Residents worried that west Harrogate won’t be able to cope with thousands of new homes are facing further delays to see another key document on how under strain services should be improved.

The West Harrogate Parameters Plan was met with dismay when it was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in February after almost two years of work between council officers and housing developers.

It was criticised as a “developers’ charter” by locals who said the long-delayed plan failed to recognise the pressure that around 2,500 new homes will put on the area’s roads, schools and health services.

And now a delivery strategy on when proposed improvements will be carried out and how much they will cost has been hit by yet more delays.

The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy was due for completion in May – but the borough council has now failed to say whether it will be approved before the end of the year.

Cllr Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, said he had “little faith” in the outcome of the delivery strategy, but added he was prepared to accept the latest delays if it “yields the infrastructure we need”.

He said:

“Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council has offered to cooperate with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council from day one regarding highway infrastructure for the new settlement on Harrogate’s Western Arc.

“Our offers of continuous involvement have constantly been rebuffed with a ‘we know best’ attitude that allows only a token consultation once the draft has already been made.”

West Harrogate was identified for major expansion during the creation of the district’s Local Plan when a government inspector ordered the parameters plan to be made.

Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.

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There are proposals for two new primary schools and four playing pitches, as well as two new local centres for shops and health services.

Land has also been designated for other businesses, as well as new cycle lanes, footpaths and bus routes.

As part of the delivery strategy, a review of existing infrastructure is being carried out ahead of the document being published in draft form during a public consultation.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said it aims to publish the draft document in mid-July, but did not say when it could be signed off.

The spokesperson said:

“Since the completion of the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, we have been working with our appointed consultants to prepare the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document.

“This has included topic based discussions with technical officers on matters such as education, sports and green space, transport and health alongside phasing and trajectory input from site promoters.

“We are currently in the process of pulling this information together to provide a document to help the long term coordination of infrastructure across the west Harrogate sites.

“We intend to hold an information session with local stakeholder groups in mid-July to present the draft West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document, with a further session scheduled for autumn before the document is signed off.”

Fears have been raised that work to build the next phase of the Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate will cause permanent damage to mature trees.

A meeting about the cycle path was held last night at Harrogate Grammar School between North Yorkshire County Council officers and local groups, including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association, Zero Carbon Harrogate, The Stray Defence Association and Harrogate District Cycle Action.

The first section between Harlow Moor Road and Arthur’s Avenue was completed in January.

Work on the next phase from Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove have been earmarked to begin in autumn.

Yesterday’s two-hour meeting was not open to the media but we spoke today to some of the people that attended.

‘Can’t afford to lose the trees’

Plans for phase one and phase two of the cycle path were first published in 2019.

Officers delivered a presentation on the plans for phase two last night, which remain largely the same as the 2019 proposals.

These show one tree will be felled below Victoria Road and some grass verges down both sides of Otley Road will be tarmacked over to make way for the cycle path, which will be shared with pedestrians and built close to two rows of large trees.

The trees and verges on Otley Road are technically part of Stray land. Last year Harrogate Borough Council agreed a land swap with a section of grass on Wetherby Road so the cycle path could proceed.

Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, called the first section of cycle path on Otley Road, which has been widely criticised for its design, “a dog’s dinner”.

She said the 100-year-old trees on Otley Road were vital for absorbing water during heavy rainfall, adding:

“I’ve sought repeated assurances they will not create any damage to the trees. Those trees are on Stray land. They are protected by the law and they are a huge environmental asset to the town. We can’t afford to lose the trees.”

‘Pure scaremongering’

Malcolm Margolis, a Harrogate District Cycle Action member, said he needed more time to study the plans but any suggestion workers would damage trees on Otley Road was “pure scaremongering”.

He said:

“It is regrettable if a tree has to be lost, if this is unavoidable as part of a high quality cycle path. No doubt it will be replaced with new saplings nearby. We have previously asked North Yorkshire County Council to consider a 20mph speed limit and narrowing the carriageway, which might avoid tree loss.

“The suggestion that more may be lost if workers dig into the roots is pure scaremongering. Similar suggestions were made about phase 1 but the only trees that went were those in the plans, and almost all of those were for changes to Harlow Moor Road, which were purely to benefit drivers, not cyclists or pedestrians.”

