Stray Views: Swearing at ‘odd’ people sets a disturbing example

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.

Swearing at someone for being odd sets a worrying trend

The local MP for Selby and Ainsty, Nigel Adams, was recently filmed telling a peaceful protester who asked him a question as he was passing by, to “f*** off” because he did not wish to talk to him. This was because, as he put it, he was an “odd bloke with a top hat on chasing me down the street” and because he was “annoying”.

Subsequently, that has been applauded as “straight talking”. So I guess because our local MP (now also promoted to a place in the Cabinet Office as Minister without Portfolio) has just shown the way, that now gives permission for anyone to tell anyone to “F*** off” just because they seem “odd” to them.

For instance, a wheelchair user may seem “odd” to them or a woman may seem “odd” to them; or someone with a different skin colour may seem “odd” to them.

And if just seeming odd is enough to allow someone to swear at them, why stop there?

If this is the level of leadership the people who lead the county and country now feel they can demonstrate, we should be careful what we wish for – and be very afraid.

Friedy Luther, Spofforth

Read more:

New Park roundabout ‘an accident waiting to happen’

Re the proposed new Tesco, it must be stressed that the existing New Park roundabout is an accident waiting to happen with increased traffic flow.

There is a blind spot for traffic approaching from the town centre because of the flats built on the right concealing the approach of traffic from Knaresborough.  Also the outside lane allows traffic to either cross straight ahead towards Ripon in the path of traffic in the inside lane or to turn right up the hill towards Knaresborough.

Gillian Long, Harrogate

Why doesn’t covid hotspot Harrogate have a vaccination site?

In light of Harrogate’s extremely high rate of covid infections, why hasn’t the town got a permanent walk-in testing centre / vaccination centre rather than sending the population out of area to achieve any service at all?

Mike Hodgson, 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.

 

Harrogate district MP promoted to cabinet

Nigel Adams MP has been promoted as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Adams, whose Selby and Ainsty constituency includes parts of rural Harrogate, has been appointed minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office.

He moves from his previous position as minister of state for Asia at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The new role means he will support coordinating government policy, but will not have responsibility for a specific department.

Read more:

Mr Adams will, however, sit on the cabinet and have a vote at meetings, which means he is one of the country’s key decision makers.

The Prime Minister said he wanted a “strong and united team to build back better from the pandemic” after his reshuffle.

The appointment comes days after Mr Adams was criticised for telling anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to “f**k off” outside the House of Commons.

He defended his outburst, which he claimed “no doubt reflected” the feelings of other MPs.

Call for government to reject controversial Spofforth homes plan

Residents in Spofforth have called on the government to reject a controversial plan for 72 homes in Spofforth.

Yorkshire Housing Ltd has challenged Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to refuse its proposal for the site on Massey Fold.

The developer already has outline permission to build on the site, but councillors turned down an application for appearance and landscaping in November 2020.

An appeal will now go before the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which will decide whether to approve the proposal.

But residents have written to the government to call for the proposal to be thrown out.

Luke Barrett, who lives in the village, said in a letter to the Planning Inspectorate that the proposal was out of character for Spofforth.

He said:

“Spofforth is a historic village with only 500 houses. The entrance to the scheme is at the most historic side with numerous historical or listed buildings.

“The scheme is clearly out of character with this.

“The land presents such a rare opportunity to provide something special that could actually add to the character or beautiful village [sic].

“Unfortunately the proposed scheme does the opposite and detracts from the village. Please protect the village and dismiss the appeal.”

Read more:

Meanwhile, Spofforth with Stockheld Parish Council told the inspector that residents were not against more housing, but added that the current proposal was not in keeping with the village.

In a letter, Shirley Fawcett, chair of the parish council, said:

“The community of Spofforth accept the need for additional houses but there is great concern about the design, form and number of houses proposed; the layout and density of the proposed development; and the impact of the proposed development on the character and setting of the attractive and historic village of Spofforth. 

“Indeed, the general consensus of parishioners is that this development would result in the urbanisation of the village, with no sympathy shown to the existing architecture, fabric or heritage of the village.”

More than 300 local people and organisations, including Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, have raised concerns about the scheme.

In its decision notice, the Harrogate council said the plan would have a “detrimental urbanising impact upon the character and setting of Spofforth”.

But, in a statement of case by planning lawyers Walton & Co, which is representing the developers, said the “solitary” reason for refusal was “expressed in generic language”.

It said:

“It is therefore unclear which particular aspect of the layout or design of the proposed scheme is considered to give rise to such impacts, and the assertions made in the reason for refusal are entirely unsubstantiated.”

A decision on the appeal will be made by the government at a later date.

