Contested 4,000-home Maltkiln site faces fresh headaches
Disputes over land ownership and potential changes to the Development Plan Document are causing issues for the ambitious 30-year project.
North Yorkshire Council’s plan for the scheme is under scrutiny at a public inquiry in Harrogate this week, which is set to hear from the council, developer Caddick, and other interested parties.
Planning permission has not yet been approved for the scheme, which would be built close to the villages of Whixley, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton and Cattal, which has a train station with services to Leeds.
Part of the issue is that some of the land Caddick is due to acquire to make the project viable, currently owned by Johnsons of Whixley, is contractually obliged to be sold by February 2026.
Caddick was made aware of this fact recently and therefore, had not planned to develop on that part of the site so soon.
The developer has suggested moving plans around, to accommodate this issue – however, this would involve making changes to the DPD, such as altering the site boundary.
If these changes are accepted at the examination by government-appointed inspector Clive Coyne, Caddick has said it will be able to continue to meet the housing targets set out in the Harrogate local plan and could build 1,080 homes on the Maltkiln site by 2035.
A separate land matter is also to be discussed, with landowner Mr Dent facing a potential compulsory purchase order from North Yorkshire Council to force a sale of his land.
Negotiations for the land broke down in 2022.
The council has stated that it is working with Homes England in the event that the CPO is enforced.
As well as land ownership headaches, the scheme has also caused a fair amount of controversy in the rural area, with agencies such as Better Wetherby contesting the creation of so many homes nearby.
Ahead of the public examination, Roger Owen, chair of Better Wetherby, stated: “Wetherby… is already struggling under the weight of recent development, including lack of school places, traffic congestion, air quality and the prospect of a further 900 dwellings over the next few years, already consented. Wetherby is some five miles and 10 minutes drive from this proposal and has been marketed by the developer as its ‘go to’ facility.”
During the examination, the inspector will hold public sessions where interested parties can make representations about the plans.
Once the public examination is concluded, Coyne will publish a report as to whether the council can adopt the DPD.
Chris Procter, Director at Caddick Group, said: “We continue our support for the North Yorkshire Council process and the Examination in Public for the Maltkiln DPD marks a significant next step in this process. We look forward to a satisfactory outcome of this stage and moving towards delivering this important project for the region.”