Planning News

Parish Councils comments on Alpha Homes Development

PLANNING APPLICATION 20/05181/FULMAJ

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF 98 DWELLINGS AT MOOR ROAD, BISHOP MONKTON

Background

The Bishop Monkton Parish Council represents the village and submits below its comments on the above development.  These are in line with the 100 plus individual objections recorded on the Harrogate Planning website.

In December 2019 the Council was made aware that Alpha Homes were proposing a housing development on the BM2 and BM4 sites and were to start discussions with Harrogate BC.  A meeting was arranged with the developers and the following items raised by the council.  No plans were shown at this stage.

The density of the development

The character of the building types should reflect the village as a whole.  A standard housing layout would not fit in with what is a small rural village

The importance of considering properties surrounding the site

Access and road safety on Knaresborough Road.  The design of the Moor Road crossroads.  Speeding on Knaresborough Road.

The importance of footpaths and cycleways especially up Moor Road

Foul and surface water drainage taking into account that drainage within the village was already overloaded.  Surface water storage and where was this to be discharged

Village flooding and to help in reducing this if possible by diverting water off Moor Road

The importance of the green agenda and environmental issues and that open green spaces should be incorporated

Wider village benefits.  Local school contributions.

The Parish Council received no further information until the full scheme was made public in August 2020.  The Council considered that very few of the items raised in December 2019 had been taken into account in Alpha Homes proposals and made further detailed comments to them at the end of August 2020.  It is with regret that again the developers proposals submitted for detailed planning approval in December 2020 do not take into account the objections and comments previously made.

The objections the Parish Council wishes to raise are set out below:

Density of the Development and Number of Houses Proposed

There is considerable concern at the size of the development which at 98 units is up to 27% increase  in the size of the village.  The density is seen as serious damage and out of scale with the character of the village.  The 30 dwellings per hectare being well above the density of the rest of the village.  There is a general feeling that an urban high density scale development is being proposed and that the village character and identity will be destroyed.  The argument put forward in the Design and Access Statement that a lower density would result in larger and more expensive dwellings is invalid.  There is no need to change the housing type just reduce the number so that more green space can be introduced.  Bishop Monkton, a secondary service village, is being developed faster and further than primary service villages.

There is general concern that the proposals are beyond the infrastructure capability of the village and surrounding area which covers roads, public transport, shops, doctors surgeries as well as drainage with no infrastructure improvements proposed.

Design and Building Character

The Parish Council at our initial meeting with Alpha Homes in December 2019 and our consultation report in August 2020 stressed the importance that the developers should look closely at the character of the village and building types and not produced their standard brick box type units.  This advice has been totally ignored.

The photographs of buildings in the village used to illustrate how they have decided that their standard two storey units is acceptable is incomprehensible.  On this basis the whole site should be covered in bungalows which is the pre eminent building type in his part of the village.  A mixture of heights and character is required.

Below is an extract from our consultation report sent to Alfa Homes last August:

''Bishop Monkton is a village not a suburb of Leeds, Harrogate or even Boroughbridge.  Yet we seem to be getting a development generally found in these locations.  A standard developers housing layout.  We ask that your architects walk through our village from the church at the top down the beck to the Corn Mill at the bottom. You will see townscape features encouraging you to explore further – the church, the beck, the bridges, the ford, the Mechanics Institute, the paper mill etc.  This type of design can be reproduced in your development by incorporating building features, landscape views, open areas and landscape within the site.

The village is set around green spaces not car parking and roads.  The buildings vary in height and character and were initially constructed of limestone and field cobbles later in Victorian times brickwork was included with rendered buildings in places.  Why cannot this varying character be included in your proposals when all we see in the proposals is 100 plus developers standard two storey brick boxes.''

