Will the crucial role of Ripon’s Royal Engineers in the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy be lost in the sands of time?

As the 80th anniversary of this key event in world history fast approaches and features in media coverage across the globe, Ripon Military Heritage Trust is facing a battle with the bulldozers on the home front.

The Ripon barracks site, which is due to be vacated by 21 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers in two years to make way for the 1,300-home Clotherholme development, is a time capsule that helps to tell the story of world war and cold war invention, ingenuity and innovation.

The area uniquely links priceless relics of the 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 conflicts that are of major historical importance.

Heritage assets currently located there include extremely rare accommodation huts built in 1939, along with bridges and structures, such as a concrete weir constructed on the River Laver to turn the turbines of a power station serving a huge World War One army camp.

The battle cry of Ripon Military Heritage Trust can be seen in a banner hanging high above High Skellgate

In the wake of the Japanese aerial bombardment of the USA fleet at Pearl Harbour in December 1941, the Americans came to Ripon to learn from the Royal Engineers how to deal with unexploded ordnance.

It was a Trans-Atlantic training arrangement and helping-hand from across the sea, that emphasised the growing ‘special relationship’ between the two countries.

Ripon was also the base where allied military personnel from the USA, Canada and Europe, were trained in the methods of installing Bailey Bridges.

Ripon’s role recognised by top military figures

The importance of this then revolutionary, new bridging system was highlighted in a letter to the Royal Engineers from Field-Marshal Montgomery who wrote:

“…As far as my own operations were concerned with the Eighth Army in Italy and 21 Army Group in N.W. Europe, I could never have maintained the speed and tempo of forward movement without large supplies of Bailey bridging…”.

Montgomery and the top brass of the USA military are on record for their recognition of Ripon’s world-wide war era significance, but Ripon Military Heritage Trust, fears for the future of the heritage assets that they hope to preserve as a means of reminding existing and future generations of the exceptional part that the city played in two world wars and the subsequent cold war.

Trust display

The trust had a display at yesterday’s launch of Ripon’s D-Day programme of 80th anniversary commemoration and celebration events on the lawns of the Ripon Inn.

Trustees Michael and Jane Furse of Ripon Military Heritage Trust, showed Major Daryl Murphy, the second-in-command of Ripon’s Royal Engineers the newly-created display.

It has now been moved inside the Ripon Inn and gives a fascinating insight into Ripon’s military history and the heritage assets that it is attempting to save from destruction.

Trustee Michael Furse told the Stray Ferret:

“The city has  a rich and deep military history and has enjoyed a long and close relationship with the Royal Engineers.

“We and many Ripon residents strongly believe that the important heritage assets at the barracks site are worth fighting for.”

Main image: Field-Marshal Montgomery recognised the important role that Ripon’s Royal Engineers played in the installation of Bailey Bridges, such as this one in Italy. Picture Wikipedia

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• Rallying call from Ripon Military Heritage Trust

Work on the 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme in Ripon is expected to begin next year and last until 2037, according to a newly published update.

Land at Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks will be bulldozed to make way for the homes, a primary school and a neighbourhood centre with shops, a café and a community space.

Four city-centre junctions will be improved and Clotherholme Road, Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane will be redesigned to prioritise pedestrian safety and encourage cycling.

Homes England, the public body that funds new affordable housing, and the Defence infrastructure Organisation, which is part of the Ministry of Defence, provided the update in a planning report published on North Yorkshire Council’s website.

Councillors granted planning permission subject to conditions in February last year, shortly before Harrogate Borough Council was abolished. Six councillors voted in favour and six voted against, which meant the committee chair’s casting vote in favour proved decisive.

The new planning report says the barracks scheme will create an “exemplar new sustainable community” on brownfield land on the edge of Ripon. Here are some of the key details.

The red section indicates where will be affected.

30% affordable homes and new school

Clotherholme will include 1,300 homes, 30% of which will be classed as affordable. The report said:

“That’s 370 new affordable homes for local people, split between affordable rent and shared ownership

“We’ll also build a new primary school next to a new local neighbourhood centre with shops, a café, employment and training facilities and community space. We’ll provide new improved open space at Laver Banks which will be accessible to the whole community.”

A total of 5% of the site will be dedicated to custom build homes providing up to 60 extra care / assisted living homes.

Developers are obliged to pay to mitigate for the impact of their development on local infrastructure through legally binding contracts negotiated with councils known as section 106 agreements.

