeted Harrogate to exploit cheap land and high property prices.

Between 2014 and 2020 the district’s planning system was in disarray.

These failings made it easy for developers to get controversial housing schemes approved. The developers, knowing this, made speculative applications for thousands of homes across the district.

All this week, the Stray Ferret looks at the impact of six years of planning failings: thousands of extra cars on the roads, large detached houses prioritised over much-needed affordable homes for local people, and a lack of sustainable, environmentally friendly building.

Today, we examine how the Harrogate district became a target for opportunistic developers .

The draw of Harrogate

The Harrogate district is a prime place for money to be made in property.

It’s one of the most desirable places to live, often coming top in national property surveys. Just last month, Harrogate was named the ‘chic capital of the North’ by Tatler. It makes it very attractive to developers.

The latest figures put the average home at almost £360,000 – a whopping 13 times the average income for the district.

It is, according to the Harrogate Borough Council Housing Strategy 2019-2024, the least affordable area in the north of England.

It means home owning is out of reach for many low to middle income families caught in the Harrogate housing trap. There are more than 2,000 families in the district on the Housing Register living in unsuitable accommodation.

It’s not a question of Harrogate building too many properties. Rather, it’s too few of the right homes, in the right places, at the right price to meet local people’s need for affordable homes.

Planning failings

Every council has to put forward a 21-year plan to the Secretary of State for approval.The Planning Inspectorate examines local plans on the Secretary of State’s behalf to determine their suitability.

In 2014, the Planning Inspectorate advised Harrogate Borough Council  to withdraw its version of the Local Development Plan (or LDP 2014-2035).

The LDP sets out the council’s priorities and policies for land use. It defines where and how many homes can be built, where employment sites are located and what our town centre will become.

For a plan to be approved, it must demonstrate that it is well evidenced and meets local need. The plan must be in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and a raft of legislation, practice guidance and regulations.

Harrogate Borough Council withdrew its draft LDP at its first hearing on April 24, 2014, upon advice from the planning inspectorate.

The failed plan – years in the making – was deemed ‘inadequate’.

A letter from the Planning Inspectorate to Harrogate on April 29, 2014 explained that the evidence used in the plan was too out of date to be meaningful.

Harrogate was forced back to the drawing board.

Prior to its submission, Liberal Democrat leader councillor Pat Marsh had told the Yorkshire Post:

“I do not have confidence in anything to do with the plan, whether it be the actual allocation of homes, whether there is the necessary infrastructure in place to cope and how members will be able to decide on the final proposals which are still being finalised. I have been a councillor for 22 years, but I have never experienced anything quite like this. It is a complete shambles.”

Conservative councillor Alan Skidmore, who was appointed cabinet member for planning at HBC in 2012, publicly defended the plan at the time. Yet speaking to the Stray Ferret this year, he said he knew the plan that had been prepared was “absolute rubbish”.

“I was astonished. I delayed it as much as I could, much to the chagrin of certain planning officers. We were forced to submit it in the state it was in, because if we didn’t, the government would have taken steps against us.”

The local plan should have helped control where new housing was built

Land supply

Harrogate failed on another critical requirement. Councils must show that they have a supply of specific deliverable sites enough to provide five years’ worth of new housing (plus an appropriate buffer).

This is called the five-year land supply (5YLS).

In 2014, the council had more than two thousand families on the housing register.

Planning inspectors and developers surgically dissected Harrogate’s calculation that just 390 new market and affordable homes per annum was enough to meet housing need.

The figure had to be revised, and Harrogate employed a consultant, GL Hearn.

To meet the 5YLS, Harrogate had to find enough developers with land to deliver 1,050 completed homes a year.

As a result, the land earmarked for development within the plan was insufficient.

The perfect storm

Without an approved local plan and evidence of a five-year land supply, a condition called the ‘tilted balance in favour of presumption of approval’ was triggered which prioritised building houses.

In 2013, the Campaign for Rural England warned local government that a

“widespread failure to implement local plans left 175 local authorities (including Harrogate) vulnerable to ‘damaging development’”.

But the Federation of House Builders disagreed, saying:

‘‘Fears that the lack of a (local development) plan will lead to the untrammelled destruction of the countryside are overblown. Even where there is no Local Plan, development must still conform to the NPPF, which clearly sets out that development must be well located, well designed and sustainable.”