Have you seen the Spofforth scarecrows?

Spofforth residents raised £650 last weekend for next year’s platinum jubilee celebrations in this year’s summer solstice challenge.

Villagers created 33 scarecrows as part of this year’s film-inspired challenge. The sale of trail maps, hot and cold drinks, flowers and cakes at the village hall generated funds.

All of that income will go towards preparations for a long weekend of events to celebrate the queen’s 70th year on the throne in 2022.

Read more:

The top three scarecrows by vote were ‘Wind in the Willows by Michael and Marion Lamb, Up by Chris and Chloe Verity, and Harry Potter, by the Roberts family.

Marie Cousens and Robyn Farmer, who helped organise the summer solstice challenge, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s gone really well. I am amazed by the amount of scarecrows we have around the village and the quality of them.

“We’ve had lots of people coming through, buying tonnes and tonnes of cakes. It’s been cake delight in the village hall.

“It’s the second time in recent times we have done this. Last year’s trail was really good at brightening the spirits of residents. It’s lovely to see everyone out and about.”

More delightful scarecrows:

Spofforth residents ‘not surprised’ by 72 homes appeal

A leading figure in the fight against plans to build 72 homes in Spofforth has urged the government to reject it as the battle was reignited this week.

Yorkshire Housing has challenged Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to reject its proposal for the site on Massey Fold.

The developer already has outline permission to build on the site but councillors turned down an application for appearance and landscaping in November.

Chris Heslop, a third-generation farmer and parish councillor in the village, said the development would turn the village into a “carbuncle of urban sprawl” when it went before the council.

Speaking yesterday, he said he wasn’t surprised Yorkshire Housing had challenged the decision, which will now be decided by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

Mr Heslop said:

“I just hope that during the appeal they uphold the decision that was made. There is nothing really we can do about it.

“Spofforth needs housing and it needs a level of low-cost housing, but this would not meet those needs.”

Read more:

More than 300 local people and organisations, including Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, have raised concerns about the scheme.

In its decision notice, the council said the plan would have a “detrimental urbanising impact upon the character and setting of Spofforth”.

But, in a statement of case by planning lawyers Walton & Co, which is representing the developers, said the “solitary” reason for refusal was “expressed in generic language”.

It said:

“It is therefore unclear which particular aspect of the layout or design of the proposed scheme is considered to give rise to such impacts, and the assertions made in the reason for refusal are entirely unsubstantiated.”

A decision on the appeal will be made by the government at a later date.

Developers challenge Spofforth 72-home refusal

Developers behind a controversial 72-home plan in Spofforth have lodged an appeal against Harrogate Borough Council’s refusal of the scheme.

Councillors on the authority’s planning committee turned down the application by Vistry Partnerships and Yorkshire Housing in November last year.

At the time, more than 300 local people and organisations, including Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, raised concerns about the scheme on Massey Fold in the village.

The proposal already has outline permission, but councillors rejected the application which dealt with the appearance and landscaping of the development even though a council report recommended approval.

Read more:

The council said the plan would have a “detrimental urbanising impact upon the character and setting of Spofforth”.

Now, the developers have taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning appeals.

A statement of case by planning lawyers Walton & Co, which is representing the developers, said the “solitary” reason for refusal was “expressed in generic language”.

It said:

“It is therefore unclear which particular aspect of the layout or design of the proposed scheme is considered to give rise to such impacts, and the assertions made in the reason for refusal are entirely unsubstantiated.”

A decision on the appeal will be made by the government at a later date.

It becomes the latest Harrogate council planning decision to be challenged by developers.

Retail firm Euro Garages has also taken the authority’s rejection for a drive-thru Starbucks coffee shop on Wetherby Road to appeal.

The decision saw the planning committee go against council officer recommendations.

Last week, the authority decided to drop its defence of the refusal after officers said their previous recommendation would “undermine” their case and that losing also risked legal costs of more than £50,000.

Instead, residents will fight the proposal at a hearing on June 15.

WATCH: BBC film of Alan Whicker’s 1960 trip to the Spofforth horse breaker

On a damp day on September 9, 1960, broadcaster Alan Whicker came to Spofforth to interview one of the country’s few remaining horse breakers.

Jack Anderson was 75 at the time and had been training horses for 60 years at the time of the interview.

Mr Anderson gave advice on how he trained horses and an insight into his unusual life.

The video was first first broadcast as part of Tonight, which covered the arts, sciences as well as topical matters and current affairs.

It is now part of a BBC archive of films shared on a weekly basis.

Read more:

The interview starts with a series of questions on how to stop horses kicking and biting and how to hold a horse for shoeing.