The new planning report says the proposals for financial contributions include:

• £2.7m towards a two-form entry primary school, which will be built at the neighbourhood centre in the middle of Clotherholme.
• £1.9m towards the expansion of local secondary education.
• £1.07 million towards improved healthcare buildings and facilities in Ripon.

The report adds:

“We’ll provide traffic-free routes to school across the whole development, which connect into existing walking and cycling routes, and we’ll make sure the school has playing fields too.

“The school will be built and opened early in the development timeline, meaning that families moving to Clotherholme will have school places for their children, and other local schools won’t be put under pressure.”

Major transport schemes in Ripon

The report says there will be “24 separate improvements to the road network agreed with North Yorkshire Council to make sure that Ripon keeps moving”.

They include improvements to four city-centre junctions “before the first home is occupied at Clotherholme”.

The four junction improvements are:

• Traffic flow improvements at the clocktower junction
• Traffic flow improvements at Coltsgate Hill junctions on North Street
• Signalling improvement at Skellgate junction
• Priority changes at Westgate Street/ Blossomgate

The report adds:

“We will install state-of-the-art signal control as part of these upgrades which allow real-time monitoring of traffic build-up and management of the signals to reduce congestion and maximise traffic flow.

“Our proposals also include the provision of a one-way scheme at Kirkby Road (westbound), College Road (eastbound) and Trinity Lane (southbound). Blossomgate, east of Marshall Way, will also become one-way.”

The report says there will be £793,000 towards delivering a phased bus service for Clotherholme over a four-year period, adding:

“We will redesign Clotherholme Road, Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane to prioritise pedestrian safety and encourage cycling, and we will introduce traffic-calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds. Our package of transport and active travel proposals have already been agreed in principle with North Yorkshire Council.”

12-year timeline

The report says the Ministry of Defence “has confirmed that they are in the process of agreeing a transfer of the land at Ripon barracks to Homes England”, adding:

“Following transfer, the land will be redeveloped by Homes England and partners in phases commencing with Deverell Barracks and moving to Claro and Laver Banks once the army has fully vacated to ensure the growth of a sustainable community.

Indicative phasing plan Indicative phasing Phase 1 2025 – 2029 Phase 2 2028 – 2033 Phase 3 2027 Phase 3 2027 Phase 4 2027 – 2028 Phase 5 2027 and 2029 Phase 6 2028 – 2033 Phase 7 2030 – 2032 Phase 8 2031 – 2037 Phase 9 2029 – 2033 The phasing plan on page 15 shows the order in which we’re intending to develop parcels of land at Ripon Barracks.

A developer partner will be appointed in 2025 and between 50 and 100 homes per year will be built meaning that the full redevelopment will take around 13 to 14 years to complete.

“There will be a series of key milestones throughout redevelopment including the opening up of Laver Banks for public use in 2027, phased provision of the local centre between 2028 and 2033 as well as the new primary school which is due to open in 2028.”

Green space

The report says nearly 50% of Clotherholme will be public green space, which is the equivalent to about 55 football pitches. Of this 39.6 hectares, nearly 7.5 hectares will be playing fields.

The report says Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation are writing a biodiversity net gain delivery plan “which sets out our approach to habitat preservation and creation of on-site and off-site biodiversity to achieve a target of 10% net gain”.

It adds:

“We will be providing playing fields at the new primary school which could be available for community use too. We’ll separately provide 11 sports pitches as part of Laver Banks improved open space (including a senior and junior football pitch and club house), and are looking to collaborate with local clubs to make sure we’re providing what is needed.

“We will also be paying towards the upkeep of these facilities — all part of the site-wide stewardship strategy we’re producing. We will also provide financial contributions towards the off-site provision of rugby, cricket, hockey and 3G sports pitches, for the benefit of sport in Ripon.”

Read more:

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• Ripon primary school named as one of the most diverse in North Yorkshire
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With the clock ticking down to the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an army of Ripon volunteers has spent thousands of hours engaged in a military-style operation as the city prepares for the landmark celebration and commemoration.

On June 6 and in the weeks running up to it, the fruits of their collective labours over an estimated 100,000 hours, will be seen in one of the largest events to be held anywhere in the UK.

