Bottled water company boss urges critics to look at “big picture” ahead of factory expansion decision
Members of North Yorkshire Council will debate Harrogate Spring Water’s application to increase the size of the plant in Harlow Moor Road
A decision on controversial plans to expand a bottled water factory into community woodland is set to be made next week, with the boss of the company behind the scheme urging critics to “see the big picture”.
Members of North Yorkshire Council will debate Harrogate Spring Water’s application to increase the size of the plant in Harlow Moor Road, Harrogate, on Tuesday.
Council planners are recommending the scheme is approved, despite anger that the expansion would mean the loss of around 500 trees in Rotary Wood, an area of community woodland planted around 20 years ago.
Ahead of the meeting, Richard Hall, managing director of Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by food and drink multinational Danone, said six times more trees would be planted by the company than would be lost.
In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Hall urged critics of the scheme to “take a step back and see the big picture”.
He added: “It’s a really interesting development for the town; we employ 86 people today and this would create 50 new jobs and 20 in construction.
“Manufacturing is becoming more and more high-tech so you’ll have opportunities for apprenticeships, opportunities for engineering, jobs to learn about high-tech manufacturing in the food industry.
“This is a nice local business that’s expanding and will be offering jobs and skills. And of course we need to do that responsibly, and that’s where we had some feedback and opposition, and we’ve responded to that, but let’s step back for a minute and think about the big picture. We want development in North Yorkshire and this is an opportunity.”
The bottled water company said a survey it commissioned of 200 Harrogate residents showed there was strong local support for the expansion, with 71 per cent of those who expressed an opinion looking on the scheme favourably.
The firm has also highlighted backing for the project from the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
But Pinewoods Conservation Group (PCG), which is contesting the plans, said it had identified possible flaws in the council’s planning officer report which recommended approval of the expansion.
The group said planning conditions from the 2017 outline consent had not been met.
A spokesperson added: “PCG believes members are being asked to decide without full evidence or legal assurance, and calls on the council to refuse or defer the application until these failures are corrected.”
North Yorkshire Green Party councillor Arnold Warneken has also criticised the proposal.
He said: “Harrogate Spring Water has repeatedly stated that it is committed to biodiversity and the community. However, we cannot see any enforceable measures in their planning application which support this.
“Without such guarantees, their stated commitment risks being seen as little more than trumpery.”
Community group Save Rotary Wood Again plans to hold a peaceful “tree-themed” protest ahead of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee meeting at the Civic Centre in Harrogate.