Council officers are recommending controversial plans to convert Newby Wiske Hall into a children’s residential centre are approved.
A special meeting to determine the future of building will be held next week.
Members of Hambleton District Council’s planning committee will meet on Thursday, March 21 to deal with the applications for planning permission and listed building consent at the former North Yorkshire police headquarters.
PGL is seeking consent to allow the site to be used as a children’s residential centre.
The council had previously resolved to approve both applications but following a legal challenge it agreed that both applications should be re-determined.
Those applications were due to be considered in January but following examination of the revised submission made by PGL the meeting was cancelled to look at an amended noise management plan.
Solicitors representing residents of Maunby, South Otterington and Newby Wisk, near Northallerton, have previously issued a warning to Hambleton District Council about its handling of the plans to convert the grade II listed building.
Despite vociferous local opposition to the plans by PGL to create a residential training centre featuring up to 550 guest bed spaces and staff accommodation at the country mansion, the authority approved the plans in November last year.
However, in April the High Court quashed the permission after finding the council’s planning officers did not properly assess the impact on the hall and its grounds and ordered the council pay £19,000 costs to Newby Wiske Action Group.
The action group maintains that the proposal would significantly impact the quality of life of residents due to late-night noise from the outdoor sports area and a significantly larger number of heavy vehicles passing through the area.
Other objections include plans to fell trees, the introduction of numerous “large alien structures for use in recreational pursuits” and the impact on a heritage asset.
A report for councillors recommends that the scheme is approved.
It states: “A major question in this application is clearly the potential impact of noise on local residents.
“Whilst the proposed development would have an impact on the residential amenity of a small number of properties in the vicinity of the application site, it is considered that this impact can be mitigated to an acceptable level by the Noise Management Plan.”
It later adds: “The wider economic benefits associated with the development should not be underestimated, both in terms of support for companies providing services to activity on the site, but also in terms of the provision of a high quality children’s holiday offer within Hambleton district and the benefits that would bring to the profile and economy of the district.”
The special planning committee meeting is being held at Solberge Hall at 10am on Thursday, March 21.
The agenda and papers for the meeting can be found here.
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