First phase of business park set for green light

The first phase of a new eco-friendly business park near Harrogate which could support about 3,000 jobs when completed looks set to get the go-ahead.Forward Investment, supported by Addisson Planning, submitted a reserved matters application to Harrogate Borough Council for a site south west of the junction of the A59 and A1(M) motorway at Flaxby.Outline planning permission was granted for the wider Flaxby Green Park development in 2017. Up to 610,000 sq ft floor space could be created on the 100-acre site, supporting the creation of about 3,000 jobs.Planning permission is now being sought for the first phase of the park, comprising an eco-lodge complex within part of the woodland.The development would comprise 20 lodges in three sizes of 1,915 sq ft, 3,110 sq ft and 4,262 sq ft, with a total of 64,300 sq ft of floor space created. The units are intended to provide start-up accommodation for SMEs.The scheme also includes a central hub building, featuring a crèche and ‘doggy day care centre’.The application will be considered by the council’s planning committee on 25 April and a planning officer’s report prepared for the meeting recommends that approval is granted, subject to conditions.The application site is located immediately to the south of the former Flaxby Golf Course which has also been earmarked for development.Flaxby Park Ltd is aiming to develop 2,750 homes, a retirement village, two primary schools, a GP surgery, sports facilities and a new village centre.An independent government inspector has recently requested that the council reassess the Flaxby site for the draft Local Plan, as well as the nearby Green Hammerton site which is the authority’s preferred location for a new settlement.