March 2020
The Modified Local Plan was adopted at a full Council meeting by Harrogate Borough Council. This can be accessed via the following link: Harrogate District Local Plan
October 2019
The comments on the Main Modifications consultation have now been sent to the Inspector. His final comments are expected in October / November 2019, and the final Local Plan will then be produced. This will be adopted at a full Harrogate Borough Council Meeting in December. As it is now almost decided, its settlement limits and sites etc can be given greater weight in planning discussions. Once it is adopted, they will be given full weight, and it is unlikely that applications for development of sites outside the settlement limits and not in the Local Plan will be successful.
August 2019
Harrogate BC have now published their Main Modifications (MMs) to the draft Local Plan, taking on board the recommendations made by the Inspector at the hearings in January/February that major development within the Nidderdale AONB should NOT be allowed.
MM104 is the DELETION of allocated site DR14 which was the site envisaged by HBC as having 88 houses stretching from Sheepcote Lane across the back of Meadow Lane. You will be aware that there are currently 2 applications for housing on this site (1 for 60 houses from Meadow Lane and 1 for 29 houses from Sheepcote Lane). If the site is NOT within the Local Plan that it makes it much more likely that the applications will be REFUSED.
MM66 lists all the allocated sites with deletions marked, including DR14 and DR1 (the site envisaged for 9 houses east of Stumps Lane - which currently has permission for 5 houses)
Other Main Modifications include strengthening the policy re development in the AONB, bringing it into line with National Policy- stating that major developments in the AONB will be REFUSED unless there are exceptional circumstances; decreasing the total number of houses to be built over the next 20 years; and deleting the Harrogate to Pateley Bridge bus route as a key public transport corridor with good service for commuters. Contact Sue Welch if you also wish to support these and she can give you their numbers.
March 2019 - Good News! The Inspector has sent a letter to HBC suggesting that the large sites within the AONB - including DR14 in Darley (88 houses) should be DELETED from the Local Plan. HBC will now have to respond to the Inspector and it is likely that they will accept his advice and the proposal of a large block of houses in Darley will be removed! This should affect the current application for 60 houses on part of site Dr14, but this cannot be certain until the final report is published and the Local Plan adopted - probably in the summer! The Parish Council will continue the fight.
January 2019 - The Draft Local Plan is now being looked at by an Inspector, who has commented on Darley within his Matters, Issues and Questions Documents. He questions whether the number of houses planned within Darley, and within the AONB is justified. The Parish Council Chairman has been arguing this case, and the Inspector has indicated his concerns about such development which affects the landscape and character of the village adversely, is disproportionate to the current size and standing of the village and is a major development in the AONB.
During 2017/18, Harrogate Borough Council carried out a public consultation into the Draft Local Plan, which aims to set the development limit of the village and highlight the preferred options for building to give the required number of houses throughout the borough for the period to 2030. In Darley the allocated sites are a site west of Stumps Lane, for 9 houses, and a site off Sheepcote Lane for 88 houses. The Plan was inspected at Public Hearings in January / February 2019