West Park - Planning Application

Letter from HCS 12th November 2024:

Planning Services (Harrogate Area),
For the attention of Aimee McKenzie,
North Yorkshire Council,
P.O. Box 787,
Harrogate HG1 9RW

Dear Ms. McKenzie,
Planning Application ZC24/03523/FUL
Strayside House, 27, West Park, Harrogate

Thank you for your consultation on the above retrospective proposal to use part of the premises as a Dog Care Facility.

We have strong objections to the proposal.

There are objections from local residents, largely from the apartments at the Prince of Wales Mansions and from Robert Street. The Environmental Health Officer also has serious concerns. No noise impact statement has been provided. Means of dealing with odour and waste seem to be not in place. The application gives scant detail of marketing the building for its most recent use as office space. It states that the only business coming forward to use the building was that of the current retrospective dog care facility.

We cannot regard the Dog Care facility as a community use. It is a business that is offering a facility to clients from anywhere – Sheffield & Manchester are mentioned. The agent’s letter actually uses the term “The business”. Also noted are those visiting Harrogate for conferences, events and vacations. The service is by no means being offered only or specifically or mainly to residents of Harrogate. Even if it were, it does not comply
with HDLP Policy HP9: Provision of New Community Facilities.

The policy says at Criterion A that the facility must be appropriate to its location. Criterion C says that there should be no adverse impacts on residential amenity. Criterion D requires that there will be no significant
loss of business or housing land or buildings etc.

A dog care premises does not meet these criteria.

The application site plan shows a long narrow strip, annotated as Proposed Grass and Soft Landscaping for a dog exercise area. Also noted on the site plan, a fence is proposed 1.5m high on the north side and a fence is proposed to 1.5m above the wall on the south side. No drawing of the fence is supplied with the application, but what has been built is a solid fence that is much higher than 1.5m. Its height, design and materials are unworthy of the Harrogate conservation area.

The applicant’s submission letter says that there is no requirement for external alterations to the building. The fence noted above is, however, a very noticeable alteration on the site. Previously the area now fenced off, has been a flat area of car parking.
We would also point out that advertisements are attached to the building.

The submission letter gives detail of a dog day care license. What is applied for under the planning application suggests that the business could be a 24 hours a day operation. I think we should assume that the license would be more concerned with canine welfare than the welfare of nearby residents or treatment of the conservation area. The dog care license cannot take precedence over planning policy. The site and premises are not suitable for a dog day care business and even less so because overnight stays are planned.

Amenity for nearby residents will be adversely affected. We leave those who have local knowledge and experience to provide more detail. We also leave the response from the Environmental Health Officer to
speak for its self and expand on the amenity issues.

The conservation area is not preserved or enhanced by the very substantial fence as constructed. This would also be the case for a similar 1.5m fence, noted on the plans, including any fence raised above
the boundary wall with the Prince of Wales Mansions. The applicant’s submission letter provides no justification for a dog care facility in this location. The letter reads that the proposal would be a
business and not a community facility.

The Civic Society has always been in favour of residential use of unused or underused floor space above shops etc. We would also support continued office use or retail use of the building.

For the reasons above, the application should be refused.

Thank you again for your attention.

Yours sincerely,
Henry Pankhurst
On behalf of Harrogate Civic Society