Ripon Barracks Development
Response to Outline Planning Application
Wednesday 21st October 2020
At the meeting of Full Council on Monday 19th October 2020, Ripon City Council resolved to object to the planning application in the strongest terms. A copy of the submission to Harrogate Borough Council, which contains the latest transport report, can be found on the link below.
Download the Ripon Civic Society Response
In addition, the resolution from Council includes taking the following course of action which is now being progressed:
- We will invite further discussions with Homes England on the findings of the report and how the applicant intends to address and resolve them.
- We will seek Counsel’s opinion on the issues raised in the transport report and the objections of Ripon Civic Society.
Wednesday 5th August 2020
Andrew Cameron Associates were recently commissioned by the Council to provide an independent transport study. The purpose of the study was to provide an independent review of the information collected by AECOM in the course of their work (as transport consultant) for Homes England on the Ripon Barracks Redevelopment.
The AECOM data and purposes of Homes England’s information is focused entirely on the effects of the proposed redevelopment of Ripon Barracks on the City and does not take other developments that have been granted permission through the planning process into account.
The Council received the final version of the transport study commissioned by it at the meeting on 20th July 2020 when it resolved to reject the findings therein. The Council consider that AECOM’s data is flawed. It was collected during a very quiet period of time in the City, namely June. The City is quieter at that time for a number of reasons; many residents are on holiday – taking advantage of going away before the school holiday season; seasonal visitor numbers have yet to increase; some year groups at the secondary schools are absent, having already sat exams; the milder weather means that many residents might choose to walk rather than drive into the city centre.
At the meeting of Full Council on 3rd August 2020 it was resolved to publish the report which can be viewed below.
It is important to recognise that the report from Andrew Cameron Associates has fulfilled the brief prescribed by the Council. The Council wish to stress that it is not rejecting the work undertaken by Andrew Cameron Associates.
The report highlighted areas that require further review and at the meeting on 3rd August 2020 the Council resolved that further urgent work is undertaken on the main issues highlighted.
Additional work will explore making the case for the Galphay Lane – Kirkby Road highway link using existing military roads, providing evidence of highways in similar locations of landscape and suggested natural environment/habitat significance amongst others. The consideration of a roundabout at Low Skellgate/Water Skellgate will also be explored.
The prescription for any further work will include it being presented in a form suitable for inclusion as evidence in representations that may be made against planning applications and as justification for financial contributions required by s106 agreements.