In July, Harrogate Spring Water promised to publish “within weeks” details of a new planning application to expand its bottling plant in the Pinewoods. But as the end of the year approaches, it looks no nearer to being made public.

The company’s pledge followed January’s high-profile refusal to expand the plant, which would have meant destroying public woodland planted by local families in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.

To compensate, Harrogate Spring Water offered to replant trees, create scrubland and build a pond on private land behind Harlow Carr Gardens.

But the loss of trees at Rotary Wood provoked a major backlash and councillors on Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee voted overwhelmingly to reject it.

Harrogate Spring Water already has outline permission dating back to 2016 to expand its bottling plant, but the company said in July it was working on a completely new application and the old application would be disregarded.

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The company pledged to consult with the community before pursuing a formal planning application to the council.

However, the Stray Ferret has been told that no meaningful talks with community groups have taken place since January’s refusal.

Groups that are still in the dark about what the new application will look like include the Rotary Club, which planted the trees in Rotary Wood, and Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity that works to preserve the Pinewoods.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water said:

“Harrogate Spring Water is still in the process of talking to all relevant parties. We will communicate any update as and when it happens.”

Campaigners say Harrogate’s Rotary Wood “remains at risk” after a senior Harrogate borough councillor said it would be “premature” to comment on a future sale of the site.

There have been calls to protect the wood after Harrogate Borough Council’s 12-person planning committee voted to refuse Harrogate Spring Water’s controversial plans to expand its bottling plant, which would have involved the loss of more trees at the woodland.

The company already has outline planning permission to expand into the wood, but applied for a revised application for a bottling plant that was 22% larger than originally agreed.

HBC owns the Harrogate Spring Water site on Harlow Moor Road and leases it back to them.

At last night’s full council meeting, Neil Hind, chair of the Pinewoods Conservation Group, asked Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for economic development, if HBC would commit to retaining Rotary Wood  “with no plan to lease or sell it” in the future.

Cllr Graham Swift responding to the Pinewoods Conservation Group last night.

In response, Cllr Swift said he was “personally surprised” by the committee’s decision to refuse the extension, but added that the reserved matters application still had to be determined.

He said:

“A key component about the council making any decision about a potential disposal of land is to ensure that we have access to the full facts so that all the relevant considerations can be taken into account.

“The planning status of the site is one of these considerations. Therefore, as the reserved matters application is still to be determined by planning committee it would be premature at this stage to comment on a potential future disposal.

“Equally, it would be wrong of me to interfere with planning matters or attempt to override planning decisions by causing obstruction to their decisions.

“Our committee has already taken a decision to approve one application from a significant local business and although reserved matters are still to be dealt with, I’m not prepared to interfere with the planning process or limit it in its powers.”

He added that should the council decide to lease or sell the site it would “abide by proper procedures”, including considering an asset of community value status.

Read more:

• Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods expansion refused

• Harrogate Spring Water to ‘consider options’ following expansion refusal

Following the meeting, a spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“The fact the response was via the cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development is a clear indication of the council’s priorities and intent here.

“We were obviously very disappointed by the reply from Cllr Swift who is obviously very supportive of the development plans.

“This was an opportunity for the council to confirm once and for all its green intentions and it unfortunately failed to do so. As such it is unfortunate that Rotary Wood, planted by the community, remains at risk.“

What happens next?

Harrogate Spring Water has already said it will consider its options following last month’s decision.

The company could choose to appeal the decision, submit another application or stick with the original outline planning permission obtained in 2016.

If they decide to proceed with the original outline planning permission they need to submit a full application before May, which would again be considered by HBC’s planning committee.

In 2015 the Pinewoods was registered as an Asset of Community Value. This would give the local community a chance to buy or lease the site if the council decided they wanted to dispose of it.

The Harrogate and District Green Party has started a petition opposing Harrogate Spring Water’s plans to extend its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.

Harrogate Borough Council will next month consider an application by the water company to expand its existing site from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.

Rebecca Maunder, a Green Party member and Pinewoods dog walker, said people were “shocked and dismayed” at the prospect of trees being felled.

Her petition to save Rotary Wood, which has so far generated more than 700 signatures since it began at the end of last week, says the proposal would destroy acres of woodland planted by children, damage wildlife and biodiversity and lead to the creation of more plastic bottles.

The petition adds:

“Harrogate district has 8% woodland cover compared to a national average of 12% and a European average of 36%.”

Read more:

• Littering in the Pinewoods ‘a continual problem’
• Bottling plant plans for Pinewoods to be decided in December

Harrogate Spring Water, which was bought last year by multinational firm Danone, has had outline planning permission since 2016 to expand to the west of its existing site.

The company is due to consult online with interested parties next week to discuss the proposal.

Nicky Cain, brand manager for Harrogate Spring Water, said it was “working towards presenting our application to the planning committee on December 8”. She added:

“The environmental aspects of our application remain top of our agenda and shall ensure any ecological impact is offset and provide commitment towards a local planting scheme.

“We shall continue to engage with stakeholders, both prior to planning and ahead of any future reserved matters scheme, providing opportunities to hear their views on planting and landscaping.”

The council has received more than 300 letters of objection since the plans were submitted, including from the Rotary Club of Harrogate, the Pinewoods Conservation Group and Harrogate Civic Society.

A report from the council’s arboricultural manager, Paul Casey, said the loss of 2.8 acres of woodland floor would remove the “green corridor” link between the north and south of the site. He said:

“There are no proposals put forward that would mitigate for the loss of this woodland.”