Police Training Centre Archives

Plans confirm football pitches will be lost in 200-home Harrogate scheme

New plans for 200 homes at the Harrogate’s former police training centre confirm that four sports pitches will be lost as part of the development.

The plans from Homes England and Countryside Properties include the conversion of several former training centre buildings into 16 homes and building 184 new properties.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, already had permission to build 161 homes on the site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on three planned football pitches and one cricket field.

To make up for the loss of sports facilities, it offered £595,000 towards Pannal Community Park on Leeds Road through a section 106 agreement that was backed by Sport England.

Harrogate Borough Council granted outline permission for the scheme to go ahead in December 2021.

Homes England appointed Countryside Properties in a £63m contract to build the homes and a reserved matters application has now been submitted for the scheme. This includes details such as landscaping, how the homes will look, and the site layout.

A planning statement says:

“Careful consideration has been given to the detailed design of the proposal to ensure that it creates a high-quality and distinctive development that establishes a strong sense of place and provides an attractive and comfortable place to live.”

Although there will no longer be football or cricket pitches there, the developer has included some open space at the south of the site for the public to use.

Detailed plans have now been submitted for the site

Thirty per cent of the homes will be affordable and they will be spread across the site.

The existing cast iron gates and stone gateposts located off the main driveway will be retained as an entrance feature to a new ‘village green’.

The main access will be created via a new priority junction on Yew Tree Lane. This will also provide the starting point for a new cycle route that will run the development.

The developer delivered leaflets about the application to 363 residents and businesses in the area before submission.

The former police site on Yew Tree Lane was used as a base to train more than 1,200 officers a year before it closed in 2011.

Residents submit formal complaint over 200 Pannal Ash homes

Residents in Pannal Ash have lodged a formal complaint to Harrogate Borough Council following its decision to approve a controversial plan for 200 homes on a former police training centre site.

The authority’s planning committee granted permission for the development last Tuesday after debating the application for almost three hours.

Homes England, which is the government housing agency, had permission to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Following the decision, Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association described the meeting as “shambolic” and “embarrassing”.

Now the group has lodged a formal complaint to the council over the conduct of the meeting.

In a statement, HAPARA said:

“The complaint refers to a chaotic and confusing session in which the committee first rejected the officer’s recommendation and, some three hours later, reversed their decision to approve the application.

“This followed a claim by the applicant that the committee had previously acted unlawfully, perceived threats from the applicant of costly appeals, constant reference to costs by officers, interruption by officers of members’ debates and inaccurate and misleading advice from the chair.

“Although much of the debate centred on the role of the emerging West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, no officer from that team was present to clarify the purpose and timetable for the plan and some misleading statements made at the meeting went uncorrected.”

HAPARA added that it believed the committee was “unduly influenced by the threat of the costs” and had called on the council chief executive, Wallace Sampson, to comment on the “validity of the decision reached”.

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment.

Last week, David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, warned councillors that while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body it was a route it was willing to take.

During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh accused Homes England of “bullying” councillors into approving the plans.

Harrogate planning committee ‘shambles and embarrassing’, says residents group

The chair of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association has described yesterday’s planning committee meeting, at which councillors approved controversial plans to build 200 homes at the former police training centre, as a “shambles” and “embarrassing”.

Councillors debated the application from Homes England, the government’s housing agency, for three hours. Concerns were raised about traffic congestion and the loss of a football pitch on the site.

The planning committee had previously voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

Councillors said back then that the scheme should not be passed until publication of the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, a document that will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

Councillors were told this week a draft version of the parameters plan would not be published until February 2022 but, this time, they decided to approve the plans by seven votes to three.

Rene Dziabas, chair of HAPARA, criticised the decision of councillors on the committee, who he said were “badly briefed” by officers.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The meeting was a shambles. What communication was there between councillors and the planning department? Given this was a controversial deferral in June, you’d have thought there would have been a great deal of detail buttoned down, and a clear understanding from councillors about what the parameters plan is.

“I felt very let down [by the councillors]”.

David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, warned councillors that while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body it was a route it was willing to take.

During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh accused Homes England of “bullying” councillors into approving the plans.

Mr Dziabas said the decision to grant planning permission in the face of impending legal action from Homes England had damaged local democracy.

He added:

“There’s a great deal of talk about local democracy — this was not a good example of it.”

Homes England accused of ‘bullying’ tactics over 200 homes at Pannal Ash

The government’s housing agency has been accused of using “bullying” tactics over controversial plans for up to 200 homes at a former police training base in Harrogate.

Homes England was granted approval for the Pannal Ash site at a meeting on Tuesday when it emerged the body had written to senior officials at Harrogate Borough Council claiming the authority acted “unlawfully” when it delayed a decision on the plans in June.

The delay was taken after questions were raised over the West Harrogate Parameters Plan – a long-delayed document on infrastructure needs for the up to 4,000 new homes set to be built in the west of the district.

