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16
Apr 2023
Stray Views: Crimple Valley proposed development "insane"
Letters
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. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.
When Harrogate Borough Council published the local plan, it gave the house building industry 35 Christmas presents at once as they massively over-provisioned for the housing needs of Harrogate and turned over vast swathes of previously protected countryside to be turned into building sites.
Yet it seems the developers are not satisfied with that. This site is outside the local plan land dedicated to new houses and is designated as Special Landscape Area.
There is absolutely no requirement for this development and no justification for allowing it.
I believe that people here who value nature and the countryside are sick of the constant bulldozing of green space and just view this as money grabbing greed - selling the soul of the town just so that someone can see a big number on their bank statement.
This is a completely insane place to build. These houses will be so disconnected to any other infrastructure close by — the main exit being the new junction at the base of Almsford Bank.
Anyone who has ever tried to cross the road at this point will recognise just how intimidating it is - cars going north taking a run up round the corner to get up the hill, cars going south with the foot of the brake accelerating downhill. Even if you lowered the speed limit few people would stick to it. It's an accident blackspot in the making.
The environmental impact of this small estate would be considerable. Few people would be prepared to walk or cycle out of that junction with the footpath being on the opposite side of the A61, so every journey is likely to be by car. I understand there is provision to plant trees to replace those removed, but it will take 50 years for these new trees to sequester the carbon released by those that are to be taken out.
Ian Murdle, Harrogate
Boating lake madness
I’m shocked to see that in its dying days, Harrogate council chose to waste money yet again on a fountain no one wants. They’ve obviously forgotten the disastrous one opposite the railway station that never worked, was constantly dirty, and had eventually to be removed.
I remember falling head first into what was then the paddling pool over 70 years ago. Since then, it has still given pleasure to so many as a boating pool. Now it’s going to be totally useless, just a dirty pool with a very ordinary fountain in it. Not exactly a huge visitor attraction!
That £6000 could have been used in far better ways to benefit the community and I resent this squandering on vanity projects.
Stephanie Wrightson, Harrogate
Read More:
- ‘The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate’
- Starbeck Baths to be closed until late May
- Residents rally against new Crimple Valley housing plans
We'll fight to keep Starbeck Baths
Starbeck Residents' Association has already talked to the council and is in ongoing discussion to ensure our local pool is reopened as soon as possible. We've been assured that Starbeck Baths are important to North Yorkshire Council as we know they are to our local community.
The SRA successfully campaigned to save the pool when they were threatened a few years ago and I did the same to get it reopened when it was kept unnecessarily closed long after lockdown.
So the SRA will do everything we can to support our swimming pool.
Chris Watt
Chair, Starbeck Residents' Association
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.
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