Mr Anderson also talked about the times when it went wrong:

“I have had legs broken, collar bone, jaw, ribs. Oh yes. One [horse] will do one thing and one will do another. But the heart of the thing is to make them.

“There is a way of making them. If I said to go over them then we went over, even if it took an hour and a half because I am a crude fella when I start.”

He adds he does all of his training by talking, not by using the stick that he brandishes to the camera.

Do any Stray Ferret readers remember Jack Anderson, the Spofforth horse breaker, or the day Alan Whicker visited?

Solar farm proposed for Spofforth

Yorkshire Water could build a solar farm on its wastewater plant near Spofforth.

The company has submitted an environmental impact assessment to the council for its site on Ribston Road, near the village.

The plans are still in their early stages and it has not been decided how much space to allocate for the solar panels.

Yorkshire Water, which is the second largest landowner in the county, plans to develop energy at 150 of its sites as part of a plan to become carbon net-zero by 2030.

A spokesman for the company said the sewage farm would continue to operate alongside the solar panels.

He added:

“Many of Yorkshire Water’s treatment works include land that could be used for different purposes, such as ground mounted solar arrays.

“These allow us to maximise the value of otherwise unused land, while providing renewable energy to offset the consumption of existing on-site assets.”

Read more:

In November the company submitted proposals for a similar solar scheme at its sewage works in Bilton.

The plans attracted concern from Leeds Bradford Airport, which said in its consultation response that the panels could dazzle pilots.

The Harrogate district’s top five covid hotspots

There have been 633 covid infections recorded in the Harrogate district in the last seven days, according to government statistics.

The infection rate has rocketed over the last month and the current seven-day average rate is now 494 people per 100,000.

But there are considerable variations within the district.

The government breaks each district into smaller areas known as middle super output areas, each with a population of about 7,200 people.

According to the latest figures, the middle super output areas with the most current infections are central Harrogate and central Knaresborough.

The more rural Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has been consistently less affected throughout the pandemic, has the fewest current infections.

Most infections

1 Central Harrogate 76

2 Knaresborough Central 61

3 Harrogate West and Pannal 59

4 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 53

5 Starbeck 47

Read more:

Fewest Infections

1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 13

2 Hookstone 17

3= Dishthorpe, Baldersby and Markington

3= Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby 19

5 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard and North Stainley 21

 

Investigation: Harrogate targeted for development during planning chaos

An investigation by the Stray Ferret has uncovered how some of Britain’s biggest land promoters deliberately targeted Harrogate to exploit cheap land and high property prices.

Between 2014 and 2020 the district’s planning system was in disarray.

These failings made it easy for developers to get controversial housing schemes approved. The developers, knowing this, made speculative applications for thousands of homes across the district.

All this week, the Stray Ferret looks at the impact of six years of planning failings: thousands of extra cars on the roads, large detached houses prioritised over much-needed affordable homes for local people, and a lack of sustainable, environmentally friendly building.

Today, we examine how the Harrogate district became a target for opportunistic developers .

The draw of Harrogate

The Harrogate district is a prime place for money to be made in property.

It’s one of the most desirable places to live, often coming top in national property surveys. Just last month, Harrogate was named the ‘chic capital of the North’ by Tatler. It makes it very attractive to developers.

The latest figures put the average home at almost £360,000 – a whopping 13 times the average income for the district.

It is, according to the Harrogate Borough Council Housing Strategy 2019-2024, the least affordable area in the north of England.

It means home owning is out of reach for many low to middle income families caught in the Harrogate housing trap. There are more than 2,000 families in the district on the Housing Register living in unsuitable accommodation.

It’s not a question of Harrogate building too many properties. Rather, it’s too few of the right homes, in the right places, at the right price to meet local people’s need for affordable homes.

Planning failings

Every council has to put forward a 21-year plan to the Secretary of State for approval.The Planning Inspectorate examines local plans on the Secretary of State’s behalf to determine their suitability.

In 2014, the Planning Inspectorate advised Harrogate Borough Council  to withdraw its version of the Local Development Plan (or LDP 2014-2035).

The LDP sets out the council’s priorities and policies for land use. It defines where and how many homes can be built, where employment sites are located and what our town centre will become.

For a plan to be approved, it must demonstrate that it is well evidenced and meets local need. The plan must be in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and a raft of legislation, practice guidance and regulations.

Harrogate Borough Council withdrew its draft LDP at its first hearing on April 24, 2014, upon advice from the planning inspectorate.

The failed plan – years in the making – was deemed ‘inadequate’.

A letter from the Planning Inspectorate to Harrogate on April 29, 2014 explained that the evidence used in the plan was too out of date to be meaningful.

Harrogate was forced back to the drawing board.

