North Yorkshire Council Archives - Page 87 of 162

Harrogate magic show venue approved — subject to noise plan

A planning application to convert a former Harrogate music studio into a magic show venue has been approved — subject to conditions.

Magician Neil Bradley-Smith applied to change the use of Blue Sky Music Studio on Mayfield Grove in September.

He told the Stray Ferret in October he proposed to turn the site into a “speakeasy-style” entertainment venue to perform live shows, adding:

“I’d like to partition the venue and make the first room an entirely interactive magic show.

“For example, I’d have a deck of cards stuck to the wall which would then be used in the show later on.

“Then, the other half of the venue would become a 1920s-style parlour where I’d perform traditional card tricks.”

The application was for the change of use from retail to sui generis, which means the use of the venue does not fall into a particular category due to it being unusual.

During consultation, an environmental health officer proposed a condition for controlling noise.

In its decision notice, published yesterday, North Yorkshire Council granted planning permission subject to the development not taking place “until a scheme has been submitted to and agreed in writing by the local planning authority that specifies the provisions that will be implemented for the control of noise emanating from the site”.

The council said the measure was being taken to “protect the amenity of the locality, especially for people living and/or working nearby.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Neil Bradley-Smith for a response to the decision, but he did not respond by the time of publication.

Flaxby eco-homes plan refused

Councillors have refused a plan to build four environmentally-friendly homes at Flaxby, near Knaresborough.

It follows two larger applications that were refused by the defunct Harrogate Borough Council in 2021 and 2022, with those decisions upheld on appeal.

The plots on York Road were identified for people who want to build their homes. According to documents submitted by developer Ben Holmes from Holmes Planning Ltd, utility bills would have been reduced to “as close to zero as possible”.

This would be achieved through solar panels on the roofs and air-source heat pumps instead of gas boilers.

The homes would be designed according to Passivhaus principles, which is an innovative design code that prioritises insulation so that a home doesn’t need any heating or cooling at all resulting in minimal energy bills.

The developer also said the homes would adopt rainwater harvesting technology to reduce water consumption.

North Yorkshire Council has a waiting list of people wanting to build their own homes in the county and the developer said the scheme would help meet a demand.

The proposed site at Flaxby.

Councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Selby and Ainsty planning committee met yesterday at Selby Civic Centre to consider the latest application.

The plans received several objections from villagers in Flaxby.

Caroline Greenhalgh, a councillor on Goldsborough and Flaxby Parish Council, told the committee she believed the site was unsuitable for development.

She added:

“There’s no infrastructure, services or adequate public transport.”

Mr Holmes addressed councillors and said the homes would be built to an “incredibly high standard”.

He said:

“These are going to be extremely green properties. It’s not a perfect site, I accept that, but it’s a good site.

“People will use their cars to get there however does that outweigh the benefits the site will bring? I say no it doesn’t.

“I firmly believe if you ask the public what they think, the majority would support this application.”

Ahead of the meeting, the plans were recommended for refusal in an officer report due to harm to the countryside and the loss of agricultural land.

Councillors ended up backing the recommendation and unanimously voted to refuse the plans.

Mark Crane, the Conservative councillor for Brayton and Barlow, said:

“I strongly support self-build however it’s clear as clear can be that this is not the site for it. Seldom have I seen so many reasons for refusal.”

Ripon solicitors appeals replacement roof refusal

A Ripon solicitors has appealed a refusal for a replacement roof and solar panels.

Newtons Solicitors relocated from Duck Hill to new, larger premises at 36 Market Place South last year.

It lodged plans for a replacement roof and solar panels to North Yorkshire Council. However, the proposals were refused in October.

The council said the move would cause “unjustified harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area due to the use of modern slate tiles over traditional stone slate.

The firm has since taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case, CLB Heritage, which is handling the appeal, said:

“The change from stone to Welsh (or similar) slate roof tiles on the rear elevation will have a very minor visual impact.

“The impact is reduced because the Welsh slate is a key feature in Ripon Market Place as set out in the Conservation Area Appraisal and also because the solar panels are fit within the roof plane so do not protrude above the slope and will not be visible from public vantage points.

“The dark colour of the panels and dark slates will help assimilate them visually within the roof slope.”

The law firm has also submitted revised plans for a replacement roof to North Yorkshire Council.

Under the proposal, the roof would be constructed from modern Brazilian slate to the front and rear elevations, with solar panels on the roof at the back of the property.

Historic England, which is the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment, concurred with the council’s previous refusal and said the fresh plan would cause “unjustified harm” to the area.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Business Breakfast: Council hires marketing firm to promote numeracy project

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Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

North Yorkshire Council has hired a marketing firm to help promote an adult numeracy project across the county.

