Harrogate Local Plan consultation to start on Friday July 26 as more potential housing sites are removed

Government inspector tells Harrogate council to scrap 11 housing sites from its proposed Local PlanThe local plan suggests sites where new homes and jobs could be created and considers the infrastructure required to ensure new developments can be properly supported.

These include things like schools, shops, community facilities, open spaces and transport.

At the same time, the plan includes ways to protect and enhance the high-quality natural and built environment enjoyed in the Harrogate district, including important green space.

Earlier this year, the local plan was reviewed by one of the government’s independent planning inspectors.

He initially asked for 11 of the possible housing sites to be removed from the draft Local Plan, and how now added a further two sites to that list.

Harrogate nightclub heavily fined after woman catches fireSites H17 – Heath Lodge Care Home, Harrogate and GH9 – Land west of B6265 and north of A59, Green Hammerton have been cut.

There were several weeks of public examinations at which members of the public, stakeholders, experts, and developers were able to have their say about what the plan should contain.

As a result of the inspector’s feedback, changes have been made to it.

Thirteen potential development sites have been removed altogether and the boundary of a fourteenth, potential employment development site in Pannal, has been amended.

At the request of the inspector, the council has also carried out an additional ‘sustainability appraisal’ into the broad locations where a new settlement could be built.

And, general amendments have been made across policies, to bring them in line with national policy and to make them easier to understand.

Historic England awards £100,000 grant to complete restoration of “heaven on earth” Plumpton RocksThe consultation – which runs through to 6 September – only covers the modifications that have been made to the plan, not the entire plan itself.

Feedback on the modifications will be considered by the planning inspector before he makes his final recommendations in the autumn.

Councillor Rebecca Burnett, cabinet member for planning, said: “The work to deliver our local plan is in the closing stages.

“We have carefully considered the inspector’s feedback as a result of the public examination which happened earlier this year.

“Changes have been made to the plan document and we’ve carried out the additional sustainability work we were asked to do.

“This will help us make the right decision in terms of a potential new settlement.

Coming soon - Harrogate's biggest-ever carnival“I encourage everyone to take part in this latest consultation phase so they can let us know what they think about the modifications we’ve made to the plan.”

The consultation will be available via http://consult.harrogate.gov.uk from Friday 26 July.

The thirteen sites referenced above are:

* H17 – Heath Lodge Care Home, Harrogate

* GH9 – Land west of B6265 and north of A59, Green Hammerton

* B21 – Land at Aldborough Gate, Boroughbridge

* M13 – Land at Thorpe Road, Masham

* P1 – Land south of Ashfield Court, Pateley Bridge

* P5 – Grassfield Court, Pateley Bridge

* P10 - Grassfield House, Pateley Bridge

* DB5 - Land to the west of Dacre Banks

* DR14 – Land at Shepcote Lane, Darley

* HM9 – Land to the north of Meadow Close, Hampsthwaite

* PN17 – Land adjoining Spring Lane, Pannal

* PN19 – Land to the west of Leeds Road, Pannal

* SB1 – Clough House Farm, Summerbridge

The revised boundary site is PN18 in Pannal.