Plans for 53 new homes on Knox Lane in Harrogate to be considered at council meeting next week

It will be the fourth time a scheme has gone before councillors in Harrogate after being deferred on the previous occasions.

North east-based developer Jomast is behind the proposal but it has been met with fierce opposition from local residents.

Objectors have raised a host of concerns with contamination proving to be particularly contentious.

This is because some of the site was previously part of a railway that pulled hoppers and tankers for the gas works in Bilton.

Asbestos was used for installation on steam trains and there are also concerns that tar from coal could still be toxic, posing a threat to future residents.

Most recently in May, the plans were deferred after the developer failed to provide reports that were requested at the previous meeting on toxic materials at the site and on the effects of living below power lines.

Since the last meeting, engineering consultants Solmek have investigated the site again on behalf of the developer for an updated report.

Seven excavations were evenly spread across the site and the former railway line.

The document is available to read on North Yorkshire Council’s planning portal.

It says: “The levels of contamination recorded on site are unlikely to pose a risk to the current and future users of the site.”

However, Dr Damian Bowen, a toxicology expert who lives near where the homes are proposed, has submitted a response that criticises the methodology used by Solmek in its report.

The councillors’ decision will again likely hinge on whether they are satisfied that the land is safe to build on.

North Yorkshire Council case officer Andy Hough wrote that the scheme meets the council’s planning policies and should be approved.

He said: “The development of the site, which has been extensively amended and reduced since submission, will contribute towards the district’s housing need across the plan period.

"The site is located within a sustainable location for housing and has been designed in such a way that the layout takes into account the constraints of the site, whilst ensuring that it retains and builds upon the natural features of the site.”