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23
Oct
‘More like a small town’: 1,100-home plan sparks concern in Killinghall
Residents have raised concern that Killinghall will be “unable to cope” as 1,100 new homes are proposed to be built in the village.
Land agent Hallam Land is considering a formal application to build the homes, as well as a primary school, local centre consisting of shops and services and a small employment zone next to Saltergate Business Park.
The development, which would be 182 acres, would take place on land to the east of Burley Bank Road and west of Oaker Bank.
However, residents and councillors raised concern about the scale of the scheme at a Harrogate Town Council meeting on Wednesday (October 21), where Hallam Land gave more details about the development.
The site between Oaker Bank and Burley Bank Road. Picture: Hallam Land.
John Moretta, who sits on Killinghall Parish Council, pointed out that the site was 182 acres — the equivalent of 105 football pitches — and nearly as big as the Stray, which is 200 acres.
He said:
We consider that it’s not a rural development — more of a small town. That raised various concerns.
Mr Moretta pointed out that the parish council had concerns over highways and the scale of the scheme.
Prior to Hallam revealing its plan for Burley Bank Road, 885 new homes from six proposals had already been proposed for Killinghall in the last 12 months.
Mr Moretta said the village’s infrastructure would not be able to cope with the additional pressure — including from the planned site at Burley Bank Road.
Mr Moretta said:
Our concerns are that the infrastructure that we have in the area is totally unable to cope with this. We are virtually at or over capacity as it sits now.
We know that Harrogate is being targeted for a large quantity of homes and the north of Harrogate has got less defence to fight against it, so there will be more and more applications coming through.
Meanwhile, David Goodall, Reform UK councillor who represents Bilton Woodfield, said he questioned whether this was the “correct location” for a major housing site.
He said there were other sites in the Harrogate area which could take on a development for thousands of new homes.
Cllr Goodall said:
I do question whether it is the correct location. It is on the doorstep venturing into a very beautiful area in Nidderdale. So, I do question for a number of reasons the location.
It also springs to my mind that there are locations beyond Harrogate which if you are for all intents and purposes looking at building what could be described as a new village. There are, in my opinion, more appropriate sites.
Mark Johnson, of Johnson Mowat Planning, which is representing Hallam Land, said the scale of housing required in North Yorkshire — which under government targets is 4,156 a year — was “absolutely enormous”.
He said there was potential that the North Yorkshire Local Plan — which would determine where development can take place in the county for the next 20 years — could require around 80,000 new homes.
Representatives from Hallam Land at the Harrogate Town Council planning meeting.
Mr Johnson added that with Harrogate and Scarborough as the biggest settlements in the county, there was expectation that they will take large amounts of the dwellings required.
Mr Johnson said:
As I said, the scale is something that has taken everyone by surprise. The council’s task at North Yorkshire is to deliver the next plan that has got these houses in them.
What we’re doing is we’re promoting this piece of land as a planning application, but in parallel to that plan making process because what we want show is the benefits as to how this site compares against some of the other sites in that plan making process.
An outline planning application for the scheme is expected to be submitted to North Yorkshire Council at the end of November.
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