Pannal residents prepare to fight 'absurd' apartment block plans for former Dunlopillo site

Pannal residents are preparing to fight plans to demolish the derelict Dunlopillo office building and replace it with an apartment block which would sit two storeys higher.
This is the former Dunlopillo office building on Station Road. Photo: Google.This is the former Dunlopillo office building on Station Road. Photo: Google.
This is the former Dunlopillo office building on Station Road. Photo: Google.

Dunlopillo - which makes pillows and bedding - moved out of its Station Road site in 2008 when the company went into administration and its former office building has since fallen into disrepair, with residents describing it as a "monstrosity".

Anne Smith has lived in the village for 56 years and said residents want to see the building brought down, but are strongly opposed to plans from Quattro Property Group to replace it with an apartment block made up of six storeys and 48 flats.

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She said: "The current building has been badly vandalised - all of its windows are broken. It is just horrible and the best option for us would be for it to be demolished. We would like it gone.

"This is the only building of this height in Pannal, so the new apartments would stick out even more. If they have to build there, we would prefer small bungalows or houses."

Mrs Smith said residents are now rallying to lodge their objections to the plans online ahead of a decision from Harrogate Borough Council.

Documents submitted with the plans said the proposed apartments would be split into two blocks, one with four storeys and another with six.

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The apartments would be one and two bedrooms, with one car parking space for each and additional spaces for visitors.

Resident Emma Liddle was the first to lodge an objection online. She said: "Some apartments will house four people who may all have their own vehicles.

"There is no way to provide enough parking allocation for the number of residents, which will inevitably mean that on-street parking will increase as a result.

"It also will contribute to already busy junctions and queuing at the traffic lights.

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"Surely a high rise block of flats is an absurd concept for such a small village."

Quattro Property Group was contacted to comment on these concerns but did not respond at the time of publication.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter