Agenda item

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice (including the text of the question/statement) to David Smith of Democratic and Scrutiny Services and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on Monday, 9 December 2024, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak

·          at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·          when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chairman who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

Two public statements were received.

1)     The Chair declared that the public statement received from Gareth Adams, Bentham Town Mayor, would be dealt with under Item 9 of the agenda.

2)     A statement was received from Edwin Rothwell and the wording was as follows.

Hello, my name is Edwin Rothwell and I have set up a Community Interest Company called Heart of Skipton, with a primary aim of supporting community events. I will be taking the lead on the Pride celebrations for 2025 in Skipton, and I’m pleased to say that planning for this event is coming together.

The CIC that I run has a vision to move into community housing and regeneration projects in Skipton.

I would like to draw the Committee’s attention to the regeneration area identified in the Craven Local Plan as SK139. (Refer to Image 1). I believe now is the right time for site assembly to take place, to ensure that Regeneration happens.

Why now? The lease on B&M Retail is due to expire in July 2026. This site represents about 50% of the SK139 Regeneration area. If B&M Retail renews the lease for another 10 years, we will not be able to see Regeneration take place, because the Local Plan will not permit a piecemeal approach. Failure to act now, will see the town lose the advantages of Regeneration, lose the economic potential of the site, and lose a housing opportunity.

The Craven Local Plan stated, and I quote, “Site assembly powers will be considered for use where it is expedient, appropriate and necessary for regeneration to succeed.” We have a need for housing, and all the best development land in Skipton is council owned, and tied up with car parking. The car parks are sprawling surface-level sites which are relatively economically inefficient.

The north and west sides of Coach Street car park could become an area of housing. (Refer to Image 2). We would create this housing by taking control of SK139, and building a public multi-story car park, on the B&M site, where we can decant the car parking from Coach Street to enable housing. This would be combined with the wholesale Regeneration of Cavendish Street, Waller Hill bus station, a wheelchair-accessible Gallows Bridge.

The creation of a Civic Square on either Waller Hill or Cavendish Street, would provide a much needed events space. This will reduce High Street closures, and boost economic activity by allowing large scale events to take place on the same day as the market, providing a double hit of visitors.

The economic advantages are huge, and I would like to ask that you would work with me to look into feasibility and community engagement around this Regeneration project. I believe these new uses will satisfy the usage criteria set out in the Craven Local Plan, to; and I quote, “complement and underpin the role and function of this part of Skipton whilst supporting the town centre as a whole”.

Thank you!

The following response was read out on behalf of Officers by David Smith.

In order to realise the planned housing and employment growth set out in the Craven Local Plan, Policy SP5: Spatial Strategy for Skipton sets out a number of site allocations to meet the needs in the town.  The Craven Local Plan supports proposals for development subject to compliance with the development principles for each sites set out in the policy.

Site SK139, land east and west of Cavendish Street, Skipton is identified as a retail led mixed use opportunity regeneration site offering potential to enhance this part of the town, meeting retail, commercial and leisure requirements in addition to providing environmental improvements and enhance connections in the town.  Specific development principles for this site relate to flood risk, heritage, the proximity of the Leeds Liverpool Canal to the site and access.

In addition, the policy requires a masterplan to be produced for the site, in consultation with key stakeholders and to the satisfaction of the local planning authority.  The aim of this masterplan is to incorporate each development principle and ensure there is a comprehensive approach to the regeneration of this area. Proposals will then be expected to accord with the principles of it.

In accordance with the policy, the former Craven District Council commissioned the preparation of a masterplan, encompassing both site SK139 and site SK140, the second site allocated in the Craven Local Plan as a regeneration opportunity.  Following Local Government Reorganisation and the creation of the Combined Authority the Council is developing a process and will undertake, a review of town centre masterplans across North Yorkshire, including Skipton, which will involve public consultation, and which we hope Edwin Rothwell will engage with.  

The policy recognises that the area is within a range of ownerships (including NYC), that assembling the site will influence delivery timescales and that site assembly powers will be considered for use where necessary.

The Council is committed to working with landowners, developers and interested groups to ensure the opportunity to regenerate this area, in line with Craven Local Plan policy is realised.

The Committee recognised that the land may be suitable for alternate use, but also that it is an important employment site where significant investments have been made. It was also recognised that there are economic and resource pressures that may inhibit development at this time. Members thanked Edwin Rothwell, provided reassurance that this subject would be explored and were pleased that members from the community were raising issues such as this.