A councillor has called for land earmarked for homes in Knaresborough to be reviewed under the council’s new housing plan.

North Yorkshire Council is set to draw up a new local plan when it comes into force in April. It will outline where development can take place across the Harrogate district over the next 30 years.

But Andy Bell, who sits on Knaresborough Town Council, has called for land at Water Lane in the town to be “questioned” after it was previously allocated for housing in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

The site was subject to a 170-home proposal last year, but it was thrown out by the government’s Planning Inspectorate on appeal.

Cllr Bell, a Liberal Democrat who spoke against the application at the Inspectorate hearing, said the new council should “think again” on the development.

He said:

“There have been four developments within a few hundred metres of this site recently, three of which are still under construction.

“We can not lose what makes Knaresborough special by allowing development if it is not right for the physical site or the community. This is not a no to all development.

“The Water Lane development had huge issues with access, no public transport provision, and was far too close to the neighbouring site of special scientific interest.

“It has been rejected at all levels of the planning process. It’s time to think again and question its place in the local plan.”

Read more:

• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor
• Government rejects plans to build 170 homes in Knaresborough

The Water Lane site is currently allocated for 148 homes under the current Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-2035.

The creation of a fresh local plan for North Yorkshire was agreed by senior councillors last month.

The new local plan will look ahead for a minimum of 15 years, and at least 30 years in relation to any larger scale developments, such as new settlements or significant urban extensions. It would encompass all areas of the county outside the national parks.

Conservative Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for growth and housing on the county council, said:

“The plan will be vital to the new North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions to deliver sustainable economic growth, through good homes and jobs, as well as the best facilities and infrastructure for everyone who lives or works in the county.

“Planning guidance will also play a key role in meeting our ambitious targets to tackle climate change. In addition, it can support other services in meeting the needs of our many communities at a local level, taking into account everything from transport and education to housing, health and social care.”

More detail is needed on plans to give Harrogate district parish councils more powers, says a Knaresborough town councillor.

North Yorkshire Council will take charge of all local government in the county on April 1. The seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, and North Yorkshire County Council, will be abolished.

Under a pilot scheme, lower-tier authorities will be offered the chance to manage more local services as part of a “double devolution” approach designed to prevent too much power being centralised in Northallerton.

It could see Ripon City Council, Knaresborough Town Council, Pateley Bridge Town Council and others in North Yorkshire take on more powers over assets and services.

However, Cllr David Goode, a town councillor in Knaresborough, has said the devil will be in the detail on the proposals.

He pointed out that the country faces another round of austerity measures in the coming years, which may impact on what services could be given to lower-tier councils.

He said:

“At this stage, the opportunity is to participate in a number of pilot projects in 2023, but a more substantial programme of discussions on transfers will not start until 2024 and the reality is that the development of opportunities for assets management and service delivery will take many years to evolve.

“What is not discussed in detail at this time is the potential impact of another round of austerity cuts from central government and what impact these may have on the delivery of services by the new North Yorkshire Council.

“A key future role for town and parish councils may be to offer alternative solutions to local residents for potential service solutions that could replace those being withdrawn.

“For such a programme to be successful it will be very important for a town council like Knaresborough’s to truly engage with the community, such that local residents are fully engaged in decision making about the town council developing new and innovative service solutions that could replace disappearing services, that residents value, but may not be part of any transfer deal from North Yorkshire Council.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council, said:

“We very much welcome the move by North Yorkshire County Council’s executive to establish a policy on double devolution to town and parish councils.

“The report that will be considered on Tuesday is exactly what were told it would be, so it is very much full steam ahead and I have high hopes that Ripon will be leading the way on this issue.”

‘Double devolution’

Councils will be able to propose taking on a wide range of assets and services, rather than picking from a list.

However, the county council intends to make it clear that proposals to take on decision-making powers, such as planning or traffic regulation, will not be considered.

It would also not consider “expressions of interest with regard to services and assets that generate a significant net income for the new council”.

Read more:

• ‘Double devolution’ for parish councils, under county council plan
• New North Yorkshire Council launches consultation on funding priorities
• Harrogate district town councils to be invited to take on more powers

Once invited, local councils will have until March 2023 to express an interest in taking on more services.

In a report due before the county council’s executive on November 8, Neil Irving, assistant director of partnerships, said:

“Double devolution is entirely separate from the proposed devolution deal between the government and the local authorities in York and North Yorkshire.

“Double devolution has operated for over 10 years in some other parts of the country, including Cornwall and Wiltshire. 

“There is also significant experience of existing councils in North Yorkshire successfully transferring services and assets to community groups and to town and parish councils.”

Town and parish councils in the Harrogate district are to be invited to propose taking on more powers when local government undergoes its biggest shake-up for almost 50 years.

North Yorkshire Council will take charge of all local government in the county on April 1. The seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, and North Yorkshire County Council, will be abolished.