The stunning centrepiece, is a life-size model Churchill AVRE tank, recreated with hundreds of thousands of stitches from the non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project, working in collaboration with Richard Thomson and Gordon Woods of Ripon’s Men’s Shed, who have built the wooden frame of the mighty model war machine.

It is 24 feet long, nine feet wide and seven feet high and timber valued at £2,500 was donated for its construction by MKM Building Supplies.

Stuart Martin (centre) and Hazel Barker of Ripon Community Poppy Project are pictured with Richard Thomson of Ripon Men’s Shed on board the replica tank before the turret was fitted.

Known for its bunker busting capabilities, the tank has been painstakingly recreated in wool and wood in a hangar at Claro Barracks, where space was made available by the 21 Engineer Regiment.

Richard, a former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer who spent part of his army career based at the barracks, said:

“This type of tank struck terror in the hearts of the enemy when it came into sight, because of the size of shell that it fired and the destruction that it brought to those unfortunate enough to get in its way.”

With transportation being provided free of charge by Ripon Farm Services, the giant replica will be moved to a number of locations in the city, starting with the Ripon Inn on April 30 and culminating on June 6, with placement on the piazza at Ripon Cathedral, where Jack Churchill, the great-grandson of wartime leader Sir Winston, will light an 80th anniversary D-Day beacon at 9.15 pm.

D-Day 80th anniversary concert

Before the beacon is lit a concert will be held in the cathedral at 7pm. It will feature Ripon City Band, The Duchy Bells, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Charlotte Potter.

Proceeds will be shared between Ripon Community Poppy Project and Help the Heroes, the armed forces and veterans charity.

Tickets costing £15 are now on sale online from Eventbrite and from Ripon’s Stuff 4 Offices in  Fishergate and the Wakeman’s Cafe on Market Place South.

Alwyn Hartley of Ripon Community Poppy Project working on the huge D-Day 80th anniversary display

Ripon and the Royal Engineers

The anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy that led to the liberation of Europe and, ultimately, the end of World War II, has special significance in Ripon thanks to a long and treasured association with the Royal Engineers, who have had Freedom of the City since 1949.

The Royal Engineers’ annual freedom march through Ripon has taken place since 1949.

The Royal Engineers provided the technical skill and engineering expertise that paved the way to allied victory.

The advance of troops from the beaches of northern France and across Europe was made possible by their construction, among other structures, of Bailey Bridges, using techniques perfected on the training grounds of Ripon barracks.

A Sherman Firefly tank on a Bailey Bridge constructed across the Santerno River river in Italy in April 1945. Picture Wikipedia

The Royal Engineers’ world-leading bomb disposal team in Ripon, which taught the Americans how to deal with unexploded ordnance in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, also proved a fundamental factor in maintaining the military momentum.

Stuart Martin, co-founder with Hazel Barker of the Ripon Community Poppy Project, said:

“The city’s long and deep association with the Royal Engineers makes this year’s commemoration and celebration of D Day extra special.

“By coincidence, this year also sees the 75th anniversary of the Engineers being granted Freedom of the city and the 75th anniversary of 21 Engineer Regiment.”

A military-style operation

The former mayor added:

“In a military-style, meticulously-planned operation that started last year, the Community Poppy Project has asked for and received help from individuals, businesses and organisations across the city and all have given their time, materials, labour and logistical advice free of charge.

“They include Jennyruth Workshops, whose workers have cut materials to size for various displays, Calverts Carpets, which has provided imitation grass for display areas and Tates garden centre which is helping with logistics.

He added:

“It has been a magnificent community-wide project collectively involving almost 100,000 hours of volunteer input and has been made possible because of the generosity of the city’s organisations and businesses.”

Main image: The replica Churchill AVRE tank. Picture Ripon Community Poppy Project.

Read more:

• Trust fights to save Ripon’s priceless military heritage
• Ripon Mayor Sid Hawke to make history

A total of £10 million has been budgeted to cover items in a Section 106 agreement being drawn up by Homes England for the 1,300-home Clotherholme development at the Ripon Barracks site.

The money will fund a number of areas, including off-site highway adjustments and contributions towards primary and secondary education provision and primary healthcare.

In addition, under the legally-binding agreement, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, is required to put a strategy in place to “secure military heritage within the site”.

On Monday, Homes England project manager Martin Wilks and senior planning and enabling manager David Rowlinson, met with city councillors to provide a progress report on the major scheme, that will eventually increase  Ripon’s population by 20%.

