A group of residents whose homes would back onto the proposed new Tesco in Harrogate have begun a campaign against plans for a supermarket and petrol station.
The supermarket chain has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to build the almost 40,000 square feet store at the former gas works on Skipton Road. It hopes it will open next year.
An application was submitted in December after a public consultation showed support for the plans, with more than 70% of 190 people who took part giving a positive response.
But residents living next to the site on Electric Avenue have launched a campaign against the proposals, which they see as a threat to wildlife at the site which forms part of Oak Beck. They are also concerned about traffic.
Resident Jennifer Dance said there are also concerns over the consultation process, as well as the impacts on people’s daily lives:
“To local residents’ horror Tesco quietly held a public consolation and they claimed 70% were in favour of the development.
“However, only two residents on Electric Avenue were approached or consulted.
“They plan to put the delivery road directly behind our property, so everyday we will hear and see delivery vans whizzing up and down the road.
“The proposed site is home to and feeding grounds for lots of wildlife. Many of the animals visit our garden from the site and I have photographic evidence of some.
“I believe sites like this should be nurtured and cherished, not destroyed and replaced with concrete, steel and tarmac in the name of progress, prosperity and profit.”
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Around 20 residents living on Electric Avenue met last night to discuss the plans. They have also launched a petition which has so far attracted more than 330 signatures.
The petition states residents have seen several animals at the site including roe deer, badgers, foxes, newts, frogs, squirrels, hedgehogs, owls, cuckoos and kingfishers.
The petition added:
“We do not need another supermarket in this area, in a five-mile radius from this site there are 14 food stores including Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Co-op, and express shops.
“We do understand the need to support the new homes being built, but this is not the right location.”
Another petition in support of the development has also been launched, saying there is “significant need” for an additional supermarket in the town.
Tesco responds to residents’ claims
Tesco was previously granted planning permission to build a supermarket at the site in 2012, but the plans were never brought forward.
It is now proposing a smaller supermarket with a petrol filling station in a development which it said will create 100 new jobs.
The supermarket chain has responded to the concerns raised by residents in a short statement which said it would listen to all feedback.
Tesco also pointed towards an ecological study carried out by consultants which concluded the site is “dominated by habitats not considered to be of ecological importance”. The study also said new habitat creation is proposed to offset the loss of any wildlife areas.
A spokesperson for Tesco said:
“We will consider all feedback received on our application and continue to work closely with Harrogate Borough Council.
“The application was submitted with an ecological appraisal which specifically considers these matters.”
A decision on the plans from Harrogate Borough Council is expected around April.
Traffic and Travel Alert: Two miles of tailbacks around KillinghallThere are two miles of tailbacks around Killinghall this morning due to construction works on Ripon Road.
The works are into the third day and are due to finish on February 4. Northern Powergrid is laying cable for an electric vehicle charger outside the new Tesco Express.
Three-way traffic lights have been installed at the junction with Otley Road. Buses and lorries are unable to turn in and out of Otley Road from Ripon Road.
Traffic in Killinghall this morning.
The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.
We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.
The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.
Residents petition calls on council to reject Harrogate Tesco plansResidents living close to the former gas works in New Park have started a petition calling on Harrogate Borough Council to reject Tesco’s application to build a supermarket.
If given the go-ahead, Tesco would build a 38,795 square feet store and a petrol filling station on the site near the New Park roundabout.
Electric Avenue residents have cited various concerns, including pollution, road safety fears and environmental damage,
They say the disused site has become a home to wildlife since Northern Gas Networks moved out more than 20 years ago.
Two days since resident Nicki Balmforth set up the petition, more than 140 people have signed it. In the petition description she said:
“We believe that this new application should be rejected in full due to the time that has passed the abundance of wildlife now thriving on this land, and the certain destruction of their habitats.
“The site is home to and/or feeding ground to the following wildlife, roe deer, badgers, foxes, newts, frogs and toads, squirrels, hedgehogs, owls and more.