Read more:

• Calls to reduce ‘plethora’ of Otley Road cycle path signs
• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed

‘Preserve beauty of town’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago. He said “there’s no doubt Otley Road will be spoiled” by its next phase.

“It will change the ambience. It’s a very nice tree-lined boulevard.

“Trees have roots that go everywhere. How do you make sure they don’t damage those trees for the future? It won’t show up immediately but it could affect the trees. How do you get around that?”

Michael Schofield, the newly elected Liberal Democrat county councillor for Harlow & St Georges, said the council needed to ensure no trees are damaged:

“The last thing we want is for someone to be doing work and to accidentally dig into the roots. Those trees do take up a lot of water. They help that.

“The trees give Harrogate an identity. It’s one of the reasons people come to visit. We need to preserve the beauty of town.”

Government guidelines

New government guidance on cycle lanes in July 2020 said any new infrastructure should be “high quality, with a strong preference for segregated lanes”.

It warned against councils building routes that require a lot of stopping and starting from cyclists.

But the guidance was introduced after the designs for phase one and phase two were published, so it doe snot apply to these sections.

The Stray Ferret was offered an interview with Melisa Burnham, NYCC highways area manager. But today the offer was retracted.

Instead it issued the following statement from Ms Burnham

 “As part of our planning for Phase Two of the Otley Road cycle route we invited a range of stakeholder groups from across Harrogate to contribute their views and ideas on the project.

“They included the Ramblers Association, the Youth Parliament, Civic Society, residents associations, Stray Defence and the Cycle Action group. North Yorkshire councillors who represent the area also attended and the event resulted in positive and constructive discussions between group members and officers responsible for designing the scheme.

“County Council officers, alongside Harrogate Borough Council colleagues, explained the role Otley Road will play in creating a sustainable transport corridor, which will help provide residents with better choices for their travel needs.

“We also took the opportunity to update attendees of Phase One progress and the outstanding remedial work, including resurfacing, signage relocation and lining. This will be complete in June. Advanced notification will be sent to the residents indicating a confirmed start date.

“The design for Phase Two has not changed significantly since the first engagement in 2019 but we wanted to take this opportunity to discuss this again in person with the groups present.

“Key themes which emerged included the need to consider all sustainable transport users (cyclists, walkers and buses) of the routes and a recognition of the competing priorities of all users, the impact on the surrounding area, trees and Stray. We will ensure contractors are aware of the need to protect trees through the use of appropriate working methods.

“Some present raised concerns around communications for the Phase One delivery and they have been taken on board. Work on Phase One took place during the Covid-19 restrictions, which meant at times programmes moved at an unexpected pace.

“We also took the opportunity to share the Phase Three feasibility study, but this is not at a detailed design stage and further consultation will take place as that develops. Issues around the segregation of pedestrians and cyclists, set against the availability of land, have yet to be addressed.

“We hope that this meeting provided a positive start to addressing the communication concerns and a ‘meet the contractors’ event will follow in early autumn, before Phase Two works commence.”

North Yorkshire County Council bosses have said they hope to start work on phase two of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle route in the Autumn.

The first phase of the route, which runs from Harlow Moor Road to Cold Bath Road, was completed in January.

However, residents raised concerns over its design and the length of time it took to complete the project.

As a result, county council officials delayed progress on the second phase to review its designs.

Now, the authority is expected to begin procurement for a contractor in June to start work on the second section of the route.

The new cycle lane will run from Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove.

Read more:

• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed
• Harrogate residents group raises concerns over ‘dangerous’ cycle path
• Long-awaited Otley Road cycle lane opens to safety concerns

Costs have yet to be revealed for the next section of the route, but Hull-based PBS Construction was awarded a contract worth £827,000 for the first phase.

When asked whether residents had been consulted on the next section of the cycle path, a county council spokesperson said:

“The phase two design was consulted on in 2019 but we will be engaging with local stakeholders to update them of progress to date and next steps.”

