After a unanimous vote by HBC’s Planning Committee on 13.03.18 to reject plans for up to 80 dwellings at Rowden Lane (HM4&5) local residents in Hampsthwiate are celebrating another victory in their campaign to stop the over development of their village.
Concerned that the cumulative effect of new housing developments around the village would be detrimental to their community, Katy Taylor, addressing the HBC Planning committee on behalf of the Hampsthwaite Action Group, explained how there was compelling evidence to prove that the application to build on HM4&5(Rowden Lane) was not sustainable and would have an adverse impact on the landscape of the village, which sits on the edge of the Nidderdale AONB.
‘The village school is full and no amount of extra cash will fix that, current levels of traffic are too much and this site and others around the village are prone to flooding because of a drainage and sewerage system that is overloaded. In addition, the visibility of this site means that 80 new houses on this site would destroy the landscape forever.’
In recommending refusal of the application, HBC’s Planning Officers have also found that due to the location of the site there could be clear, substantive adverse impacts arising in terms of environmental issues.
Hampsthwaite, Harrogate HG3 2HR, UK
Supporting the Planning Officer’s recommendation to refuse the proposal, Cllr Pat Marsh questioned the developer’s suggestion that the Rowden Lane site was not a ‘valued landscape’, stating that such rural areas were, ‘of value to all of us’.
For the villagers of Hampsthwaite, the refusal of planning for this site has given them hope that another proposed development in the village at Birstwith Lane (HM9) might be rejected on the same grounds.
Hampsthwaite Action Group Chair, Terry Mounsey said:
The fact that HBC has refused planning for this site acknowledges the unsustainability of developments like this and the importance of preserving our rural landscape and environment. All of the reasons for refusing this application (HM4&5) equally apply to HM9in Hampsthwaite and so we are confident that the council will also see sense and reject that proposal too.
