Town councillors in Helmsley have raised concerns that planners have disregarded a previously agreed local plan when allowing development in the town.
Helmsley Town Council has written to North Yorkshire Council after the authority approved plans for a new headquarters for the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) on land off the town’s Riccal Drive.
The town council said the Helmsley Plan, which was agreed in 2014, requires development in the town to be coordinated.
However, town councillors claimed this had not happened with the headquarters scheme, approved in January, and plans for around 50 houses plus commercial units, which are still going through the planning process.
The town council sent the letter after a meeting in March when residents raised concerns about North Yorkshire Council’s handling of the planning applications.
The town council said in the letter: “Helmsley Town Council requests that if it has the opportunity, that North Yorkshire Council coordinate planning applications for the allocated land together in future and asks why that didn’t happen this year when there was the chance.”
The town council has also urged North Yorkshire Council to consider measures to mitigate the impact of extra traffic in the area of the developments, to the south of the town.
The town council said: “Initial suggestions include a 20mph limit from the A170 junction with Riccal Drive for all roads south, white lining the first bend on Riccal Drive adjacent to the conservation area, the old railway platform, on the west of the drive, road furniture at the junctions to industrial/employment development to slow traffic down and create crossing places, and chicanes such as those at Marton.
“Residents and the town council would be pleased to hear ideas from North Yorkshire Council Highways.”
In response, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for planning, Trevor Watson, said: “We are aware of and are considering the concerns raised by Helmsley Town Council.”
North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee granted permission in January for the new NYMNPA headquarters.
A formal decision notice is expected to be issued once a 106 agreement has been completed by the council and applicant.
The development was approved despite objections from local residents whose concerns included an increase in traffic and noise from the site.
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