Councillors have refused 149 new homes on Kingsley Road near Harrogate High School because they said it would make already clogged roads in the area even worse.
Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee had previously blocked the development twice this year due to concerns over the number of homes, traffic congestion and the environment.
Since the plans were last put before HBC in June, developer Richborough Estates reduced the number of homes from 155 to 149 and included a new transport assessment saying residents could use a bus stop in Bilton 1km away.
The site is designated for development within HBC’s Local Plan and HBC’s solicitor has previously warned councillors that refusing the plans could leave them open to a legal challenge by the developer.
However, meeting this afternoon via Zoom, councillors voted by 10 to 1 to refuse the application.
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There are several developments in the Kingsley area of Harrogate — which could see over 650 homes eventually built.
John Hansard from the Kingsley Ward Action Group spoke to the committee and called the transport assessment produced by the developer “a work of fiction”.
He said:
“There are still serious issues and walking over 1km to public transport makes a mockery of HBC’s carbon reduction strategy.
“Once this natural oasis is lost it’s gone forever and this area of Harrogate will be so much poorer for it.”
Dean Knight, technical director from Richborough, said the developer “has listened” after previous planning committees, but he faced a grilling from Cllr Pat Marsh who asked whether a 1km walk to the nearest bus stop was practical for elderly people or families carrying shopping.
Cllr Marsh called the traffic implications for the development “wrong, very wrong”.
Mr Knight said bus operator Transdev told the developer it was not possible to add a bus stop nearer to the site but said the 1km distance was not an “insurmountable” distance for people to walk.
95 homes at Granby Farm will destroy ‘green corridor’A residents group has told the Stray Ferret that 95 homes proposed for Granby Farm near Harrogate High School will destroy a vital “green corridor” that connects the Stray to the countryside.
Richborough Estates has submitted plans for 95 homes to be built on the land that is designated for development within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.
In a site assessment produced by HBC when formulating the Local Plan, the council said because the site “is an important part of the green infrastructure network” of Harrogate, any development on the site should maintain 50% open fields — yet plans submitted propose only 25% is kept green.
Gary Walker, from Granby Residents Association, said HBC should refuse the plans on this basis to “create a legacy” for the town.
He said:
“We believe a green corridor needs to be maintained. We don’t feel the current plans address that objective. There’s an opportunity for the council to create a legacy for the town by providing an access route for the Stray through to Nidd Gorge that could be enjoyed by the people of Harrogate.
“People are totally opposed to the proposals. We accept the field will be developed, however we are extremely disappointed the proposal on the table doesn’t meet the council’s recommendation for green space. The council could miss a big opportunity to create a green corridor and help the environment and wildlife.”
Richborough proposes 38 homes will be affordable and 57 will be sold at market rate. All the market rate properties would be either four or five-bedroom houses.
The public consultation for the plans will end on August 14.
The Stray Ferret asked Richborough to comment but it had not replied at the time of publication.
Read more:
There are several developments in the Kingsley area of Harrogate — which could see over 650 homes eventually built.
Richborough is also the developer for a separate application for 155 homes on Kingsley Road.
Last month it was told by HBC to “go away and rework” its proposals due to overdevelopment. Updated plans will go before HBC’s planning committee next week.