Harrogate homes plan for ex-farm site expected to be approved

The proposed site for the homes is at the former Cow Dyke Farm, near Jennyfield

Plans to build 135 new houses on the site of a former North Yorkshire farm are expected to be given the go-ahead.

If approved, the scheme at Cow Dyke Farm, near Jennyfield, Harrogate, would include 54 "affordable" homes, developers said.

It would also have "strategic connections" to the town, they added.

North Yorkshire Council said while it did not object to the plans, it had "concerns" about how the new homes would affect traffic in the area.

The land is allocated for housing in the council's local plan and the scheme has been recommended for approval by a council officer in a report.

However, the proposals had received 72 letters of objection and none in support.

'Clearer detail'

Rowan Green Developments had been asked to pay a contribution of £161,906 towards Killinghall Village Hall and £76,347 for improvements at Jennyfield's recreation play area if the plan was approved, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council's highways department had also asked for "clearer detail" on how the scheme would affect the road network in the surrounding area.

Proposals for 145 homes at the site were approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2018, but planning conditions were never agreed and the homes were not built.

In recent years, hundreds of homes have been built on that section of Skipton Road by other developers, and Tesco also has planning permission to build a new supermarket near the site.

Councillors are due to meet on 26 March to discuss the plans.