Leeds-based The Marketing Optimist has been appointed to help promote the MultiplyNYorks scheme, which is aimed at people aged over 19 who do not have a GCSE in maths at grade C.

The digital marketing agency is supporting the council with marketing strategy, social media marketing, SEO, website design and copy on the programme.

Richard Michie, CEO of The Marketing Optimist, said:

“This project is one of our biggest to date, and we are thrilled to be chosen as the marketing partner for such an important initiative.

“This project requires a thorough, collaborative approach to deliver an extensive multi-channel marketing strategy, as there are over 20 delivery partners across York and North Yorkshire.”

Homebuilder donates wildlife-friendly gifts to Boroughbridge

Homebuilder Barratt Developments Yorkshire West has donated a selection of RSPB wildlife-friendly items to Boroughbridge Allotment Society.

Situated opposite the new Harclay Park and Manor Chase development in Boroughbridge, the society received a selection of bird houses, bee biomes, insect and hedgehog houses to boost their ongoing ecological efforts to protect wildlife.

Boroughbridge Allotment Society was founded in December 2009 to create a space for local people to watch nature thrive.

Geoff Hustwit, secretary at the society, said:

“This donation will help us create valuable habitats for beneficial wildlife which will assist us in developing a sustainable culture on our allotments.”

Sam Wood, sales director at Barratt Developments Yorkshire West, said:

“We are dedicated to creating green and pleasant places to live, and to giving those living on and around our developments the tools to help nature thrive.”

Bishop Monkton 23 homes refusal ‘illogical’, says developer

A developer has described a decision to refuse plans to build 23 homes in Bishop Monkton as “illogical”.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, councillors rejected the plan amid concern it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The decision went against North Yorkshire Council officers’ recommendations to approve the scheme.

As a result, the developer has appealed the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case, the developer described the council’s position on refusing the plans as “illogical”.

It added that Yorkshire Water had not objected to the scheme despite concern over sewage.

It said:

“The council have provided absolutely no evidence to justify taking a position contrary to Yorkshire Water who maintain and operate the sewages system in Bishop Monkton.

“The council’s position is illogical. There has not been any material change in circumstances, Yorkshire Water did not object to the allocation of the site in the Local Plan and have not objected to the planning application on four occasions.

“It could not be clearer that Yorkshire Water have no issues with the development proposals.”

However, Bishop Monkton Action Group has urged the government to reject the appeal.

In a 26-page letter of objection submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, the campaign group said the scheme would “threaten the sustainability of our village”.

The group said it had concerns over the impact on drainage and sewage, as well as a “historic lack of investment” in the area’s sewer system.

It said:

“We have highlighted the key issues within the scheme as submitted by the applicant that threaten the sustainability of our village.

“However, the historic lack of investment in our sewer infrastructure is already threatening the sustainability of our village.

“This is evidenced in raw sewage discharge on our streets, in people’s drives and gardens plus sewage discharges onto our Beck and the Ure in a drinking water safeguard zone. Please do not make this any worse for us.”

The move comes as councillors rejected the proposals at a council meeting three months ago.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

The committee had also called for Yorkshire Water to provide more detail on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

No representative from the company appeared at the meeting.

But the company said “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.

Warning 4,000-home Maltkiln scheme ‘could become North Yorkshire’s HS2’

Councillors have been warned that the proposed 4,000-home Maltkiln housing scheme could become North Yorkshire’s version of HS2 if taxpayers’ money is used to compulsory purchase land.

In Northallerton this morning, North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative-run executive agreed to give the council the ability to issue a compulsory purchase order to buy the land near Harrogate required to ensure houses are built.

But the power to buy land without the consent of the landowner would only be used as a last resort if an agreement with landowner is not reached, according to a report prepared for councillors.

A key landowner who owns fields around Cattal train station, making up around half of the proposed site, pulled out in January which has thrown the scheme into doubt.

The potential town and two primary schools would be constructed towards York near the villages of Cattal, Whixley, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton.

Three parish councillors spoke at the meeting today with each questioning whether future compulsory purchase orders would be an appropriate move for the authority.

Kevin Bramley from Hunsingore, Walshford with Great Ribston & Cattal Parish Council compared the housing scheme to HS2, which saw its northern leg scrapped despite millions being spent on compulsory land purchases.

Clare Beckett, chair of Whixley Parish Council, also questioned whether it was “sensible use of public money” to proceed with the plans.

Paul Townsend, chair of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council said it was “time to draw a line and move on” from Maltkiln.

He said:

“We urge the executive to be very cautious spending taxpayers money at a time when many councils are on the verge of bankruptcy. Does North Yorkshire Council really have the money available for speculative development proposals?”

Councillors also heard from Richard Holliday, an associate at Carter Jonas, who spoke on behalf the landowner Mr Dent who pulled out earlier this year.

