Village fears over housing
Pannal residents have pledged to fight possible “monstrous” developments amid fears that the community could become a “dormer village” for Leeds.
At a meeting last week, more than 100 villagers vowed to resist potential development which includes a 42-acre plot – the size of 61 football pitches – on green field land on Green Belt Land at Daw Cross and another in the Green Belt on Pannal Golf Course, which the club says was put forward by building company, Kebbell Development, without its knowledge.
Several other site of land for sale in Harrogate and around Pannal, including one for housing and business use at Dunlopillo and a residential plot on Pannal Grange, have been suggested by would-be developers as part of Harrogate’s government-driven housing targets, which are outlined in the borough council’s newspaper, Plan the Future With Us.
Residents raised concerns about the ability of local schools to cope with a population increase, the loss of industry which enforces Pannal’s village identity and a loss of footpaths as the possible sites were presented.
Worried about Pannal’s roads being brought to a standstill by extra traffic, one resident said: “The traffic implications of any development there are huge.”
Another raised concerns about the possibility of job losses if industrial sites are replaced by housing and said: “If we get rid of industry or business, we’ll just turn into a ‘dormer village’ for people commuting to Leeds.”
However, borough council planning policy manager Dave Sykes said that the council does not want Pannal engulfed by development.
“For Pannal, the preferred approach is to look at land in the built-up area of the village,” he said.
“We’ll also be looking at minor roundings off and minor extensions to these villages,” he added, stressing that the sites are far from set in stone.
“We’re at the earliest stage of this process and it must be made absolutely clear that the council isn’t putting forward any of these sites.
“Clearly, there’s huge amounts of swathes of land that have been put forward by land owners and we don’t need anywhere near that.”
Mr Sykes said that 250 to 300 sites have now been put forward district-wide and current public consultation will be followed up by another in March.
Residents have until July 21 to respond to the consultation.
Maps of the sites put forward to be considered for development can be viewed at www.harrogate.gov.uk/ldf or at libraries throughout the district.
Date: Friday 14th July, 2006
Source: Harrogate Today