“We do not need another supermarket in this area, in a five-mile radius from this site there are 14 food stores including Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Co-op, and express shops. We do understand the need to support the new homes being built, but this is not the right location!”
Read more:
- Tesco consultation results reveal support for new Harrogate store
- Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans
Electric Avenue residents are holding a meeting tomorrow night to discuss the plans.
Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009.
The supermarket giant held an online consultation about the plans last year — 187 people responded. Of those, 62% said they supported proposals.
Traffic disruption expected in Killinghall next weekDelays are expected in Killinghall next week when new electricity cables are laid for the village’s forthcoming Tesco Express.
Temporary traffic lights will be installed and buses and lorries will be prevented from turning in and out of Otley Road from Ripon Road.
The measures will allow Northern Powergrid to excavate a trench and install cables beneath the pavement outside the Tesco on Ripon Road.
Northern Powergrid has written to residents saying work is expected to last 10 days. The letter says:
“There will be a certain amount of disruption during the implementation of this work but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”
The letter adds the traffic lights will “inevitably lengthen journey times” and buses will be affected.
A barrier and temporary walkway will operate outside the Tesco for pedestrians.
Read more:
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A spokesman for The Harrogate Bus Company, which is part of the French company Transdev, said:
“This will mean our service 24 will be diverted in the Killinghall area, while journeys on our 36 route may also experience some delays.
“Full details of alternative arrangements are being advertised to keep our customers informed, including on our Twitter feed ‘@harrogatebus’ and on the free to download Transdev Go mobile app.”
The Stray Ferret asked Tesco when the store was due to open. All it would say was “early 2022”.
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.
New Tesco would be ‘horrendous’ for nearby residents
Proud to be Harrogate, not London
I note that a new fitness studio wants it to bring ‘a London feel’ to Harrogate and recall that the restaurants associated with The Everyman Cinema was also intended to be ‘London-centric’, whatever that means.
Can someone enlighten me regarding this strange desire to be like London when Harrogate, and indeed Yorkshire as a whole, has so much distinctive to offer? It seems to me that this desire to be like London is a strange business proposition. Of course I wish all the local businesses concerned well, despite my feelings about their PR.
Tim Hurren, Harrogate
Speed limits should be reduced
I read your article about North Yorkshire County Council refusing a blanket introduction of a 20mph speed limit in built-up areas.
The council’s executive member for access, Cllr Don Mackenzie, said the county’s roads were becoming safer and safer, and 20mph zones should only be created on a case-by-case basis.
I have tried for years to get the speed limits reduced. I believe Councillor Mackenzie does not listen to anyone — where does he get his information from on safer roads? Cars around Harrogate are now more powerful and speeding is paramount throughout the town and on country roads. When is someone going to challenge this man and when will he listen?
Mike Fisher, Cornwall Road, Harrogate
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Gas supplier objects to Tesco plans in Harrogate
Northern Gas Networks has submitted an objection on Tesco’s plans to build a new supermarket in Harrogate.
The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store on the former gasworks in the New Park area of town.
Northern Gas Networks, which sold the site to Tesco for £2.8 million in 2003, is concerned about the potential impact on Harrogate’s gas supply.
The site of the proposed Tesco.
In its formal objection on the council planning portal, NGN said it retained legal rights on a high pressure pipeline at the site that was “instrumental in supplying gas to the town”. It says the legal rights enable it to prevent any building on or near the length of the pipeline.
The pipe cuts across the north-eastern side of the site from Skipton Road to Oak Beck.
It is standard practice for NGN to object to any plans which are close or over a high pressure pipeline. Its objection aims to ensure the company, which distributes gas to 2.7 million homes in northern England, will be involved in the planning process.
Read more:
A spokesperson for Tesco said:
“We will consider all feedback received on our application. We will have further discussions with Harrogate Borough Council about the issues raised.”
Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.
Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.
Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about traffic plus access to the site.