Under a pilot scheme, lower-tier authorities will be offered the chance to manage more local services as part of a “double devolution” approach designed to prevent too much power being centralised at Northallerton.

It could see Ripon City Council, Knaresborough Town Council, Pateley Bridge Town Council and others in North Yorkshire take on more powers over assets and services.

Harrogate currently does not have a town council.

As part of the plan, county council officials will write to parish authorities by the end of this month inviting them to submit expressions of interest.

From there, six councils will be picked to develop a business case.

In a report due before the county council’s executive on November 8, Neil Irving, assistant director of partnerships, said:

“Double devolution is entirely separate from the proposed devolution deal between the government and the local authorities in York and North Yorkshire.

“Double devolution has operated for over 10 years in some other parts of the country, including Cornwall and Wiltshire. 

“There is also significant experience of existing councils in North Yorkshire successfully transferring services and assets to community groups and to town and parish councils.”

Councils will be able to propose taking on a wide range of assets and services, rather than picking from a list.

However, the county council intends to make it clear that proposals to take on decision making powers, such as planning or traffic regulation, will not be considered.

Read more:

• ‘Double devolution’ for parish councils, under county council plan
• New North Yorkshire Council launches consultation on funding priorities

It would also not consider “expressions of interest with regard to services and assets that generate a significant net income for the new council”.

Once invited, local councils will have until March 2023 to express an interest in taking on more services.

‘More things done at a local level’

The move comes as county council officials proposed offering parish authorities more powers in August 2020.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, pledged to offer more powers for people to “get more things done at a local level”.

He said at the time:

“We believe this double devolution which passports powers from Whitehall to the town hall and the town hall to the village hall is an exciting prospect.

“We are seeking more powers from the government, but we want more powers to be devolved to the very local area as well. We want to bring people together to get more things done at a local level.”

Organisations have agreed to work together to achieve designated bathing water status on the River Nidd at Knaresborough.

Longstanding concerns about water quality were heightened in summer when people and dogs fell ill after entering the Nidd.

If the bathing water bid is successful, the Environment Agency would be obliged to put plans in place to monitor and protect the water.

Not a single waterway in North Yorkshire currently has bathing water status but the River Wharfe in Ilkley has achieved it.

Knaresborough has been chosen because of the amount of  recreational river users it attracts, but if the campaign succeeds the rest of the Nidd would also benefit from the measures introduced.

Anglers, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Nidderdale AONB, Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, Leeds University, councillors and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, are among those involved after a meeting this month.

They must demonstrate the river attracts a large number of bathers and has support for such a move. Landowners must also support applications for privately owned sites.

Shan Oakes

Shan Oakes, a Green Party councillor in Knaresborough chairing the group, said the government was not setting high enough water quality standards and action was necessary. Ms Oakes, who is also on Knaresborough Town Council, added:

“It’s not going to be a quick fix. We need to consult with a lot of groups.”

Read more:

• Meeting called to hear concerns about state of River Nidd
• UK’s largest weir removal project begins on River Nidd at Scotton

Last week Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East on North Yorkshire County Council, agreed to chair a cross-party sub-group of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee that will examine the issue. She said:

“We are well placed to achieve this but we need the support of the community and the town council.”

Knaresborough lido, which is particularly popular with recreational river users, will probably be the focus of the campaign. Cllr Gostlow said:

“The river plays a big part in the local economy but people are getting ill so we need to do something.”

She added she hoped the campaign might succeed by summer 2024.

Action by anglers

One of the largest annual arts festivals in the Harrogate district is set to get underway.

Feva, the festival of entertainment and visual arts, takes place at a host of venues in Knaresborough from August 12 to 21.

Supported by Knaresborough Town Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Knaresborough Lions and Piccadilly Motors, this will be its 26th year.

The festival traditionally ends with the free picnic in the park in the grounds of Knaresborough House on the final Saturday.

The picnic is due to take place this year but there will also be a folk festival the following day. Street entertainers will perform in Knaresborough throughout the festival.

Headline acts include saxophonist Snake Davis (pictured above), who will be appearing with his Alligator Shoes band at King James’s School on August 16.

A new feature this year is a children’s art day.

About 40 events will take place at more than 20 venues over the 10 days.

Read more:

• Leisure company defends reducing adult swim sessions at Knaresborough Pool
• Contactless donation points for homeless could come to Knaresborough and Ripon

Many shops decorate their windows pink in support of the arts event.

Gwen Lloyd, chairperson of the committee for Feva, which is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, said:

“The whole ethos of Feva is that it’s a community festival run for the community.

“It encompasses the whole of the town and we try to ensure there are lots of free events.”

Yorkshire Life Aquatic performed dry land synchronised swimming last year.

The owners of the former Flaxby Golf Course say they are considering their next move after plans for an eco-resort at the site were rejected by Harrogate Borough Council.

