Village residents wary of huge housing development

COUNCILLORS have set the wheels in motion for one of the biggest developments ever to take place in Hambleton, which could see nearly 1,000 homes built in a village on the outskirts of Thirsk.

At a Hambleton District Council planning committee meeting last week, members agreed to request more information on the Sowerby Gateway development which would provide 920 homes, 40 per cent of which are affordable, a new primary school, employment opportunities and community facilities over the next 15 years, before a full planning application is submitted.

Outline permission has already been granted to part of the scheme, which was first mooted back in 2007, and alongside the proposed £200m North Northallerton development masterplan, represents the biggest development ever to take place in the district.

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However, the Sowerby Gateway scheme has met opposition from residents who claim it is far too large for the area and would cause its transport infrastructure to collapse.

Mick Jewitt, assistant director of Hambleton and Richmondshire District Councils, told the Yorkshire Post it is a huge opportunity for the area.

“This has been an issue that has been going on for some time and development is always controversial, even in the smallest settlements,” he said. “But the authority needs to take a balanced view of the needs for the whole community. Affordable housing is a massive issue for Hambleton and this will help address that.”

But Sowerby resident Joy Robinson said: “A lot of residents are against this. There is a huge question mark over how this was ever thought out. This is an absurd plan to put 1,000 homes in an industrial area and one that is a bottleneck due to the poor state of the roads.”

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The Sowerby gateway project is included in Hambleton’s local development framework alongside the Northallerton masterplan should meet most of the town’s housing, employment and recreation needs until 2026.

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