Meanwhile, phase three of the scheme, which would run from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park, is expected to be funded via contributions from housing developers.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said previously that lessons needed to be learned from the first phase of the project.

He said:

“The higher quality cycle path we get, the more people will use it – that has always been our view as we want a scheme that delivers facilities which everyone can use.

“We also want lessons to be learnt from the first phase, and hopefully there is a genuine willingness to take on board the points we made.”

Homes England has submitted formal plans for 480 homes at Bluecoat Wood opposite Cardale Park.

The government housing agency bought the site on Otley Road last year after a previous scheme stalled.

The plans follow a public consultation which was held in December 2021.

Documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council show that the site is set to be called Bluecoat Park.

The site covers 28 hectares of largely green fields and the homes would wrap around Horticap.

The proposals include plans for a new cricket pitch, which would also act as a village green. The pitch would be used by Pannal Ash Cricket Club.

The site layout for the homes at Bluecoat Wood.

A “football hub” would also be created, which would include changing rooms, a full-size pitch, a youth pitch and two mini pitches, along with car parking.

A new community woodland would also be planted.

As part of the plans, a mixture of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom houses are proposed for the site. Homes England says in its plans that 40% of the houses will be allocated as affordable.

Read more:

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The housing agency said in its planning documents:

“The proposed development at Bluecoat Park provides a most important opportunity to deliver a new sustainable and thriving community which will form part of the proposed new urban extension to west Harrogate.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

To view the full details, click here and search using reference 22/01558/EIAMAJ.

Site history

Housing has been mooted at Bluecoat Wood for many years.

In February 2016, the borough council granted planning permission to a partnership of developers called HTH Harrogate LLP to build 450 homes.

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

However, Homes England bought the site in February 2021 after the developer pulled out.

That summer, Homes England submitted an environmental impact assessment for 530 homes on the site. The number has now been reduced to 480.

The Otley Road cycle path has seen drastic alterations to the road and pavement but the sheer number of signs erected has been called confusing and damaging to Harrogate’s visual appearance.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is behind the £2m scheme, has erected 37 new signs to let cyclists, pedestrians and motorists know where the path starts and ends.

It means blue and white signs dominate the eyeline on a stretch of road in Harrogate that is less than half a mile long.

Critics of the scheme suggest if the cycle path had a better or more streamlined design, it wouldn’t need so many signs.

‘It’s confusing’

Harrogate Civic Society was formed in 1971 with an aim to preserve the appearance of the town.

Members of the group walked the cycle path route last week and were disappointed by the volume of signs.

Its chair, Stuart Holland, said the group would like to see some of them removed.

He added:

“We think there are too many signs. We’d welcome a reduction. We think there needs to be more clarity about where cyclists go as it is confusing. As a society, we encourage less signage in the town.”

Read more:

• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed
• Cycling group to meet council to raise concerns about Otley Road cycle path

‘Street clutter’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago.

He said he warned North Yorkshire County Council about the number of signs but “they didn’t listen”.

He said:

“My argument is that it’s not much of a design if you need that many signs to alert people to the cycle path and then of course many cyclists either don’t understand it’s a one way system or choose to ignore it. That’s not even taking account of the impact on the environment in a town that is proud of its heritage and its green credentials.

“Most towns are looking to reduce street clutter. Here, North Yorkshire County Council are adding lots to it. This is all in a short distance too, with many more to come for the next phase.

“To me, as a main artery into the town, Otley Road should be of a high standard and make visitors welcome with a tree-lined boulevard. Instead we get grass and tree removal and a plethora of blue and white signs. It has certainly disturbed the ambience of my road.”

Mr Dicken will meet North Yorkshire County Council next month as a representative of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association to discuss the next phase of the cycle path, which will connect Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove.

He is pessimistic that the number of signs will be reduced for phase 2 because the route has already been designed.

However, he is more hopeful for phase 3, which will connect the route up towards Cardale Park. Mr Dicken hopes to see a “better-designed” route and far fewer signs.

Council’s response

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council’s highways area manager, said:

“All signs within the Otley Road cycle way scheme are as indicated in the designs presented at the public engagement event in 2019 and subsequently published on our website.

