Harrogate Spring Water ‘reviewing plans’ to expand bottling plant ahead of new application

Since 2017, the Danone-owned firm has had outline planning permission to expand its factory next to the Pinewoods. But controversially, this would involve chopping down trees at Rotary Wood, a public woodland that includes trees planted by schoolchildren in the 2000s.

In January 2021, a high-profile reserved matters application that was 40 per cent larger than the outline permission and looked to fell more trees than had been agreed was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee. The application generated a public backlash and led to a national debate about how a successful businesses can expand in the area of climate change and plastic pollution.

Following the refusal, Harrogate Spring Water confirmed it was putting together another keenly-anticipated reserved matters application that will show what the new building will look like. Crucially, it will also say where the new trees will be replanted.