However, the company has said in transport documents submitted to the council that the site would see fewer car journeys than under previous plans.
Tesco has revealed the results of a consultation it held for a planned new supermarket on Harrogate’s Skipton Road.
The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store, five years after pulling out of a similar development.
If given the go-ahead, it would be built on the former gasworks at New Park and would include a 38,795 square feet store and a petrol filling station.
Tesco held an online consultation about the plans last year and the results have now been released.
According to documents submitted by the company to the council, 187 people responded. Of those, 74% said they wanted to see the derelict site brought back into use.
A total of 62% said they supported proposals for a new Tesco supermarket at the site.
Read more:
- Tesco Skipton Road supermarket ‘could put us out of business’
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However, the consultation also saw people raise concerns about the development.
Sixteen respondents “expressed concern that providing access via a roundabout was inappropriate due to the existing roundabout at Skipton Road / Ripon Road”.
A total of 43 respondents also raised the issue of highways and traffic on the local area.
The issue of traffic has been raised by cycle groups, which have accused Tesco of “greenwashing” over claims about reduced car journeys.
Traffic concerns
Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.
Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about the impact of extra traffic on what is already a busy area, plus access to the site.
However, the company has said in transport documents submitted to the council that the site would see fewer car journeys than under previous plans.
The document says that the store would attract a total of 908 fewer car journeys on a weekday peak time and 522 on a weekend compared with its previous application.
Tesco has said there are no “transport-related reasons” to turn the proposal down.
It added:
“This transport assessment has demonstrated that the development proposals will result in a decrease in the number of trips generated by the site compared to the extant permission for the A1 Tesco superstore.”
There are no “transport-related reasons” to turn down a new Tesco on Skipton Road in Harrogate, according to the developers.
The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store, five years after pulling out of a similar development.
It would be built on the former gasworks at New Park and would include a 38,795 square feet store and a petrol filling station.
Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.
Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about the impact of extra traffic on what is already a busy area, plus access to the site.
Tesco has commissioned London-based consultants Markides Associates to produce a range of reports, including a transport assessment, to support its planning application.
The assessment says “extensive pre-application discussions have taken place with North Yorkshire County Council” about the application and says “the safety of the local road network will not be compromised”.
New roundabout
For access to the store, a new roundabout would be created on Skipton Road.
The assessment also pointed out that the development would align with North Yorkshire County Council’s scheme to widen Old Beck Bridge, which is to the east of the site.
According to the report, Tesco’s new store would “result in a decrease in the number of trips” to the site compared with its previous proposal, which was for a larger store.
The document says that the store would attract a total of 908 fewer car journeys on a weekday peak time and 522 on a weekend compared with its previous application.
Read more:
- Tesco Skipton Road supermarket ‘could put us out of business’
- Harrogate cycle group accuses Tesco of greenwash
- Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans
Under its original plans, which included a larger store, 1,303 journeys would be made during the week and 1,032 on a weekend.
The report said that the current plan would be “significantly lower” than the previous Tesco proposal.
It added:
“This transport assessment has demonstrated that the development proposals will result in a decrease in the number of trips generated by the site compared to the extant permission for the A1 Tesco superstore.”
Online shopping affects traffic
The report also claims that there is likely to be a decline in the number of trips to the store because of a “step change” in customers using online shopping.
It says the number of car journeys to supermarkets have reduced over the last 10 years, which has coincided with lower car parking demand.
Using national data on trips to food stores, Tesco says in its report there has been a “51% reduction for Friday evenings and 24% across Saturdays” on journeys to supermarkets. It said this shows a “clear reduction in vehicle trips generated by supermarkets”.
It claimed that the covid pandemic has also contributed to online demand at its own stores.
As a result, Tesco said it expects to see the trend continue into the future.
The report said:
“It is impossible to predict the long-term effects of covid-19 on people’s supermarket shopping choices.
