Oakgate Group, the developer behind the plans for a proposed new settlement named Maltkiln Village located around Cattal train station has submitted a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment screening opinion to Harrogate Borough Council.
This assesses the need for an Environmental Statement and is required to be submitted as part of any planning application that comes forward and forms part of the development process for a proposal such as this.
To confirm whether a project needs an Environmental Impact Assessment developers can ask for a formal ‘screening opinion’ from the Council. A screening opinion sets out the Council’s decision and gives reasons for it, and is normally issued within three weeks of the request.
The village is located to the south of the A59 and would include around 3,000 new homes comprising a mix of housing types suitable for young people, families and older people, centred around the existing Cattal railway station.
See this link for the Cattal proposal New Village Plans Launched Around Cattal Railway Station
The aim of Environmental Impact Assessment is to protect the environment by ensuring that a local planning authority when deciding whether to grant planning permission for a project, which is likely to have significant effects on the environment, does so in the full knowledge of the likely significant effects, and takes this into account in the decision making process. The regulations set out a procedure for identifying those projects which should be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, and for assessing, consulting and coming to a decision on those projects which are likely to have significant environmental effects.
The aim of Environmental Impact Assessment is also to ensure that the public are given early and effective opportunities to participate in the decision making procedures
Richard France, Managing Director of Oakgate Group explained: We supplied significant further information regarding our proposals to the Council in early May as part of the Local Plan process and will continue to work with all stakeholders and interested parties throughout this process. We have also started to consult with the Local Parish Councils and Oakgate are committed to engaging with the Council and community throughout the process and any subsequent planning application. The submission of the screening request to the Local Planning Authority is part of the development process as we keep all options open to us in our efforts to deliver this site. Our strong belief is that these plans would make a major contribution to addressing the housing shortage in the Harrogate area for the Local Plan period up to 2035, and beyond, and our site has far fewer constraints than any of the other sites that have been put forward to the Borough Council as options for a new settlement.
The proposals for Maltkiln Village include around 3,000 new homes, improvements to the road network and rail infrastructure, employment space, a village centre and community facilities.
