YDNPA – Scargill House
An Association of Rural Communities news report
The YDNPA planning committee on Tuesday February 8 imposed more conditions on the re-development of the Scargill House centre at Kettlewell in response to the concerns expressed by residents and business people in Wharfedale. The planning application by the Scargill Movement to alter, carry out selective demolition and build new accommodation blocks and a sports hall was approved but with tighter controls.
These were: that the accommodation at the centre should be restricted to the numbers stated in the application; that the traffic management plan should be reviewed annually and that Kettlewell with Starbottom Parish Council should be involved; there should be an ecological plan for the whole site, including all the trees and the traditional meadow; an archeological survey should be carried out; that the sports hall should be only used by those visiting the centre; and that there should be a constant watching brief on the construction work to make sure that all conditions were met.
It was agreed that a video should be made of the condition of the road and walls before construction began so that those who caused any damage would pay for repairs. The traffic management plan would include when contractors’ lorries would be driven through Kettlewell and that none should use the road through Conistone. The revised conditions will be discussed by the committee, probably at the April meeting, before the centre can go ahead with re-developing the site.
Several members, as well as those representing the local community, emphasised the need for a detailed lighting plan to be submitted and approved before construction began. The danger of light pollution and glare from the glazing was one of the concerns listed by the parish council, the Wharfedale Against Scargill Planning action group, and the Yorkshire Dales Society.
Chris Beazley, the chairman of the parish council described the £6 million development as the biggest ever in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. “It’s a huge application,” he said. The parish council’s concerns included: the need to clarify the number of people who could be accommodated at the centre; how traffic movements would be managed; the possibility of there being more traffic if there was an increase in the number of conferences; and the way the multi-purpose sports hall would alter the balance and intensity of the uses of the site.
Janet Walter, who represented Kettlewell village hall committee, pointed out that it was against the policies of the YDNPA to allow such a sports hall to have an adverse effect upon local facilities. Graham Walter said that the narrow road to the centre was used by dog walkers, farmers moving sheep, and was a Sustrans cycle route. He, like others, was concerned that with more vehicles using the minor unclassified country lane, especially construction traffic, there would be damage to the road and to the walls. Traffic to the centre would also have to negotiate a narrow section of road in Kettlewell.
Tim Illingworth, who represented a group of accommodation providers in Wharfedale, said the market was already saturated. The group was therefore strongly opposed to an increase of accommodation at Scargill House.
David Nelson, who is now resident in Kettlewell and a former Scargill House community member said that even when the centre was full or held special events no traffic problems had been reported. He pointed out that the centre had been in existence long before many of the present businesses and had not had, nor would have, a detrimental effect upon other accommodation providers or cafes. “From my own experience the presence of a viable Scargill can do nothing but good for the life of the village,” he said. He believed that now that Kettlewell School was remaining open Scargill would once again attract families to join its resident community. The new buildings had been designed to include modern environmental and energy needs.
Tony Hesselwood, vice chairman of the Scargill Movement Council, explained that the accommodation at the centre had to be renovated and brought up to modern standards. They also wanted to comply with modern regulations which required that groups of young people should be accommodated separate from that for adults and families. The re-development of the centre would be carried out in phases and would be financed from gifts rather than looking for pay-back from bookings. A lot of work would be carried out by volunteers. “We wish to be a vibrant part of the Upper Wharfedale community and support local providers where possible,” he said.
Some members complimented the planning officer on his report. In this he stated: “This is a particularly complex planning application… The use of the site would not change – since the 1950′s the site has had a permanent resident community, accommodation for over 100 guests, and has held courses and events. The proposals would not change the essential character of the use. The difference in the amount of accommodation proposed and the existing is not significant in terms of the traffic it would generate.” He added that the design had evolved since the original submission in 2009 and said: “It is considered that the proposal now represents a sensitive response that will assimilate into the landscape and enhance the appearance of the site.”
Two of the committee members, N Yorks County Coun Roger Harrison Topham and William Weston, voted against the application because of the design. “It is incoherent with no unifying vision,” said Coun Harrison Topham. Mr Weston commented: “The site is frankly a mess at the moment and we might have hoped for a really excellent, imaginative scheme … but sadly I don’t think we have that.” He added that members of the committee and local residents had instead pointed to the need to retain and increase the trees of the site as a way of hiding the buildings.
Other committee members were concerned that if the site was not re-developed and so made financially viable it could become semi-derelict and so look even worse. No limit was set on the number of conferences as it was felt this would probably be well controlled by market forces.