1

Submission to the planning inspector to District Plan – September 2018

In March 2018, on behalf of the Sports consortium, we made representation to Harrogate Borough Council that the departure of the army from Ripon would present an unique opportunity for Ripon sports clubs to develop facilities which would benefit, not only the city of Ripon but the surrounding area of North . Our hope was that this would be represented in the Harrogate District Plan by designating the existing Claro and Deverell Barracks area for sports use, or at least that part of it currently used as sporting fields. For the sake of clarity the land which fronts onto Clotherholme Road is currently laid out and designated as sports fields.

I represent Ripon Runners, an athletics club of over 200 members, but with no facilities of its own. We have a large junior section with more than 50 members but like the senior club it too has no facilities. Currently Ripon Runners meet at Ripon Rugby Club on Mallorie Park Drive but the rugby players are also short of space, with three closely aligned pitches leaving no space for an athletics track. Frequently rugby club juniors have to use the neighbouring cricket ground for Sunday training.

Moonglu Cycling Club has more than 100 members, even though the club has only been in existence for 3-4 years. Moonglu C.C. cannot cater for the demand of junior cyclists without an off-road cycle track which of course does not exist in Ripon. The perimeter of the Barracks site would be of sufficiently length to provide this.

Ripon does not have a hockey club as there is no provision for a pitch; nowadays hockey requires a 3G surface and until the city can provide this at reasonable cost, as at Harrogate Hockey Club, then this sport will not be played here in Ripon. In the past there was a Ripon hockey club, playing on a grass strip alongside the Ripon Cricket Club outfield. This was always an unsatisfactory solution for a number of reasons.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation attempts to show that Ripon is over provided with sports and playing fields. There are several reasons for this variance with our view that Ripon is very poorly provided for. 1. Much of the “sports land” is within the tutelage of schools with the Grammar School particularly having a large acreage. However school land cannot be accessed at weekends or during school holidays because of the schools’ increasing security and safety fencing. It would not be available to sports clubs. 2. Ripon has 2 cricket clubs, Ripon Cricket Club and Studley Roger Cricket Club. Cricket is a land hungry sport and both these clubs have a generous acreage adding to the apparent surplus of Ripon sports land. Cricket does not sit comfortably with other sports using their land so cannot realistically be considered in the total. 3. Hellwath is an area of public land, owned by Harrogate Borough Council and used by Ripon City Panthers, Ripon’s junior football club. It is difficult to classify this as dedicated a sports field as it really open park land, used by dog walkers, joggers, 2

cyclists and all many of other incompatible users plus of course the continuing problem of dog fouling.

A Sports Village based at the Barracks site in Ripon would be a tremendous asset for Ripon, not only to its sports orientated citizens but as a draw to Ripon from other parts of the county. Ripon is in economic decline with most of its increasing population having to commute to other Yorkshire towns and cities for work.

To gain an idea of what could be achieved in Ripon I would suggest following the link below to view the plans for a Sowerby Sport Village being promoted by Hambleton District Council. The site lies between and the A19 and has been made possible because of a large neighbouring housing development. https://www.hambleton.gov.uk/downloads/file/514/sowerby_sports_village_master_plan

I would like the opportunity to meet and even be questioned by the planning inspector, charged with reviewing Harrogate’s draft district plan.

Dr. Christopher Bennett of Ripon Runners

And also representing the Sports Consortium clubs, listed in the March representation to HBC.