Over recent years Abacus has developed the small industrial site previously known as Jubilee Mills by adding a number of substantial buildings. Many of you will have, whilst taking advantage of our wonderful open countryside, spotted the latest building works.
Part of the latest additions have not yet been given planning permission and in fact to date Abacus have not chosen to seek such permission.
The reason for this note is twofold; firstly to highlight the fact that a planning application will ultimately need to be made and secondly to try and elicit your opinions in regard to this latest expansion.
Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) aim to support businesses which offer employment opportunities for local people and as a Parish Council we agree that this is important in order to sustain this area. Abacus state they are such a business, even though they currently have a relatively small workforce.
When a residential housing development is proposed HBC, as the local planning authority, require various reports including an assessment of what impact the proposal would have on traffic and the environment. Due to this further development not being for residential housing, such details are seen by HBC as less important.
The current Covid-19 restrictions make it impossible for the Parish Council to call a public meeting in order to hear your views, so we are limited to trying to collate them by other means. Please can you tell us what your opinions are on the following:
1. Do you fully support the latest attempt to expand or not?
2. Do you think that the whisper of a possibility of extra jobs being available within our Parish outweighs any other issues?
3. Do you think that the expansion will lead to a further increase in large lorries and vans driving through the village and if so do you see this as an issue?
4. Do you think the additional buildings on the horizon are out of keeping with the surrounding countryside?
You can contact us using any of the methods detailed on our Contact page here. Contact details of individual Councillors are also available here.
We look forward to receiving your comments.
