Civic leaders hit out at plans for gardens car park on green site

CIVIC leaders have hit out at proposals by the Royal Horticultural Society to build an extra 500 car park spaces at Harrogate’s iconic Harlow Carr gardens, claiming its expansion is putting the area’s green spaces at risk.

An application by the society to build a 150-space temporary car park as well as developing a 500-space permanent car park at Harlow Carr is set to be deferred for approval by the head of planning services at Harrogate Council following a planning committee next week.

The RHS – which created a new 200-space car park at Harlow Carr in December 2002 and currently uses the nearby Cardale Park business estate as an overspill facility – has insisted that the expansion is necessary to accommodate a huge surge in visitor numbers from 70,000 in 2001 to a predicted 300,000 by 2014.

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However the Harrogate Civic Society has told the Yorkshire Post the success of the gardens is now coming at the expense of the surrounding countryside.

The chairman of the civic society, Henry Pankhurst, said: “This is certainly a step too far.

“Harlow Carr is doing very well as it is and they have already extended the car park and made many more changes to the site which we have never objected to before.

“With this they will be striking further out into the countryside.”

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Society treasurer and member secretary Peter Brown said: “As a group we are fiercely opposed to this.

“The pine woods are crucial to Harrogate and once you get beyond these it is just open countryside which at the moment is lovely and peaceful and traffic free.

“The proposal for a car park on a virgin field on Crag Lane north of the pine woods is not acceptable.

“The site in question falls within a designated Special Landscape Area and is a very popular walking area.

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“The success of the gardens does not give them the right to encroach further into the countryside and we believe that any further parking requirements should be met from their own existing land or from land to the south of the pine woods near Otley Road.”

The RHS is asking the council to approve a temporary car park of 150 spaces to the south, to be used for up to five years, while the introduction of the larger facility will be phased over 10 years.

Despite the controversy over the proposals, a number of important groups including Harrogate In Bloom and representatives from the Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce have backed the expansion.

Supporters claim it will bring a vital boost to tourism and education, and will help one of the jewels in Harrogate’s crown keep pace with rival attractions.

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Last year, more than 8,000 school children were taught for free within the new Bramall Learning Centre at Harlow Carr.

The head of Harlow Carr, Liz Thwaite, said: “Since the RHS took over the running of Harlow Carr in 2001, visitor numbers to the garden have increased significantly from 70,000 to 260,000 per year, making RHS Garden Harlow Carr a leading tourist attraction for Yorkshire.

“It is also a strong local employer, offering over 200 jobs across a range of roles including gardening, retail, catering, visitor services and administration.

“In order to sustain and further grow the good work, it is vital that the infrastructure of the garden develops in line with visitor growth.

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“It is essential therefore that we develop our car parking in order to offer sufficient and safe facilities for all our visitors.

“Currently, on busy weekends and bank holidays, we rely on the goodwill of our neighbours at Cardale Business Park, who allow our overspill of visitors to use their parking facilities.

“However on many occasions during the year these measures do not suffice and we are aware that many potential visitors turn away disappointed.”

The proposals go before the planning committee on Tuesday.