Campaigners in Harrogate area packed with new housing 'let down by North Yorkshire Council's planning system'

Harrogate residents who have endured six long years of housing building in the Kingsley area of town say they feel “let down” by North Yorkshire's planning system.

Members of the Kingsley Road Angry Group say the latest example of “disregard for the interests of residents” in the Kingsley Road and Kingsley Drive area involves the granting of permission to a new access road between Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane which, they claim, is in an inappropriate location and would create potential traffic dangers.

"We have nothing against the plan for the new houses themselves in the Quarters development, it looks to be a very nice development,” said a spokesperson for the residents-led KRAG.

"But we believe the access road is in a seriously dangerous position for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

"It will also mean that there will be five separate junctions in the space of 50 metres in what has become a heavy traffic area with narrow roads and limited visibility.

“Elected councillors did raise serious concerns over the access road which were dismissed and the planning system has not given this any meaningful consideration.

"It seems officers take the lead to push plans through no matter what the potential consequences."

Kingsley residents are backed in their fears over traffic and safety at the planned new access road at Hawthorn Place by a clutch of town and county councillors in Harrogate.

Councillor Josie Caven, who represents the Kingsley Ward at Harrogate Town Council, said: "I am deeply disappointed and puzzled at how this planning process unfolded at North Yorkshire Council.

"Having visited the site, I was gobsmacked by the layout, packing that many turn-offs and a traffic light in a tight space.

"This makes no sense when a far better access point exists further up.

"While the development has merit, the access road was a focal point of myself and the residents, requiring further discussion and revision at the planning meeting.

"Something has gone wrong here and it needs fixing.

"The residents and future residents do not deserve the risk of life that may occur travelling through and around there."

Campaigners from Kingsley Road Angry Group say they are also concerned by how planners at North Yorkshire Council handled the question of road access in and out of the forthcoming Quarters development.

After several years of battles with planners over what they claim is a lack of suitable arrangements for infrastructure and traffic in the midst of massive housing expansion, residents argue that the planning system is letting the area down.

They point to what they claim is confusion at key planning meetings between officers and councillors over the Quarters Kingsley development.

A look at a video of the meeting from January 2023 shows that The Quarters application was passed as an outline application by councillors at the now-abolished Harrogate Borough Council after officers said that road access was a matter for a future reserved matters meeting.

In May 2026 when the future reserved matters application was then passed by the area planning committee of North Yorkshire Council, officers said that road access had been included in the report at the outline planning stage and, as a result, access had already been agreed implicitly.

In a fresh statement to the Harrogate Advertiser, North Yorkshire Council’s head of development management, Martin Grainger, said: “All planning applications are carefully considered and any decisions must be made within a national and local policy framework.

“Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough area planning committee considered this particular application and approval was granted correctly after relevant teams were consulted, including highways colleagues.

“In this instance, the application was approved to provide much-needed housing in Harrogate to help to ensure more people have the opportunity to purchase their own home.

“With all developments, assessments for proposed roads are submitted by developers to our highways teams. Further assessments are then carried out by our highways officers to make sure that roads are safe and the right infrastructure is introduced in the right location.”

Kingsley Road Angry Group has approached the Complaints Officer at North Yorkshire Council about how the saga was handled by officers.

The council replied to them saying it appreciated there was “some uncertainty” around whether the points of access to the development could be considered as part of the reserved matters application.

But, it added, the question of access had already been addressed in the Parameters Plan of the Quarters development and it was “not of the view that the officers misrepresented the position regarding access”

The residents campaign group has also raised their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman took note of their complaint about North Yorkshire Council but replied: "The law says that, before investigating a complaint, we must normally be satisfied you have made a formal complaint to the Council and that they have been given an opportunity to consider it and reply.

"From the information you have provided, it appears the Council may not yet have had this opportunity."

North Yorkshire Council remains confident that procedure has been followed and that no additional road safety risks would result from the new housing development.