Members of the council’s planning committee had hoped for a further delay on Tuesday to allow time for the parameters plan to be completed, however, they claimed they were “bullied” into approving the homes due a “threat” of legal action.

David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, said while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body, it was a route it was willing to take.

He told yesterday’s meeting:

“We are trying to work with officers and have been doing so for a number of months to avoid an appeal – something Homes England does not want to do.

“But if this is deferred then unfortunately we will have very little options going forward.”

The former police site on Yew Tree Lane (pictured below) was used as a base to train more than 1,200 officers a year before it closed in 2011.

The latest plans from Homes England include the conversion of several former police buildings into 16 homes and the construction of 184 new properties, while proposals for a sports pitch have been scrapped.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said a decision on whether the scheme should go ahead should not be taken until work on the parameters plan is completed as expected in February.

‘Grossly damaging accusation’

“We are talking two months here to make sure what is done on this site is right.

“I’m very saddened Homes England thinks it is right to bully us into this decision, because that is what is on the cards today – ‘approve it or we will appeal’.”

Councillor Jim Clark, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Harlow, also accused the body of having a “bullying attitude” and said its claim that the council acted “unlawfully” was a “grossly damaging accusation”.

The west side of Harrogate currently finds itself with around a quarter of the entire housing allocations in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

This equates to around 3,500 to 4,000 new houses and residents are worried how the area’s schools, roads and health services are going to cope with this population increase.

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, said he believed a precedent had been set for further housing in the area as the police site was allocated for 163 homes in the Local Plan, but has now gained approval for up to 200.
He said:

“We are strongly opposed to this near 25% uplift in housing numbers.

“We are also worried about the precedent this sets, the impacts that will arise and we ask – what is the point of the Local Plan?”

Controversial 200-home Pannal Ash scheme approved

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee has voted to approve Homes England‘s plan to build 200 homes on the site of the former police training centre in Harrogate.

Councillors debated the application for almost three hours today with discussion focused on traffic congestion and the loss of a football pitch on the site.

Seven voted in favour, three against and John Mann, whose Harrogate Pannal ward would be affected by the scheme, abstained.

Homes England, which is the government housing agency, had permission to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on the pitch.

The planning committee voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

Instead it deferred the scheme pending publication of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.

Councillors were told a draft version of the parameters plan would not be published until February 2022.

However, this time they decided to approve the housing scheme, with a representative of Homes England suggesting it would consider legal action if the application was deferred again.

More to follow on this story

Homes England ‘frustrated’ by delays to 200-home scheme at Police Training Centre

Homes England has expressed frustration at Harrogate councillors for stalling its bid to build 200 homes at the former Police Training Centre.

The government housing agency has permission to build 161 homes on the site on Yew Tree Lane but wants to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on a sports pitch.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.

The plan was expected last year but has been delayed.

In an email dated June 18 to Harrogate Borough Council, which the Stray Ferret obtained through a freedom of information request, Homes England described the planning committee’s decision as “extremely disappointing”.

It said it was made due to councillors’ “misconceptions” about the role of Homes England.

The email claims these misconceptions were because council officers did not properly brief the councillors who voted on the scheme about what the housing agency does.

It also warned it was considering taking legal action against the council over the decision.

Councillors influenced by ‘misconceptions’

In the email to the council, Homes England stressed its importance in buying stalled sites that have been “subject to market failure” and helping the council meet government housing targets.

The email said Homes England had approached the council about briefing councillors themselves on the role of the housing agency but said this offer was rejected. It says this led to “misconceptions” that influenced councillors’ decision-making.

“Concerns in respect of the Agency’s role in ‘accelerating housing delivery’ are particularly frustrating and in our view could have been satisfactorily addressed at an early stage of the process via stakeholder consultation or a briefing to members from Homes England.

“This approach was suggested to HBC at various stages, but we were advised against direct engagement with members and our understanding was that officers would manage this process on our behalf. It is therefore frustrating that HBC have not addressed these fundamental questions in their role of briefing members on the application.”

Homes England also disputed that the Police Training Centre site should form part of the parameters plan.

“Homes England does not consider any policy basis exists to delay determination of the application until the completion of the WHPP. The WHPP does not form part of the development plan, and has not been consulted upon and is not sufficiently advanced to form a material consideration to any application at this time.

“The Police Training Centre is an allocated site with an extant consent and we were surprised to be in a position whereby the application has been deferred pending the approval of the WHPP, which is likely to take a number of months to complete.

“We’d be grateful if HBC can provide a response setting out their proposed strategy for successful navigating this application through planning committee as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are seeking legal advice regarding our planning strategy, including the merits of an Appeal against Non-Determination.”

What happens next?

The site from above is highlighted in red.

