Protecting Dark Skies in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Consultation Statement

Supplementary Planning Document adopted May 2024

 Download a copy of the consultation statement (pdf / 10 MB)

Introduction

1.1 Harrogate Borough Council is preparing a Supplement Planning Document to provide detailed guidance on Protecting Dark Skies in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which will help provide help and guidance for projects involving external lighting in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to support Policy GS6 (Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty) of the adopted Harrogate District Local Plan 2014 - 2035.

1.2 The council is now seeking public representations on the draft version of this Supplementary Planning Document, and in accordance with Regulation 12 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 has published this document to set out 

• the persons and organisations consulted when preparing the supplementary planning document
• a summary of the main issues raised by those persons/organisations and
• how those issues have been addressed in the supplementary planning document

1.3 The Supplementary Planning Document has been prepared on behalf of Harrogate Borough Council by the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team with input from the organisations below. The list below sets out the main issues raised during these discussions and how they fed into the preparation of the Supplementary Planning Document. 

1.4 On 1 April 2023 North Yorkshire Council was formed which assumed responsibility for administrating the area previously administrated by North Yorkshire County Council and the district councils of Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby. The consultation was carried out by Harrogate Borough Council prior to local government re-organisation. 

Protecting Dark Skies in Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Supplementary Planning Document

Harrogate Borough Council's planning policy team

• review of scope and format of the Supplementary Planning Document
• feedback used to revise the text

Harrogate Borough Council's legal team

• scope and status of the Supplementary Planning Document
• feedback used to determine the approach to the Supplementary Planning Document

Harrogate Borough Council's environmental protection team

• comments on early draft
• results incorporated in the draft

Harrogate Borough Council's development management team 

• comments on early draft
• results incorporated in the draft

'Go Stargazing' 

• surveys of Nidderdale's dark skies
• results incorporated in the draft

North York Moors National Park Authority 

• review of scope and format of the Supplementary Planning Document and the approach taken by other protected landscapes 
• results incorporated in the draft 

South Downs National Park Authority

• review of scope and format of the Supplementary Planning Document and the approach taken by other protected landscapes
• results incorporated in the draft

Northumberland National Park Authority

• review of scope and format of the Supplementary Planning Document and the approach taken by other protected landscapes
• results incorporated in the draft

1.5 Consultation took place between 20 February and 20 March 2023. A summary of issues raised, the council's response and any proposed modifications are set out below.