30 homes set to be built in Burton Leonard despite noise fears

Thirty homes are set to be built on the site of the former Hymas haulage yard in Burton Leonard despite concerns about noise from the farm next door.

Knaresborough-based Wharfedale Homes is behind the development for the brownfield site, which will feature a mixture of one to five-bedroom homes, with 30% being classed as affordable.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee met online this afternoon and voted to defer the decision to the chief planner for approval by 7 votes to 0, with two abstentions.

When the committee previously considered the proposal in January, councillors asked for a noise report to be conducted after the adjacent Hammond grain farm raised concerns about noise from its grain dryer.

Wharfedale Homes subsequently commissioned tests in July and August, which found noise was at acceptable levels for development.

However, Sue Hammond from the farm told the committee that due to an unusually poor harvest, farm machinery noise levels were much lower than usual when the tests were taken.

Ms Hammond added that the noise from her farm meant that approving the development would be to “the detriment and dismay of future dwellers and the future of our agribusiness”.

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Cllr Pat Marsh, who abstained, also questioned the noise impact on future residents. She said:

“I don’t think it’s right that we are imposing this noise on someone that wants to live there.”

Noise ‘not an obstacle’

Jon Beeston, from Wharfedale Homes, told the committee the noise monitoring took place “for an extensive period of time and used modelling with a worst-case scenario”. He added:

“Noise is not an obstacle to residential development on this site.”

Cllr Nigel Sims said the tests meant the council had “no grounds to refuse” the application on the basis of noise.

He said:

“If people don’t want to buy these houses then people won’t buy them. It’s as simple as that.”