Killinghall village ‘under siege’ from developers

Geoff Turner, who lives on Addison Villas in the village has distributed leaflets to residents entitled ‘don’t kill Killinghall’, encouraging residents to lodge their complaints.

A meeting was held on Monday evening (January 26) to discuss Gladman Development’s proposal for 91 homes at Nidd House Farm Crofters Green.

Mr Turner said Killinghall residents feel that the character of the village will be lost forever due to the amount of housing due to be built nearby.

He said: “It will ruin the character of the area. This is an ancient village, it is written about in the doomsday book. It was here long before Harrogate.

“Killinghall is the gateway to the Nidderdale AONB, the views will be spoiled.”

Three separate planning permissions for over 270 homes have been granted for sites in the village in the last year.

If the latest proposals get given the go ahead, Mr Turner said the village will have almost doubled in size.

He added: “People who live in the area are just so upset with what has happened in the last year.

Mr Turner said that he thinks that Killinghall village is in a ‘David and Goliath’ style battle with developers and that planning appeals are inevitable.

“Developers have got so much money to spend on these appeals but Harrogate Borough Council doesn’t, it has your money and my money.”

Killinghall Coun Michael Harrison (Con), who is also Cabinet Member for Planning, said that Gladman was targeting Killinghall because of the councils lack of local plan and five year housing supply.

He said: “Villagers are right to be upset and feeling that the village is under siege from developers. They are correct.

“It is, in my view, an unacceptable way to get planning permission and it deprives the local residents, and the local council, of the right to have their say on how the district should be developed.”

Gladmans proposals are available to view on Harrogate Borough Council’s website reference number: 14/05329/OUTMAJ.