Harrogate Borough Council planners advised councillors from 2014 to 2018 that there was a ‘tilted balance’ in favour of approval on almost every major development regardless of whether the site was well located and sustainable.

For almost every major housing scheme, planning officers advised committee members to approve the application.

The planning committee did turn down some applications during that time, though, and the council successfully defended its decision at appeal.

A district vulnerable to promoters

Enter the land promoter: land promoters seek out land which could be ripe for housing and help the owner get outline planning permission before managing the onward sale to a developer.

In the Harrogate district, a hectare of agricultural land will fetch around £25,000 at the farmers’ auction.

As a development site with outline planning approval, the same land will realise between £1.2 and £2.3 million.

The promoter then takes a share of the land’s increased value when it’s sold.

Gladman Land is the promoter behind applications for nearly 1,500 properties in the district since 2014, including Harrogate, Boroughbridge, Killinghall and Knaresborough.

Co-founder David Gladman told the High Court in July 2016:

“We normally only target local authorities whose planning is in relative disarray and… either have no up-to-date local plan or, temporarily, they do not have a five-year supply of consented building plots.”

Even if the council refuses the application, it’s of no consequence.

Gladman Land stated that going to appeal was part of its business strategy, with a success rate of over 90%. They advertise themselves as one of the most successful land promoters in England.

It’s completely legal and was essentially a standard practice within the land promotion industry.

In 2016/17, Harrogate received the highest number of planning applications since records began.

The development at Crofters Green, Killinghall, was one of those passed at appeal. Click here to read more.

Strengthening position

By January 2019, Harrogate could demonstrate a robust 5YLS which tilted the balance in a different direction.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was advised to support an outline application by Gladman’s to build 175 houses on Bar Lane, Knaresborough.

The debate ran over several hours with councillors struggling to reach a consensus, despite officers’ recommendation to approve the proposal. Eventually, the committee deferred the application to planning officers to approve, subject to some details being finalised.

But just nine months later, on September 9, 2019, the same application returned to the planning committee who refused it against the advice of officers.

The advanced state of the local plan and a healthy 5YLS gave the planning committee the confidence to reject the proposal.

The local development plan was finally accepted by the planning inspectorate and adopted by HBC in May 2020 affording further protection against harmful development in the borough.

But the damage has been done to the fabric of our communities, and over the next week, the Stray Ferret will look at the impact that six years of planning dysfunction has had on the lives of local people.

Coming up

All this week, we look at the impact of a planning system in disarray. 

• Tomorrow: Local homes for local people? We speak to those who say they’ll never be able to buy in their home town. 
• Wednesday: Thousands of new homes – but where are the schools and doctors’ surgeries to support the people who live in them? 
• Thursday: More than 26,000 extra cars on the road: one local man says traffic is putting him out of business 
• Friday: Climate change: why the district’s new homes are already out of date when it comes to the environment 

Towns and villages across the district were targeted by developers while Harrogate had no local plan or five-year land supply.

A proposal by Gladman Land to build 75 homes in Killinghall was initially refused planning permission by Harrogate Borough Council.  

It said the development “would cause significant harm to the form of the village and to the landscape character, which includes the Nidd Gorge Special Landscape Area and a number of public rights of way, by its manner of extending the built form of the village into open countryside”. 

In October 2016, the company appealed against the decision 

The Planning Inspectorate dismissed the draft Harrogate local plan as being “of little weight”, saying that it considered the main issues to be whether the council could now demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land.   

After hearing arguments from both, he concluded that Harrogate needed to make provision for 3,857 homes over the period 2016–2021.  

This was considerably higher than the 390 per year originally calculated by HBC.  

‘Suitable location’

The planning inspectorate determined that the site “was a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to national and development plan policies in respect of sustainable development and the delivery of new housing”.  

Its report concluded that the failure to evidence a five-year land supply by the council was the planning consideration to which he attached most weight.  

Had Harrogate met its statutory planning obligations, there may have been a different outcome to the thousands of homes given approval between 2014 and 2020. 

At the time Killinghall conservative councillor Michael Harrison, who was also Cabinet Member for Planning, was reported in the local press as saying Gladman was targeting Killinghall because the council lacked a local plan and five year housing supply.

He said:

“Villagers are right to be upset and feeling that the village is under siege from developers. They are correct.

“It is, in my view, an unacceptable way to get planning permission and it deprives the local residents, and the local council, of the right to have their say on how the district should be developed.”

