More than 100 homes could be built on land at former Yorkshire farm

Councillors will meet on Tuesday (Mar 26) to consider plans to build 135 homes on the site of a former farm at Skipton Road in Harrogate. The proposals by Rowan Green Developments Ltd would see the homes built at Cow Dyke Farm near Jennyfields.

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. The majority of the homes will have between one and three bedrooms and it’s expected that 54 will be classed as affordable.

North Yorkshire Council has asked the developer to pay a contribution of £161,906 towards Killinghall Village Hall and £76,347 for improvements at Jennyfields recreation play area. The council’s highways department said it does not object to the proposals but added it does have a “number of concerns” and has asked for “clearer detail” on how the scheme would impact the road network.

The plans have received 72 letters of objection and none in support.

Plans for 145 homes were approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2018. However, planning conditions were never agreed and the homes weren’t 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.

Cow Dyke Farm, which is set to be retained, overlooks where the homes were built and has been derelict since 2010. It’s been the subject of several arson attacks in the intervening years.

The developer said in planning documents: “Cow Dyke Farm presents a wonderful opportunity for the provision of new housing within the wider setting of Harrogate in a site which strongly benefits from its strategic connections to the town and surrounding areas.”

North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee will meet at 2pm to make a decision. The meeting will be streamed live on the council’s YouTube channel.