Planning green light for more than 200 homes and a school

Proposals for a new residential development south west of Harrogate are set to move forward after they won the support of North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee.

Developer Banks Property has been progressing plans for the new Castle Hill West housing scheme on a 12.7 hectare site on Whinney Lane in Pannal Ash, which would include 224 new homes as well as a new primary school.

Its proposals for the site, which was allocated for residential development in the Harrogate Local Plan, were recommended for approval by planning officers.

This recommendation has now been accepted by the council’s planning committee.

Castle Hill West will include a 40% allocation of affordable housing. It is located opposite the Castle Hill Farm residential development, for which Banks Property received planning permission in 2018 and which was subsequently built out by a regional housebuilder.

Gillian Reed, senior development manager at the Banks Group, said: “Having had a recommendation for approval from North Yorkshire Council’s expert planning officers for a site that is allocated for residential development in the Harrogate Local Plan, we are very pleased members of the council’s strategic planning committee have unanimously supported that recommendation.

“We worked with local community groups for a number of years, we’ve listened and we have provided reassurance about how development will work.

“Castle Hill West offers a fantastic opportunity to deliver a wide range of new community facilities alongside 224 much needed new homes, 40% of which will be affordable homes, as well as the supporting social, environmental and transport infrastructure that is an essential part of creating a thriving new community.

“Land and resources will be made available within the development for the construction of a new primary school on the site, while substantial contributions to the expansion and improvement of local secondary education, healthcare and sports facilities, as well as transport infrastructure, will also be included.

“The new government has stressed the importance of increasing the UK’s supply of high-quality homes, both to ensure people have the housing options they need in the places they want to live and to support the wider UK economy’s future growth.

“The Castle Hill West site will now be part of meeting both these objectives.”