Plan to convert Harrogate town centre building into 11 flats and shops

Plans have been lodged to create 11 new apartments on Parliament Terrace in Harrogate town centre.

ATC Properties Ltd has submitted the plans to Harrogate Borough Council to convert Parliament House into one-bedroom apartments and two ground floor commercial units.

The building is currently occupied by a gym and Harrogate Wines, which is in the two-storey unit next to it.

The developer plans to convert the first floor retail space and first and second floor gym to form 11 one-bedroom apartments.

It would also see the existing shop units on Montpellier Walk reconfigured to provide enlarged trading space and new frontages.

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As part of the plan, the flats would come with double bedroom ensuite and open plan kitchen, dining and living room.

The apartments would be aimed at young professionals, post-graduates and key workers, according to the proposal.

The developer said in its plans:

“The proposed apartments have been designed specifically for young professionals and key workers seeking to access the property market and will therefore provide affordable, inclusive and accessible accommodation.”

It added that the reconfiguration of the ground floor commercial units and new accommodation would help “refurbish a prominent building of poor architectural quality”.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

390 homes approved in Ripon despite concerns over impact on Fountains Abbey

Plans for 390 homes in Ripon have been granted final approval despite repeated concerns over the impact on nearby Fountains Abbey.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the proposals for land off West Lane in 2017 over the impact on the countryside and Fountains Abbey which is home to the largest monastic ruins in the country.

But the decision was later overturned at appeal by the Planning Inspectorate which said the impacts would be “extremely limited”.

The council’s planning committee has now granted final approval at a meeting today, although some councillors said their concerns also including highways and parking remained.

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, described the plans as being “forced upon” the area following the appeal.

She said:

“The impact on these particular areas which include a World Heritage Site that we must protect are going to be there whether we like it or not.

“I feel strongly that these reasons for refusal still stand.”

Councillor Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the council, said raising objections over areas that have been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate was “fighting battles that have already been lost”.

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The proposals were initially brought forward by Britain’s largest housebuilder Barratt Homes before the developers pulled out of the scheme.

The government’s housing agency Homes England and developers Taylor Wimpey then struck an £89.5m deal to acquire the site in February 2021 and get the plans back on track.

The approved plans include 156 affordable homes, 42 bungalows, cycling and walking links, a new bus route and children’s play areas.

There will also be 40 modular homes provided by Flaxby-based company llke Homes.

All homes with parking will also have electric vehicle charging points.

Four objections against the plans were lodged with the council, including one from Littlethorpe Parish Council which flagged concerns over how the area’s roads, schools and health services will cope with another population increase.

The plans include a £455,000 contribution from the developers towards local bus services, £91,000 towards upgrades for nearby traffic signals and £50,000 towards cycling improvements.

Plan to convert former Bishop Thornton school into house

Plans have been lodged to convert the former Bishop Thornton Church of England Primary School into a house.

Leeds Diocesan Board of Finance has lodged the application to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the former school site off Colber Lane.

The school closed in 2019 after it outgrew the site and moved to the former Burnt Yates Church of England Primary School building.

It has since been renamed Admiral Long Church of England Primary School.

According to plans submitted to the council, the Bishop Thornton building would be converted into a three bedroom house with two parking spaces.

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The developer said in its documents that the proposal would represent a “satisfactory replacement” for the former school building.

It said:

“Making use of empty buildings and placing great weight on using suitable sites within existing settlements is supported by national planning policy.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Plans approved for 38 flats at ‘Pannal skyscraper’

Plans have been approved for a second time to build an apartment block at the former Dunlopillo factory in Pannal.

Developer Echo Green Developments was granted planning permission in September last year to demolish the main office block and build 48 apartments.

In December the developer then submitted new plans that would supersede the previously approved plans.

It included 38 apartments, fewer than the original proposal, but would still be two storeys taller than the demolished building.

The initial decision to approve the plans, which was made under permitted development rights, was met with anger from some residents.