Killinghall is just one of the areas in the district which feels it is “under siege from development”.

Residents fear the whole fabric of the village has changed as more and more houses are built.

With growing congestion and a lack of local amenities, they worry the formerly small settlement is fast becoming a suburb of Harrogate. 

Read more

• Investigation: How Harrogate was targeted for development during six years of planning chaos

The Harrogate district’s hopes of being in the lowest tier of restrictions when lockdown ends in 10 days time received a boost today when just 28 covid infections were reported.

The figure, from Public Health England, is the lowest since the 26 positive cases on October 18.

Infections soared after then and were well above the national average this month until a considerable recent slowdown.

Just 31 were reported yesterday.

The R number, which refers to the virus’ reproduction rate, was 1.6 a fortnight ago but is now down to 1.1.

The seven-day rolling average rate of positive cases has declined significantly from over 300 to 190.

Read more:

• Covid forces Harrogate and Knaresborough libraries to close
• Harrogate district covid rate falls below England average

In more good news today, no hospital deaths were reported.

North Yorkshire was in the lowest tier of restrictions pre-lockdown and the recent trend has raised hopes it may be classified the same when the government announces new measures later this week.

Boroughbridge and Marton-cum-Grafton has become the district’s current covid hotspot, with 29 infections in the last seven day — one more than Killinghall and Hampsthwaite.

Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has recorded the fewest positive test results in the last seven days, with just seven.

The rate of covid infections in the Harrogate district is rising sharply and is now well above the national average.

The R number, which refers to the reproduction rate, was 1.4 last week and is 1.6 today. This means every 10 people that test positive in the district will infect another 16.

The latest R number for the UK is 1.1 to 1.3.

The seven-day rolling average rate of infection for the Harrogate district was 160 cases per 100,000 people two weeks ago; last week it was 251 and today it is 279.

The England average is 241.

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital coping well with covid, says chief executive
• Record daily number of covid infections in Harrogate district

North Yorkshire as a whole appears to be struggling. Four of the county’s seven district and borough council areas — Scarborough, Harrogate, Selby and Hambleton — now have higher rates of infection than the England average.

For many months North Yorkshire fared better than many parts of the country.

Although widely accepted that lockdown will take time to bring down infections, these are worrying figures for county health officials.

Local covid hotspots

The Harrogate district accounts for three of the top 10 covid hotspots in North Yorkshire, according to a breakdown of positive test results in the last seven days by local community area.

Harrogate east is third on the list with 42 infections, one place ahead of Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, which has 41. Harrogate west and Pannal is eighth with 36.

Catterick Garrison and Colburn in Richmondshire tops the list with 52.

The only local area in the bottom 10 is Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has recorded just seven positive tests.

Killinghall CE Primary School is set to close today after someone at the school tested positive for coronavirus.

The school, on Otley Road in Killinghall, sent a letter to parents this morning asking them to pick up their children at staggered times according to year groups, starting at noon.

The letter, written by headteacher Sarah Bassitt, said the school will open again tomorrow and all children are expected to attend unless they develop Covid symptoms.

Read more:

• New shop opens in Killinghall today
• New Tesco could open in Killinghall next year
• Killinghall residents demand cycle routes to Harrogate

The letter said the school, which has just over 100 pupils, had identified a “very small” number of staff who had “close contact” with the individual concerned. It says:

“We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of Covid within the school community. I appreciate that you may be concerned by this information.”

The Stray Ferret approached the school and North Yorkshire County Council for further information. The school declined to comment but the council has not yet responded.

A primary school headteacher and parents are calling for urgent speed measures in Killinghall before a child is killed or seriously injured.

Sarah Bassitt, headteacher of Killinghall Church of England Primary School, spoke out after a fruitless two-year campaign to tackle speed outside the school.

Traffic hurtles downhill along Otley Road into the village at a 60mph limit, which only reduces to 30mph about 200 metres from the school. Often cars are doing at least 40mph when they pass the building.

Ms Bassitt said many schools had 20mph limits outside and traffic calming measures, such as speed humps.

But two years of writing to North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police have not led to similar outcomes in Killinghall.

Ms Bassitt said:

“The criteria seems to be that you have to have a child killed before anything is done.

“That hasn’t happened mainly because of the vigilance of parents and teachers.

“It’s very dangerous and different to what happens at other schools. It feels like we are hitting out heads against a brick wall.”

Ms Bassitt said some parents were so exasperated they had even used fake speed guns to encourage drivers to slow down.

