Victory for campaigners over development at gateway to the Dales

CAMPAIGNERS HAVE hailed a victory in a long-fought battle over new housing to be built in the gateway to Nidderdale.

Residents, setting up a campaign group in the Harrogate village of Hampsthwaite, had fiercely opposed the plans which would see up to 80 homes built in a field on the fringe of the village. It was the latest in a long line of applications for the village which is set to see 25 per cent growth.

After a unanimous refusal by planners in Harrogate on Tuesday for the site off Rowden Lane, campaigners have spoken of their delight at hearing it had been deemed an “unsustainable development”, and said they hoped it paved the way for blocking further developments in the area.

Hampsthwaite Action Group chairman Terry Mounsey said: “The fact that Harrogate Borough Council has refused planning for this site acknowledges the unsustainability of developments like this and the importance of preserving our rural landscape and environment.”

The plans, from the Vernon Land Partnership, had been for up to 80 homes as well as the reservation of land for a medical facility. Despite the presumption it would be favoured in the absence of a five-year plan for the authority, officers had recommended it for refusal.

“There are clear substantive adverse impacts arising in terms of environmental issues due to the location of the site,” the report said. “There are no material considerations of sufficient weight to warrant the granting of planning permission.”