Controversial Knaresborough housing development opens to public

David Wilson Homes (DWH) will deliver a total of 164 two, three, four and five bedroom houses just off Boroughbridge Road, once construction is completed.

DWH, the sister company of Barratt Developments, also announced that the Community Investment Levy (CIL) they have to make as part of the development will see them invest £1.2 million in the Knaresborough community.

Debbie Foster, Sales Manager at DWH, said: “We are committed to ensuring we invest in the communities in which we build, and that our new homes benefit the entire community, not just those who live in them. It is our aim for the local area to feel the benefit of this development for many years to come.

“We understand that our homes need to be an extension of the already excellent community of Knaresborough, and we believe these contributions will help us to achieve this goal.”

DWH have explained the breakdown of their £1.2 million investment, which see’s substantial contributions to the local bus services and primary schools.

A sum of £630,000 has been dedicated to the improvement and extension of local bus services, while £571,032 has been given to aid primary education services within the site’s catchment area.

However the development, which has been called ‘The Pastures’, received a substantial amount of opposition when the proposals were going through the planning process.

More than 100 public comments were made on the online planning application, all objecting to the proposals for reasons including loss of green space, traffic congestion and the effect on nearby residents.

One comment by Brenda DeWitt said: “This location does not have the infrastructure to support a development of this scale - particularly in terms of road access.

“Trying to exit Greengate Lane into Boroughbridge Road in the morning is already difficult enough, given the volume of traffic on Boroughbridge Road.

“The development will destroy a beautiful piece of land, that provides solace and pleasure to the residents of Knaresborough.”

Another resident raised concerns over the issue of air pollution, as the development is in close proximity to an air quality management area.

Peter Crowe said: “The building of 170 extra houses on the northern side of Knaresborough close to Boroughbridge Road will bring with it a huge increase of traffic in the area and aggravate the already poor air quality around the Bond End area.

“There are also no schools, either primary or secondary in the area that can cater for the increase in the population of school age children.”

But now the development is already well underway with construction, Chairman of Knaresborough Civic Society, John Richards, said all Knaresborough can do is air its opinions.

He said: “It’s part of the norm that they have to make a contribution to the community, whether it’s enough or not only time will tell.

“The houses are being built, people will buy them, their cars will go on the roads and the problems will ensue. We can only let our views be known.”