Harrogate’s Yorkshire Agricultural Society rejects any notion of new housing on Crimple golf course land

After a Harrogate Advertiser reader got in touch criticising what he said was an "extraordinary decision to fence off the Crimple meadows", Allister Nixon, CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which runs the Great Yorkshire Show, said nothing untoward was happening.

Mr Nixon said: “The area that is being fenced off is the land formerly known as the Crimple Golf Course and, as a farming charity that promotes and supports agriculture and farming families, this is to allow for sheep grazing, as well as for continued use in support of our events on the Showground.

"This supports local farming and has no impact on the public right rights of way or permissive routes."

The reader had written to the YAS saying it seemed mean-spirited to withdraw this amazing area from the people of Harrogate and beyond with no notice, or none that I’m aware of. "

He continued: "I’ve heard some suggestions that reverting the land to farming might be a prelude to more lucrative development.

"Covering the area with more new housing perhaps? "

But Mr Nixon denied completely there was any thoughts of allowing housing to be built on the Crimple land.

And, he added, the YAS would continue to facilitate and support local walkers.

"There are no plans for developing this area of land for housing and we absolutely want to continue to welcome the local community," said Mr Nixon.

"We have now marked out a clearer area for dog walkers and visitors who can use kilometres of signed permissive routes and footpaths across our land and we thank the local people for their support.”

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is a registered farming charity which was founded in 1837.

Crimple Valley Golf Course was a nine-hole pay-and-play golf course located on Hookstone Wood Road on the southwest side of the Great Yorkshire Showground which first opened in 1976 and closed in 2014.