We ask again that this development reflects the village building character and not a standard urban housing estate.  The development must be part of the village not isolated from it.  The Conservation Area Character Appraisal October 2008 illustrates the village character and incorporates statements on new development design.  Whilst this site is not in the conservation area full recognition on what this contains must be made and not ignored as stated in the Design and Access Statement even though statements at the beginning of their report indicate that keeping in local character should be a priority. Policy HP3 and National Planning Policy Framework.

Materials in construction should be varied.  Consider render, limestone, field cobbles, feature buildings on entry to the site.  Focal points are important to attract one into the development.  It is no use stating that sandstone cills (note not the local material limestone) and render are a local characteristic and will be used and then reproducing brick house type standard drawings with nothing shown.

A plan is attached showing our suggestions on the layout made in August 2020.  This incorporates a central green spine. This is still relevant.

By reducing the density of the development views can be opened up and more green space can be introduced. To quote the Conservation Area Character Appraisal 'Resist inappropriate development at the edges of the village where views tend to be more dispersed'.

The general appearance of the development  is road and car dominated with car parking in front of all houses.  This is contrary to the village character where car parking is to the side or behind housing.  A reduction in density would minimise the dominance of vehicles in the street scene.

Again, the layout and character of the Moor Road and Knaresborough Road frontage have been questioned as appropriate to a rural village.  On Knaresborough Road car parking and access roads are the dominant feature.

Roads and Road Safety

The infrastructure surrounding Bishop Monkton consists of narrow country lanes which cannot take safely the increase in traffic proposed.  Knaresborough Road both to the north and south have lengths of single track as well as narrow sections which are difficult to pass.  Boroughbridge Road which runs to the A1 has long sections of single track road. The increase in the number of car journeys from the development cannot be taken safely by these roads.

The main area of concern the village has is the increase in traffic at the Hungate, Knaresborough Road, Moor Road junction.  This has been the site of numerous accidents over the years listed in a number of residents' objections.  Whilst the alterations proposed by Alpha Homes at this crossroads helps, it does not fully make the junction safe.  Sight lines are inadequate and speeding on Knaresborough Road persists,  NY Highways are proposing a chicane at the Ripon entrance to the village but a comprehensive implementation of all safety measures is needed before the development starts, not left for years after as has happened with the Kebble Homes development.

Objections have been raised on the new access position on Knaresborough Road being only 60m. away from the above junction and then the suggestion of the possibility of moving it to  new roundabout with Meadowcroft Drive. Another mini roundabout at the Hungate/Moor Road junction has been suggested. This highlights the need for a comprehensive look at the full length of Knaresborough Road not this site in isolation.

An emergency road access off Moor Road is proposed.  We question, as do a number of residents, why this cannot be made a second alternative access thus avoiding the dangerous Knaresborough Road junction.  Alpha Homes have stated that it would affect hedges and be a rat run.  We do not accept this and ask again that this secondary access is opened up.

The affect of the extra traffic on the junction with Moor Road and the A61 is causing concern on safety and delays.  This again highlights the need for a comprehensive reappraisal of safety on all surrounding roads.  The use of data from edge of town urban areas in the traffic report is not considered to be relevant to a small village with narrow roads.

Pedestrian safety was raised at an early stage with Alpha Homes.  The Parish Councils long term aim is to have a footpath/cycle way from the village up to the A61. With the increase in traffic on Moor Road this becomes a priority as it is well used by pedestrians to get to the Route 36 bus stop, cyclists and horse riders from the stud farm.  We had hoped the developer might contribute to this. One item we did request was that a footpath be introduced along the full frontage of Moor Road  This has been incorporated up the the “emergency access” only.  We require as a minimum this extending up to the NE corner of the site.  If this effects the existing hedge then the footpath could be incorporated within the site.

The pedestrian access across Knaresborough Road needs to be considered.  The site will be cut off from the village centre.  Again the site must not be considered in isolation but how it fits in with the surrounding area.