Pannal historian Anne Smith said the village would be lumbered with a “skyscraper-type building”.

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Permitted development rights were brought in under the Conservative government and can be used by developers to fast track the redevelopment of disused offices.

Nevertheless, Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Andrew Jones intervened to say the scheme should have been decided by a vote from the council’s planning committee.

A review by the council concluded the plans were “appropriately considered”.

Mr Jones called on residents to submit objections to the second application. In the end, it received 26 objections.

 

Developer appeals Knaresborough 170-homes refusal

A developer has appealed a council decision to reject plans for 170 homes in Knaresborough after seeing the proposal twice refused.

Landowner Geoffrey Holland’s application would have seen homes built on Water Lane in the town.

However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the latest proposal after planning officers said the scheme had a number of “fundamental” issues.

Proposals for 218 homes near Meadowside Academy were first rejected by the borough council’s planning committee in October 2019.

Mr Holland then scaled back house numbers for the scheme to 170 in his second push for approval, but saw this turned down in August last year.

Now, the developer has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

‘No demonstrable adverse impacts’

In a statement of case, Cunnane Town Planning, which has lodged the appeal on behalf of Mr Holland, said there were “no significant or demonstrable adverse impacts that would arise as a consequence of the development”.

However, Kate Broadbank, the council’s planning officer, told the meeting in August 2021 that the scheme had a number of issues to resolve.

She said:

“One of the site allocation requirements is the provision of a circular recreation route – and this has been provided around the edge of the site.

“However, it is considered to be unsatisfactory, as it is a narrow path between the site boundary and side elevations of dwellings, meaning it is not very well overlooked and would not provide a safe, attractive route.

“The same situation occurred around the open space and children’s play area where houses backed onto this.

“The applicant has tried to overcome this by turning some houses around to face onto the path and play area, however, this has led to an issue with rear gardens now backing onto the streets.

“On the whole, the scheme is considered to lack character or a sense of place.”

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The site is allocated for more than 148 homes in the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-2035, which outlines development in the district until 2035. This means development will happen once councillors are satisfied with detailed plans.

The latest proposals included a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as two, three and four-bedroom houses.

A total of 81 of these properties would have been classed as affordable.

More than 80 residents had lodged objections against the plans, which did not receive a single letter of support.

Plan for 390 homes in Ripon set for final approval

Plans for 390 homes at a former race track in Ripon are set for final approval after a long saga of refusals, appeals and a developer pulling out of the scheme.

The proposals for land off West Lane have been recommended for approval by Harrogate Borough Council, which initially rejected the scheme in 2017 over the impact on the countryside and nearby Fountains Abbey World Heritage Site.

This decision was later overturned by the government’s planning inspectorate which said the impacts would be “extremely limited”.

Two years later, the plans hit another hurdle when developers Barratt Homes pulled out before the government’s housing agency Homes England and developers Taylor Wimpey struck a £89.5 million deal to get the scheme back on track.

Marie Kiddell, head of planning and enabling north at Homes England, recently said the body wanted to intervene in the “stalled” site because it would play a “vital” part in meeting the growing need for housing.

A reserved matters application has now been recommended for approval at a council meeting next Tuesday when a final decision will be made.

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The plans include 155 affordable homes, 42 bungalows, cycling and walking links, a new bus route and children’s play areas.

Four objections have been lodged with the council, including one from Littlethorpe Parish Council, which flagged concerns over how the area’s roads, schools and health services will cope with another population increase.

Ripon City Council did not make any comments on the latest plans.

Recommending the plans for approval, a Harrogate Borough Council officer said in a report: 

“The reserved matters submission including the remaining access details, appearance, layout, scale, and landscaping has been assessed.

“Having assessed the proposal against relevant development plan policies, the application can be supported.”

A computer generated image of the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.

A computer generated image of the 390-home West Lane site in Ripon.

