Local MP Steps Up Campaign To Save Rotary Wood And Asks Government To Intervene
Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has called on the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government to intervene in Harrogate Spring Water’s planning application.
The Danone-owned company’s proposal would see around 500 trees in Rotary Wood removed, sparking widespread public concern and more than 1,000 formal objections.
In his letter, Tom urged intervention on the grounds of serious failings in the planning process. He outlined that no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out at either the outline or reserved matters stage – despite this being a requirement for developments with significant environmental impacts.
Last month Tom called a public meeting to save Rotary Wood, joining forces with local campaigners and around 70 members of the public.
There are concerns mitigation measures have not been identified, alternative options have not been considered, and the cumulative environmental impacts have not been assessed.
Tom warned that allowing the application to proceed without proper environmental assessment risks setting a dangerous precedent that undermines the integrity of the planning system. He is urging ministerial intervention to ensure the application is handled lawfully, transparently, and with full consideration of its environmental consequences.
Commenting, Tom said:
‘The failure to carry out the environmental impact assessment appears to be a fundamental breach of planning law and casts serious doubt on the legality of both the outline permission and the current application.
‘This is a statutory requirement for developments with significant environmental impacts, and chopping down hundreds of trees clearly meets that threshold.
‘The Secretary of State must intervene to ensure the process is lawful and to restore public confidence in the integrity of the planning system.’
