Harrogate College have applied for planning permission for a new and replacement building adjacent to the existing building in Hornbeam Park.
Although the planning application was approved, it was approved by North Yorkshire Council Planning Officers, and did not go to a Planning Committee for debate. A Judicial Review was raised by Chris Bentley at Hornbeam Park Developments on the basis of the review process not considering the planning application sufficiently.
- The development will give a new purpose-built, environmental building for £20-million
- Courses will continue, and expand in vocational education, but not A-Levels
- The college will displace all on-site parking for 20-months, and have not mitigated the impact of that
- Longer-term parking spaces to drop from 242 to 88
- The college say they will build on existing training for local key sectors and T Levels offering while also allowing the introduction of new courses in areas like sustainability and modern construction techniques.
Harrogate College, part of the Luminate Education Group, secured £16 million from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund to replace its main campus building.
We put a few questions to North Yorkshire Council.
1. What happened to cause a judicial review?
We received a legal challenge against the decision based on technical issues with the planning process relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Given these issues, we now expect the existing planning decision to be quashed.
2. On what basis has the judicial review been granted/ what did they claim?
It was granted on the basis of a technicality around the process for an EIA, and the need for a screening opinion for an assessment.
3. At what stage is the review in the process ?
The relevant legal papers are soon to be and the terms of the consent order are in the process of being settled. We will then wait for the judge to make a decision. When the decision is quashed, the proposed scheme will return to being a ‘live’ planning applications and the planning process will be re run.
4. What is the next likely key date ?
We are in the hands of the judge but hope to have the planning process completed by autumn
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director of planning, Trevor Watson, said:
Planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings and the construction of new teaching and workshop blocks at Harrogate College was granted in April.
We received a legal challenge against the decision based on technical issues with the planning process relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Given these issues, we now expect the existing planning decision to be quashed.
This will allow the planning decision-making process to be re-run. We are working to do this as quickly as possible, and we expect this to be concluded this autumn.
North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, said:
All the relevant legal papers are soon to be lodged with the court and the terms of the consent order are in the process of being settled.
This is going through the process now and timescales will be down to the availability of a judge to examine the papers.
Once the decision has been quashed, the proposed scheme will return to being a live planning application.
We will continue to proactively work with the applicant.
