The National Trust today revealed designs for a new £3.6 million building and landscape project at the Studley Royal end of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

The project, called Studley Revealed, aims to create a more accessible café, admission point and toilets and restore historical sightlines to the 18th century Georgian water garden created by John Aislabie.

However, the new building would be situated inside the water garden and only be accessible to people who pay to enter.

The current tea room on the deer park side, which is free to enter, will close. A kiosk providing drinks and snacks will be built in the deer park car park, accessible to everyone.

The restaurant and parking at the main visitor centre will remain free for all to access.

How the new entrance and outside seating to the building from the canal bridge might look.

The trust says the plans, which went out to consultation in 2019 before being paused due to covid, will make Studley Royal less “muddled”.

It will submit a formal planning application to Harrogate Borough Council in the new year.

The organisation said in a statement today:

“This area is currently muddled with 20th century buildings and additions which make up an admission point, toilets, and the boundary of the pay-for entry area.

“For years this has created a large number of conservation and operational issues which are not appropriate in a World Heritage Site.

“The updated improvements will consolidate these facilities into one building and improve the way visitors move through this area.”

The trust added the landscape plans would “open up lost views and create walks that echo the original 18th century design”.

How the view of the building from the deer park might look.

New facilities including historical information, accessible toilets and a ‘space to change’ have also been included.

The trust has consulted Historic England, Harrogate Borough Council, World Heritage Site partners and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on its plans.

It has appointed London heritage architects Feilden Fowles and Edinburgh landscape architects Rankinfraser to carry out the work.

How the new cafe seating area might look.

Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“The Studley Revealed project is an exciting part of the ongoing conservation of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site.

“It has long been our ambition to improve the appearance of this area of the site and how visitors experience it.

“Crucially, it means we can create a place for our visitors to learn more about the fascinating history of Studley Royal.”

The designs and information about the project will be displayed at the Studley entrance from tomorrow until December 22 (excluding December 16) and can also be viewed here.

The trust aims to open the new facilities to visitors in late 2024. 

Read more:

• Fire at Fountains Abbey causes carols to be cancelled
• Ripon jobs in jeopardy as fashion retailer goes into administration

A lack of Harrogate Borough Council business has led to nearly half of meetings being cancelled this past month.

The authority will be abolished in four months time and replaced by North Yorkshire Council.

The cancellation of so many meetings raises questions over how effective the council will be in its final days.

It had been due to hold 13 meetings in November — not including informal meetings — which included senior cabinet member meetings and a planning committee.

However, five of those meetings were cancelled. Last week the council did not hold a single meeting.

Just three public meetings were streamed live onto the council’s YouTube in November.

This included a cabinet meeting, where senior councillors made a key decision over the progress of three strategic housing sites.

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• Former Harrogate councillor made Honorary Alderman for North Yorkshire

The Stray Ferret asked the borough council why so many meetings had been cancelled and why so few meetings had been streamed for the public to watch.

A council spokesperson said:

“Provisional dates for meetings are added to the calendar at the start of the municipal year. 

“Should these not be required, as there are no items to bring to said meeting, then they are cancelled.”

The authority is due to hold 12 meetings in December—- one of which has already been cancelled.

A housing association has lodged plans to build 60 new homes in Sharow.

Non-profit developer Broadacres Housing Association Limited, which is based in Northallerton, has submitted a joint proposal with V&A Homes (Yorkshire) this week to Harrogate Borough Council for land off Dishforth Road.

Sixty houses would be built in the area, 24 of which would be affordable homes and the rest open market.

The plans come after permission was granted for a housing scheme on the site in 2020, but has since lapsed.

The revised proposal sees a mix of one, two, three and four bed semi-detached houses as well as several three, four and five bed detached dwellings. 

Read more:

• Details emerge of new Harrogate district town the size of Thirsk
• Consultation into new Harrogate district town after legal threat

All the houses would have parking provisions and a pocket park will be on site. 

In documents submitted to the council, Broadacres said:

“Land to the south of Dishforth Road, Sharow offers a unique opportunity to provide housing and community uses in a logical and sustainable location that would bring benefits to the village and those who live there today and in the future.” 

It added:

“The site represents an appropriate and sustainable location for new homes within the village. Proposals will meet with the vision of achieving a development of high quality and inclusive design of buildings, spaces and landscaping. 

“Integrating well within its existing context, reinforcing local character and providing new connections to the village and surrounding countryside.”

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

Harrogate Borough Council has extended a consultation into a planned new town the size of Thirsk.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, would be built in the Cattal and Green Hammerton area in the east of the district.

Council officials launched a six-week consultation on October 3 into its draft new settlement development plan document, which sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how the town is designed and developed.

However, Cllr Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn on North Yorkshire County Council, called for an extension to the consultation amid concern that the planning process was being rushed ahead of the new North Yorkshire Council coming into being.

He issued the plea after it emerged the consultation documents had been changed midway through – without people being told.

The council has since agreed to extend the consultation until November 25.

