North York Moors National Park Authority has got the go-ahead to build its new headquarters outside the national park in Helmsley despite local residents claiming the development will harm their community.
North Yorkshire councillors this week approved plans for the offices and a depot on designated employment land in the town’s Riccal Drive.
Planning permission was granted despite numerous objections from residents living near the scheme.
Resident Jean Harrod spoke out against the application at the meeting of Thirsk and Malton area planning committee, held in Malton.
She said the development would turn her street of Rickle Drive into an industrial estate road.
She added: “We’re a community of 400 residents; homes with young families and retired folk line Rickle Drive.
“(Planning officer) Mr Jones says no severe harm would be caused, yet the authority has 101 staff, their cars, trucks, minibuses, vans, trailers, plus visitor cars.
“How could all that traffic not dramatically increase the risk of harm to our community?”
Ms Harrod and Helmsley councillor, George Jabbour, said the council had failed to coordinate the headquarters application with an existing plan for housing on two sites near the proposed park authority development.
Cllr Jabbour said: “This is a quiet residential area where the community enjoys a peaceful life.
“The local plan for Helmsley discusses the specific site and makes it clear that the development should be coordinated with adjacent sites to ensure an integrated form of development is achieved, including vehicular and pedestrian access.”
The councillor added: “The officer’s report for today’s application admits that the lack of coordination with adjacent sites is a significant element of deviation.”
However, members voted in favour of the application by four to two after hearing issues raised at the previous planning committee meeting in December had now been addressed.
Although several councillors wanted to defer the application to address the issue of coordination, members were told a failure to make a decision could lead to the application being decided by the planning inspectorate.
Tom Hind, chief executive of the park authority, welcomed the outcome of the meeting.
He said: “We are very pleased that North Yorkshire Council has approved the national park authority’s plans to build a new combined headquarters and ranger depot.
“Helmsley has been home to the national park’s headquarters for the last 50 years and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the town.
“We remain committed to being a good neighbour and contributing positively to the town should members reach a final decision to proceed with the development.”
Before councillors discussed the application, North Yorkshire Council legal advisor, Kelly Dawson, addressed the meeting after a complaint had been received from a group of residents that planning officer Peter Jones, who compiled the report for councillors and recommended approval of the scheme, previously worked for the national park authority.
Ms Dawson told the meeting: “Both the case officer and the development service manager have both previously worked for the park authority, being some ten years and 19 years ago respectively.
“There is no matter of conflict or reason why either of them are precluded from having any association with the application that’s been received by the council.
“It is a member a matter for members of this committee to consider the application today on its planning merits.”
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