Maltkiln: Compulsory purchase option ‘not a stick to threaten landowner with’ in bid for new town

The new town, called Maltkiln, would be built off the towards York near the villages of Cattal, Whixley, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton. Proposals were plunged into doubt last January when a key landowner who owns fields around Cattal Station pulled out, leaving the council and developer Caddick Group scrambling to rescue the scheme.

With the landowner still refusing to sell up, the council’s Conservative-run executive agreed last month to consider using a compulsory purchase order (CPO) as a “last resort” to ensure Maltkiln is developed as intended.

A decision on whether it would use the CPO has not been made yet but councillors in Northallerton yesterday afternoon discussed how it might work.

Conservative councillor Derek Bastiman, who has the business portfolio on the executive, insisted the CPO “is not a threat to beat the landowners into agreeing to sell land”.

But Coun Andy Paraskos questioned the length of time it might take if used. He said: “A protracted process with objections could take two years and there’s no guarantee it would secure a CPO.”

Because the scheme is set to be developed over a 30-year timescale, Coun Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Liberal Democrat, Masham & Fountains) warned it could leave the council owning land that won’t be developed for many years.

In response, Trevor Watson, the council’s assistant director of planning, said the CPO process would be quicker than starting from scratch.

He added: “I don’t think we should lose sight of the fact we’re not seeking approval of CPO, only if necessary. While some of the timescales alluded to are long, they are nowhere near as long as starting fresh with a new settlement.”

Maltkiln has divided the Harrogate district ever since it was first mooted almost a decade ago. The defunct Harrogate Borough Council chose the Maltkiln area over the former Flaxby golf course site with the controversial decision ending up challenged in the High Court.

Coun Robert Windass said he had been “totally opposed” to the scheme from the start and that Flaxby should have been chosen as the location instead.

He was the only councillor on the committee to abstain from voting on the Maltkiln development plan document (DPD), which will now be debated by Selby & Ainsty councillors on Friday.

Coun Windass said: “Now we’re getting into compulsory purchasing land to bring scheme on back track. That will cost North Yorkshire Council a considerable amount of money, presumably it will be refunded immediately by the developer?”

However, Coun Pat Marsh said she was in favour of the Maltkiln due to it being close to Cattal Station, which is on the busy York to Leeds line.

She said: “I was there at the beginning, we chose this site because it’s sustainable and will give the residents an opportunity to use other forms of travel instead of building something that is tacked onto Knaresborough or Harrogate, creating more congestion.”

The council is set to submit the Maltkiln DPD to the Secretary of State for Housing next month. it will be scrutinised by a planning inspector who will judge whether the scheme is viable or if changes are needed to be made to the DPD. This will take place at a public meeting which the public can attend, similar to when a local plan is examined.