£455,000 for buses, traffic signals and cycling

If approved, the plans will also include a £455,000 contribution from the developers towards local bus services, £91,000 towards upgrades for nearby traffic signals and £50,000 towards cycling improvements.

Taylor Wimpey recently said it hoped to start construction of the homes this spring if approval is granted.

The company’s regional land director Sarah Armstrong said: 

“We’re delighted to have been selected as preferred developer to deliver this site in partnership with Homes England.

“We’ve taken a landscape-led design approach to develop a residential masterplan that will enhance the character and identity of the site.

“The development will include locally-equipped play facilities and attractive biodiverse landscape features, and we are providing significant areas of open space to allow new residents and visitors to enjoy a high-quality living environment with an attractive outlook.”

22-home ‘affordable’ development in Staveley refused

Harrogate Borough Council has refused plans to build 22 “affordable” homes in Staveley.

Jack Lunn Properties hoped to build three one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes on Main Street in the village, which is four miles north of Knaresborough.

The site isn’t in the council’s Local Plan outlining where development can take place in the district, which in normal circumstances would mean it’s highly unlikely the development would be granted planning permission.

However, the application had been brought forward through a rural exception scheme, which allows councils to grant planning permission for affordable housing in the open countryside if a developer can prove there is a need for it.

The government defines affordable as homes sold at 80% of the market rate, homes for social rent or sold through shared ownership schemes.

In the council’s refusal, chief planner John Worthington said there were “no exceptional circumstances” for granting the application and that it did not satisfy the requirements of the affordable housing exception scheme.

A similar plan by the same developer to build 23 affordable homes in Scotton was refused last month.

Carl Wright, director of Jack Lunn, said the company was considering an appeal.

He said:

“We’ve only received a copy of the decision today and have yet to fully digest the same. Suffice to say we are somewhat disappointed that the council have included reasons for refusal that we have not been allowed to comment on or respond to prior to issue.

“Naturally this is disappointing to say the least and we will now take further advice from our consultants prior to deciding whether we ought to appeal or take matters further.”

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Villagers formed a group called SV2 to fight against the plans.

Julie Bowland from SV2 said she was relieved that the council refused the proposal.

Ms Bowland said:

“I can only applaud, with a certain level of relief, that planning law has been upheld robustly and with great regard to the potentially catastrophic damage to the Staveley conservation area and the wildlife that proliferates this beautiful village.”

Plan approved to create five flats above Cambridge Street shops

Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans to convert space above shops on Cambridge Street into apartments.

Aegon Property Income Fund lodged the proposal to create five flats on the upper floors of 6-14 Cambridge Street.

The ground floor of the properties is currently occupied by the Card Factory and two empty units which were formerly the Phone Doctor and Smiggle. For many years the site was home to Carphone Warehouse.

Under the proposal, the upper floors would be converted into three one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments.

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The developer said the flats would be designed with “modern living” in mind. They will be open plan and include dining and kitchen arrangements.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said:

“The site is in a highly sustainable location within the town centre, accessible by a range of sustainable modes of transport including train and bus as well as walking and cycling.

“The proposal creates additional accommodation within the town centre which will help to contribute to an improved range and distribution of housing and will increase activity in the town centre beyond the normal working day leading to greater natural ‘surveillance’ through a more vibrant after work environment.”

Fears for Harrogate district’s first-time buyers despite 50% discount scheme

There are fears that many first-time buyers will still struggle to afford the Harrogate district’s high property prices despite a new national scheme offering up to 50% discounts.

First Homes aims to support the sale of new homes to people in the district, which is one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times average incomes.

Discounts of at least 30% can be knocked off market prices under the scheme, but councils can increase this to either 40% or 50% if they can “demonstrate a need”.

The scheme has been hailed by government as a move to help people get on the property ladder, many of whom will be key workers such as NHS, care home and supermarket staff.

But with the average property price paid in Harrogate last year rising to £395,526, there are fears that the current housing boom and years of rising prices will mean home ownership will still be out of reach for many – even with the top discounts.

