Seven neighbouring parish councils have jointly raised concerns about the quality of the proposed new town in the Harrogate district.

Harrogate Borough Council is running a six-week consultation until November 14 on plans to create a new settlement called Maltkiln, which will be roughly the size of Thirsk. Up to 4,000 homes could be built.

The consultation sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how the site is designed and developed and proceeds any formal planning application.

Parish councils representing Moor Monkton, Nun Monkton, Tockwith, Whixley, Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton, Hunsingore, Great Ribston with Walshford and Cattal met last week to consider a joint response.

A summary of their response describes the documents residents are being urged to comment on as “technical and jargon-heavy”.

The summary acknowledges “major development is coming to the area” but adds Harrogate Borough Council’s development plan document “doesn’t provide a sound framework for delivering the ‘exemplar’ new settlement that’s required; nor does it address with sufficient care the implications for nearby villages”.

There are also concerns about the extent to which a genuine consultation is taking place for the new town, the name for which was chosen by developers Caddick without consultation with residents.

The summary says:

“Residents have raised concerns that the consultation process itself hasn’t been inclusive. Despite its far-reaching implications, there have been no in-person exhibition/public-hall meetings about the development plan document.

“The development plan document documents and response forms themselves are difficult to navigate, potentially preventing many residents from taking part.”

Read more:

• Council faces calls to hold in-person Maltkiln consultation events
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Alex Smith, a spokesman for the councils, said:

“There are several important areas — the development framework itself, transport, flooding — where the development plan document offers a wish-list, not deliverable policies backed up by evidence.”

Mr Smith said the speed at which the development was being considered, five months before Harrogate Borough Council is abolished, had “added to the confusion” and the development plan document felt “premature”. He added:

“It’s about meeting a political objective and getting outline approval for the Caddick application before the council is disbanded on April 1 — not about making sure that we get the best possible development for the future generations who will live in, and near it.”

Concerns about transport, flooding and schools

Arnold Warneken

Arnold Warneken, a Green councillor who represents Ouseburn on North Yorkshire County Council, also attended the parish councils’ meeting.

He said many residents had concerns about issues such as transport, flooding and education and “a combined voice” was more powerful. Cllr Warneken added:

“The consultation process has been questioned by residents for lots of reasons wondering why it was so arms-length and not at all easy to understand or comment on by those residents not at ease with planning terminology and also those who struggle with computers and emails

“I think this coalition of councils is showing how a community can come together for the good of the wider community.”

The developer behind a proposed new Harrogate district town of up to 10,000 people are proceeding with a consultation event today despite calls for it to be deferred.

Caddick Group is holding a public drop-in event at Green Hammerton Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area and include up to 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

But some councillors and residents feel the event should be postponed until after the Queen’s mourning period ends.

Cattal train station would be at the heart of the new development.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have postponed meetings this week.

Paul Townsend, a member of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council, questioned whether it was appropriate for the event to proceed. He said:

“The guidance we have been given as parish councils is that it is expected that non-urgent business should be deferred until after the period of national mourning.

“I have therefore informed the scheme promoters that Kirk Hammerton parish councillors will not be attending the event in their official capacity.”

Read more:

• Council faces calls to hold in-person Maltkiln consultation events
• New Harrogate district town could have up to 4,000 homes

Today’s event is not part of any official consultation process. Harrogate Borough Council, the planning authority, is expected to open an official consultation next month.

Local resident Alex Smith said:

“It feels unseemly right now even to be drawn in to a debate about whether or not this event should go ahead. I think many residents were just assuming Caddick would postpone it out of respect — and also out of a professional concern to have an effective consultation, with residents’ full attention.

“Volume developers aren’t renowned for their sensitivity, and if Caddick have pressing commercial reasons to hold this event right now, however compromised it might be and whatever the optics — they’re within their rights to do.”

‘Cancelling now would cause confusion’

A spokesman for Caddick said it was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the Queen’s death, adding:

“In line with government guidance on the period of national mourning, which was published on Friday, we decided that the correct course of action is to continue with our consultation event.

 

“To cancel this at very late notice would risk causing confusion amongst the 1,250 residents and businesses we have written to in the local area, and it is important that we conclude this specific consultation process well before Harrogate Borough Council consults on their draft development plan document in October.

 

“However, we can confirm that we will extend the duration of the consultation period by two days, to midnight on September 21. In addition, as part of our ongoing application and engagement with the local community we are always ready to discuss our proposals and receive comments regarding these.

 

“We updated politicians and stakeholders advising them as to our decision to proceed with the consultation, on Friday 9th September. We have been absolutely committed to consulting fully on our proposals throughout this process and are constantly reappraising what we need to do as a business to ensure the widest variety of views can be heard.

 

“If we receive any requests to meet separately with stakeholders, then we will of course consider those and seek to arrive at a suitable outcome. It is of course a difficult time for many and we will further review our approach as the consultation progresses.”