ANGRY North Yorkshire villagers are fighting against an industrial development which they say will tear the heart out of their village.

People living in Minskip, near Boroughbridge, have hit out over plans by Harrogate-based developer Forward Investment Properties, to demolish some Nissen huts in a quiet cul-de-sac, and build four light industrial units, a car-park and a turning circle for goods vehicles. 

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Residents claim the development at Hazeldene Fold is out of character with the village and does not comply with the Harrogate district Local Plan. They also believe the existing buildings may well conceal the remains of a Roman mosaic.

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Robert Beaumont, the senior churchwarden for Minskip, said: “This is an outrageous application and will do huge harm to our pretty little village and cause untold distress to the residents of Hazeldene Fold. Hazeldene Fold is a cul-de-sac of eight residential houses on a private road of unadoptable construction and completely unsuited to having HGVs going up and down it every day. The idea defies belief.

“The planning precedent is clear.

"An application for an extra five houses on this site was turned down in 2017 as it was beyond the Minskip Building Development Boundary line and the resultant extra traffic and noise would be detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring properties. Nothing has changed. Planning Policy Protocols set development boundaries and no other existing properties in the village exceed these boundaries. How then can anyone consider, let alone apply, to build five industrial units there? Add in the fact that there are very likely to be Roman remains on the site, it must be clear to everyone that this proposed development cannot be allowed to go ahead.

“And finally, why the developers have chosen Minskip as a suitable site for a light industrial park is baffling.”

Resident Lynne Scott said: “The mood here is very angry, because the developer hasn’t made any effort to interact with us or tell us what’s going on. They’ve already done massive groundworks without even having planning permission yet, and we just don’t know if there’s been any damage to the archaeology there.”

According to another local resident, Tony Hunt, a Roman mosaic floor is reported to have been discovered when the huts were built in 1970 but covered over with a layer of sand and plastic to preserve it. The location cross-references on Ordnance Survey maps with a square-shaped earthwork, and a Roman coin hoard was found nearby in the nineteenth century.

Forward Investment Properties have applied to Harrogate Borough Council for retrospective planning permission on the site and say their application should be approved because there is a shortage in the Harrogate district of employment sites of the type being proposed, and points out that the site has long been used for commercial purposes.