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Plans to build a car wash and valeting station on Skipton Road in Harrogate have been withdrawn.

A planning application was submitted to North Yorkshire Council in December for the facility, which would have been created on the car park of a former builder’s merchants near to Harrogate Fire Station.

Tofan Osman Abdullah, who is based in Leeds, was behind the scheme and planning documents stated that he had experience running a similar business a few years ago.

According to the application, the business would have opened from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

A design and access statement attached to the application urged the council to approve the plans. It said: 

“There are strong planning grounds to support this application, and to support local businesses. We believe the additional noise would not make a difference in comparison with the very close busy A59 road.”

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However, before the application could be considered, the council’s environmental health team submitted a representation that raised concerns about the potential for noise impacting nearby residential properties.

It asked the applicant to produce a report to outline how much noise the car wash might create and how this will be mitigated.

A council officer said: 

“The proposed location of the development is right next to a noise sensitive property (79 Skipton Road), and others on Bartle Avenue are in close proximity. There are no details as to the type of equipment to be used on site and the associated noise levels. 

“This department has investigated complaints associated with noise from such an activity at properties at a further distance therefore there is the potential for this development to impact the noise sensitive properties in proximity to it.”

A request to withdraw the application was accepted by the council.

Drone image shows progress on Harrogate Tesco

A drone photograph has given an indication of how the new Tesco supermarket in Harrogate is shaping up.

Drone photographer Colin Corker captured the image over the New Park area of the town.

It shows work on the access road off Skipton Road is well underway.

The supermarket’s footprint is also visible on land to the back of Electric Avenue, which also connects to Skipton Road.

The former gasworks site at the junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road is to the east.

To the north is Oak Beck Retail Park, where Aldi has a store.

Tesco received planning permission in February last year to build a store, petrol station and a 209-space car park on the site of the former gas works at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road.

You can see more of Mr Corker’s images here.

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Councillors approve 135 homes off Harrogate’s Skipton Road

Councillors have voted to approve 135 homes on the site of a former farm off Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The proposals by Rowan Green Developments Ltd will see the homes built at Cow Dyke Farm near Jennyfields.

The land is allocated for housing in the council’s local plan and the scheme was recommended for approval in a report.

The majority of the homes will have between one and three bedrooms and 54 are expected to be classed as affordable.

Chris Calvert spoke on behalf of the developer at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee this afternoon.

He said the application met all of the council’s planning requirements.

Mr Calvert said:

“The site is within development limits for Harrogate. It’s been assessed by the local authority to be a suitable and deliverable site for new homes on the edge of Harrogate.

“It will be a high-quality and sustainable development ”

Cow Dyke Farm. Image: Rowan Green Developments Ltd.

Councillors visited the site this morning where concerns were raised about the current 40mph speed limit for motorists on Skipton Road.

Hundreds of homes have been built nearby in recent years and Tesco has planning permission to build a new supermarket close to the site.

Cllr Robert Windass (Conservative, Boroughbridge and Claro) asked if the speed limit on the nearby section of Skipton Road could be lowered to 30mph.

He said he saw a woman cross the road this morning with a pushchair, adding:

“40mph was maybe OK when there was no housing there, but I now think it’s inappropriate.”

However, his request was knocked back by a council transport officer who said the 40mph limit was appropriate.

North Yorkshire Council has asked the developer to pay a one-off contribution of £161,906 towards Killinghall Village Hall and £76,347 for improvements at Jennyfields recreation play area.

This led Terry Jones, representing the 72 objectors, to say the developer was offering a “paltry sum” towards local services.

Mr Jones said:

“You all seem to assume it’s going ahead. It’s probably a waste of time objecting, but it’s interesting to see the impact on local services. To employ extra doctors, dentists, teachers, it costs money every year.”

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plans but a reserved matters application that deals with the scheme’s appearance and landscape will come before the planning committee at a future meeting before homes can be built.

Cllr Windass added:

“It looks to be a sympathetic approach to development on this land. I hope when they come back at reserved matters, the sympathy of the site is maintained and improved on.”

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Flying debris from Harrogate Tesco site smashes resident’s window

Flying debris from work on the new Tesco site in Harrogate has smashed the window of a nearby resident’s home.

Work has begun to build a new Tesco supermarket on the former gasworks site at the junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road in the New Park area.

Contractors have been carrying out work this week between the site and houses on Electric Avenue to grind down the stumps of trees felled as part of the scheme.

Tree stumps ground down at the site.

While this was taking place yesterday a piece of concrete was projected from the equipment and smashed a kitchen window on Electric Avenue.

Janette Percy, whose house was affected, was shaken by the incident, which happened yesterday between 11am- 12.15pm.

She said:

“I had just come home after being out for an hour and my kitchen window was smashed by a piece of flying concrete from the grinding work in the no man’s land between the houses and the barrier that has flown over.

“God forbid if it had hit someone or a child.”

She added it raised questions about safe working practices.

A Tesco spokesperson said:

“We’re really sorry this happened. All our colleagues and contractors follow rigorous safety processes and completed risk assessments before undertaking work on the site of our new Harrogate superstore.

“Unfortunately, even with all the appropriate safeguards in place, a nearby window was broken by debris from a sub-contractor’s tree-grinding machine.

“The contractor immediately spoke to the resident to apologise and has arranged to cover the costs of the replacement window.”

Worker on the Tesco site, Skipton Road

Monika Slater, a Liberal Democrat who represents Bilton Grange and New Park on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“I am grateful for the swift response from Tesco as soon as they were aware of a safety concern on the site. Unfortunately, the initial response from the temporary site manager to a local resident alerting him to this issue was disappointing and I hope that there will be a learning from this incident.

“Residents want the build to be done in a safe manner, respecting the conditions set out by the planning department and disturbing the local environment as little as is reasonably possible. “

Planning permission for a store, petrol station and 209-space car park was granted last year. It is set to create more than 100 jobs.

Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.

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Harrogate primary school receives ‘good’ Ofsted rating

New Park Primary Academy on Skipton Road in Harrogate has received a ‘good’ Ofsted rating in a report published today.

The report describes the school as “welcoming and friendly” and says it ensure pupils “get the support they need from the moment they start”.

It described the curriculum as “ambitious”, says children feel safe and leaders are “enthusiastic about their roles”.

It adds:

“Pupils settle quickly into the life of the school. Pupil buddies help those who are new to learn the school’s routines. They enjoy making friends.

“Most pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.”

New Park Primary Academy is operated by Northern Star Academies Trust.

The trust has nine schools, with five in the Harrogate area. New Park, Harrogate High, Starbeck community primary, Hookstone Chase primary and Willow Tree community primary.

New Park was rated ‘good’ at its previous inspection in 2018.

Headteacher Sasha Bune, who joined in September last year, said:

“We are really proud to maintain our ‘good’ judgement. We are happy Ofsted have recognised our ambitions for the school and the how hard all of the staff work.

“They looked at all areas of the school and saw our warm and nurturing feel and the high expectations the children have for themselves and how well behaved they all are.

“We have an ambitious curriculum and we are a very inclusive school with a big mix of pupils. We are very well supported by Northern Star Academies Trust and we will carry on being ambitious and keep on learning.”

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