Prior to its submission, Liberal Democrat leader councillor Pat Marsh had told the Yorkshire Post:

“I do not have confidence in anything to do with the plan, whether it be the actual allocation of homes, whether there is the necessary infrastructure in place to cope and how members will be able to decide on the final proposals which are still being finalised. I have been a councillor for 22 years, but I have never experienced anything quite like this. It is a complete shambles.”

Conservative councillor Alan Skidmore, who was appointed cabinet member for planning at HBC in 2012, publicly defended the plan at the time. Yet speaking to the Stray Ferret this year, he said he knew the plan that had been prepared was “absolute rubbish”.

“I was astonished. I delayed it as much as I could, much to the chagrin of certain planning officers. We were forced to submit it in the state it was in, because if we didn’t, the government would have taken steps against us.”

Houses under construction at Harlow Hill Grange in Harrogate

The local plan should have helped control where new housing was built

Land supply

Harrogate failed on another critical requirement. Councils must show that they have a supply of specific deliverable sites enough to provide five years’ worth of new housing (plus an appropriate buffer).

This is called the five-year land supply (5YLS).

In 2014, the council had more than two thousand families on the housing register.

Planning inspectors and developers surgically dissected Harrogate’s calculation that just 390 new market and affordable homes per annum was enough to meet housing need.

The figure had to be revised, and Harrogate employed a consultant, GL Hearn.

To meet the 5YLS, Harrogate had to find enough developers with land to deliver 1,050 completed homes a year.

As a result, the land earmarked for development within the plan was insufficient.

The perfect storm

Without an approved local plan and evidence of a five-year land supply, a condition called the ‘tilted balance in favour of presumption of approval’ was triggered which prioritised building houses.

In 2013, the Campaign for Rural England warned local government that a

“widespread failure to implement local plans left 175 local authorities (including Harrogate) vulnerable to ‘damaging development’”.

But the Federation of House Builders disagreed, saying:

‘‘Fears that the lack of a (local development) plan will lead to the untrammelled destruction of the countryside are overblown. Even where there is no Local Plan, development must still conform to the NPPF, which clearly sets out that development must be well located, well designed and sustainable.”

Harrogate Borough Council planners advised councillors from 2014 to 2018 that there was a ‘tilted balance’ in favour of approval on almost every major development regardless of whether the site was well located and sustainable.

For almost every major housing scheme, planning officers advised committee members to approve the application.

The planning committee did turn down some applications during that time, though, and the council successfully defended its decision at appeal.

A district vulnerable to promoters

Enter the land promoter: land promoters seek out land which could be ripe for housing and help the owner get outline planning permission before managing the onward sale to a developer.

In the Harrogate district, a hectare of agricultural land will fetch around £25,000 at the farmers’ auction.

As a development site with outline planning approval, the same land will realise between £1.2 and £2.3 million.

The promoter then takes a share of the land’s increased value when it’s sold.

Gladman Land is the promoter behind applications for nearly 1,500 properties in the district since 2014, including Harrogate, Boroughbridge, Killinghall and Knaresborough.

Co-founder David Gladman told the High Court in July 2016:

“We normally only target local authorities whose planning is in relative disarray and… either have no up-to-date local plan or, temporarily, they do not have a five-year supply of consented building plots.”

Even if the council refuses the application, it’s of no consequence.

Gladman Land stated that going to appeal was part of its business strategy, with a success rate of over 90%. They advertise themselves as one of the most successful land promoters in England.

It’s completely legal and was essentially a standard practice within the land promotion industry.

In 2016/17, Harrogate received the highest number of planning applications since records began.

Crofter's Green Killinghall

The development at Crofters Green, Killinghall, was one of those passed at appeal. Click here to read more.

Strengthening position

By January 2019, Harrogate could demonstrate a robust 5YLS which tilted the balance in a different direction.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was advised to support an outline application by Gladman’s to build 175 houses on Bar Lane, Knaresborough.

The debate ran over several hours with councillors struggling to reach a consensus, despite officers’ recommendation to approve the proposal. Eventually, the committee deferred the application to planning officers to approve, subject to some details being finalised.

But just nine months later, on September 9, 2019, the same application returned to the planning committee who refused it against the advice of officers.

The advanced state of the local plan and a healthy 5YLS gave the planning committee the confidence to reject the proposal.

The local development plan was finally accepted by the planning inspectorate and adopted by HBC in May 2020 affording further protection against harmful development in the borough.

But the damage has been done to the fabric of our communities, and over the next week, the Stray Ferret will look at the impact that six years of planning dysfunction has had on the lives of local people.

Coming up

All this week, we look at the impact of a planning system in disarray.