Developer says scheme would relieve tight local housing supply
Plans to build up to 150 homes on green belt land close to Harrogate have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council, with the applicant arguing the scheme would help address a significant shortfall in the local housing supply.
The outline application from Forward Investments LLP covers a 7.93‑hectare site south of Smithy Close and west of Thirkhill Drive and the A61 at Pannal. The land comprises three agricultural fields and an existing recreation ground that currently contains two playing fields, a car park and a children’s play area.
No date has yet been set for the council to determine the application. The developer frames the proposals as a third phase of development in the area around the former Dunlopillo site, following previous housing, a care home and commercial development.
Developer highlights ‘severe’ under‑supply of housing land
A planning statement submitted with the application says the former Harrogate district has barely over two years of deliverable housing land, compared with the five‑year supply required by national planning policy. The statement calculates that 5,492 homes are required over five years, including the relevant buffer, while the latest available figures identify a deliverable supply of 3,111 properties.
"The former Harrogate district currently has just over two years of deliverable housing land... The developer describes the situation as a 'severe level of under supply'."
The developer uses those figures to justify a release of green belt land, arguing that the shortfall in deliverable sites warrants new housing on the Pannal site. The precise balance of housing types, tenure mix, affordable housing contribution and the extent of public open space would be matters for later detailed planning stages should the outline be granted consent.
Local implications and concerns
The application raises a series of issues that will be weighed by councillors and local people when the proposal is considered:
- Loss of green belt and agricultural land: the site occupies nearly 8 hectares of fields currently designated as green belt.
- Impact on community facilities: the site includes a recreation ground with two playing fields and a play area.
- Infrastructure and services: additional homes would increase demand on local roads, schools, health services and utilities.
- Habitat and landscaping: the proposal references public open space, ecological habitat and landscaping as part of the scheme.
Local residents and community groups often raise concerns about the loss of playing fields and green space, the capacity of existing infrastructure and the precedent set by accepting green belt releases. The planning statement’s contention about housing supply will be set against national planning policy, local plan allocations and the council’s assessment of brownfield opportunities.
What the numbers show
The application documentation presents a contrast between required delivery and current supply. Key figures from the planning statement are set out below:
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Five‑year housing requirement (including buffer) | 5,492 homes |
| Identified deliverable supply | 3,111 homes |
| Deliverable supply expressed in years | Just over two years |
These figures will figure prominently in the planning debate. National planning policy ordinarily places strong emphasis on protecting the green belt, but local authorities can consider release where exceptional circumstances exist, including demonstrable shortfalls in supply.
Next steps
North Yorkshire Council has yet to list a date for deciding the application. If the council accepts the outline proposals in principle, detailed matters such as layout, landscaping, affordable housing provision and protection of existing recreation facilities would be the subject of subsequent reserved‑matters applications and consultations.
Local people will have the opportunity to comment once the application is formally publicised on the council’s planning portal. Any representations, alongside technical assessments submitted by the applicant and consultees’ responses, will form part of the material planning considerations councillors take into account when reaching a decision.
The application underlines the tension in and around Harrogate between the need for new homes and the long‑standing protections afforded to green belt and recreational land.
