Witnesses face hall disappointment

A CONGREGATION of Jehovah’s Witnesses could see their hopes of finding a new home dashed next week, as their plans to move on to the site of a redundant riding school on green belt land look set to be rejected.

By The Newsroom

Published 28th Jul 2011, 10:18 BST

The application by Harrogate Jehovah’s Witnesses to move from their current Skipton Road location to the former Belmont Riding School, Forest Lane, has been recommended for refusal by officers at a Harrogate Council planning committee.

The group has supplied a “very special circumstances” document to support the application, which would see a block of barns and agricultural buildings demolished to make way for a new meeting hall with space for as many as 30 car parking spaces.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim the lease on their current location is about to come to an end and they have been searching the district for a suitable hall that is more energy efficient and has disabled access.

But planning officers have recommended the refusal as they feel the use would be inappropriate on the West Yorkshire greenbelt location.

The planning meeting takes place next Tuesday.

Harrogate Council