Mr Holliday claimed Caddick Group, which is developing the scheme, had an option to purchase the land from his client but then decided not to exercise it.

He said:

“Its difficult to see how a CPO can be justified even in principle when the land could have been purchased by agreement. CPO is a drastic tool when the agreement fell away due to the decision of the developer.”

The council’s Conservative executive member for open to business, Derek Bastiman, emphasised that a CPO would only be used as a last resort and was not being suggested as a threat.

According to the report prepared for councillors, Caddick Group has agreed to discuss underwriting the costs of a CPO.

If the council were to purchase the land through a CPO, it could also enter agreements with other developers such as the government’s housing agency Homes England.

Cllr Bastiman said a development document that has been worked on by officers for the last few years will soon be able to be submitted to the Secretary of State who will scrutinise whether the scheme is deliverable.

He added that the council has commissioned specialist advice to “show Maltkiln is a viable scheme”.

Conservative executive member for housing Simon Myers said CPOs have been used by public bodies throughout history to deliver housing.

He said:

“Without compulsory purchase powers, going back to the 19th century, slums wouldn’t have been demolished and social housing wouldn’t have been built.

“If push comes to shove, we have a responsibility to deliver housing. We have 8,500 people on housing waiting lists in North Yorkshire.”

Council rejects 20mph limit on main roads near Harrogate schools

North Yorkshire Council has rejected requests to reduce the speed limit on some main roads outside schools in Harrogate to 20mph.

A report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, will recommend creating a 20mph zone outside schools in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area of the town.

The council announced plans for the “landmark” zone in September following a safety campaign by residents, councillors and schools.

The proposed area for the new zones included seven Harrogate schools. These are Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Ashville College, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

It included roads such as Arthurs Avenue, Oatlands Drive, Yew Tree Lane and Cromwell Road.

But it now appears main routes Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane will not be included in the plan.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, told the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September he hoped Otley Road — where students enter the school — could be reduced to 20mph.

But the report due before Cllr Duncan on December 18 says the main roads were identified as either “strategic distributor” or “main distributor” roads.

It added:

“Practically given the recognised role in the strategic network and their function to carry high volumes of traffic between primary destinations it is not considered appropriate to implement physical traffic calming features and an associated speed reduction to 20mph.”

Meanwhile, the council said Leadhall Lane “does not have identified destination points such as schools, shops or sports centre” and a 20mph limit would be “difficult to achieve”.

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Christopher Harrison, headteacher at Oatlands Infant School, said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the plans.

The school caters for pupils between the ages of four and seven.

Mr Harrison said he hoped the council would reconsider its proposals and reduce the speed limit on Hookstone Road from 30mph to 20mph.

He said:

“As headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I am incredibly disappointed by the decision to keep Hookstone Road at 30mph.

“We have a healthy, active school community who love to walk, cycle and scooter to school alongside Hookstone Road on a daily basis.

“We worry that the current speed limit of 30mph is not safe enough for our children, and that a reduction to 20mph would enable more families to travel to school in safety. We hope that North Yorkshire Council reconsider this decision with our youngest, most vulnerable members of our community in mind.”

Otley Road

Hazel Peacock, of the Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign, said the plans did not go far enough and urged the council to include the roads in the proposals.

She said:

“For the safety and well-being of the 9,000 school children and the wider community in Oatlands and Pannal Ash we urge North Yorkshire Council to reconsider the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61), Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661) and York Place (A6040) as 20mph in the Harrogate (south and west) 20mph Speed Limit review to be considered by Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation and mayoral candidate, on Monday 18th December.

“Without the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Otley Road and part of Wetherby Road specifically only five of the nine schools in the zone will be fully covered with 20mph roads immediately surrounding them; leaving St John Fishers Catholic High School and Willow Tree Primary School on 30mph roads and a combination of 30mph and 20mph in the case of Harrogate Grammar School and Oatlands Infant School.

“Considering people hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be killed than at 30mph (Transport for London data) and that 16 children are killed or seriously injured in road crashes every week on their way to or from school (Public Health England), it is clear why the inclusion of these roads as 20mph matters.

“We hope Cllr Duncan will include them to prioritise the safety and well-being of the school children and members of the community as has been done on ‘main roads’ by other local authorities, in many including nearby Otley, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London, rural villages in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.”

The scheme is estimated to cost the council £200,000.

The authority has recommended proceeding to consultation on traffic regulation orders for the areas proposed to be reduced to 20mph.

A decision will be made on the recommendation at next week’s meeting.

Council cancels another Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee

North Yorkshire Council has cancelled another Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee due to a lack of planning applications to consider.

The meeting was set to take place next Tuesday at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.

It means since the new council was formed in April, just four out of nine planned meetings have taken place with none happening since the last meeting on September 26.

