Campaign group says Harrogate's Rotary Wood 'remains at risk' after questioning future of site

A campaign group has expressed fears that Harrogate's Rotary Wood "remains at risk" after a senior councillor said he could not comment on any future sale of the site.
Harrogate Spring Water's plans to expand further onto Rotary Wood were rejected last month.Harrogate Spring Water's plans to expand further onto Rotary Wood were rejected last month.
Harrogate Spring Water's plans to expand further onto Rotary Wood were rejected last month.

The community-planted woodland is owned by Harrogate Borough Council and sits next to Harrogate Spring Water which last month had its plans to remove more trees for a larger expansion of its bottled water plant rejected.

The company already has planning permission to expand over the wood, but applied for a revised scheme that was 22% larger than the one originally agreed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There have since been calls to protect the site from any future development, with Neil Hind, chairman of the Pinewoods Conservation Group, last night asking the authority to commit not to lease or sell anymore of the woodland.

Speaking at a full council meeting, councillor Graham Swift, the council's deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development, said it would be “premature” for him to comment on the future of the site while a revised application from Harrogate Spring Water is still under consideration.

The revised application - which looks at the final details of plans already approved in 2017 - is to be decided later this year.

Councillor Swift said: "A key component about the council making any decision about a potential disposal of land is to ensure that we have access to the full facts so that all the relevant considerations can be taken into account."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The planning status of the site is one of these considerations. Therefore, as the reserved matters application is still to be determined by the planning committee it would be premature at this stage to comment on a potential future disposal.“Equally, it would be wrong of me to interfere with planning matters or attempt to override planning decisions by causing obstruction to their decisions."

Councillor Swift also said he was “personally surprised” by the planning committee’s decision to refuse the extension and praised Harrogate Spring Water as "significant employer" and "promoter of Harrogate".

He added the council would “abide by proper procedures” should it decide to sell or lease the site.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking after the meeting, a spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said: "The fact the response was via the cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development is a clear indication of the council’s priorities and intent here.

“This was an opportunity for the council to confirm once and for all its green intentions and it unfortunately failed to do so. As such it is unfortunate that Rotary Wood, planted by the community, remains at risk.“

Harrogate Spring Water previously said it could not confirm whether it would appeal last month's decision to reject the expansion plans.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter