The Harrogate and Knaresborough Green Party have but their support behind the campaign to save the Rotary Woods from development.
Around 25 from the group walked from the Pump Rooms in Harrogate through Valley Gardens to the Rotary Woods.
Harrogate Spring Water Ltd currently have a planning application to extend their bottling plant into a 4-acre area of Woodland known as the Rotary Woods. It’s an area that has 15-year-old trees planted by the Rotary Club and the Army Foundation College.
If the plans are approved, it would see the majority of the site developed.
The gates of Harrogate Spring Water were unusually closed and the local Police also attended.
Rebecca Maunder, Coordinator of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Green Party said:
The aim was to raise awareness of the planning proposal as it is quite surprising how many people aren’t aware of it, and also to encourage people to object to it. We had a great response, many people said they would take the time to go online and object after we had discussed the plans.
With the increased knowledge around the climate emergency and the issues with plastic pollution, to permit the removal a 15-year-old woodland for the expansion of a private business is completely irresponsible. Now we need to be thinking of long-term solutions and innovative responses to the problems we face – and this needs to be right across every sector of business and public services.
Harrogate council have a Biodiversity Action Plan, and Carbon Reduction Strategy – but they need to join up all the aims and objectives and put them into action across all policies and in particular planning policy. It is possible to build a sustainable future – but we need to do it now – and we need planning to get to grips with this to influence developments and confidently reject those that don’t meet the criteria.
The leaflet that was handed out
Rebecca Maunder, Coordinator of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Green Party said:
Harrogate & District Green Party are planning to meet and engage with more local people next Sunday 8th March at 11am, to continue to highlight the threat to the wood and encourage people to submit an objection online before the deadline of 8am Monday 9th March.
We will meet again at Harrogate Cenotaph and walk through Valley Gardens to the Pinewoods/Rotary woods. Everyone welcome to join us.
Details of how to object to the proposal and information to consider including, can be found on our website.
See Harrogate and Knaresborough Green Party
Neil Hind from the Pinewoods Conservation Group added:
We are very pleased to have the support of the Green Party in Harrogate and appreciate their efforts in encouraging people to object to the current planning variation.
With confirmation from new owners Danone that they fully support the planned destruction of woodland every objection is much needed.
With just a week before the planning deadline we encourage residents and supporters to make their view known without delay.
See http://www.pinewoodsconservationgroup.org.uk/object for details of how to comment on the planning application