“Appropriate signage is important in mitigating the risk of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians using the space. The signs, all of which are within highway land, were identified as necessary to the improvement scheme.

“We will be inviting stakeholders, including representatives of the residents’ association and the civic society, to a workshop in May to discuss detailed designs for phase two of the scheme. The workshop will also present details of the wider Harrogate sustainable transport packages, recognising the key links to the Otley cycle route that will be made in the future.

“Mr Dicken has previously raised concerns about aspects of the scheme, including conflicts between road users, though not signage. We have corresponded about those concerns. After the engagement event in 2019, our designers met Mr Dicken on site to discuss the designs in detail.

“We have invited Mr Dicken to meet officers again after next month’s workshop, should he wish to discuss any of his concerns further.”

In less than a month’s time, the curtain will come down on the career of one of the most influential — and divisive — politicians in the Harrogate district this century.

Don Mackenzie served 16 years as a Harrogate borough councillor, but will be best remembered for his current role as executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

His portfolio includes transport, which means he has led on key decisions, such as the Harrogate Station Gateway, the junction 47 upgrade of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill and numerous schemes to promote cycling and walking.

In an era when some politicians pick and choose which media to talk to, and hide behind press officers, Cllr Mackenzie has always been willing to pick up the phone and front up. He believes in transparency, he says. Colleagues say he’s on top of his brief, and some think he would have made a good county council leader.

But the judgement of the people is more brutal. Barely a day passes without references to ‘Dismal Don’ or calls for his resignation on social media. Complex transport schemes rarely please everyone and rarely progress swiftly and he is remarkably relaxed about the fallout:

“If I let these things upset me, I would have given up years ago. The only thing that occasionally annoys me is social media, especially anonymous posters.

“Tough decisions have to be made and all they do is sit in the comfort of their own home posting anonymous criticism. It’s cowardly.”

‘Right time to go’

On the day we met Cllr Mackenzie, who has lived in Harrogate since 1973 and represents Harrogate Saltergate, he received an email asking how dare he approve 770 houses being built on Otley Road — the decision has not been made yet and will be taken by Harrogate Borough Council, of which he has not been a councillor since 2018.

Such confusion will end when North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are abolished next year to make way for North Yorkshire Council, which will become the new unitary authority for the county.

New weather stations have been introduced to help drivers in difficult conditions.

That looming seismic change has persuaded Cllr Mackenzie, 72, not to seek re-election on May 5. He is the only one of 10 members of the county council executive not to do so. Wasn’t he tempted to continue?

“No I wasn’t. It’s a five-year commitment. I felt that my time as a county councillor had come to a natural end. Many of my colleagues have great difficulty deciding when and if to retire. Many people say a career in politics always ends in tears so I feel this is the right time to go.”

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Nevertheless he will be sad to depart.

“I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.

“Most councillors set out to do something for their local community. Most people like me are in it to make a difference and sometimes it’s difficult to make that difference. There are inevitably disappointments. We’ve been disappointed this week with our Bus Service Improvement Plan.”

The county council’s plan involved bidding £116m to the Department for Transport to improve bus services in North Yorkshire. It received none. A significant chunk would have been spent easing congestion in Harrogate. But in March the government awarded the council and Harrogate Bus Company £7.8m to make the firm’s fleet all-electric.

There have been other successes, such as the Bond End double mini roundabout in Knaresborough, which eased congestion at one of the most polluted spots in the Harrogate district.

“It was a highlight because many people thought it would not work and were worried about safety and taking away the traffic lights.”

Junction 47, trains and Kex Gill

Cllr Mackenzie lauds the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade, due to end end anytime now, as a rare example of infrastructure investment coming before development.

He says train services are far better now, with more frequent direct trains to London, than before he became a councillor despite rail operator Northern’s announcement last month of cuts to Harrogate services. He says:

“Northern have assured me these reductions will be short-term only.”

He admits to being a “little frustrated” the Kex Gill realignment won’t be completed before he leaves office. Delays, he says, are inevitable when “taking a major trans-pennine highway across a sensitive area of countryside”. Peat deposits are among the vexed considerations. But the project has levered £56m from the Department for Transport and should start this year.