Drainage and Flooding

As can be seen by the many objections to the development, this is of major concern to the village.  This problem was raised to our initial meeting with Alpha Homes in December 2019.  We stated then that the existing sewers were overloaded and the beck floods and would not take any run off from the site,  We even walked down the village to show their representatives the flooding problems.  We told them that a radical new approach needed to be looked at before any application is made.  Over a year later it is apparent that no work has been done to analyse the village problems.

With reference to the surface water run off, their drainage plan proposes holding tanks with a run off of 5.3 litre/sec and gives three alternative solutions to where it could go.  To the beck on SW corner of the site, to the beck via a new drain down Meadowcroft Road or into the existing sewers.  All have been discounted by North Yorkshire Environmental Services and Yorkshire Water.

Residents point out in their objections that the drainage problems are of overflowing manholes, flooding of properties throughout the village and drains blocking.  The present sewerage system is at full capacity and cannot take the present properties let alone new drainage even if it is foul drainage only.  The overflow of untreated effluent spilling out into the streets and then into the beck and River Ure must be stopped and not made worse. Yorkshire Water must act now.  A full analysis of the drainage system within the village must be carried out before any new developments are granted permission.  The Environment Agency must be consulted.  Do not have this as a condition – it must be acted on now before more flooding occurs.

Landscaping and Heritage

The Archaeology and Heritage Based Assessment has indicated that geophysical survey and trial trenching should be carried out before permission is granted.  This is important.  The village is over 1000 years old and is known to be the site of one of the Archbishop of York palaces. The Bishop Monkton Local History Group believes that could be important remains on the site.

The environmental impact on the village was stressed early on with Alpha Homes as an important aspect of any development.

There appears to be little information on how the developers are going to compensate for loss of wildlife habitat.  Green space is minimal but could be increased if the density of the housing was reduced.

It has been pointed out by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in their comments on the development that Brook Ecological appraisal contains no detailed assessment of the proposed residential scheme and therefore specific impacts are not listed.  The Trust state that proposals should demonstrate a measurable net gain of 10% as good practice if not yet in law. We ask that this is achieved.

It has also been highlighted that whilst a number of the existing hedges are retained, they are now incorporated into private gardens therefore control over how they are maintained is lost.  A central public green spine up the centre of the development as we originally proposed and pulling the development away from the Old Vicarage boundary would help to achieve this and maintain these important  features of the site.

The new footpath and green space proposed from Knaresborough Road does not give any public benefit. The view into the site up this space is of a vehicle turning head and a road.  No houses look over this area.  It does not contribute to the character of the development.  As we have said before – townscape, character and views must be considered.

The “green space” highlighted in the centre of the northern boundary is nothing more than a fenced pumping station with an underground surface water tank and electrical substation.  No trees only grass can be planted in this area and is not compensation for what is lost.

The affect of views around the site and new views within the site have been ignored.  The important view from Burton Leonard across to Ripon is highlighted in residents objections.

Can North Yorkshire CC Highways please explain why tarmac footpaths are required both sides of the access road.  We are aware that this is a standard adoptable road requirement in urban situations but in other areas of the country this is reduced to one footpath.  This would free up more area that could be planted with trees as part of green space that we are suggesting through the development.

Infrastructure

The lack of infrastructure within the area has been highlighted in the roads section above.  Other objections raised by residents cover:

• Bus services through the village which are minimal.
• The lack of footpaths outside the development area especially up to the Ripon/Harrogate A61 bus stop.
• Pedestrian crossing of Knaresborough Road.
• Village school capacity.
• Road capacity with 150 plus extra cars.
• Construction development of the site with the majority of the roads having only a 7.5 ton load limit.
• Mud on the roads from construction traffic running down Hungate and ending up in the beck.
• Lack of a village shop.

It appears to the village that the developers have looked at the site in isolation and not considered its affect on the local community both during and after construction – this is unacceptable.

