Green Hammerton residents fight to keep village ‘Green’

In the last few months the Parish council has been fighting two developers who want to build nearly 100 houses on a green space known in the village as West Fields.

Redrow developers have proposed to build 83 houses on the field whilst another developer, Shepard, has put forward a proposal for a further 16 houses on the remaining land.

Resident and member of the Parish council, Paul Whelan said: “I can see the field from my window. I know some people are thinking of putting their house on the market because they want to live in village not a small town. We wonder if new people would ever blend in.

“The village is only 280 houses and the previous biggest development in the village had only been 30 houses. We feel this too much too quickly.”

The small village near Knaresborough was originally identified as suitable for development by the HBC as part of their five-year Local Plan to increase the number housing in the district.

But after problems with their proposal, Redrow and Shepard jumped at the opportunity to build on the land.

Redrow’s original proposal was to build 112 houses but after consultation with the HBC, they reduced this to 83.

Whilst both keen to take the land the developers have said that they will not be working together.

Mr Whelan said: “We asked them if they would be working together and they said they didnt want to be beholden to each other in any sort of way to work togteher.”

Aside from the increase in housing, residents are also concerned with the knock on effects that this sort of development will have.

The village which sits right next to the A59 can often be used as a cut through for traffic.

Mr Whelan said: “The highways agency says the traffic is not an issue until it reaches 85 per cent but from our point of view it has just got worse and worse.”

The village also suffers with poor drainage and surface run-off problems.

This is a particular issue in times of heavy rain when the drains cannot cope and overflow.

Mr Whelan said: “When Yorkshire water were consulted in 2010 they said there was no capacity for new housing at all.”

The Parish council and residents of the village recently submitted their case for opposition to the HBC Planning Committee who are now consulting on the case.

Mr Whelan added: “We think they will have considered the case by about August September time and the developers have said they will be starting building in January if they get approval and can fast track the application.”

The villagers also have the support of their local MP, Nigel Adams, who has written to HBC expressing his support for their opposition against the application.