Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre Archives

Councillors approve Simon Graeme garage expansion near Hampsthwaite

Councillors have granted planning permission for a new MOT and servicing building at a garage near Hampsthwaite.

North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee met on Tuesday in Ripon to consider an application from Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which has operated at Graystone Plain Lane off the A59 for 30 years.

The current garage is located within the Nidderdale National Landscape (formerly called the AONB), which has strict planning laws.

The proposed new building, which would house two MOT bays and five servicing bays, sits on land just outside the National Landscape.

Plans were brought before councillors at the previous meeting in November but a decision was deferred following a request for more information about around planting, drainage and renewable energy.

At the previous meeting, Mr Graeme told councillors that the new building would future-proof his family business and allow it to service and repair electric vehicles.

Since November, an updated landscape plan and strategy has been submitted to the council, as has a drainage report and proposals to add solar panels to the site.

It was enough to satisfy councillors who unanimously approved the plans with Ripon Minster and Moorside Cllr Andrew Williams describing the changes as a “victory for common sense”.

He said:

“What we’ve now arrived at is a sensible position which everyone can hopefully subscribe to.

“It’s important the countryside isn’t a museum, it’s a place where people can live and work.”

Hampsthwaite garage expansion plans finally set for go-ahead

Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre‘s plans to build a new MOT and service building in Hampsthwaite finally look set to be approved.

The garage, which has been situated alongside the A59 for three decades, has been keen to expand for some time. But it has faced a lengthy battle for planning permission.

North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee will decide on its latest plans on Tuesday next week, and a council case officer has recommended the seven-person committee approves the bid.

The proposed new building, which would include two MOT bays and five servicing bays, would be situated on the edge of Nidderdale National Landscape, which was previously known as Nidderdale AONB, where there are strict planning planning rules. It is also outside the council’s development area.

In January, the council said the scheme would “create a significant level of landscape harm to both the open countryside and the views into and out of the Nidderdale AONB” and turned down the application.

A visual of the planned new garage.

The company, based on Grayston Plain Lane, submitted revised plans, which the council again recommended for refusal in October. But the planning committee decided instead to defer it so the company could revise the landscaping and provide additional information about drainage and design.

Cllr Andrew Williams, a member of the Conservative and Independents group who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside told October’s meeting the Nidderdale AONB should be a place for people to live and work and “not a museum for townies to visit on a weekend”.

Now council documents published ahead of next week’s planning committee meeting say the new MOT and service building should go ahead. The existing overflow car park would be removed as part of the scheme.

They say:

“It is considered that the proposal would have an economic benefit to the area and that following the revisions to the landscaping proposal and the provision of additional information in relation to sustainability of design and waste that the proposal would meet the requirements of local plan policy EC2 in relation to the expansion of an existing business in the countryside.”

The documents add the current scheme also differs from the previous proposal because the previous bid was to move the entire operation, which will now be split between two sites.

The 0.5-hectare site would create five new posts to take the number of staff to 16, according to planning documents.

Fifty-five people have supported the scheme; two have objected.

Hampsthwaite garage’s expansion bid set to be rejected again

Council officials have recommended refusing a plan for a Hampsthwaite garage to build a new MOT building.

Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which is based on Grayston Plain Lane, applied to build the facility on the opposite side of the road in June this year.

The garage, situated just off the A59 near Hampsthwaite, has been established for over 25 years.

The company said the new building would be used in association with the current base on the other side of the road, which would be retained.

Documents submitted to the council said:

“The proposed building will be used in association with the existing business which will be retained – as such main reception area will be as existing with service / MOT bay and the new building will enable the business to meet its growing demand and also provide safe space to service electric vehicles and larger leisure / agricultural vehicles.”

It added the new building was required in order for the business to adapt to changes in the industry.

However, North Yorkshire Council officers have recommended councillors refuse the plan at a meeting of the Skipton and Ripon area constituency planning committee next Tuesday (October 3).

In a report due before councillors, officers said:

“The site is located outside defined development limits in ‘open countryside’, where the principle of new build development is not supported.

“It is considered that the proposal would have an economic benefit to the area however by virtue of the scale and level of landscape harm created to the open countryside and views in and out of the Nidderdale AONB, the proposal would be contrary to national government policy.”

Councillors will make a decision on the plan at a meeting next week.

if they accept the officer’s recommendation to reject the scheme, it will be second time this year the council has refused the garage’s plans to create new facilities.

Hampsthwaite garage resubmits plan for new MOT building

A longstanding garage in Hampsthwaite has resubmitted plans for a new MOT building.

Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which is based on Grayston Plain Lane, applied to relocate to the opposite side of the road last year.

The garage, situated just off the A59 near Hampsthwaite, has been established for over 25 years.

The move would have seen a new purpose-built facility created and the current MOT centre and car park demolished.

The new garage would also have included units for MOT servicing, training space and a reception and office. Fifteen car parking spaces would be provided, including six electric vehicle charging points.

However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the proposal on the grounds that the development site was in open countryside and considered to be “unsustainably located”.

Now, the garage has resubmitted the plans to North Yorkshire Council which include a reduced MOT building size with the removal of the office and reception.

It adds the new building would be used in association with the current base on the other side of the road, which would be retained.

Documents submitted to the council said:

“The proposed building will be used in association with the existing business which will be retained – as such main reception area will be as existing with service / MOT bay and the new building will enable the business to meet its growing demand and also provide safe space to service electric vehicles and larger leisure / agricultural vehicles.”

The company added the new building was required in order for the business to adapt to changes in the industry.

It said:

“The proposed development seeks to create and deliver a simple, functional building to enable the business to grow and adapt to the changing needs of the business arising from growth of EV / hybrid vehicles and demand for servicing of larger leisure and agricultural vehicles.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

Hampsthwaite car garage submits plans to relocate

An longstanding car garage in Hampsthwaite has proposed plans to relocate.

Simon Graeme Auto Services Centre, which is based on Grayson Plain Lane, has submitted a planning application to relocate onto the opposite side of the road.

The move would see a new purpose built facility built and the current MOT centre and car park demolished.

The new facility would include units for MOT servicing, training space and a reception and office. Fifteen car parking spaces would be provided, including six electric vehicle charging points.

In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developer said the larger building was needed in order to “respond to changes in the automotive industry”.

It said:

“The business has outgrown the site and given the growth of electric and hybrid vehicles, together with need to maintain services for the farming community, there is a clear need for a larger, more bespoke building.

“This would also enable the building to be future proofed in terms of electric vehicle charging.”

The garage, situated just off the A59 near to Hampsthwaite, has been established for over 25 years.

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

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