Residents battling a plan to create a holiday chalet park close to an urban conurbation are pressing for the ambition to be rejected for a third time, claiming there are no tourist attractions in the surrounding area.
The application to North Yorkshire Council for consent to erect 13 chalets on a three-acre open countryside site just 500 metres south west of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough. follows Hambleton District Council unanimously rejected a similar scheme last year before an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was dismissed.
In documents filed with the application, agents for the developer said the proposed chalet park would “contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of the district’s visitor economy by generating an uplift in visitor numbers and overall increase in spending within the local economy.
The papers state the recreational nature of the development proposals and the “extensive network of local footpaths and bridleways” would provide guests at the chalets with adequate safe and walking routes to local amenities.
The application states: “The subject site would provide suitable accommodation for visitors wishing to explore the nearby North York Moors National Park and the Yorkshire Dales.
“Surrounding attractions include mediaeval castles, stately homes, museums, nature trails, art galleries alongside natural features and landmarks within Hambleton… most of which can be accessed by bicycle and the local bus
network from nearby Coulby Newham estate.”
The agents highlight that while the previous application was refused by councillors on highway safety grounds, the appeal had established the proposals “would not have an adverse impact on highway safety” at the site 1km north-west of Newby.
However, Newby Parish Council said it could not find “any merit for the proposed development”, while residents have disputed the developers’ claim that it would be a sustainable site.
In an objection to the scheme, one resident wrote: “This village is a quiet and unspoiled part of North Yorkshire with no amenities or facilities and is not a tourist attraction as suggested in the planning application. There are no cycle paths and only limited footpaths around our fields and homes, the land being predominately used for agriculture.”
The authority and residents said the site was “not appropriate owing to its close proximity to Middlesbrough and some considerable distance from the recognised tourist attractions within North Yorkshire”.
A parish spokesman said: “The proposed site is not suitable for the location, bordering on the urban sprawl of Middlesbrough and dominated by housing.
“There is not a genuine essential need for tourist accommodation in this area. It is not a tourist location.
“The proposed site is not near any tourist amenities within North Yorkshire therefore many of the arguments put forward in statements made regarding sustainability, the accessibility to public transport, cycle networks, public rights of way encouraging visitors to use these modes of transport are unrealistic.”
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