600-home housing scheme in Harrogate to get new shop and community centre

The development by Persimmon Homes is one of the largest housing projects to be built in Harrogate for many years.

It is being constructed in stages with outline plans first given the go-ahead by Harrogate Borough Council back in 2015.

As part of the original approval, the developer agreed to build retail and community facilities that residents can use.

Planning documents state the shop will be 201m2, which is a similar size to a small convenience stores run by national supermarket chains.

The community centre will connect to the shop and have a floorspace of 121m2.

They will be built to the east of the site where homes have already been put up.

A new footpath link will be created to connect residents living at King Edwin Park.

The developer says it will plant flowers, trees and hedges amongst wildflowers and grassland around the new building.

It will also include 12 car parking bays and 12 cycle spaces.

This is higher than what the guidance suggests but it the developer says it wants to avoid shoppers parking on pavements and inconveniencing residents.

Solar panels will be placed on the roof to generate renewable energy.

The planning documents state: “The single storey design ensures that the retail unit and community centre is accessible to everyone including wheelchair users.

The proposal would contribute to providing an accessible new community facility and retail unit for existing and future residents of the area including the housing estates located near to but outside of the wider development boundary.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Persimmon Homes if it has a tenant for the retail unit but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.