200-home Pannal Ash scheme ‘fails to address infrastructure’, say residents

A plan for 200 homes at Harrogate’s former police training centre “fails to address” increased pressure on infrastructure in the area, say residents.

The plans from Homes England and Countryside Properties include the conversion of several former training centre buildings into 16 homes and building 184 new properties.

Homes England, which is the government’s housing agency, already had permission to build 161 homes on the site but wanted to increase this by 23% to 200 homes by building on three planned football pitches and one cricket field.

Harrogate Borough Council granted outline permission for the scheme to go ahead in December 2021.

But Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association has criticised the plan.

In a letter to the council, the group raised concern over the “over-intensification” of affordable housing, the impact on carbon emissions and disruption caused by construction traffic.

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Hapara added the proposal did not address how the increased pressure on infrastructure will be addressed.

It said:

“Disappointingly, this application, like many others, fails to specifically address the increased pressure that will be placed on infrastructure. Where do children go to be educated when schools in the vicinity are already at capacity? 

“Where will people receive primary medical care when there are no doctors’ surgeries in the area?

“Will people really catch a bus into town rather than take their cars when the nearest stop is 1km away?”

Homes England appointed Countryside Properties in a £63 million contract to build the homes and a reserved matters application has now been submitted for the scheme. 

This includes details such as landscaping, how the homes will look, and the site layout.

The developers said in a planning statement that the scheme will be of “high quality”.

It said:

“Careful consideration has been given to the detailed design of the proposal to ensure that it creates a high-quality and distinctive development that establishes a strong sense of place and provides an attractive and comfortable place to live.”

Plans approved for 64 homes on former Trelleborg factory

Plans for 64 homes at the site of a former rubber factory in Knaresborough have been given the go-ahead.

Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to developers Countryside Properties to build the homes at the former Trelleborg site on Halfpenny Lane, which closed in 2016.

The site, which is not allocated for housing in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, had drawn concerns over the impact on traffic and health services.

Knaresborough Liberal Democrat councillor Hannah Gostlow told Tuesday’s planning meeting that increased traffic levels in the area had become “really dangerous” and led to rat-running.

She said: 

“There is another big development across the road and already the impact on the Boroughbridge Road junction at Hyde Park Road is causing residents a lot of concern and in my mind is really dangerous.

“We are seeing Halfpenny Lane at the back of Hyde Park Road being used as a rat-run.

“This is also a loss of industrial land which is not good for a town’s sustainability.”

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In response, Robert Harding, town planner at Countryside Properties, said the site had been advertised for employment use for “a number of years” but failed to attract a buyer.

He also said the developers were in negotiations with highways officials at North Yorkshire County Council over contributing cash towards junction upgrades.

He added: 

“The proposals are in-keeping with the predominantly residential character of the area and will bring a derelict and underutilised site back into use.

“The site is located within the development limits of Knaresborough and will provide new homes at a location close to the town centre and railway station.”

Town council says homes ‘not needed’

Objections against the plans were made by Knaresborough Town Council, which said the homes were “not needed”.

The NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group also submitted a late objection which said a wave of new housing across Knaresborough threatened to overload the town’s “already massively stretched” health services.

The CCG has asked for £75,937 from the developers to fund improvements to services in the area.

The plans include a mix of one to four-bedroom homes, as well 20 properties classed as affordable.

Originally, the developers had requested permission for 77 homes, however, this was reduced to 64 after a protection order was placed on a group of trees which have been saved from felling.

The plans were approved with seven votes for and one against at Tuesday’s meeting.

64 homes at former Knaresborough factory set for approval

A 64-home development on the site of a former factory in Knaresborough has been recommended for approval.

Developer Countryside Properties has earmarked the former Trelleborg factory on Halfpenny Lane for the houses.

The site is not allocated for housing in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which describes where development can take place. But it is included on the council’s Brownfield Land Register, which identifies locations considered to be appropriate for redevelopment for residential use.

The original proposal was for 77 dwellings. However, a group of mature trees on the site recently received tree preservation orders, which prompted the developer to reduce the number of homes. Twenty of them would be classed as ‘affordable’.

The site has been empty since 2016.

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The application faced an objection from Knaresborough Town Council, which said

“These houses are not needed, as sufficient house building is allocated elsewhere in the Local Plan and is being delivered.”

Network Rail also raised concerns about how close the homes will be to an operational railway crossing.

However, council officer Graham Smith backed the scheme, saying it would bring a derelict site back into use whilst boosting housing in the town.

He said:

“The proposal would contribute towards ensuring the district’s housing needs are met, including the provision of 20 affordable dwellings as well as properties that are designed to be accessible and adaptable.”

Councillors on Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee will consider the plans next Tuesday.