“However, Tesco have experienced a step-change in the demand for online food shopping over the last eighteen months and it is anticipated that this growth is likely to continue into the future, which may result in even lower traffic generation than estimated.”
Car parking
Tesco has proposed that 181 car parking spaces, nine parent and toddler spaces, six electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces are created.
Twelve blue badge parking spaces would also be provided.
The developer has said in its assessment that the car parking proposed would be appropriate as the maximum number of spaces occupied it expects at any one time is 110 on a weekday and 166 on a weekend.
Markides Associates concluded in its report that it believes there is no reason to reject the proposal on transport grounds.
It said:
Tesco submits plans for new Skipton Road supermarket“Markides Associates are of the view that there are no transport-related reasons why the development proposals should not be supported.”
Tesco has submitted a planning application to build a new supermarket on the former gasworks site on Skipton Road in Harrogate.
The new store would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces. Tesco says 100 new jobs would be created.
For access, a new roundabout would be created on Skipton Road. It would be built close to the New Park roundabout.
Tesco ran two-week consultation on the plans in September and October and received feedback from 190 people. Tesco said 70% of respondents supported its proposals.
If Harrogate Borough Council approves the plans, Tesco said it hopes to open the store in 2023.
Andy Boucher, development executive at Tesco, said:
“We are thrilled with the response we have received from local residents to our consultation and I would like to thank all of those people who took part.
“Our consultation found a majority of local residents support the proposed new supermarket.
“We will now be working closely with Harrogate Borough Council and hope to receive planning permission next year.”
Read more:
- Tesco Skipton Road supermarket ‘could put us out of business’
- Harrogate cycle group accuses Tesco of greenwash
- Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans
A 20-year history
Tesco has harboured ambitions to build a supermarket on the site for almost 20 years.
The Stray Ferret obtained Land Registry documents that reveal Tesco bought the site for £2.8m in 2003.
It submitted a proposal to build a supermarket there in 2009, which was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2012.
However, Tesco pulled out in 2016 following a changing retail landscape and years of opposition from retailers, which said the supermarket would damage local trade. An Aldi supermarket opened on the retail park just off Skipton Road in 2016.
In 2021, Tesco has signalled its intention to return to opening new large-scale supermarkets in the UK.
This year, it opened its first new superstore in six years in Penwortham, Lancashire. Four more supermarkets are scheduled to open this year.
Killinghall resident looks into ways to reopen village pubA Killinghall resident is looking to investigate what can be done to re-open the only remaining pub in the heart of the village.
The Greyhounds Inn, a Samuel Smith‘s pub at the junction of Ripon Road and Otley Road, has been closed for several years.
Its loss has been particularly keenly felt since the Three Horseshoes opposite was razed to the ground last year to make way for a new Tesco Express store, which is due to open next year.
It means the rapidly expanding village has gone from having two pubs in its centre to none.
Jonny Smith, who moved to Killinghall five years ago, recently floated the idea on social media of villagers getting together to see what could be done to re-open The Greyhounds.
Mr Smith said:
“I’m trying to understand where we stand, and whether as a collective we can do anything.
“It’s a nice old building with so much potential. It has a lovely old pub feel to it and just needs some TLC. Killinghall has more homes and families than ever so it could do well.”
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Sam Smith’s occasionally posts adverts looking for people to run the pub but it has been closed for about five years. Mr Smith said:
“I know others in the village want to see it re-open. I’m hoping somebody might have an idea on where we go from here but I don’t have a massive amount of hope.”
The Stray Ferret attempted to contact Samuel Smith’s but has not yet received a reply.
Tesco has begun advertising for 15 staff to work at the Express store that is being built on the site of the former Three Horseshoes pub.
The advert initially said the positions were for a Jack’s store, which is Tesco’s budget brand, but a spokesman for the company told the Stray Ferret this was an error and it would be an Express.
The Tesco spokesman also said a planning application for the proposed new full size Tesco store in Harrogate, about a mile from the site of the Killinghall Express, was “imminent”.