Castle Howard rejects developer's plea for access to new housing estate

A meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee heard managers of the stately home had been approached over W&W Estates’ plan to build 13 homes in Slingsby on a field beside a site on which Castle Howard had been given planning permission to build 26 homes in January.

Councillors heard while Castle Howard had been given outline consent to build over both farm fields as part of a “landmark” development in 2020, when final blueprints for the housing came forward the site had been split in two and so an access would be needed off Aspen Way.

Members and residents raised concerns the proposed access between two houses on Aspen Way would become a permanent arrangement, as its removal or downgrading was dependent upon the progression of the neighbouring application site.

Officers said private rights of access across Castle Howard’s land would remain until adoption of the roadways by the council and that the estate had confirmed it was unwilling to allow W&W Estates unfettered access to the boundary with its site before any properties on the Castle Howard development site were occupied.

Objecting to the proposal, one villager said Aspen Way had “many elderly, infirm residents” and traffic through the cul-de-sac would “cause chaos and noise at all times of the day”.

The resident said: “Whilst housing does need to be provided for the growing population, consideration also needs to be given to those who already live in a location – especially somewhere that currently provides such peace and quiet such as Aspen Way, as well as the infrastructure around the proposed site.”

A Slingsby Parish Council spokeswoman told the meeting the developers’ efforts to lessen the impact on residents by asking Castle Howard to be allowed to access the land through its development site had been appreciated.

She added: “It is unfortunate, but not unexpected, that the adjacent landowner is unwilling to assist the applicant, and thereby residents of Aspen Way.

“We hope that once development commences on both sites common sense prevails and both developers will work together to get the Castle Howard access up and running so the second access is not required, thereby assisting the residents of Aspen Way and the community moving forward.”

The meeting was told members of the planning committee had received “a representation” directly from Castle Howard, which was not read out at the meeting.

However, an officers’ report stated Castle Howard had given “a number of reasons” for its refusal to allow its potential building site to be crossed, including “the concern from the community in relation to the application before committee”.

An agent for the developer said the only way of removing Castle Howard’s ransom strip over its site was to grant access through Aspen Way, and if its proposal was refused it would have no option but to launch an appeal against the decision.

Ahead of the proposal being passed, Councillor Nigel Knapton warned the committee against refusing the proposal, saying at appeal a planning inspector could worsen the situation for Aspen Way residents by making the access permanent.