Walking and cycling schemes

Active travel schemes have been the most contentious, particularly the Harrogate Station Gateway. It was one of three initiatives worth £42million funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Making the case for the Station Gateway at a business meeting.

Cllr Mackenzie says the Selby and Skipton projects “have been problem free”; Harrogate has been anything but, with strong opposition from businesses and residents to reducing Station Parade to single lane and pedestrianising part of James Street. He remains a staunch advocate:

“It’s bringing £11million of much needed investment into the town centre. It will be a radical improvement to a part of town that needs improving and it will be good for the visitor economy.”

He says he would be “inclined to continue’ with the closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic when the 18-month experiment ends in August, with the caveat that he “would be guided by the data”.

As for Otley Road cycle path, he was “a little surprised to hear complaints from the cycling lobby” because “what we have delivered is exactly what the plans showed so they had plenty of time to raise concerns then”.

He says the council will conduct another round of consultation on phase two “so people are absolutely clear” about the plans this time.

Why have these schemes provoked so much anger?

“In Harrogate, when one attempts change — in this case to improve facilities for walking and cycling — you get roughly half the population behind you and half against you.

“Also, many people feel any restrictions on car driving is a bad thing whereas if you want to overcome congestion you have to have a realistic alternative.”

Conservative for 40 years

Don Johannes Josef Mackenzie was born in Germany and is bilingual — his dad stayed there after the war and met a German woman. The family moved before Cllr Mackenzie’s first birthday and he grew up in Ipswich.

He became managing director of MMP International, which supplied industrial repair and maintenance products worldwide. The job brought him to Harrogate 49 years ago.

MMP was acquired by US company ITW in 1998. Mr Mackenzie was a minority shareholder and stayed on for 10 years as business manager. He then became self-employed, “doing small things representing British manufacturers worldwide”.

A Conservative Party member for 40 years, he cut his political teeth as a Harrogate borough councillor in Pannal from 1987 to 1991 before a 15-year hiatus to concentrate on his career and raising his daughter, who would later become the agent for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. Who are his political heroes?

“I liked Mrs Thatcher but I don’t have any political heroes. I also liked David Cameron — I thought he was very good.”

He returned to serve three terms in Harrogate from 2006 to 2018, during which he became the cabinet member for planning and transport for three years — a role that included oversight of the creation of the original Local Plan — a document that outlines where planning can take part in the development.

Speaking at an online county council meeting.

The plan allocated 390 new homes a year in the district — a number that was rejected by the government’s Planning Inspectorate as too low and was eventually bumped up to around 700, leading to ongoing concerns about the number of new developments. He says:

“In hindsight 390 was a little low. Now it’s nearer 700. I don’t have a problem with 700 but recently it’s been much higher than that.”

Cllr Mackenzie was appointed executive member for public health at the county council in 2013 until council leader Carl Les moved him to his access portfolio in 2015.

It’s a bruising role but says the only time he gets real abuse is when he’s knocking on doors canvassing. It doesn’t seem to bother him — he likes a good argument. Or as he puts it:

“I can’t say I enjoy it but I wouldn’t shrink from it.

“I belong to that generation when a candidate didn’t rely on social media. I relied on public meetings. But there’s far less of that face-to-face stuff and that has led to a decline in behaviour because people think their behaviour doesn’t matter as much.”

Bird watching

Cllr Mackenzie, who is 72, doesn’t intend to retire. He has applied to become a non-executive director of a British public sector organisation and wants to keep busy.

“I wouldn’t like to think I didn’t start each day without an active programme ahead.”

He’s a keen bird watcher who engages in his hobby on family holidays in Norfolk. He doesn’t cycle but walks a lot. He often catches the bus or strolls into town from his home, near Leeds Road about a mile from the town centre. He says it’s too close to go by car.

He claims not to have any major regrets. What does he think his legacy will be?

“I would like people to think that whatever decision I took, I took with the best of motives and I thought the decision was right. I can’t claim to have got every decision right – but they were all taken with the best of intentions.”

With many of his schemes set to outlast him, his legacy will be felt in the district for years to come.

