Controversial plans for hundreds of Ripon homes resubmitted to council

Cllr. Peter Horton. Cllr. Peter Horton with fellow councillors Cllr. Pauline McHardy, Cllr. Charlie Powell and Cllr. Andrew Williams who are organising a campaign against a proposed 450 home development on the south-west edge of Ripon.

Chesire-based Gladman Developments first submitted their plans for 450 homes to the South West of West Lane in 2014 before reducing this to 430 homes in April 2015.

Gladman appealed against the council's non-determination of the original application on December 23 2016 with a revised application for 390 homes submitted.

In its planning statement, Gladman said that the application site represents a "suitable and sustainable location for housing" and was well located to existing urban areas.

However, Gladman also argued that permission for the application should be granted as HBC no longer had a five year housing land supply.

The statement read: "The inclusion of the land to the south west of the settlement boundary of Ripon would enable the delivery of up to 390 new family homes which would make a significant contribution to meeting housing needs in Harrogate.

"These new homes could be brought forward within the next five years of the plan period, therefore helping to address the immediate lack of a five-year supply of deliverable housing."

Gladman also highlighted in its planning statement that presumption should be in favour of their application because Harrogate's Local Plan is out of date and, as such, the National Planning Policy Framework should take preference.

In December, consultation closed on Harrogate's Draft Local Plan which set out how the district could potentially build more than 11,000 homes before 2035.

HBC included the land at West Lane in Ripon in its Draft Local Plan, indicating a potential yield of 430 homes, and received more than 100 comments from residents in the consultation.

Despite the majority of these comments objecting to the proposals, Gladman said that its inclusion demonstrates that HBC consider the site to be a "sustainable location for growth".

The statement said: "Ripon is recognised as a settlement capable of supporting further growth, with the Draft Local Plan spatial strategy directing additional residential growth to Ripon.

"The council have identified that the new homes can't be accommodated within the existing urban area.

"This means that the majority of new residential development will have to take place on greenfield sites in the open countryside, requiring the settlement boundary to be reviewed.

"The growth of the City of Ripon and changes to settlement boundaries is an inevitable consequence of meeting additional housing needs."

The plans attracted a wealth of criticism and concern from residents and councillors when they were first submitted in 2015.

More than 100 residents attended a Planning Committee meeting at Ripon City Council that year with many raising objections over the lack of infrastructure, traffic concerns and flooding.