A scheme to build 38 homes in Gargrave will go ahead after councillors granted planning permission this afternoon.
Skipton and Ripon’s planning committee met at Belle Vue Square in Skipton to consider the plans by R N Wooler and Co Ltd. It followed a previous bid for housing on the site that was deferred in June.
At that meeting, councillors voiced concerns about pedestrians walking on the busy Marton Road.
They also heard that a dairy farm near the site recently intensified its operations which has resulted in a large increase in agricultural traffic.
Objectors have insisted it will be dangerous for residents wanting to walk to and from the village.
Since the previous deferral, the developer has agreed to create a footpath on a section of Marton Road.
However, this was not enough to convince all with Helen Johnson telling councillors the footpath would do little to improve pedestrian safety.
Similarly, Gregory Butt from Gargrave Parish Council said no decision should be made until an independent traffic study could be carried out.
Planning agent Jamie Pert said the developer had been in “productive dialogue” with the council since the deferral.
He added:
“The proposal will not be a detriment to pedestrian safety but a new footpath will be provided to enhance pedestrian linkages and connect the site to existing footpaths.”
The footpath will run on the northern side of the road which will allow footfall from the new development to use the new link to Walton Close, cross Marton Road and progress to the existing footpath alongside the river.
Cllr Robert Heseltine (Conservative & Independent Group, Skipton East & South) said he was happy to vote for approval after being satisfied that officers had listened to the concerns of councillors at the previous meeting.
He added:
“I sincerely hope that residents of Gargrave will welcome their new neighbours warmly and with kindness. It’s a tremendously well-respected community. Its new and old population can surely live together in harmony.”
The committee chair Cllr Nathan Hull (Conservative, Washburn & Birstwith) said the addition of the footpath was a positive example of planning committees improving an application.
He said:
“People may think planning committees just rubber-stamp recommendations but this would have gone through without the footpath if we hadn’t deferred it. We’ve taken a difficult and unpopular application and got some positive things out of it.”
The plans were approved by three votes to none with two abstentions.
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