Planners have refused to grant permission for a development in Boroughbridge to go ahead because the applicant has failed to provide sufficient information.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes were criticised by Harrogate Borough Council for not submitting the required documents for the southern half of the Stump Cross development, despite repeated requests.
Planning officer Kate Broadbank told the planning committee yesterday:
“Without information relating to scale, design and appearance of houses, which would be affordable and where the open spaces and landscaping would be, it’s not possible to assess the relationship between the buildings, routes and open spaces to confirm whether this layout would be acceptable.”
The site, which is east of the A168 and is included in the local plan, already has outline planning permission for 450 homes granted in 2019.
A condition of that outline permission was that full details would be submitted for approval within three years, which would have been last April.
Ms Broadbank added:
“We have had no applications for the remaining reserved matters and the applicant is out of time for the submission of these, therefore the outline permission can no longer be taken forward.”
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Details of the first phase of development on the northern half of the site have already been submitted and were approved last February, with 256 homes included.
If the second phase were to be approved with the proposed 214 homes, it would bring the total to 470.
Speaking at yesterday’s committee meeting, Conservative Cllr Robert Windass said the council had worked with the developer on the first half of the site. He added:
“I’m totally and utterly surprised that they haven’t engaged with us as they did last time, because we came to a very amicable conclusion on that one, but this beggars belief.”
Ms Broadbank agreed, saying:
Plan for 256 Boroughbridge homes recommended for approval“They have had plenty of opportunity to engage with us and to discuss everything with us that we’ve asked for.
“We have had various meetings and they’ve kept saying, ‘it will be coming, it will be coming’, but it’s got to the point where enough is enough.”
A proposal to build 256 homes in Boroughbridge looks set to be given the go-ahead.
The proposal by Barratt and David Wilson Homes is due to go before a Harrogate Borough Council planning committee on January 6.
Council officers have recommended that the proposal, which was previously refused and criticised for being “crammed”, is approved.
Officials said in a report that the fresh application has been submitted after negotiations with the council over the scale of the scheme.
The houses are part of the first phase of a wider 450-home development at Stump Cross.
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The developers’ previous application for 260 homes was thrown out by councillors in June – which it has since taken to the government’s Planning Inspectorate to appeal.
One councillor, Cllr Nigel Simms, a Conservative who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, described it as “like a sink development from Lancashire, not something that we should be having in North Yorkshire”.
Cllr Simms later apologised for any offence caused by his comment.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes already have outline approval to build on the site and are seeking final permission.
In documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the developers said:
“The development will respect Boroughbridge’s local character but also move the area towards a more sustainable future, through a significant increase in housing choice and mixed-use approach.”
The draw to win a VW Campervan worth £47,000 has been made to culminate the successful campaign to save Stump Cross Caverns.
The Stray Ferret broke the news last month that Lisa Bowerman and Nicholas Markham, who own the limestone caves near Pateley Bridge, were raffling their van to raise money to keep the place open.
Tickets for the raffle cost £10.
They set an original crowdfunding target of £50,000 but generated £72,500 in 40 days.
The extra money will enable the site’s 3D virtual tour to be upgraded, which the couple hope will be popular with schools.
A person called Chris Riley won the camper van star prize in tonight’s draw. It is not yet known where the winner is from.
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Ms Bowerman said she had been overwhelmed by support. She said:
“Without you we couldn’t have been able to reopen the doors to the 60,000 visitors we get.”
Stump Cross Caverns has been open to visitors since 1863.
But its failure to secure a covid grant from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund threatened its future.
However, the Save the Caves campaign means it now hopes to reopen in May.