Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has raised concerns in Parliament about plans for a large housing development next to the Army Foundation College (AFC), and asked what is being done to protect the site.
Redrow Homes Yorkshire is seeking outline planning permission for up to 285 homes on farmland west of Oaker Bank, near Penny Pot Lane, directly east of the college.
Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 November, Mr Gordon told Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, that the AFC is an isolated site west of Harrogate. He pointed out that the Minister had already spoken about concerns over the protection of defence sites and the threats they face. He then asked what steps the Ministry of Defence is taking with other government departments and North Yorkshire Council on the security and protection of places like the AFC.
In reply, the Minister said Harrogate plays an important role for the armed forces. He offered to set up a meeting between Mr Gordon and the Minister for Veterans and People to discuss Harrogate. He added that communities next to bases across the country care passionately about their security and actively contribute to it.
Tom Gordon MP said:
“The Army Foundation College is a relatively isolated site at the moment, and that matters for its security. Any plan to build hundreds of homes right next to it needs to be thought through very carefully. These latest plans come on top of an additional 1000 homes proposed for nearby. There are sites that are far more suitable than this one, which would limit the expansion of the AFC and pose security concerns.
“The Minister himself recognised that local communities care passionately about the security of these bases, and Harrogate is no different. The armed forces are a crucial part of our community here. I welcome the offer of a meeting, and I’ll be following this process every step of the way.”