In February, Harrogate Borough Council planning committee said it was minded to grant planning consent for the Clotherholme scheme and Mr Wilks, pointed out:

“The next stage on the planning process is to present the Section 106 agreement to North Yorkshire Council for approval.”

He added:

“The Section 106 monies have been set at £10 million to cover areas including off-site traffic interventions and contributions to education provision,”

The 21 Regiment of the Royal Engineers is scheduled to vacate the site by March 2026 and enabling works for the homes development will start in 2025.

In the meantime, Homes England is drawing up a sustainable drainage plan for the scheme with Yorkshire Water and working on a design guide for the development with Ripon Civic Society.

Meetings have been held with Ripon Military Heritage Trust regarding the protection and preservation of historically-important buildings and bridges on the site and a further meeting with them is planned for November 7.

Matters raised by councillors included the significance of the site’s rich military Heritage, increased traffic generation and the impact it will have on the city’s roads infrastructure and the additional strain that an increase in population will put on healthcare provision.

In view of the number of issues put forward, it was agreed that Mr Wilks and Mr Rowlinson will hold  further meetings with councillors to focus on specific concerns that they have in relation to the development.

Read more:

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Councillors have approved plans to build 1,300 homes at Ripon’s army barracks, subject to conditions.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee met this afternoon to consider an application from government housing agency Homes England, which has been developing the plans for several years alongside the Ministry of Defence.

Councillors were split over the scheme’s impact on roads in the city as well as whether historical military buildings on the site, which were used during both world wars, would be protected.

Votes were tied at six for and six against supporting the officer’s recommendation to defer the plans to officers to approve, subject to conditions.

This meant the committee’s chair, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate St Georges, Rebecca Burnett, cast the deciding vote to see the plans passed.

Clotherholme

The military is set to vacate the site in 2026 but phased work will now begin.

The housing scheme is called Clotherholme and also includes a new primary school, sports pitches, retail, food and drink units, and a 60-bed care home.

The site is home to the Royal Engineers and consists of Deverell Barracks to the east, Claro Barracks to the west and Laver Banks to the south.

Homes England says 3,000 people will live there to increase the population of Ripon by a fifth, although this does not take into account the loss of military personnel who have lived in the community for decades.

It’s expected that all the homes would be built by 2035 and 30% will be classed as affordable.

No new road

Campaigners have long raised fears about the impact on local roads and there have been calls to include a relief road via Galphay Road, but this was rejected.

Access to the site would be from Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road.

Homes England undertook traffic studies that predicted queues and delays at existing junctions if the homes were built, so changes to the Low Skellgate, Coltsgate Hill and Clock Tower junctions have been proposed as part of 28 alterations to the existing road network.

A new roundabout would also be created at the junction of Kirkby Road and Chatham Road.

‘Hell to drive through’

Liberal Democrat county councillor Barbara Brodigan spoke on behalf of Ripon Spa Residents’ Action Group against the plans.

Cllr Brodigan said she was not against the site being developed but objected to the number of homes proposed. She said a relief road should be built to accommodate any increase in traffic. She said:

“The city was founded 600 years ago and the layout of its streets and centre has hardly changed. It’s pretty to look at, but hell to drive through.

“The layout of the city’s streets was not designed for cars but for horses and carts and people on foot.”

A computer generated image of how Chatham Road and Napier Street in Ripon would look under the plans

Ripon Independent councillor for Ure Bank, Sid Hawke, said there was a question mark over the traffic surveys undertaken by the developer. He said:

“Have you been up Clotherholme Road at peak times?  It’s absolute mayhem, you’re talking about putting 1,300 houses up there. Thats 2,000 cars on that road.”

David Rowlinson, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said highways and transport had been a “key issue” that Homes England and the MoD had worked through whilst developing the scheme. He said:

“We’re not new to this site, we’ve been working on it for five years. We’ve looked at this very thoroughly and worked with North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department to get their on-the-ground views.

“We feel we’ve robustly assessed the impacts and come up with the best solution possible for Ripon.

“North Yorkshire County Council has confirmed there is no defensible reason to refuse the application on highways and transport grounds.”

Military history

The barracks were originally built as a convalescent camp for troops during the First World War.

Thousands were housed there, including the wartime poet Wilfred Owen, who wrote some of his famous works there.