The email to HBC says Homes England has appointed Countryside Properties Ltd to build the homes pending a successful planning application.

A Homes England spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“Homes England continues to engage with Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and local resident groups regarding its outline planning application at the Police Training Centre, which is part of the borough council’s adopted Local Plan.”

A Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents’ Association (HAPARA) spokesperson said the council’s planning committee made the correct decision in deferring the application, pending the publication of the parameters plan.

“Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed during engagement sessions that the geographical extent of the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan does include this site.

“Homes England is taking a deliberately narrow view of the planning framework when it is clear that the public interest is best served by the wider implications for the western arc area being considered, through the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The delivery of new homes and communities is a key corporate priority for us, and we work very closely with Homes England, and other partners, to deliver our housing delivery action plan.

“Councillors receive regular training sessions on all aspects of our housing delivery and strategic sites work to ensure we can all support this plan.”

Housebuilder awarded £63m contract to build 200 homes in Pannal Ash

A property company has been awarded a £63 million contract to build 200 homes on the site of the former police training centre in Harrogate.

Homes England, the government’s housing agency which bought the site in February, has handed the contract to Countryside Properties.

The controversial plans to build homes on the site off Yew Tree Lane have been delayed after Harrogate councillors deferred the proposals until concerns about traffic and infrastructure in the west of Harrogate were addressed.

Countryside Properties, which has offices in Leeds, will be paid £63,814,699 to construct the scheme if it is given the go-ahead. The contract was awarded in March this year and runs until December 2026.

Chris Penn, managing director of partnerships in Yorkshire at Countryside Properties, said:

“Since establishing our presence in Yorkshire in 2019, we have delivered a number of developments across the region that fulfil our ambition to create beautiful homes that collectively form new and sustainable communities.

“This is a vision we share with Homes England and we are delighted to have exchanged contracts for the redevelopment of the site at Yew Tree Lane in Harrogate.

“We look forward to progressing the scheme with Homes England to accommodate the local need for high quality and efficient new homes.”

200 homes plans delayed

Homes England already has permission for 161 homes on the site, but has seen efforts to increase the number halted by councillors.

The latest proposal, which would have seen the number of homes on the site increased by 23 per cent to 200, was deferred by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee in June.

Councillors said they wanted to see the publication of the council’s parameters plan, which will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate, before making a decision.

The parameters plan was expected last year but has been delayed and councillors heard it could take years to be finalised.

The development has proved controversial with residents in the area, particularly as it could see the loss of sports pitches.

Nick Viles, chairman of Pannal Sports Junior Football Club told the meeting in June he had “serious concerns about the loss of pitches for community use”, which he said went against the ethos of the club.

But Homes England’s planning consultant said the application was compliant with the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-2035, which sets out the district’s planning strategy until 2035, and that section 106 infrastructure payments by the developer would fund ‘much needed sports facilities’ elsewhere.

The consultant added it was a “viable and deliverable scheme” which, if approved, would begin next year.

The council is expected to make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Pannal Ash residents’ faith in planning process ‘severely tested’ by rush to approve 200 homes

A residents group has said its faith in the planning system is being “severely tested” over the rush to approve a controversial 200-home development at the former Police Training Centre in Pannal Ash.

An HBC report recommends councillors approve the application on Yew Tree Lane by Homes England at next week’s planning committee.

It was due to be considered last month but was withdrawn from the agenda at short notice.

The withdrawal came after Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association said it had received both written and verbal assurances by Harrogate Borough Council officers the application would not be decided until a document known as the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan is agreed.

The parameters plan will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate. It was expected last year but has been delayed.

A HAPARA spokesman said:

“Although the council accept that the parameters plan is a ‘material consideration’ in this application, no definitive plan exists at this time so it is illogical, let alone bad faith, to bring this matter to a decision at this time.

“We cannot understand the rush to judgement on this application, considering the time normally taken for decisions on major developments. Our confidence in the council’s consultation process and indeed the Local Plan process itself, is being severely tested.

“We are writing to all members of the planning committee to urge them to defer the item to a later committee.”

Several residents who objected to the plans were not told about last month’s planning meeting and nobody from the group was invited to speak against the plans.

The council admitted it had made an error and withdrew the item on the agenda.

The Police Training Centre site is earmarked for 161 homes in the council’s Local Plan, which outlines planning in the Harrogate district until 2035. It is called H36. The current application is for 200 homes.

A council spokesman said:

“Although there is no policy requirement for site H36 to prepare the WHPP or wait for its completion, the site is located within the geographical area of the WHPP. As such, work undertaken to date – including discussions with infrastructure providers – is a material consideration in the assessment of this new application on H36.

“Accordingly, the applicants have included provision of a segregated cycleway to link up with other west Harrogate sites and will be making transport improvements/contributions that take into consideration the impact of all of the sites within the west Harrogate area.

