Former Harrogate business park to get converted into homes

Plans to turn historic Harrogate hunting lodge into multi-million pound home are deferredPlanning committee councillors heard the proposal to transform the Clint Park Business Park into a series of homes at a meeting on December 18.

The plans included the demolition of existing commercial buildings on the site to make way for five new dwellings, as well as the conversion of three existing dwellings into two.

Harrogate residents wait for final decision on plans to move Crown Post Office in WHSmithThe brownfield site currently has two small businesses operating on it, with multiple temporary structures and building supplies also dotted around the property.

While recommending the proposal for approval, the council report acknowledged it would result in the loss of employment land.

However, the development of such brownfield land for housing in areas of high housing demand is supported by national planning framework, with council agreeing the conversion wouldn’t undermine key economic sectors or sites or the vitality and viability of town centres.

Here's how this Harrogate village Post Office is defying high street decline and is 'busier than ever'Liberal Democrat Councillor Pat Marsh disagreed with the recommendation and outlined her concerns for the two businesses on the site.

“I think these are key sites to make sure our villages can maintain little pockets of employment,” she said.

“The two people whose businesses are sitting on this site, where will they go?”

Are £75m Crescent Gardens plans on track? Here's the answerCoun Margaret Atkinson said she’d seen a similar application rejected previously and queried what the difference was with this.

It caused the meeting to abruptly go into exempt session, as councillors filed out of the chamber to receive legal advice on the application.

When they came back the proposal was put to the vote where it duly passed, with seven in favour, three against, and two abstaining.

Lachlan Leeming , Local Democracy Reporting Service