No more '˜false dawns' for new village plans after former golf course sold to developer

The fomer Flaxby Golf Course site near Knaresborough

Since 2008, Skelwith Leisure has floated a variety of plans for the former Flaxby Golf Course, which was sold to them by the Armstrong farming family, including the construction of 2,500 new homes as part of a new “village” scheme, and the creation of a £100m luxury golf resort.

But after the recession hit finances a long-running battle with the Armstrongs began.

However, today it was announced it now has a new owner, Flaxby Park Limited (FBL), who bought the site after Skelwith went into liquidation last year.

FPL has now launched a consultation on a new ’Flaxby Park’ settlement which could include homes, a new school and community facilities.

A spokesperson for FPL said: “In the past Flaxby has suffered from numerous false dawns – what the new owners can offer is a bright future.

“A key factor is that this team do not need to raise external funding, they have the money in place to deliver on their plans.”

In November 2014, then-landowners Skelwith Group, drew up similar plans to build a new town after previously proposing a £100m Flaxby Hotel.

However, these plans were in jeopardy by January when a legal battle broke out over the ownership of the site with Alan and Margaret Armstrong, who planned to sell off the site after waiting seven years for Skelwith to pay their £7m investment.

Skelwith were granted an injunction to block the sale in February with a High Court date to hear the case planned for June.

However, just one month later, Skelwith went into provisional liquidation over an unpaid £19m tax bill.

Ann Gloag OBE, co-founder of the transport giant Stagecoach, and regeneration experts Christ Musgrave and Trevor Cartner are behind the new plans.

The company said that they were unable to provide an accurate amount of homes planned for the site until the public consultation and discussions with Harrogate Borough Council have taken place. However, they added that the new community would provide the equivalent of 400 full-time jobs over a decade and a £60m boost to local councils.