Harrogate Spring Water scales back expansion plans

More than 400 objections were received to the original plans by Harrogate Spring Water

A mineral water firm is to scale back its expansion plans after previous proposals were rejected following a campaign by protesters.

Harrogate Spring Water said it had "taken stock" of concerns raised over its bid to expand its factory into a community woodland.

The company will now revert to smaller plans from 2017.

A campaign group said it welcomed the move, but was "disappointed" the expansion was still going ahead.

The larger proposals were rejected by Harrogate Borough Council's planning committee in January 2021, despite planning officers recommending approval.

More than 400 objections were lodged against the plans which councillors claimed put "profit and plastic before impact on the environment".

The refusal came after the company was granted outline permission to expand in 2017, but then submitted a revised application that was 40% larger and would have seen more trees chopped down at the 96-acre Rotary Wood, which was planted by children 16 years ago.

It will now submit an application for its original plans after holding a series of public consultation events next month.

Harrogate Spring Water say the expansion will create 30 jobs

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Richard Hall, managing director at the Danone-owned company, said in a statement: "We have taken on board the feedback from the community and we are now looking to move forward."

The firm added that the expansion would create 30 jobs and there was potential to make Rotary Wood more accessible to the public

A spokesperson for the Pinewoods Conservation Group said: "Whilst we are pleased that the plans for the larger site have now been dropped, we are disappointed that the company still plan to progress with the original development first proposed five years ago.

"This original development still has a large footprint of almost two acres that will see the removal of many trees and the loss of public accessible green space."