Why is housing needed at this site?
Good quality and mixed housing are increasingly unaffordable in Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire.
The Government has significantly increased the housing requirement in North Yorkshire in recent times, with the most recent housing target totalling 4,144 new homes a year, up from 1,384 previously.
The currently allocated housing numbers fall significantly short of delivering the quantity and quality of homes required. Additionally, sites which are allocated for development may not be delivered in a reasonable timescale – this site is deliverable soon.
How will you mitigate against impact on the local health service and schools?
We will have detailed discussions with the Local Authority and Health Service to discuss potential impacts and agree any mitigation required. This will involve looking at how many new primary and secondary school pupils the development will support, and how these impacts nearby schools. We will also look at matters like impact on local doctor surgeries. A financial contribution is likely to offset the impact of the development on local services.
What are you consulting on at this stage?
We are consulting on the early draft proposals ahead of submitting an Outline Planning Application to North Yorkshire Council. This application will cover the principle of development and access points. We want to seek views and input at this stage so the proposals can be the best possible. At this stage there is opportunity for plans to change and evolve, so please provide comments and ideas even if you do not agree with the proposals – this will allow us to incorporate improvements where possible.
Is this the final opportunity to engage with these plans?
No, residents will be able to submit comments to North Yorkshire Council following planning submission. If the plans are successful, detailed plans (Reserved Matters Planning Application) would be submitted to North Yorkshire Council, with further opportunity for people to comment.
What is the timescale for delivering this scheme?
An Outline Planning Application will be submitted following public consultation, in Autumn 2025. We would expect a planning decision in early 2026 which would agree the principle of development and access to the site, if successful. At that stage we would move on to a Reserved Matters Planning Application which agrees the home designs and the scheme in further detail. There will be opportunity for residents to view and comment on the plans at that stage as well.
How long would construction take place for?
This will be confirmed in due course, but we would expect 320 homes and associated landscaping to take approximately 6 years to be fully completed. We will be able to provide an accurate timeframe as we move forward in the process.
What kinds of houses would be included?
We are not in a position yet to confirm the final size and range of house types that will be delivered on site at this stage but expect it to broadly align with the Council’s housing needs which identify a need for 1-4 bedroomed dwellings.
How many affordable homes would be delivered?
We are proposing 40% affordable homes as part of this scheme. This includes a full range of shared ownership and affordable rent options. At a later stage, Taylor Wimpey would partner with an affordable housing provider to sell or rent these homes.
We encourage interested people to submit a feedback form indicating their interest to live at this development, and further details will be confirmed in due course.
What will the new homes look like?
We are not in a position yet to confirm the final design and appearance of the homes. That level of detail will come in a Reserved Matters Planning Application.
Will the new homes be energy efficient?
Yes, the proposed homes are expected to align with the Future Homes Standards which will see a c.50% reduction in carbon emissions against current building regulations.
Whilst we are still developing our standards, we expect this to include solar panels, triple glazing, smart heating controls, electric charge points and air source heat pumps amongst many other measures.
What surveys have taken place on-site?
Ecological Appraisals and species surveys have taken place throughout the year. The detailed assessments will be submitted with the Outline Planning Application. This will look at existing habitats and how the development considers these alongside any mitigation works.
Will you achieve a biodiversity net gain?
Yes, we will be aiming to achieve a biodiversity net gain (BNG) on-site through a range of measures including new planting and open green landscaping.
BNG means we will be required to have more natural habitats on-site after development than were present before development started.
Will this development cause further flooding?
In preparation for the planning application, we have undertaken a flood risk assessment of the site. The assessment has explored all potential sources of flood risk at the development and concluded that the entire site lies within Flood Zone 1, indicating a low probability of fluvial flooding (less than 1 in 1000 annual chance). There are no areas of Flood Zone 2 or 3 within the application boundary. Through the delivery of on-site mitigation, the site is not expected to flood or cause flooding downstream of the development.
How are you considering the potential impact of this development on local roads?
A Transport Assessment (TA) and Travel Plan (TP) is currently being produced to support the planning application.
Traffic surveys have been undertaken at the site access and other nearby junctions in the local area. These have formed the basis for further assessments to project what impact the proposed development will have on these junctions. The assessments show that the proposed development will not have a severe impact on the operation of the local highway network.
Detailed discussions will take place with North Yorkshire Council’s Highways Department to agree any required mitigations.