Plans for a huge housing development and new primary school on Harrogate’s Otley Road have been met with “serious concerns” over how the town’s struggling infrastructure and services will be able to cope.

There are also questions over the environmental impact of the proposals, which include 770 homes, a sports pitch, shop and community hub.

The Windmill Farm site is included in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, meaning development will go ahead.

But Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association said it had concerns over several issues, including climate change measures, transport infrastructure, housing density and design standards, which all needed to be addressed before planning permission is granted.

David Siddans, group secretary, said:

“This is an enormous development.

“Although the application is for 770 dwellings, it omits a large area of the site which remains subject to further applications which could bring the total to nearer 1,000.

“Altogether, the west side of Harrogate is expected to cope with around 4,000 new houses.

“The pressure this places on infrastructure has always been one of our greatest concerns, especially given the poor nature of the current roads, public transport, school services, drainage systems and so on.”

Parameters Plan

Mr Siddans also said no decision should be taken on the proposals by Harrogate Borough Council until its West Harrogate Parameters Plan is completed in full.

This is the key document which sets out what infrastructure is required to support rapid population growth in the area.

Read more:

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• Plans submitted for 770 homes and primary school on Harrogate’s Otley Road

It was criticised as “inadequate” when it was approved by the council in February, and a delivery strategy and schedule are now being prepared.

Land promoters Anwyl Land and developers Redrow Homes are behind the Windmill Farm development.

They said the West Harrogate Parameters Plan has been used to inform the proposals, which will provide a “high quality development for Harrogate with a clear identity and will positively benefit the local area”.

They also said 40% of the homes would be classed as affordable, with a mix of one, two, three, four and five bed properties across the site.

Forty of the housing plots would be self-builds reserved for those who want to build their own homes.

Also included in the plans are bus stops, and walking and cycling routes.

‘Makes no sense’

Campaign group Zero Carbon Harrogate said it wanted to engage with the developers as it believes there is “much more” that could be done to futureproof the 770 homes – all of which would be fitted with gas boilers set to be banned in new homes in 2025.

Group chair Jemima Parker said: 

“Zero Carbon Harrogate has sought to engage productively with Anwyl Land to ensure that this large site, which will contribute to the carbon emissions of the town, is made as sustainable as possible, particularly with regard to transport and energy use.

“In particular, we note that the energy statement was compiled prior to the current energy crisis.

“It makes no sense to be building houses over the coming years with gas central heating, and without the highest standards of insulation to minimise household fuel bills.

“Furthermore, every opportunity should be taken to install solar panels on the roofs of the new homes, and apply the best passive design principles in accordance with Local Plan policies.”

Plans have been submitted to build 770 homes and a new primary school at Otley Road in Harrogate.

The development also includes a sports centre, a convenience store and community hub.

Land promoters Anwyl Land and national housebuilder Redrow Homes are behind the Windmill Farm development, which would be the biggest housing scheme to be built in Harrogate for decades.

It would dwarf the nearby village of Beckwithshaw, which has a population of 400.

The homes would be built on green fields on the opposite side of the road from the charity-run nursery Horticap and behind RHS Harlow Carr. Part of the land is currently used by Beaver Horse Shop.

Parameters Plan

A design and access statement, submitted to support the application, says the application has been informed by the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.

The parameters plan, which has been prepared by Harrogate Borough Council, will be used to identify what infrastructure is required to meet the needs associated with future developments in the area.

It also offers guidance on design, open space and landscaping.

The application says 40% of the homes will be classed as “affordable”, with the remaining 60% sold at market rate and being between two and five-bedroom properties.

The homes would look like these

Forty of the homes would be self-build, which are plots reserved for people who want to build their own home.

Bus stops and three access points would be created on Otley Road to leave and enter the site and a new cycle route would also be installed, which the developers hope will eventually connect to the Otley Road cycle path.

The existing Otley Road/Howhill Road junction would be reworked to include one of the entrance points to Windmill Farm and will have traffic lights.

An energy statement says the homes would not have any low carbon or renewable energy technologies.

They would be fitted with “high-efficiency” combi gas boilers to heat the homes. The government will be ban gas boilers from new homes in 2025.

