Pannal residents ‘erupt in fury’ at Dunlopillo housing plans

Plans have been submitted to demolish the former Dunlopillo office block in Pannal and build new apartments.

However, the proposal, which would see the new building being two storeys higher than the old one, has proved unpopular with local residents.

Otley-based developer Quattro Property Group has submitted the plans, which would see the 1961 office block demolished and replaced with 48 one-and two-bedroom apartments.

It would be split into two blocks, one with four storeys and another with six.

There would also be one car parking space per apartment plus additional spaces for visitors at the back of the building.

Planning consultants Johnson Mowat has submitted planning documents to Harrogate Borough Council on behalf of the developer that says the scheme would be an improvement on the current empty office block, which has been deteriorating for several years. It says:

“This site has been a blot on the landscape for far too long and we are looking forward to delivering a high quality building.”

A computer generated image of the plans.

Residents’ fury

Long-term Pannal resident Anne Smith, who has also written several books about the village, told the Stray Ferret residents had “erupted in fury” at the proposals and were mobilising to submit objections.

She said:

“It will look awful. It looks bad enough as it is. It will swamp Pannal. Forty-eight flats will mean up to 96 people.”

“Everybody I’ve spoken to in Pannal will put objections in.

“The building is a monstrosity and we in Pannal had hoped it was going to be demolished and replaced with smaller houses.”

The Stray Ferret asked Johnson Mowat to comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Read more:

History of the site

From 1938 to 1949, the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.

It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.

It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.

Much of the site has already been demolished and replaced with housing as well as the Vida Grange care home.

Second set of roadworks coming to Harrogate’s Otley Road

A second set of roadworks is set to bring more delays for motorists on Harrogate’s Otley Road this month.

Temporary traffic lights are already in place at the junction with Harlow Moor Road, where Northern Gas Network is carrying out work until September 3.

More lights will appear slightly closer to the town centre when Northern Powergrid begins work to divert underground cables at the junction with Harlow Oval for 11 days from August 16.

These utility works are the final step before the start of the delayed Otley Road cycle lane. Phase one, which is expected to last a few months, is due to start on September 6.

The scheme will see an off-road cycle route created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road.

The project will also require widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

Read more:

 

Daily Harrogate district covid infections lowest since June

Just 45 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district — the lowest 24-hour figure since June 26.

Today’s data, from Public Health England, reduces the district’s seven-day average rate of infection to 260 per 100,000 people.

The rate peaked at 534 on July 18 and has more than halved in the fortnight since.

The current rates for England and North Yorkshire are 291 and 260 respectively.

Harrogate West and Pannal has had the most infections in the district in the last seven days, with 42, followed by Ripon South and East with 35.

At the other end of the scale Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has had just 12 cases.

There has not been a covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital for almost four months now.

Read more:

 

Emergency flood response underway in Harrogate district

An emergency response is underway at homes in the Harrogate district in danger of flooding after today’s thunderstorms.

The emergency planning department at Harrogate Borough Council revealed tonight it had been called to homes in Pannal and Dishforth following today’s heavy rain.

The council’s emergency planning department supports the emergency services in the response to major incidents.

It said on Twitter:

“Our team have deployed to Dishforth this evening to protect a property at risk of foul water flooding and are currently working with our North Yorkshire County Council colleagues to protect another property in Pannal from surface water flooding.”

No further details are available at this time.

A Met Office yellow weather warning is in place in the Harrogate district until midnight tonight. The warning says:

“Heavy showers and thunderstorms leading to a chance of flooding and disruption.

“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.”

Read more:

 

Could Harrogate get its first bus lane?

Harrogate’s first bus lane could be built on Leeds Road from Pannal towards the town centre, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

The council has had long held ambitions to build a park and ride scheme in Pannal to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Land near Pannal Golf Club and near Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of Pannal have been identified as potential sites for the park and ride.

A key factor in the location is that it is on the 36 bus route that runs regularly between Leeds and Harrogate. Leeds Road is one of the main routes into Harrogate.

Cllr Don Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret that creating bus lanes in Harrogate town centre itself would be a “struggle” due to the road layout.

He added one could be built on parts of Leeds Road if the park and ride proposal comes to fruition but stressed the plans were still at an early stage.

Read more:

Meanwhile, the council is putting together a bid for a share of the government’s £3bn investment in bus services that is part of its National Bus Strategy.

The government has told all councils to publish a Bus Service Improvement Plan before November.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Service earlier this week, Cllr Mackenzie, said:

“In Harrogate we’re looking at park and ride, which will involve a bus contract, and we’re looking at bus priority systems such as bus lanes. So the National Bus Strategy just gives us an extra incentive to press on.

“We would be totally supportive of avoidance of the motor car and reliance upon public transport, whether that is road or rail or sustainable transport with a bit more walking and cycling.”

Harrogate park and ride scheme still being considered

Feasibility work will be conducted this summer on plans to build a park and ride bus service for Harrogate.

A park and ride scheme was proposed in January as part of a series of transport initiatives to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Two locations in Pannal on the 36 bus route were identified as possible sites.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said at the time the scheme “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

But there has been no news since as other proposed transport initiatives, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project, have dominated the headlines.

