CONTROVERSIAL plans to build an estate of almost 40 new homes on a greenfield site at the edge of Gargrave are being recommended for approval - despite the objections of more than 220 residents and the parish council.

Councillors at North Yorkshire Council's area planning meeting will on Monday (June 3) be advised to approve the scheme for 38 houses, on land used for grazing off Marton Road, with conditions covering flooding, drainage and affordable housing.

At the same planning meeting, a separate application for housing on a mill site, currently home to residential caravans, also off Marton Road, but more distant from the village, is being recommended for refusal - despite it being the preferred residential site of the parish council.

In a planning officer's report to the committee, approval for the 38 homes, including 11 affordable, proposed by RN Wooler and Co, is recommended, despite there being concerns about flooding and drainage, highways, design, amenity, visual impact and biodiversity.

"However, the proposal is considered to have mitigated these concerns subject to imposition of planning conditions and entering into a Section 106 Agreement," states the report.

In January last year, a application by Wooler's for 36 homes at the same site was refused permission by the former Craven District Council on grounds of poor design, 'unacceptable visual impact' and for not providing enough information regarding flooding and drainage. It was also refused by the council, which was replaced by North Yorkshire Council in April last year, because it did not provide a suitable density and mix of housing on the site.

New proposals for the site, which is allocated for residential development in the Craven Local Plan and in the Gargrave Neighbourhood Plan, are for a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached homes, ranging from one to four bedrooms. The majority, 17, will be three-bed, followed by 12 two-bed, six four-bed, and three one-bedroom properties, the scheme includes parking, with garages and driveways, and with a newly created access off Marton Road.

Highways has raised no objections to the proposal, nor has the Lead Local Flood Authority or Yorkshire Water, subject to conditions.

A total 223 objections from locals have been received by the council, raising concerns of over-development, visual impact, highways safety, impact on neighbours and on local services.

Objections also included a lack of consultation with residents, and that the site should never have been allocated for housing in the Craven Local Plan and the Gargrave Neighbourhood Plan, which earmark the site for up to 44 homes.

There are also fears the development could lead to increased flooding, will have a detrimental inpact on drainage and that the sewage capacity in the area will be unable to cope.

Many objections were about safety issues on Marton Road, with people pointing out there was no footpath, but these were dismissed by the officer.

"Many objections had concerns regarding the proposed scheme but the comments from the Highway Authority outweigh those concerns. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable in regard to highway safety."

The officer also concluded that the local infrastructure could cope with the additional housing, that the design of the properties would be built to an appropriate standard and that the housing mix was in line with planning policy, adding it was up to the developer to put a price on the properties.

Consultation by the developer had been above what was required, and a comment that the local plan had not followed due process was 'not correct'.

The report by the planning officer concluded: "On balance, it is considered that any harm caused as a result of the scheme would not significantly or demonstrably outweigh the presumption in favour of sustainable development."

The committee will also decide on plans to replace 25 permanent residential caravans at the Old Sawmill in Marton Road with 12 new homes and also the conversion of the former sawmill building to two apartments.

The application was submitted almost two years ago and came after an earlier application for houses at the site, which is next to the River Aire, which was refused permission by the former Craven District Council in 2020.

It is recommended for refusal on flood risk grounds, and following an objection from the Environment Agency.

The planning officer's report to committee states that the proposed housing would be partly in a Flood Zone Three area which has a high probability of flooding.

It states: "In the overall planning balance, the significant weight given to the benefits of the scheme do not outweigh the very substantial weight given to the flood risk considerations and resultant conflict with the development plan."

The meeting of the Skipton and Ripon Constituency Planning Committee is due to take place in Skipton at Belle Vue Square, Broughton Road at 1pm on Monday, June 3.