It says to reduce emissions, the homes would be well insulated and be positioned to make the most of the sun.

There are no firm details included about the primary school and the number of children it can accommodate, but it would be built on the side of the development facing RHS Harlow Carr.

It says the size of the school and its surroundings would be 5.19 acres.

The new primary school would be built near RHS Harlow Carr

Local Plan

The site is allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which is a document that lays out where development can take place in the district until 2035. It says 776 homes can be built there.

If the Windmill Farm development is granted full planning approval, it would mean over 1,200 homes could be built on that section of Otley Road.

The government’s housing agency, Homes England, has plans to build 480 homes on Bluecoat Park, near Harrogate police station.

The majority of homes at the 125-home Harlow Hill Grange development are now completed.

Environment concerns

Whilst the development is likely to be granted planning permission in some form due to the fact the site is included in the Local Plan, a spokesperson for Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association told the Stray Ferret in September it was “very concerned” about the scale of the development and its impact on the environment.

Planning documents submitted on behalf of the developer say the scheme is a “high-quality proposal”.

“The proposed layout seeks to meets the aspirations of the draft Parameter Plans for the West of Harrogate masterplan. The proposed scheme provides a residential development that fully integrates built form, landscaping and quality of place in order to provide a high-quality proposal that is where people are proud to live.”

The plans are open for comments on the council’s planning portal and the reference is 22/00089/EIAMAJ

Two-way traffic lights will be installed on Otley Road, between Harrogate and Beckwithshaw, from Monday until Friday May 6.

North Yorkshire County Council will put the lights next to Persimmon Homes’ Harlow Hill Grange development whilst roadworks take place.

According to the council’s website, works include installing new street lights and signs, connecting gullies to a ditch and building a new footpath.

Motorists using the section of Otley Road closer to Harrogate have faced over a year of disruption due to the construction of the Otley Road cycle path. Phase two is set to start later this year.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle route ‘on budget’ despite problems
• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed

Harrogate’s long-delayed Otley Road cycle path is on budget despite the troubled project running into more problems.

That is according to North Yorkshire County Council, which first secured funding five years ago and has recently faced design and safety complaints over the first phase of works completed in January.

The council – which is now reviewing designs for the final two phases – said the cycle path has so far been delivered to the expected costs and that it currently did not anticipate “any overspend”.

The project is part of a wider package of transport improvements for the west of Harrogate which once completed will cost around £4.6 million.

Around £2 million of this was allocated for the Otley Road cycle path, and so far £1.6 million has been spent on design, construction and utility costs, according to the council.

This is made up of £1.04 million on phase one and £559,182 on phase two which has yet to begin.

A council spokesperson said: 

“Invoices are still due for phase one, and phase two has yet to be started therefore costs will increase, however we are on budget.”

‘No indication’ on phase three progress

Phase one and two are being funded by the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund, while phase three will be built using contributions from housing developers planning to build hundreds of new homes in the west of Harrogate.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said the campaign group had been given “no indication” of how these negotiations with developers were progressing and that this was a “worry” for when the project could be completed in full.

He added: 

“The main issue for us is the time this project has taken already and with the further delays surely that means the costs are going to go up.

“Hopefully the council keeps within budget for the whole project and it gets delivered in full soon.”

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His comments come after members of Harrogate District Cycle Action recently met with council officials to highlight their concerns over the first phase.

Parts of the completed works have been described as “unsafe” and “badly designed,” with a narrowed section of cycle path at Otley Road’s junction with Harlow Moor Road being a particular concern.

The council is currently in talks with Yorkshire Water to buy a small plot of land in order to remove a wall and widen a corner on this part of the route.

Otley Road cycle lane construction in December 2021.

The council also said it would take all feedback onboard as part of its review of phases two and three which are being redrawn in line with new government guidance.

Mr Douglas added:

“The higher quality cycle path we get, the more people will use it – that has always been our view as we want a scheme that delivers facilities which everyone can use.

“We also want lessons to be learnt from the first phase, and hopefully there is a genuine willingness to take on board the points we made.”

The council previously said it hoped to start work on phase two in April.

However, this is now likely to be in May or June.