£200m masterplan for town to be unveiled at public meeting

Development totalling £200m which will transform the northern edge of Northallerton will be given a major public airing later this month.

The North Northallerton Development Masterplan will be the subject of a special meeting of the Northallerton Area Forum on Tuesday, June 21 at 7pm in the Town Hall.

Officers at Hambleton District Council have been working on the plans since the first consultancy brief was revealed in May last year with the hard work starting in September.

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Central Government was impressed with the council’s bid for money from the Rural Masterplanning Fund and allocated £70,000 for the plans to be properly worked up.

A 59-hectare site was allocated for development in its Local Development Framework – which it is hoped will provide most of the town’s housing, employment and recreation needs up to 2026. Almost 1,000 homes will be built, employment land set aside and open space and recreation areas included.

Most importantly of all there will be a key link road costing up to £12m between Stokesley Road and Darlington Road easing traffic pressure on the market town.

Coun Tim Swales, Cabinet member for Places, Planning and Housing, said: “The link road is extremely important because the development can’t add any additional traffic pressure on the area.

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“In fact it is so important that we are looking to see whether other potential funding sources can be tapped in to so that can be put in as soon as possible.

“We really do want to see this road in place as early as we can to maximise its benefits”.

“Another key part of the scheme is a big area in the centre. It will provide a large green open space bringing leisure and recreation facilities and making it a high quality place, not just a housing estate but somewhere that has a character which builds on the character of the town.

“We have also made provision for a new school and health centre if needed as well as a sustainable urban wetland area which will serve the purpose of draining away surface water.

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“So far we have had no problems in attracting private sector developers with both national and local housebuilders interested in getting involved. Our last council plan was designed to have a 10-year life and the idea is to account for all the needs of the community. This is the biggest single allocation within the district and is going to provide for the county town for a long period.”

Extensive consultation has been undertaken throughout the creation of the masterplan – with the local community, landowners and developers, local councils and other statutory bodies getting involved.

The meeting on June 21 is open to everyone and questions about the plan can be put to the Northallerton area councillors.

Before the meeting there will be an exhibition charting key elements of the plan – with council officers on hand to answer questions and which begins at 5.30pm.

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From Friday the masterplan will be available to download from the council’s website: www.hambleton.gov.uk/nnda

In a separate development the town square that is the new town “heart” is finally being installed after years of debate. In 2009 the Yorkshire Post reported how after more than five years of talks long-awaited plans to give North Yorkshire’s county town a new “heart” were going to go ahead. Now that dream is coming true.

It is an improved area of public open space outside the town hall which will be used for public performances and other outdoor events.

The improvements, currently taking place, involve enhancing the area between the town hall and Market Cross. Northallerton’s wide curving High Street, nearly half a mile long with many shops, has long been regarded as the outstanding feature of the town, traditionally a coaching stop.