On its website, the authority said:

“After carefully considering requests from the local community and parish councils, we have extended the Maltkiln DPD consultation until midnight on Friday 25 November to provide more opportunities for the community to engage in the new settlement process.

“Comments received after that date will not be considered ‘duly made’.”

Read more:

• Developer proceeds with ‘unseemly’ Maltkiln event in mourning period
• Details emerge of new Harrogate district town the size of Thirsk
• Call to restart consultation on new Harrogate district town

The move follows Cllr Warneken submitting a letter to Janet Waggot, transition lead for North Yorkshire Council, and Richard Flinton, current chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, on behalf of local parish councils.

In the letter, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, he called for the consultation to be extended in the interests of transparency.

Cllr Warneken added that, while the parishes did not wish to go down the route of a judicial review, residents frustration should not be underestimated.

He said:

“As you will appreciate, use of that sort of terminology starts to take us into legal areas such as judicial review.

“We have no wish to go there. If nothing else, it would be a huge waste of public money. However, please don’t underestimate the level of frustration of local residents.”

You can take part in the consultation over the new town here.

The former McColl’s store ravaged by fire in Starbeck could be turned into housing.

Built on High Street as a Harper’s grocery, the building was later used as a McColl’s but closed and was derelict when fire struck in 2018.

Since then, the building has frequently been described as an eyesore, although it was brightened this year when volunteers painted it in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

An agent for the owners of the building said today there are plans for a “residential-led development”.

Pete Gleave, from Zerum Consulting, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our client is looking to progress proposals with the local planning authority and has entered into pre-application discussions with planning officers.

“This will be a residential-led development and we will shortly be commencing work on a formal planning application.

“Our client recognises the importance of bringing the site forward for redevelopment and we will now look to do so in a timely manner.”

Mr Gleave would not reveal who owned the building. He said he was “unable to pass on client details without their approval”.

Read more:

• Library seeking volunteers to support Starbeck community this winter
• Starbeck to have two Remembrance Sunday events amid time disagreement

Andrew Hart, founder of Starbeck Community Group and owner of Starbeck Post Office, said the building was “just rotting away” and urgently needed attention. He added:

“Anything is better than nothing — it can’t stay as it is. The building is dangerous. We know it has asbestos problems inside and is an eyesore.

“But I’ll be disappointed if they don’t put some kind of retail function in on the ground floor.

“If we can get a prestigious restaurant, bar or shop in there then we can get other businesses in. There can be housing upstairs.”

In February, Harrogate Borough Council granted an application by Leeds-based developer Bates & Hemingborough to demolish the building.

The plans had been put on hold in December after the council asked for safety documents, which were later provided, addressing how the demolition would impact the adjacent St Andrew’s Church.

Campaigners have launched a petition to save land on Knox Lane from housing.

Keep Knox Natural has called on Harrogate Borough Council to remove a parcel of land in the area from its Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

The move comes after councillors on the authority’s planning committee voted to delay a decision on a proposal to build 53 homes on the land amid concerns over contamination.

Last Sunday, campaigners took to Nidderdale Greenway, off Bilton Lane, dressed as woodland creatures to collect signatures for the petition.

The group argues that the council should reject the current application and remove the land from the local plan.

A spokesperson from the group said:

“We believe that this land should never have been included in the Harrogate local plan; it is entirely unsuitable for development.

“It lies within a designated special landscape area and building on this land will severely damage bio-diversity and destroy a range of landscape and historical features.

“Additionally, we believe that the development would cause serious risk of floodwater damage to Spruisty Bridge and houses near the site on Knox Lane.”

Spruisty Bridge

Read more:

• Controversial Knox Lane housing plans recommended for approval
• Contamination concerns delay decision on 53-home Knox Lane site
• Stray Views: Knox Lane housing scheme ‘lacks detail’

The council’s planning committee has yet to make a decision on the Knox Lane housing plan.

The plans first submitted in April 2020 initially included 73 homes, but this was reduced to 53 after local complaints.

Despite further changes, residents have continued to strongly oppose the development with a total of 313 objections and no letters of support being submitted to the council.

The proposals – which include 30 homes classed as affordable – will be brought back to another meeting of the council’s planning committee in the coming months.

You can view the Keep Knox Natural petition here.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed today it has selected three possible sites in the Harrogate district to become investment zones.

The sites are: junction 47 of the A1; Potter Space Ripon, a business park at Junction 50 of the A1 and Harrogate Convention Centre.

The government has said the zones, which will receive liberalised planning laws and tax incentives for businesses, will support business and economic growth.

But they have been criticised by conservation organisations because of the potential impact on wildlife.

Last month, North Yorkshire County Council was named as one of 38 local authorities in talks with the government over creating investment zones.

Today, the county council named the 12 commercial sites it had identified for possible zones in North Yorkshire.

Read more:

• Harrogate district planning rules could be ‘radically streamlined’
• Harrogate Convention Centre ‘could lose £250 million without investment’

Of the seven districts within the county, only Selby, where five sites have been identified, has more locations than the Harrogate district.