The council refused the plans – which included 350 holiday lodges and a hotel – because of an “unacceptable” impact on the environment.

Knaresborough Town Council also complained there was “no proven business case” for the abandoned golf course site, where proposals for 2,750 homes were previously rejected in a decision that wound up in a legal battle over the Harrogate district Local Plan 2015-35.

A 300-bedroom hotel was also previously planned for the site, but these separate proposals never materialised.

Flaxby Park Ltd now has an option to appeal the latest decision against the eco-resort. It said it “remains confident that the proposal is appropriate for the site” and that it is now “considering the appropriate course of action”.

A company spokesperson said:

“Flaxby Park Ltd is extremely disappointed by the council’s decision to refuse the outline planning permission, on a site which was previously an established permitted leisure destination.

“The proposal is to provide a development which sits comfortably within the natural environment, providing a ‘getaway destination’ that is rural in feel but with easy access from main urban areas.

“The driving principle of the resort is to allow visitors to reconnect with nature within an ecologically rich environment involving the creation of new water bodies and woodlands.”

Read more:

• Flaxby parish council calls for government to reject eco-homes
• Business park near Flaxby that could support 2,000 jobs approved

The eco-resort proposals also included an outdoor swimming pool, spa and sports area, pub/restaurant and shops for the former golf course which closed in 2014.

Noise concerns

The site sits alongside the A1(M) and another concern raised by the council was what it described as “constant traffic noise” from the motorway.

In response, Flaxby Park Ltd said while traffic noise may be audible in some areas of the site, the presence of a “significant tree belt would minimise the impact.”

It added:

“This was accepted by Harrogate Borough Council environmental protection who raised no objection subject to the imposition of suitably worded planning conditions.

“The proposed development would minimise the resort’s carbon footprint and provide a unique lodge development within the Yorkshire area.

“The proposal would also generate significant public benefit locally in the form of economic benefits with respect to increased visitor expenditure and the creation of employment opportunities.”

In a decision notice, the council said the scale and layout of the eco-resort were “considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact upon the district’s natural and historic environment”.

It also said the proposals would cause harm to the Grade II listed Temple of Victory momentum which sits in the grounds of the nearby Allerton Park.

These are the reasons for refusal, which could be examined by a government planning inspector if Flaxby Park Ltd decides to once again launch a legal challenge against the council.

Speeding, mental health and activities for young people are among the main issues concerning Knaresborough residents, according to a new survey platform.

Multiple town groups set up Knaresborough Voice this year to give local people the opportunity to discuss what matters to them. With devolution looming, the groups wanted a platform for people to discuss where investment in the town should go.

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, Knaresborough Connectors and North Yorkshire County Council are among those supporting the venture.

The platform uses technology called Polis – an artificial intelligence-driven software designed to find communities’ complex views.

People offer anonymous responses or agree and disagree with other people’s statements on certain topics.

Three conversations so far

So far, the platform has been used to start three conversations:

• What’s most important in making Knaresborough an even better place to live and work?
• Should there be a default speed limit of 20mph – rather than 30mph – in the town and in residential areas?
• The state of mental health in the area after the two years of covid.

The conversation about what’s most important in Knaresborough is the first to be completed.

It generated 116 responses, which received almost 5,700 votes.

Read more:

• The new anonymous voting tool to find Harrogate’s consensus on key issues
• Harrogate council to sell restored Knaresborough flats for £879,000

Over 80% of respondents agreed there needed to be more opportunities for young people; that the town should welcome diversity; that there is a need to fill the gaps in the town centre offer; that pavements needed to be kept tidy and safe and that more needed to be made of York Road car park.

The groups behind Knaresborough Voice hope it will become a well-used platform for debate that can impact decisions made by local councillors.

Peter Lacey, a chamber committee member, said:

“The platform was set up in the light of devolution to collect views and connect community groups. A conversation starts by a someone suggesting a topic and we work to shape the statements and post the survey.”

The findings will be taken to Knaresborough Town Council next month in the hope they will be used to shape its decisions.

An alleyway off Knaresborough’s Market Place has been cleaned after the town council received numerous complaints about its condition.

The passage, next to William Hill bookmakers, is often used by drinkers on their way home and is scattered with litter.

Knaresborough Town Council paid for a team from Harrogate Pressure Washing to clean the passage yesterday.

Local residents have told the Stray Ferret that, amongst the litter, there is always often a foul smell and broken glass.

Knaresborough town councillor Andy Bell was amongst those calling for the alleyway to be cleaned. He said:

“Over the last months myself and other Knaresborough Town Council councillors have received complaints about the state of the passageway next to William Hill bookmakers.

