Council confirms preferred site for thousands of new homes in Harrogate

Harrogate Borough Council has been considering two sites at Green Hammerton and Flaxby for an entire new settlement to be built, each ranging in size from 2,700 to 3,000 homes.

Now the authority has confirmed it is ‘minded’ to put forward land near the historic village of Green Hammerton as its preferred option, to help counter the district’s housing shortfall.

Officers are set to recommend the proposals, as well as additional sites and changes to the timetable, to allow for an additional six week public consultation to be held.

“It is important that we give people the opportunity to comment on the preferred location of a new settlement as it will play a part in shaping our district in the future,” said Nigel Avison, director of economy and culture at Harrogate Borough Council (HBC).

“Subject to agreement of the amended Local Plan timetable, this proposed public consultation will allow us to share the evidence underpinning our recommendation and to invite views before the final plan is reported to Full Council later this year.”

In November and December, the council had held a public consultation asking for views on the sites and policies contained within the draft Local Plan.

As part of this exercise, the council sought opinion on the two options for the location of the new settlement, as well as additional locations suggested at Deighton Grange and Cattal, known as Maltkiln.

It confirmed in a statement today that officers are minded to recommend Green Hammerton as the preferred location.

“Alongside this, officers are also likely to recommend that additional sites for housing and employment uses be included in the local plan in order to meet changes to housing and employment needs emerging from a review of the evidence base,” the statement said.

“As a revision to the Local Plan timetable, officers will recommend that an additional six week public consultation be held. If approved by council members, the consultation will commence on July 14, and will give the community and key stakeholders an opportunity to have their say on the additional sites, including the proposed location of the new settlement, before the plan is formally reported at a meeting of Full Council later this year.”

More follows.