Carl Les

Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the county council, said:

“We are at a very early stage in the process, but this could be an exciting and welcome initiative that would enable us to work with the government to deliver benefits for the North Yorkshire economy.

“Following discussions with our district council colleagues, we are submitting an expression of interest. This identifies a number of sites across the county that we feel fit the criteria from government. We look forward to further negotiations with Government following our submission.”

Full list of sites in North Yorkshire

The sites identified in the expression of interest are:

• Hambleton: Dalton, at Junction 49 on the A1.
• Harrogate: Harrogate, at Junction 47 of the A1; Potter Space Ripon, at Junction 50 of the A1; Harrogate Convention Centre.
• Richmondshire: the area around A1 Junctions 52 and 53.
• Ryedale: Eden Camp East, Malton.
• Scarborough: Scarborough Business Park.
• Selby: Gascoigne Wood Rail Interchange, Olympia Park, and sites at Eggborough, Kellingley and Sherburn.

Cllr Les said:

“The sites we are putting forward for consideration are locations that have already been earmarked for commercial development to support business growth and job creation. The proposed benefits of investment zones could help to make these sites even more attractive to new businesses and accelerate development ambitions.

“We are fully aware of the need to minimise any environmental impacts, so all the sites we are putting forward have been selected in accordance with local planning and conservation policy. None are sensitive or protected sites.”

Proposed sites must meet the Government’s criteria to offer a significant economic opportunity, be ready to deliver quickly and align with the wider local strategy.

Once the government has received the expressions of interest from invited authorities, further criteria will influence site selection, including consideration of the overall geographic distribution of investment zones, the balance between residential and commercial, and urban and rural sites and the readiness to deliver.

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Flaxby development would be ‘much better’ than Maltkiln plan

In March, Harrogate Borough Council planning officer Kate Broadbank said the development would have a negative impact on the district’s natural environment as well as harming views from the nearby Temple of Victory, which is Grade II* listed.

Ms Broadbank wrote:

“The scale and layout are considered to have an unacceptable adverse impact upon the district’s natural and historic environment.

“In addition, the application site is not considered to be accessible to local services nor is it demonstrated that an acceptable connection to public utilities can be achieved.”

It begs the question what the council has against the development of Flaxby considering the incinerator can be used to provide heating and hot water to homes. Much better than using the development of Maltkiln to widen the A59 also trains do not go to the nearest significant shopping centre Clifton Moor.

Catherine Alderson, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Homeless people are set to benefit from new purpose-built housing in Bilton after plans were given the go-ahead by councillors.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved its own plans to demolish 10 garages on Woodfield Close to make way for two homes providing temporary accommodation.

Maggie Gibson, housing needs manager at the authority, told a planning committee meeting yesterday that the single-bed properties will be for people who are unable to use shared accommodation because of their complex needs. She added:

“This is accommodation where they will reside in for an extended period of time, but it means they can move on and enable other people to also use the pathway.

“It could be up to two or three years that they stay there because people’s circumstances change.”

Using garage sites to bring forward new homes has been a tactic used by the council to tackle Harrogate’s housing problems, with plans for affordable homes recently approved in Pannal and Ripon.

The Woodfield Close site is located near the footbridge which connects to the Nidderdale Greenway, and some garages will be retained.

The area will also be resurfaced to provide five public parking spaces, with potential for electric vehicle charging points.

Read more:

• Councillors vote to defer decision on 53 homes in Bilton
• Majority of residents want 20mph speed limit, councillor says

No solar panels

There are, however, no plans for solar panels on the two properties after council officers said they ran into complications with tariffs and shared roof spaces.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, expressed disappointment over this and that the homes are to be heated by gas boilers and not more environmentally-friendly methods such as air source heat pumps. She said:

“I will support this because of the need for this type of accommodation, but I’m really upset that this local authority hasn’t thought of another way of using anything but gas.

“We know that in a few years gas boilers are being phased out by the government.

“This council has got to start to grasp that there is a climate emergency.”

Councillors have been recommended to approve a planning application to build 53 homes off Knox Lane in Bilton tomorrow.

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee is due to meet tomorrow to vote on the scheme. The Queen’s death caused the meeting to be postponed last month.

A 30-page report to councillors by case officer Andy Hough recommends they approve the application by developer Jomast, subject to certain conditions, such as no objection from the local lead flood authority.

However, the councillors could decide to vote against the officer’s recommendation and reject the scheme. The meeting will be broadcast live at 2pm on the council’s YouTube page.

Mr Hough’s report says:

“Amendments to the plans reducing house numbers from 73 to 53 is welcome and the scheme is considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy.

“The site at present represents a transition from the suburban development that is characteristic of the Old Trough area, to the more vernacular loose form of frontage development situated at the hamlet of Knox.

“The frontage to the site has a very rural feel. To aid transition, the houses situated on the Knox Lane frontage have been set back into the site and are to be constructed at low density, behind new additional planting.”

The site is allocated for development in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where planning can take place in the district.

Residents have said the scheme will decimate an idyllic and historic part of Bilton.

Knox Lane, leading to Spruisty Bridge