New homes for Harrogate

We are pleased to have won our appeal for a parcel of land set to bring 149 new market and affordable homes to Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Last August, councillors at Harrogate Borough Council refused our outline planning application for the site off Kingsley Road. This was despite the site being allocated for residential development in the recently adopted 2020 Harrogate District Local Plan and the plans being recommended for approval on three separate occasions by council officers.

Going against their officers’ recommendation, the councillors questioned whether the site would be a sustainable form of development due to its location and lack of public transport within a safe and reasonable walking distance to services and facilities – and resolved to refuse planning permission on that basis.

We appealed on the grounds that:

• The site is in a sustainable location as clearly established by its allocation for residential development in a very recently adopted Local Plan.
• Our planning application includes a new pedestrian and cycle link which provides convenient routes to local facilities, services and wider surroundings. Residents from nearby residential areas, including development planned on adjacent sites, will also benefit from this new infrastructure.

Last week Inspector A M Nilsson decided in our favour, saying the council had behaved ‘unreasonably’ in refusing planning permission for a site that was in clear accordance with the adopted Local Plan. We have also been awarded full costs by the inspector on the basis of the time and expense wasted on the appeal proceedings.

The inspector said: “There is no evidence to suggest that the site is otherwise than sustainably located in relation to its proximity to sustainable travel choices and local services. Connectivity would be improved by the enhanced accessibility proposals associated with the footpath provision.”

Jonathan Bloor, Managing Director of our Western Division, said: “We are obviously pleased with this appeal win, as it now enables much needed market and affordable homes to come forward on this Plan-led site.

“But we are disappointed that we have had to take this action considering the site had been allocated in the recently adopted Local Plan and had been supported by officers and all other statutory consultees.

“As a responsible and professional land promoter, we always endeavour that our planning applications comply with development policies in addition to bringing other benefits. That was clearly the case here and the Planning Inspectorate has ruled accordingly. We would always prefer to bring sites forward via council-made decisions – but we now look forward to bringing forward a high-quality site.”

Thanks to our team for their hard work in bringing about this successful conclusion including our Planning Director Haydn Jones, Regional Manager Harry Jackson, Technical Director Dean Knight, Design Director Charlotte Lewis and Land and Planning Manager Alanna Mahoney.  Also our core consultant team of James Hall and Hannah Woodall from Barton Willmore, Paul Cornfoot and Adam Smout from Fore Consulting and our planning solicitor Oliver Martin of Bickley Martin.

You can read the full appeal decision here 

For more details on our activity in the North, contact our new Regional Director Jordan Gresham: Jordan@richborough.co.uk