'Forgotten' Harrogate residents frustrated by a deluge of new housing say they are not backing down

Harrogate residents frustrated by a deluge of new housing say they are not backing down in their fight to mitigate the impact on daily life in their rapidly expanding neighbourhood.

After nearly seven years of running battles over the dust, disruption and road worries resulting from a series of housing developments, residents in the Kingsley and Bogs Lane area say they feel like their area has been “forgotten about”.

The latest flashpoint is focused on plans for 30 new houses at Kingsley Farm at the site of a former chicken farm, specifically, the location of a new access road and how that decision has been handled by the local authority.

Members of Kingsley Ward Action Group argue a new access point from the new housing development on Hawthorn Place into Kingsley Road would be “dangerous” in such a tight area of narrow streets and mini junctions.

And, they say, what makes the situation worse is that their calls for a 20mph speed limit to reduce the risks have been ignored so far.

“This has now become an extremely contentious issue locally with the very safety of residents riding on it,” said a spokesperson for Kingsley Ward Action Group.

"We have nothing against the plan for the new houses themselves in the Quarters development, it looks to be a very nice development.

”But the fallout from agreeing to this new access road could be terrible should someone be seriously hurt, adding to that the weight of evidence we have that points to serious flaws in the planning process.

“No one seems to care about residents’ interests in all of this.”

Residents have been boosted by a show of support from Harrogate Town Council over the access arrangements and how the issue has been handled.

A recent meeting of the council's Planning and Regulatory Committee agreed to write to North Yorkshire Council to highlight their own safety worries.

Members raised significant concerns regarding the permitted access arrangements, considering them inadequate and highlighting the cumulative impact of surrounding developments on local road safety.

A motion was passed to support residents' concerns and request that North Yorkshire Council should undertake a thorough review of the decision-making process, including relevant evidence.

Speaking to the Harrogate Advertiser, Councillor Josie Caven, who represents the Kingsley Ward on Harrogate Town Council, said she has been "shocked" at the way the question of the new access road and safety concerns had been dealt with.

“I was really shocked to learn that residents have repeatedly raised serious concerns about road safety, street lighting, and road conditions across the Kingsley area,” said Coun Caven.

”We have seen very little in the way of a productive response. Kingsley Road has long been used as a rat run, so the committee and I were approached to push for a 20mph speed limit.

“This needs to happen sooner rather than later, especially given there are missing speed limit signs.

“​The core of the problem is that North Yorkshire Council has essentially made the roads the developers' responsibility, leaving developers squabbling among themselves while local residents are left stuck in the middle.

“All of this clearly shows everyone living here that this area has simply been forgotten.

“I truly hope we are going to see changes for residents’ sake.”

Members of Kingsley Ward Action Group claim planners at North Yorkshire Council did not follow procedure over the new access road when the Kingsley Farm housing development (planning application 25/03298/REMMAJ) received its final approval at the reserved matters stage in May without, they say, any real discussion of the location.

After, in their own words, exhausting the council's internal complaints procedure, Kingsley Ward Action Group is now committed to escalating the matter to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) over how the council has handled the process.

In a statement to the Harrogate Advertiser, North Yorkshire Council’s head of development management, Martin Grainger, said: “We recognise the concerns that have been raised.

"However, as this matter is currently being considered by the Local Government Ombudsman, it would not be appropriate to comment further until that process has concluded.”