Otley Road, outside the school in Killinghall.

Parent Gary Donoghue, who has led the campaign, said children were scared to walk to school.

Mr Donoghue said there should be a 20mph limit outside the school.

Read more:

• Harrogate High School reports covid case
• Western Primary School urges council to tackle road fears

He also called for the 30mph limit coming into the village to be moved back to the junction with Lund Lane to allow traffic more time to slow down before passing the school. He added:

“We are looking for prevention rather than repercussions. We don’t want something to happen to our children so they are the ones who bring about change.

“There seems to be a lack of acknowledgement that there is a problem. But when your child is scared to walk to school that is an issue. I wish someone from the council would come and speak to us.”

The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire County Council several times for comment but did not receive a response.

A new French-inspired furniture shop is due to open in Killinghall today.

Once Upon A Time, which is being run by two friends, will also sell flowers, candles, coffee and homemade cakes.

Tina Parker, who lived in France for several years, said she and Sian Ross “could possibly be mad” for opening at such a difficult time.

But she thought the impact of coronavirus had made people more appreciative of small independent shops. She added:

“People missed their local shops when they closed and are more willing to support them.

“We want it to be a destination shop where people come and have a coffee and pick up a gift besides looking at the furniture.”

The interior of the new shop

Ms Parker previously owned French Loveliness, which was also in Killinghall and closed last year. The new shop is about 100 metres along Lund Lane, towards Hampsthwaite.

Read More:

• New music shop set to open in Knaresborough
• New Tesco could open in Killinghall next year

Ms Parker and Ms Ross, from Summerbridge, share a passion for French-style design.

Their shop will be open from Wednesday to Sunday each week.

The new Tesco Express in Killinghall is unlikely to open until late next year at the earliest.

The store is due to be built on the site of The Three Horseshoes pub on the main Ripon Road in the middle of Killinghall.

The pub posted a message on its Facebook page on Saturday saying it will close on September 27. But it could be some time before the Tesco Express opens.

In July, Harrogate Borough Council approved plans by Ilkley developers Dynamic Capital Killinghall to convert the site to a convenience store.

The plans also involve constructing four flats and installing six electric vehicle charging points.

Read more:

• Historic Killinghall pub reopens
• Tesco moves forward with plans on Killinghall pub site

At a meeting of Killinghall Parish Council last week, Cllr John Moretta said the developers had suggested once work gets underway it is likely to take a year to complete.

Last month Tesco applied for an alcohol licence from 6am to 11pm seven days of the week at the site, which has hosted a pub for 150 years.

Tesco subsequently submitted three more planning applications for signage, lighting and an ATM machine. Work is unlikely to begin until these matters are resolved.

Fellow parish councillor George Novelli told last week’s meeting the store would be “absolutely vital for the village”, which has grown considerably in recent years. A Tesco spokesman said:

“We believe the new store will be a positive addition to the local community and we aim to be serving customers there in 2021.”

The Greyhounds Inn opposite The Three Horseshoes remains closed.

A power cut in Harrogate this morning led to 6,603 homes losing electricity.

The power cut affected homes in the HG3 postcode, which includes Beckwithshaw, Killinghall and Pannal.

Northern Powergrid said power returned at 9.30am this morning.

Read more:

• One-way system in Kingsley will lead to ‘horrendous’ congestion

• People urged to have say on North Yorkshire council reorganisation

Tesco has applied for a licence to sell alcohol at the site of the Three Horseshoes pub in Killinghall, which will be demolished and rebuilt as a supermarket.

The company wants to sell alcohol from 6am to 11pm seven days a week in the shop, which it says will create 15 part-time and full-time jobs.

In July, Harrogate Borough Council granted Ilkley company Dynamic Capital Killinghall planning permission to demolish the building and build a shop and four flats.

Read more:

• Decision to refuse 46 homes in Killinghall overturned on appeal

• Killinghall residents demand cycle routes to Harrogate

The council received a petition signed by 232 people objecting to the loss of the pub, which has served Killinghall for 150 years.

Locals also asked public body Historic England to grant the pub listed status, which was rejected.

However, HBC planners decided “the proposal would provide substantial social and environmental benefits” and approved it.

The pub reopened in July after being closed during the lockdown.

A Tesco spokesperson said:

“We believe the new store will be a positive addition to the local community and we aim to be serving customers there in 2021.”