Jane Furse, on behalf of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, asked councillors to defer the plans until a strategy had been produced that protected from demolition two training bridges and a hut, which has been called one of the best-surviving Second World War-era prefab structures.

However, the bridges and the hut are not protected under planning laws.

Read more:

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Ms Furse gave a history of the military’s involvement at the site spanning two world wars and the Cold War.

She added:

“We request robust, enforceable conditions are imposed to protect our internationally significant heritage.”

Historic England raised “strong concerns” over the demolition of the hut but it has been decided that it can’t be retained because of asbestos, which HBC officer Andy Hough called “extremely regrettable”.

Homes England said it is committed to working with Ripon Military Heritage Group on studies to resolve what happens to the buildings.

Mr Rowlinson said:

“We give a commitment that until issues are resolved and a strategy is developed, structures will not be destroyed.

“We’re happy to do that, we need to work through the process with the group.”

‘Evidence-based decision’

The Conservative councillor for Ripon Spa and cabinet member for housing, Mike Chambers, who is also a former serviceman, said he supported “the majority” of the scheme but there are “clear issues” with the traffic assessment, so he would not be supporting the proposal.

Cllr Chambers claimed the changes to the Low Skellgate junction, banning right turns, “will only seek to exacerbate the situation”.

Conservative council leader Richard Cooper, who was on the planning committee today as a substitute, said rejecting the plans on transport grounds would risk a costly appeal.

In 2022, HBC had to pay £25,000 in costs after the authority was taken to appeal over its rejection of the Leon drive thru on Wetherby Road. Cllr Cooper said:

“You go and sit before an appeal and say to them ‘I drove down that road once and it was busy’, they’ll laugh at you.

“They did it with the Leon application, they laughed at us because there was no evidence to back up a refusal on traffic grounds and we lost the cost of the appeal because of that.”

Cllr Cooper added:

“If we aren’t a planning committee that bases our deliberations upon evidence, then we arent fit to be a planning committee at all. All our decisions should be evidence-based.”

The applicant has agreed to pay £4,694,875 to North Yorkshire County Council to go towards local primary and secondary schools.

It will also pay £907,267 to the NHS to support healthcare facilities.

If the war in Ukraine escalates the Ministry of Defence (MoD) could delay vacating the Ripon Barracks site for housing to be built, according to the leader of Ripon City Council.

For several years, government housing agency Homes England and the MoD have been developing plans to build 1,300 homes at Ripon Barracks, which has been used by the military since World War 1.

The scheme is called Clotherholme and also includes a new primary school, sports pitches, retail, food and drink units and a 60-bed care home.

The site consists of Deverell Barracks to the east, Claro Barracks to the west and Laver Banks to the south.

Deverell Barracks has already been vacated however Claro Barracks is still operational and in use by the Royal Engineers.

Previously, the MoD has said it would close the site in 2019 and 2023.

A computer generated image of how Chatham Road and Napier Street in Ripon would look under the plans.

Earlier this month, Conservative MP Julian Smith published a letter he received from defence minister Alex Chalk that said Claro Barracks will remain in use until late 2026.

Although the letter said that phased work would begin at Deverell Barracks once planning permission has been granted.

‘A changing world’

At a meeting of Ripon City Council this week, council leader Andrew Williams, who is also an independent councillor on North Yorkshire County Council, said the 2026 date is “optimistic” due to a changing geopolitical situation.

Cllr Williams said:

“In a changing world since these proposals were first put on table, the world is clearly a more unstable place than when this process started several years ago. 

“There is a real risk of proper armed conflict escalating in Europe in a way that several years ago could have seen to be a farcical and ludicrous proposition.

“I suspect the MoD will need to retain part of its estate than it envisaged doing several years ago. As a consequence there may still be a need for a barracks in Ripon well beyond 2026.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:

“We remain committed to the disposal of Claro Barracks.

“With the adjacent Deverell Barracks now vacated, it is ready for the planned and phased redevelopment of the combined barracks site at Ripon.”

Read more:

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Councillors will meet next Thursday afternoon in Harrogate to make a decision on whether the Ripon Barracks scheme goes ahead.

The plans have been recommended for approval by HBC case officer Andy Hough in a report.

The meeting will begin at 2pm on February 23 at the council’s Civic Centre. It will also be streamed live on its YouTube channel.

A scheme to build 1,300 homes on historic army barracks in Ripon looks set to be approved next week.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended its planning committee gives the scheme the go-ahead when it meets on Thursday.

