Revealed: decision date for Harrogate Spring Water expansion plans

A two-year saga of dispute and disagreement about environmental issues in the Pinewoods area of Harrogate will take a step closer to a conclusion next month.
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It was back in 2017 that the UK's oldest and most successful bottled water company, Harrogate Spring Water first obtained outline planning permission for the expansion of its bottling facility on Harlow Moor Road.

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Then, last year, it announced it would be submitting revised plans to increase the size of the developable area near the Pinewoods by 42% in principle, while maintaining nearly half the total space for public access with respectful landscaping.

In 2017 that the UK's oldest and most successful bottled water company, Harrogate Spring Water first obtained outline planning permission for the expansion of its bottling facility on Harlow Moor Road.In 2017 that the UK's oldest and most successful bottled water company, Harrogate Spring Water first obtained outline planning permission for the expansion of its bottling facility on Harlow Moor Road.
In 2017 that the UK's oldest and most successful bottled water company, Harrogate Spring Water first obtained outline planning permission for the expansion of its bottling facility on Harlow Moor Road.

Now, on Tuesday, December 8, the plans are to start to go Harrogate Borough Council's planning committee for consideration.

From the beginning, Harrogate Spring Water has pledged to replace any trees removed in the expansion.

But, since French food and water giant Danone announced it was buying a majority stake in family-owned Harrogate Spring Water in February, concern over the impact of the plans on community woodland among local residents groups and green groups has, if anything, intensified.

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In March, Harrogate and District Green Party organised a walk to raise awareness about what it claims is the threat to the Rotary Woods posed by Harrogate Spring Water's expansion.

Harrogate-based conservation charity Pinewoods Conservation Group has gone as far as as to lodge a formal objection to the planning application.

But Harrogate Spring Water says the plans are about protecting the future of its business - and jobs - by creating more space for processing equipment.

Earlier in the year, it become the first company in North Yorkshire to win B Corp accreditation from the worldwide B Corp movement committed to building a more inclusive, greener and sustainable economy.

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Under the terms of the Danone deal earlier in the year, current shareholders, the Cain family, continue to hold a minority stake with managing director James Cain OBE joining the management team of Danone Waters UK to continue to lead the Harrogate Spring Water business.

Danone's profile on its Twitter account describes itself thus: "our mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible, in a sustainable way."

Harrogate Spring Water achieved sales of £21.6million in the financial year to March 2019.

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