Summary

The Bishop Monkton Parish Council objects to the proposals put forward by Alpha Homes for the following reasons:

• Density is too high with little respect to the layout and character of the village.
• Design of the housing and materials used lacks reference to the materials and design in the original central core of the village which is the basic character of Bishop Monkton.
• The safety and design of the road system must be investigated further and acted upon before approval is given.
• The drainage proposals are incapable of being incorporated into the present drain system or beck without causing significant damage to properties and effluent overflow; the environmental consequences of such events must be avoided.
• The pedestrian and cycle flows and routes need to be considered further around the site.
• The infrastructure covering the surrounding, roads, schools and bus transport cannot incorporate a large scale development.
• The overall environmental impact is negative.

We ask that the application is refused or deferred until the above issues are investigated and taken into account.

Alpha Homes Development - 14th January 2021

Alpha Homes has now submitted the planning application for 98 houses on Knaresborough Road. The deadline for public comments is 7th February 2021. You can view the application HERE

Lamb and Flag Update

Harrogate Borough Council have extended the deadline for public comments on the planning application to 31st January 2021. 

 

Update - 26th October 2020

Please find the consultation schedule of comments and a revised draft site layout which the schedule cross refers to below:

Parish Council Comments

The Parish Council submitted its comments for the development on 25th August 2020. Please read the document below. 

Proposed Residential Development in Bishop Monkton

The Knaresborough Road development plans cover two sites BM2 and BM4 which are incorporated in the Harrogate District Plan 2014-2035.  The indicative yield for both sites is 94 units.

The Parish Council were approached in December 2019 by Berkeley DeVeer to say they were in discussion with Harrogate Planning Department and wanted guidance as to how they should present the details of the development to the village which was planned for January/February 2020.  The Council requested a meeting as they felt it was important the developers should be aware of areas of concern the village would have on any proposals.  This meeting took place at the beginning of December 2019.  Three representatives of the Council attended.

At the meeting no proposals or plans were put forward by the developer only to say there would be 94 units, the type of units and the access position.  The representative of the Council put forward the following items for consideration in the development plans:

• The density of the development
• The character of the building types should reflect the village as a whole.  A standard housing layout would not fit in with what is a small rural village
• The importance of considering properties surrounding the site
• Access and road safety on Knaresborough Road
• The design of the Moor Road crossroads. 
• Speeding on Knaresborough Road.
• The importance of footpaths and cycleways especially up Moor Road
• Foul and surface water drainage taking into account that drainage within the village was already overloaded.  Surface water storage and where was this to be discharged
• Village flooding and to help in reducing this if possible, by diverting water off Moor Road
• The importance of the green agenda and environmental issues and that open green spaces should be incorporated
• Wider village benefits.  
• Local school contributions.

The representatives indicated they would take all this into account in their design and report back for a village meeting in early 2020.  Due to Covid-19 this has not taken place. The only further information the Parish Council reported to the developer was following a meeting with North Yorkshire Highways on road safety on Knaresborough Road.  Alterations to Moor Road at the junction with Knaresborough Road was agreed in that Moor Road could be moved over half a carriageway width into the developers site to avoid drivers not stopping at the junction.  This appears to have been partly incorporated in the proposals.  North Yorkshire Highways also reported that they were considering a double chicane on Knaresborough Road at the Ripon village entrance to reduce traffic speed.  Further traffic calming would be introduced at the other end of the village as part of future developments.

The Parish Council received no further information and only saw first details of the layout late last week at the same time as the village received postal notification.

Full details of the proposals have been posted by the Parish Council on the Mechanics Institute noticeboard on Boroughbridge Road and on the Knaresborough Road board.

All members of the public are encouraged to make comments to the developers direct.  As indicated in the documentation the developers have to take into account in their design comments made before the planning application is submitted.  So have your say!  Further comments can be made by the public to Harrogate Borough Council when the planning application is lodged probably in
September/October 2020.

Please click on the links below that outline details of a virtual public consultation event for a proposed development at a site known as ‘Land West of Knaresborough Road’.