“We were pleased to allocate some funds to get it deep cleaned and are very happy with the work done by Harrogate Pressure Washing. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”

Read more:

• Knaresborough unveils blue plaque to celebrate its ancient market
• Pure Gym to open in former Knaresborough supermarket

At the beginning of the year, the local business group Knaresborough Business Collective purchased a street sweeper for businesses to take out and keep areas of the town clean.

A bid to build a retirement complex in Knaresborough has failed for the second time after concerns were raised over the impact on “massively stretched” health services.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee has today deferred a decision on the latest proposals for 61 extra care apartments near Grimbald Bridge on Wetherby Road after previously refusing the development a year ago.

It follows an objection from the NHS North Yorkshire CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) which said it was “extremely concerned” that another care facility could increase the elderly population and “overload” local services.

The CCG said in a letter:

“This proposal for a new care facility is not something the local population are in need of, and is being proposed in an area that does not have healthcare staff or infrastructure available to be able to safely manage these patients.”

Defending the plans, Robert Gaskell, planning manager at the developers Adlington Retirement Living, claimed there is a “critical” need for new care facilities in the area and that the impact on health services would be “minimal”.

He told a meeting today:

“The majority of people who move into these apartments come from the local area.

“Our experience is that 80% of residents actually reside in a 10 mile radius. If these people are currently visiting primary care, then the impact is already occurring.

“This development actually helps solve the problem because there are less visits to GPs because people are getting the care they need and are in a supportive environment.”

Read more:

• 23 trees in Knaresborough to be felled this week for new leisure centre
• Plea for ‘moratorium’ on controversial 181-home Kingsley development

Mr Gaskell also said the proposed building had been scaled back from four storeys to three, and also included a new access and footpath upgrades after other concerns were raised.

However, road safety and the risk of flooding has remained an issue for residents and councillors – despite specialists in these areas not raising any objections.

Councillor Phil Ireland, who represents the area on Harrogate Borough Council and Knaresborough Town Council, told today’s meeting that he believed the site was not suitable for any development of this size.

He said:

“The site is subject to flooding as witnessed on Sunday, February 20 when some residents of Nidderdale Lodge Park just downstream had to be physically carried out from their properties.

“This site is unsustainable and totally unsuitable for a development of this scale.”

Resident Steve Benn also described the changes in the latest plans as “minimal” and said many locals in the area were against the development.

Mr Gaskell responded by claiming there were no records of flooding at the site, as he also said the proposed widening and resurfacing of footpaths on Wetherby Road represented an improvement from the previous scheme.

He said:

“The site has not flooded. There is no record from the Environment Agency of the site flooding.

“Indeed, the site will provide some betterment in terms of flooding as a flood basement will accommodate an additional 600 cubic metres of flood water.

“In terms of the highways impacts, these have been addressed satisfactorily and a road safety audit has been conducted.”

Councillors voted to defer a decision on the plans to allow for more information on health services, flooding and other potential footpath improvements to come forward.

The proposals will be brought back to the planning committee at a later date.

A total of 23 trees will be chopped down in Knaresborough this week to make way for the town’s new £17 million leisure centre.

Fencing has been placed around the affected area, which includes the play area where the new centre will be built. Work to remove the trees is expected to begin today and take five days.

Once work is completed, the play area will reopen.

A letter from Harrogate Borough Council to councillors says the trees “will be replaced in due course with native species at a ratio of at least 2:1 – either on Fysche Field or in Knaresborough”.

It adds:

“Much of the wood removed will be turned into wood chippings and used in the parks and open spaces we manage.

“The larger trunks that can’t be chipped will also be used in other ways such as natural bases for signs, benches or habitat creation to ensure the continuation of biodiversity on site.

“The carbon capture of these younger native trees, along with the removed trees being repurposed, will encourage wildlife and ecosystems for years to come.”

Read more:

• £28m contracts for new Knaresborough pool and Harrogate Hydro upgrades approved
• Knaresborough councillor supports £13m leisure centre ahead of crunch vote

The council is undertaking the work as part of a scheme to build a larger leisure and wellness centre in Knaresborough.

The local authority approved its own plans last week to build the new centre, which will include a six-lane, 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

Its letter to councillors says work on the centre will “start in the coming weeks”.

The centre will be built on the site of the existing play area, and slightly beyond. To compensate for its loss, another play area will be built in front of the new facility.

‘Bit of a shock to people’

Andrew Willoughby, a Liberal Democrat who represents Eastfield on Knaresborough Town Council, said it was sad to lose any trees but the plans were reasonable because of the wider benefits of the scheme and the fact that twice as many new trees will be planted.

Cllr Willoughby added that the majority of trees to be lost were planted about 30 years ago when the current pool was built. He said:

“Losing 23 trees is a bit of a shock to people. It’s sad to see any trees go. But I think what they are doing is quite reasonable.”

Cllr Willoughby added it was necessary to remove the trees quickly before birds started nesting in them in a few weeks.