Killinghall village to double in size as developers eye up sites

Killinghall’s village community is in jeopardy because of the number of housing developments proposed for the area, villagers say.
29/1/15 Local Residents who are opposing  the proposed housing development at Killinghall near Harrogate stood in one of the fields that will be built on .(GL1004/77c)29/1/15 Local Residents who are opposing  the proposed housing development at Killinghall near Harrogate stood in one of the fields that will be built on .(GL1004/77c)
29/1/15 Local Residents who are opposing the proposed housing development at Killinghall near Harrogate stood in one of the fields that will be built on .(GL1004/77c)

Around 80 people turned out to a village hall meeting to protest that ‘enough is enough’ and the village has taken more than its fair share of housing.

Two sites for up to 143 homes in the village have been granted planning permission in the past year, and developers continue to eye up the attractive village.

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“We just don’t know where the applications will go next,” said Sylvia Turner who lives on Addison Villas.

People in the village are only just starting to wake up to it and realise the difference it will make,” she added.

“The village community is in jeopardy, we are already going to be almost doubling in size, we have taken our fair share in Killinghall.”

She added: “This is not just NIMBYism, although I admit I don’t want houses built outside of my window and I understand that they have to be built but really I think Killinghall has got enough for the infrastructure it has.”

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“We just have to hope that somebody sees sense. There are rumours all the time of new developers looking around.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Coun Michael Harrison (Con) is also the ward councillor for the village.

He agrees that the small village is being unfairly targeted, He said: “There is a big difference between sites which were in the former local plan it is the ones that haven’t been considered by the council before, in the village that I’m concerned about.”

Plans to build 170 homes off Skipton Road are set to go the planning committee next Tuesday (March 31) and, although they are outside of Killinghall’s boundary, villagers say it will begin to bridge the gap between Harrogate and the village.

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Coun Harrison said: “Other developments on the outskirts of the village will have a collective impact though, and residents have told me they are worried about that.”

Council officers are recommending that the plans are approved, though the developer, Bellway Homes, will have to shoulder the cost of vast road improvements on Skipton Road if they wish to build homes before Tesco starts work on its superstore.

Meanwhile elsewhere in Harrogate, developers, HTH Harrogate LLP aren’t taking no for an answer and have resubmitted plans for 450 homes near Cardale Park.

Developers have also appealed the councils decision to refuse the plans which Coun Harrison has said the council plans to defend.

He said: “The appeal will run alongside this which makes it difficult as the council now has to prepare for both. The council has employed consultants to look at backing up the decision at appeal.”