“Site H36 is a brownfield site with an extant permission (14/02970/FULMAJ) for 161 new homes and forms part of the council’s housing land supply position. Homes England acquired the site because it had stalled and they are seeking to unlock it as part of their housing delivery role.

“The current application has been with the council since June 2020 and full public consultation has been undertaken, with responses considered as part of the planning application process.

“Our position on the determination of the current application for site H36, in the context of the WHPP, has been explained directly to HAPARA and is set out within the report to members of the planning committee”.

Decision on 200 homes in Pannal Ash delayed after protests

Harrogate Borough Council has postponed making a decision on controversial plans to build 200 homes on a former police training centre site.

The council’s planning committee was tomorrow due to hear the proposal for the site on Yew Tree Lane in Pannal Ash.

However, Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association called for the application to be moved after it said several people who objected to the plans were not told about the meeting and that nobody from the group had been invited to speak against the plans.

The council today admitted it had made an error and withdrew the item on the agenda.

It now intends to make a decision on June 3.

HAPARA welcomed the delay but said said no decision should be taken until a parameters plan for the western side of Harrogate is agreed.

A total of 4,000 homes are due to be built on the western side of town, including those at the former police training centre.

The parameters plan, which the council is developing, assesses transport and infrastructure needs associated with the housebuilding. It was expected last year but has been delayed.

The spokesperson for HAPARA said it had received assurances from the council that no new developments would be considered in the area until the plan had been agreed

The spokesperson said:

“Whilst we welcome the postponement from the planning meeting tomorrow we are very concerned that the revised date has been suggested of June 3.

“Although this will give groups opportunity to review the latest reports it is unlikely that the area parameters plan will have been approved by the council.

“It has been agreed by all parties that this parameters plan is a key and critical document needed before any major new developments are considered in the area. As such this application must be delayed whilst infrastructure and other facilities/ amenities in the western arc arc of Harrogate are finalised. Without this we will continue with further piecemeal planning decisions.”

The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there had been an “administrative error”.

It said in a statement:

“We would like to thank the people who made us aware of the issue. The opportunity for people to speak at planning committee meetings is an important part of the democratic process.

“The item will now be considered on June 3, which should give everyone interested in the application time to put their views to the committee.”

Residents bid to halt decision on 200 homes in Pannal Ash

A residents’ group has called on Harrogate Borough Council to postpone a decision on a controversial 200-home development just hours before a decision is due.

The council’s planning committee is scheduled to consider tomorrow the redevelopment at the former police training centre in Pannal Ash.

A report to councillors recommends deferring and approving the plans subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement, which covers the infrastructure costs of developments.

However, Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association claims several people who objected to the plans were not told about tomorrow’s planning meeting and that nobody from the group has been invited to speak against the plans.

A spokesperson for HAPARA told the Stray Ferret there has been a “severe breakdown” in the planning process and called on the council to postpone a decision to give them more time to prepare.

They said:

“It is clear there has been a severe breakdown in the planning process with seemingly a number of those raising concerns not being invited to speak or being made aware that this application was even on the agenda. This is clear breach of the council’s standing orders.

“We note that the council’s own ecology report was submitted at the last minute that also raised questions on the net loss of ecology regarding this application. This needs further scrutiny.

“We’ve requested urgent confirmation from the council as to what may have gone wrong here and seeking assurance such an omission will not be repeated.

“In this case we feel that the council has no option but to postpone and defer this application to a future meeting so we can review documents as per the normal process and prepare properly for the planning committee.”

Harrogate Borough Council previously approved plans to build 161 homes on the Yew Tree Lane site in 2018.

But a new proposal, submitted in November by Homes England, aims to increase the number of homes to 200 despite concerns about “unjustifiable planning creep” and the removal of a football pitch in order to build more homes.

Parameters Plan

The former police training centre is on Yew Tree Lane.

Following a recommendation from the government’s planning inspector, the council is currently developing a parameters plan for the western side of Harrogate, where 4,000 more homes are mooted including at the police training centre.

The plan will look at transport and infrastructure needs for the area. It was expected last year but has been delayed.

The spokesperson for HAPARA said they received assurances from the council that no new developments would be considered in the area until the plan had been agreed.

They added:

“The parameters plan is still some way away so disappointing that this commitment has not been met without any consolation or discussion.”

The council did not respond to the Stray Ferret’s questions on the matter.

But its report to councillors ahead of tomorrow’s meeting says:

“The potential impact of the development (together with other developments around Harrogate) on local infrastructure and the surrounding road network has been fully considered and appropriate mitigation is proposed.

“The proposals are considered compliant with the overarching policies of the development plan and national requirements. The proposed development will make a valuable contribution to meeting the district’s housing need.”

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‘Grossly damaging accusation’

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Councillors influenced by ‘misconceptions’

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What happens next?

200 homes plans delayed

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Parameters Plan