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11

Dec 2022

Politics
Politics

Who will make decisions on new homes in the Harrogate district in 2023?

Published: 11 Dec 2022, 07:00 GMT

by Calvin Robinson

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0

building-site-houses-harlow-hill-grange-2
Building houses in the west of Harrogate.

A debate is brewing over who should decide on plans for new housing in the Harrogate district.

Currently, Harrogate Borough Council makes decisions on proposals for new homes and major developments.

But this will be taken out of the council’s hands in April 2023 when North Yorkshire Council takes over.

Some politicians argue that planning powers should be given to local areas.

But, for council bosses, it appears the matter is not so straight forward.

Local areas should make planning decisions


Ahead of the new council being formed, North Yorkshire County Council set up a working group to look at how planning matters should be decided.

The authority is set to approve measures to create its own Local Plan - but has yet to decide how planning decisions should be made.

For most councillors, they believe the area constituency committees should be in charge of such decisions affecting their own areas.

The committees are made up of county councillors from a local area, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough, and discuss matters relevant to that place.

New housing under construction at King Edwin Park in Harrogate.

New housing under construction at King Edwin Park in Harrogate.



Cllr Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee, pointed out that not handing powers to such committees would “erode accountability”.

She said:

"The devolution of decision making powers on planning is the right thing to do. How is a Councillor in Scarborough supposed to understand the impacts or issues of a particular development in Harrogate?
“In the new North Yorkshire Council structure Area Committees will be key, they should be given powers to direct local services and they should have budgets to make that happen. 
“Having one huge planning authority for the entire of North Yorkshire would be impractical, costly and would erode local accountability.”


The issue is particularly pertinent when it comes to major developments.

In Harrogate, decisions are still expected on a bottling plant at Harrogate Spring Water and a 3,000 home town between Knaresborough and Cattall called Maltkiln.

Major developments


Councillors believe that such decisions should be made at a local level.

However, in a county council report, officials suggested that a threshold should be set for applications to be made a county-wide committee.



Read more:



  • New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district

  • 793 Harrogate district second-home owners face double council tax charge

  • New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor





One of the suggestions was that decisions on applications for 500 houses or more would be taken by North Yorkshire Council.

Cllr Arnold Warneken, a Green Party county councillor who represents Ouseburn, said he had concerns over such a threshold.

He said that area committees should have input on major applications, whether they are made at a county level or not.

Cllr Warneken said:

“We got to have a situation where they [local committees] get some input.
“If they are always a consultee then they will have their say.
“I do not want to leave this down to chance, I want it written into the council’s strategy.”


'Two models being considered'


Conservative Cllr Simon Myers,, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for growth and housing, said two models are being considered for planning across the county.

He said the aim for the new authority was a "co-ordinated planning policy overseen by one over-arching authority".

He said:

“This will help attract new enterprise and also bring in much-needed new homes to address the affordable housing issues which are seen across North Yorkshire, but especially in our rural and coastal communities. 
“We envisage several committees will make key planning decisions when the new council launches from April 1 next year. 
“There are currently two models which are being considered for the new North Yorkshire Council to ensure that planning policies are co-ordinated in the best possible manner and are addressing the needs of local communities. 
“The first option would see six planning committees introduced based on constituency areas, while the other proposal would see the six committees condensed into three. Both options with see a strategic committee dealing with major planning applications as well as decisions concerning waste and minerals. 
“A great deal of work has gone into making sure that planning decisions are made effectively with the advent of the new council, and I have chaired a group of members who have been looking at the issue. I would like to put on record that I am extremely grateful for all the work that has been undertaken by both members and officers."


The county council's executive will consider the options and make a decision when members meet on Tuesday next week (December 13). 

That decision will then go to a full council meeting in February when it will be discussed and ratified ahead of the launch of the new council.