Harrogate bottled water plant expansion plans recommended for approval

Controversial plans to cut down a community woodland to make way for an expansion of Harrogate Spring Water’s bottling plant have been recommended for approval by council officers.

Harrogate Spring Water was granted outline planning permission to expand its bottling site adjacent to Rotary Wood in 2017 – a decision that was strongly opposed by the town’s green groups.

Two years later, the company then submitted a revised application that is 40 per cent larger than the one originally approved.

Campaigners, company bosses and council officers have since been locked in talks to try to reach agreements over the plans which have now been recommended for approval at a meeting next Tuesday.

Harrogate Spring Water – which was last year taken over by the French food company Danone – have offered to replant the trees lost on another site in the town, however, green groups have argued this would not go far enough to compensate for the loss of existing woodland.

Harrogate Borough Council’s planning department said it was recommending the plans for approval because the economic benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the negative impacts.

“There are significant economic benefits of the proposed development, including job creation, other financial benefits to the district and the enhancement of the Harrogate brand,” officers said in a report.

They added: “It is acknowledged that the proposed development would result in an additional loss of trees and would harm the landscape.

“However, subject to securing the compensation site via a legal agreement, it is considered that there would be no net loss of biodiversity or trees.”

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity responsible for the conservation of the nearby Pinewoods forest, said: “This is unfortunately typical by Harrogate council where ecological and environmental impact of decisions are often ignored.

“The report makes it clear that a significant number of trees will be lost and the proposed development would lead to a loss of public amenity.

“The recommendation is still to approve despite the hundreds of objections and clear negative impacts. We can only hope that the councillors on the planning committee can take account of the bigger picture here.”

Rob Pickering, a senior spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water, said the company was “pleased” with the council’s recommendation for approval.

He said: “We’d like to reassure the local community that the plan for Rotary Wood places a huge focus on supporting the local environment and promoting biodiversity.

“Our plans include a commitment to replacing the trees on a two for one basis and a long term plan to ensure they are looked after and protected. And for the area of Rotary Woods that will remain as woodland, we will be investing to enhance its accessibility and usability for the community.

“We are and will continue to be good considerate neighbours within Harrogate.”

The plans have been recommended for approval subject to conditions on management of the woodland, landscaping, noise, hours of operation and more.

Councillors will make a decision on the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, January 26.