If councillors vote to accept the recommendation, it will see Ripon’s population increase by almost 20%, with an estimated 3,000 people expected to occupy the new homes.

Building work is likely to continue until 2035 and 30% of homes would be deemed ‘affordable’.

The 85 hectare-scheme would also include a new primary school and sports pitches as well as shops, restaurants and offices that could support up to 678 jobs.

However, there are concern about the impact on health services, the road network and the loss of key sites of military history.

The report to councillors concludes:

“The proposed development will deliver a range of significant public benefits that demonstrate compliance with adopted policies and the aspirations of the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan.”

Payments for health and schools

Applicants the Secretary of State for Defence and Homes England, a non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England, which are behind the proposal, have agreed to pay a minimum of £907,267 for health care facilities as part of a section 106 agreement developers pay to fund infrastructure costs associated with their schemes.

The agreement would also see the developers pay £2.7 million for primary school education and £1.9 million for secondary school education.

A two-form primary school with a playing field would be built on the site.

A computer generated image of the proposed Ripon barracks site.

Development would take place on the sites of Claro Barracks, Laver Banks and Deverell Barracks, which played key roles in the First and Second World Wars.

The report acknowledges “strong concerns” over the demolition of Deverell Barracks, which according to the non-departmental public body Historic England contains buildings that make it ‘one of the best surviving WWII temporary standardised prefabricated sites’.

The report says the developers would ‘explore retention of these structures’ but adds there are ‘significant issues with their re-use’ due to the presence of asbestos and concludes there is no ‘certainty of retention’.

Part of the current site

The significance of two military bridges on Laver Banks became apparent recently following research by Ripon Military Heritage Group and the report says the applicants have “confirmed a commitment to keep on working together” with the group.

The report says the highways authority, North Yorkshire County Council, “considers there is no defensible reason to refuse the application on highway or transportation grounds” in the wake of proposed highways changes.

Read more:

• NHS objects to planned 1,300-home development on Ripon barracks
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A decision on whether to build a major 1,300-home scheme on an army barracks in Ripon could be made within weeks.

The scheme, which has been submitted by government housing agency Homes England, would see houses built on Claro Barracks off Clotherholme Road.

The proposal was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2020, but has yet to be decided.

Council officials have now said the scheme could come to the authority’s planning committee this month after negotiations over NHS contributions were nearing an end.

Trevor Watson, the council’s director of economy and culture, told an overview and scrutiny commission meeting on Monday that developer contributions for health was the “last big issue” to overcome.

He said:

“We are confident that we are now approaching the final negotiations in relation to what was the last big issue that has caused a few problems.

“That is the level of contributions towards health provision. We are nearing an agreement on that, I think.

“That will allow us to bring forward the application for determination by Harrogate Borough Council at a special planning committee, we hope on February 23 and we also hope with a recommendation of approval.”

Claro Barracks

Mr Watson added the scheme was a “once in a generation opportunity” to develop a brownfield site included in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished at the end of next month and succeeded by the new North Yorkshire Council.

The negotiations over developer contributions come after NHS managers in North Yorkshire objected to the scheme because of concerns about the amount of funding that would be provided for local healthcare.

In a letter to the council, Andrew Dangerfield, head of primary care transformation at NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said the method used by Homes England to assess healthcare need as a result of the new homes was “at odds” with the NHS.

He added the developer had offered “zero” section 106 contributions to help mitigate demand as a result of increased population due to the scheme.

Read more:

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Mr Dangerfield said:

“The integrated care board is concerned about Homes England’s overall approach to health, they have sought to provide zero section 106 contributions towards the provision of healthcare infrastructure on a development of significant scale (circa 3,000 people), using a methodology which is at odds with the NHS commissioners and local healthcare partners.

“The integrated care board, who has direct expert knowledge of the local surgeries in the area and is responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services have consistently outlined that the existing practices do not have capacity to absorb the population created by the 1,300 homes coming forward as part of this application, and therefore have requested mitigation in the form of a section 106 contribution.”

Mr Dangerfield added that should no contributions towards healthcare be made, then the development “cannot be considered sustainable”.

In October 2020, NHS North Yorkshire CCG – which preceded the integrated care board – said in a letter to the borough council that it was seeking £553,128 from Homes England in contributions to health.

The planned homes in Ripon will include a significant number of two and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.

It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.