Conservative-controlled Harrogate Borough Council has backed the scheme but described it as “problematic” and said it is “highly unlikely” that first-timer buyers will be able to afford new builds in the district.

There are further concerns that the scheme will slow the delivery of much-needed rental homes, which around 1,800 Harrogate district households have registered for.

This is because First Homes requires housebuilders to nominate a proportion of their properties for sale discounts – and this could mean renters miss out.

People needing rented homes ‘will lose out’

Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on the council, said it is these households which can only afford to rent that are in the greatest need:

“Our residents needing affordable rented homes will lose out and Harrogate will suffer from not having the mix of residents that will sustain our economy and fill our important key worker roles.

“We question whether this is the most effective way of meeting overall needs if it displaces other tenures which are needed.”

The scheme is for first-time buyers only and does restrict some households with a combined annual income of more than £80,000 from applying.

There are also price caps which mean that after the discount has been applied, the buyer cannot be required to pay more than £250,000.

Those who can afford to buy a First Home without a mortgage are not eligible, and there are further measures aimed at preventing people buying the homes as an investment.

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The scheme launched last year and has recently been backed by Harrogate Borough Council, which said it would publish more information online and use it as a tool to decide planning applications.

Speaking when the scheme launched, former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said:

“First Homes will offer a realistic and affordable route into home ownership for even more people who want to own their own home.

“These homes will be locked in for perpetuity to first-time buyers and key workers from their local area – making them an asset to both their owners and the wider local community.”

Harrogate council should have acted quicker on Dunlopillo housing plans, review finds

A review has found Harrogate Borough Council should have acted quicker on controversial housing plans for the derelict Dunlopillo building in Pannal.

Residents, councillors and Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones all criticised the council when it approved plans for 48 apartments at the site last September.

The decision was made at officer level and without a vote from councillors, which led to the council launching an internal review into how it handled the plans submitted under rules called permitted development rights.

A report has now concluded a “longer period of time than ideal” was spent on parts of the process.

It also said residents should have been consulted with sooner and that this could have allowed time for a vote from councillors.

Despite this, the council said the plans were still “appropriately considered”.

A council spokesperson said:

“The lessons learnt review regarding the former Dunlopillo site in Pannal found that the case was appropriately considered by officers and determined in-line with the appropriate legislation.

“It was acknowledged that some internal process areas could be strengthened, including prioritisation of such applications in the future and a greater overview by senior officers.”

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The report explained that extra time was spent on the application because it was the first the council had received under permitted development rights, which fast-track the conversion of empty buildings into homes.

Since the plans were passed new proposals have since been submitted for the Station Road site with a reduced number of apartments to replace the derelict office building which has been described as a “monstrosity”.

Echo Green Developments now wants to build 38 apartments at the site, which pillows and bedding manufacturer Dunlopillo moved out of in 2008.

The proposed building is still two-storeys higher than the existing offices – something which has been a key concern for residents who are fearful the development will have a major visual impact on the area.

‘Improvements could be made’

Mr Jones had urged residents to make their voices heard on the latest plans and has now welcomed the conclusion of the review.

He said: 

“I was pleased to see that the council had done an internal review on the matter and concluded that, although all the correct factors were taken into account in reaching a decision, there were improvements in the process that could be made.

“I know planners have a difficult job with ever-changing laws and guidance. I know too that they rarely have to take decisions on issues which are uncontroversial.

“That is why I am really encouraged that they have taken the time to look back, evaluate and implement changes in regard of this brand-new class of permitted development.”

Mr Jones added: 

“After the initial submission which prompted my concerns over the decision-making process, the applicants submitted a new proposal for the Dunlopillo site.

“This superseded the earlier decision and time was available to get the application before a planning committee.

“I think this shows that not only did planners critically evaluate what had been done previously, but they implemented the positive changes identified in the report.

“I am grateful that they took this approach irrespective of the outcome of the process.”

A decision on the latest plans is expected this month.