The ability to approve or reject planning applications is a key responsibility of elected councillors, with cross-party planning committees based around parliamentary constituencies scheduled to meet each month.

But there have been concerns across the county that power has been concentrated centrally with unelected officers making the decisions instead.

Last month, the Harrogate & Knaresborough committee chair Pat Marsh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council was making a “nonsense” out of the current planning system.

In a statement published this week, the council’s assistant director of planning services, Trevor Watson, said one reason for the paucity of meetings was that planning applications in the former Harrogate district area are now been heard by councillors in the Skipton & Ripon and Selby & Ainsty constituency areas instead.

This includes plans for an eco home development in Flaxby tomorrow, which is a resubmitted version of a scheme previously refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

Mr Watson said:

“We are committed to open and transparent governance and always endeavour to hold planning meetings where possible.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of agenda items, the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee meeting scheduled for December 19 had to be cancelled.

“However, as the former administrative boundary of Harrogate Borough Council is split over three area constituency planning committees, a number of applications were considered at the Skipton and Ripon planning committee last week.

“A further two items are scheduled to be considered by the Selby and Ainsty committee on Wednesday.”

The next Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee is set to take place on January 30.

Council scraps ‘waste of money’ £100,000 Harrogate cycle plan

A £100,000 project to make a minor Harrogate road better for cycling has been scrapped after being criticised as a “waste of money”.

North Yorkshire Council revealed in September it planned to upgrade Nursery Lane, which is a minor road off Otley Road, into an off-road leisure route.

The scheme came as part of 10 proposals put forward to reduce congestion in west Harrogate.

However, a council report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, next week shows the plan has now been dropped.

The project was criticised by cyclists at a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September.

David Mitchell, of Harrogate District Cycle Action, told councillors that spending £100,000 on Nursery Lane was “not sensible because it would not make a meaningful difference to the cycle network”.

Meanwhile, Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the meeting the cycling community had told him the proposal was “a complete waste of money because that lane is already safe”.

The report, which will go before Cllr Duncan on December 18, says the scheme has been scrapped as feedback showed it “was not supported and the funding could be better utilised on other projects”.

It has been replaced with a £60,000 plan to resurface the footpath and cycleway between Green Lane and Blenheim Way, which is known as Rossett Cycle Path.

The report said the move would “enhance the off-road route and encourage its use as an alternative route to the Otley Road corridor for walkers and cyclists”.

The Stray Ferret reported the proposed congestion-reducing initiatives when they were published in September. You can read them here.

Funding for the overall project has increased to £854,000 after the authority received further section 106 contributions.

The cost for the improvements is now estimated at £715,000 – an increase from £585,000.

The council said any remaining money would be kept as a contingency to cover design work, which is expected to start in January 2024.

A further report on the proposals will be brought before Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in the spring.

Knaresborough Leisure Centre opens today

The long-awaited opening of Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness takes place today.

The centre, which cost £17.5 million to develop, has a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool and slide and a 60-station fitness suite.

There is also a studio for group fitness classes, a group cycling studio, a sauna and steam room and a café.

The outdoor children’s play area is still in the works but is expected to be open in January 2024.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts, culture and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said:

“By moving the service offer from being a conventional swimming pool to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive.

“We look forward to welcoming the public into the facility next week.”

The site is managed by Brimhams Active, the council’s health and wellbeing company, which oversees the Harrogate and Ripon sites too.

According to the Brimhams Active website, all-inclusive membership at the sites costs £44.95 for adults per month and the concession price is £35.95 per month.

A gym or swim-only membership will set people back £33.95 a month, and a pay-as-you-go swim session costs £5.45 for adults and £2.85 for children.

There will be immersive spin classes on offer.

North Yorkshire Council also said the new building will be “more efficient” than the former.

It said the carbon output of the previous leisure centre has been reduced by 60%.

The gas boiler was replaced with sustainably efficient air source heat pumps and solar panels have been installed to provide a source of renewable energy.

Alongside LED lighting, upgraded building management systems and improved electrical supplies will increase energy efficiency, the council said.

The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is part of a £47.9 million investment into leisure provisions, which also include the newly developed Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon.

Mark Tweedie, chief executive of Brimhams Active, said:

“The creation of this new leisure and wellness centre provides a modern, safe space where all walks of life, at every stage of life’s journey, can come together and enjoy a range of activities from swimming, gym and group exercise, to eating and relaxing.

“The investment really does deliver something for everyone. I’m now looking forward to working with my team to bring these facilities to life.”

The new centre has been built next to the former Knaresborough Pool, which was built in 1990 and last refurbished 20 years ago.

The swimming pool will open at 6.30am and the gym will open at 6.15am every morning.

The sauna.

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Homebuilder donates wildlife-friendly gifts to Boroughbridge

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‘Incredibly disappointed’

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