This prompted a reader who supports the creation of a park and ride service to contact the Stray Ferret asking what had happened to the idea.

In response to requests for an update, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“All of the proposals in the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are in the feasibility stage and further work will be commissioned this summer.

“Nevertheless, a park and ride remains one of the measures we are considering to reduce traffic and ease congestion in and around Harrogate.

“The development of park and ride proposals would require more detailed modelling, testing of options and public consultation.

“We need to develop these plans along with other Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme priorities such as cycling and walking, bus priority and junction improvements.”

Cllr Mackenzie added council officers “are continuing to consider both the A61 and A59 to assess ways of improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists, provide bus priority and also seek to tackle some of the most problematic junctions”.

He said:

“By turning our attention to active travel models we hope to reduce congestion and improve the network without the need for additional, costly construction.”

Read more:

 

Smouldering barbecue sets garage alight in Pannal

Fire crews were called to Pannal yesterday when smouldering ashes from a barbecue set a garage alight.

Firefighters from Harrogate, Wetherby and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire and ensure the fire had not spread to the attached bungalow.

The incident happened at Crimple Meadows shortly after 2pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said:

“The cause of the fire is believed to be hot barbecue ashes stored in the garage overnight.”

Read more:

 

Stray Views: Harrogate park and ride was a great idea – what happened?

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. See below for details on how to contribute.

What’s happened to the park and ride?

Have I missed something or has the sensible idea of a park and ride for Harrogate been shelved?

While the council continues to charge blindly forward with idiotic cycling/single file traffic schemes thinking that the traffic will disappear, a park and ride really would help reduce cars in the town centre.

So where is it?

Judy Rowson, Harrogate

Encouraging cyclists will make motoring better

Bob Hankinson makes several strawmen in his letter, making the argument that if “everyone shifts to bikes” when clearly not everyone will.

But hopefully enough will that the various roads in Harrogate are relieved of traffic at least to enough of a degree that it isn’t an utterly ridiculous proposal to actually drive into and through Harrogate as it currently is.

Bob is clearly not a cyclist given his complaint about hills and rain, which to most cyclists is neither a problem nor an obstruction. As, I assume, a car driver (his letter has all the hallmarks of someone who spends all morning sat immobile in their car trying to get to work).

Surely Bob would welcome less cars on the road — it would make Skipton Road, Leeds Road and Wetherby Road more of a road and less of a car park from 8am to 10am, wouldn’t you agree Bob?

Alastair Moore, Bilton

What about dog muck, Philip?

It’s great that Philip Allott, the new crime commissioner, is concerned about dog theft. Will he also be stamping out dog muck?

Nigel Heptinstall, Darley

The Stray Ferret is underselling itself

Meeting people on my daily walk, I ask if they receive the Stray Ferret. To those that don’t, I explain how simple it is to sign up and that it’s free.

Invariably this is a surprise to them so the purpose of this letter is to suggest your advertising on shop windows, roundabouts etc should contain the word ‘free’.

My grandfather started the first advertising agency in the north and he instilled into me how strong the word ‘free’ is in marketing. Many years later as a retailer in Harrogate I used this magic word in my advertising with great success.

Keep up your very good work!

David Hill, Harrogate

Read more:

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Housing plans set for ‘eyesore’ Dunlopillo office block in Pannal

Fresh plans look set to be submitted to convert the former Dunlopillo office block in Pannal into housing.

Hornbeam Park Developments Ltd bought the derelict building at the end of March and said it hopes to submit new planning permission proposals later this year. These will include residential apartments as well as industrial units to the rear of the building.

The block was built in 1961 but has been deteriorating for several years. Dunlopillo closed in 2008 but residents had long complained about the unpleasant smell emanating from the factory.

Much of the site has already been demolished and replaced with housing as well as the Vida Grange care home.

A spokesperson for Hornbeam Park said in a statement:

“Our intention is to continue with the proposed conversion of the former office building to residential (apartments) with industrial units proposed to the remainder.

“We expect to be in a position to submit a planning application in respect of the land adjacent Vida Grange this summer.”

Read more:

From 1938 to 1949 the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.

It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.

It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.

The Dunlopillo building does not have a good legacy in Pannal. Photo: Anne Smith

Pannal historian Anne Smith, who has written several books on the village, said she welcomed plans to redevelop the office block.

She said:

“It’s an eyesore, but we’d rather it was demolished.

“Dunlopillo’s legacy in Pannal is not a good one. People will be glad to see the back of it. The smells from the factory were terrible.”

Pannal car boot sale returns today

Pannal car boot sale is set to return today from 12pm.

Bargain hunters will be able to attend every Wednesday from 12pm to 6pm as well as Sundays from 6am to 12pm.

The sale takes place in a field on the A61/A658 roundabout near Burn Bridge.

Established in 1996, the sale usually attracts people from March to October but covid has hampered it over the last year.

According to the organisers’ Facebook page, it costs £8 to sell items from a car and £10 to sell items from a van. Entry for buyers is £1. Children go for free.

Read more: