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May 2020

Knaresborough

Mother Shipton's Cave works approved after residents complain

Published: 20 May 2020, 13:32 BST

by Connor Creaghan

Some residents and one of the town councillors told the Stray Ferret that they were concerned by the presence of diggers on the 390-year-old tourist attraction.

Ongoing works at Mother Shipton's Cave. Source: Hannah Gostlow

The owners of Mother Shipton's Cave have been given the green light for its works after some residents complained to the council.

Some residents and one of the town councillors Hannah Gostlow told the Stray Ferret that they were concerned by the presence of diggers on the 390-year-old tourist attraction.

Fiona Martin, the managing director at Mother Shipton's Cave, told the Stray Ferret that the work was to address problems caused by flooding and said it did not require planning permission.

They arranged for the work to be completed during the coronavirus lockdown which has forced them to close to visitors.

She said: "As the Park has been closed to the public due to the emergency, the opportunity has been taken to remedy the damage and stabalise the land. That process revealed the need to repair and clean out the land drainage system. None of this work, I am advised, constitutes development requiring planning permission and the outcome has been to restore the areas involved to their previously existing state."

Harrogate Borough Council officers visited the site to investigate the alleged planning breaches and deemed that the works were permissible.

A spokesman said: “We have carried out an investigation into alleged planning breaches at Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough. We found the works being carried out are repairs and maintenance required as a consequence of bad weather and flooding earlier this year. These repair works do not require planning permission and are not a breach."

However, the council found that - separate to the flooding repair works - they had changed the use of a small parcel of land and advised them to make a retrospective application.