Maltkiln's 3,000-home new town is adopted policy and the next Local Plan starts in October 2026. Where planning in the Harrogate district actually stands.

Planning around Harrogate is in an unusual in-between moment. The rulebook that decides applications is still the old district’s plan, written before the council itself was abolished; the biggest scheme it promised, a whole new settlement at Maltkiln, has just become adopted policy; and the process to write the replacement plan for the whole of North Yorkshire starts this autumn. Here is where each piece actually stands, from the council’s own documents.

The quick answer

Three things decide what gets built around Harrogate right now:

  1. The Harrogate District Local Plan 2014 to 2035, adopted in March 2020, is still the development plan. It commits the former district to a minimum of 13,377 new homes, around 640 a year.
  2. The Maltkiln new settlement, at least 3,000 homes around Cattal station east of Knaresborough, was formally adopted as policy in November 2025 and got its masterplan framework in March 2026.
  3. A single North Yorkshire Local Plan will replace the old district plans. The council approved its timetable in June 2026: the first public consultation opens on 23 October 2026, and adoption is pencilled in for October 2029.

The plan that decides applications today

Since April 2023 the planning authority has been the single North Yorkshire unitary council, but applications in the Harrogate area are still judged against the Harrogate District Local Plan, adopted by the former borough council on 4 March 2020 (adoption statement, northyorks.gov.uk).

Its headline commitment, Policy GS1, is provision for a minimum of 13,377 new homes and at least 40 hectares of employment land between 2014 and 2035, a figure the council still quotes in its committee reports (North Yorkshire Council committee report, 2025). Spread over the 21-year plan period that works out at roughly 640 homes a year across Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and the villages. The plan stays in force until the new county-wide plan replaces it (North Yorkshire Local Plan page).

Maltkiln: the 3,000-home new settlement is now policy

The single biggest thing the Local Plan promised was a new settlement in the Green Hammerton and Cattal area, out along the York rail line. That is now adopted policy. On 12 November 2025 the full council voted 74 to 6 to adopt the New Settlement (Maltkiln) Development Plan Document (council decision record).

The DPD commits Maltkiln to deliver at least 3,000 homes and 5 hectares of employment land, with the new town centred on Cattal railway station (Executive report, October 2025).

It nearly did not happen. In 2023 the council was told that land making up 42% of the site, about 128 hectares around Cattal station, was no longer available, and in December 2023 the Executive agreed in principle to pursue a compulsory purchase order if negotiation failed. During the examination the promoter, Caddick Group, proposed redrawing the boundary so the early phases do not depend on that land, and the inspector accepted the fix (same Executive report). The follow-up masterplan framework, which sets out how the town is actually laid out, was adopted by the Executive on 17 March 2026 (decision record).

What it means for you: Maltkiln is no longer a proposal to object to in principle; it is the plan. The arguments from here are about phasing, the station, schools and who pays for what, and they will play out in planning applications over the next few years.

Ripon: 1,300 homes on the barracks

The other transformative scheme in the district is Clotherholme, Homes England’s redevelopment of Ripon’s military barracks. Outline plans for about 1,300 homes across Deverell Barracks, Claro Barracks and Laver Banks were approved in February 2023 on the narrowest possible margin, a 6 to 6 committee vote decided by the chair’s casting vote, as the BBC reported. The scheme would grow Ripon’s population by roughly a fifth, with the military due to vacate in 2026 and building expected to run to about 2035. Heritage groups objected over rare Second World War training structures on the site, so expect that argument to continue through the detailed stages.

Harrogate Convention Centre: the £9.4m Studio 2 refurb

In the town itself, the council approved extra funding in March 2026 for the refurbishment of Studio 2 at the Harrogate Convention Centre, a key decision flagged at over £1 million (decision record). The council put the scheme at £9.4 million after final design changes, adding breakout space for around 1,200 delegates alongside the existing 2,000-seat auditorium, with work potentially starting in summer 2026 and the cost repaid within a decade, as reported by the Harrogate Informer. The venue underpins the town’s events economy, which feeds directly into the hotels, cafes and attractions covered in our things to do in Harrogate page.

The next Local Plan: your first chance to comment is October 2026

The council approved the timetable for the single North Yorkshire Local Plan on 16 June 2026 (timetable page). The stages that matter to residents:

North Yorkshire Local Plan timetable, 2026 to 2029 Timeline. October to December 2026: scoping consultation. September to October 2027: content and evidence consultation. September to November 2028: proposed plan consultation. March 2029: submission for examination. October 2029: adoption, subject to examination. Source: North Yorkshire Council timetable approved June 2026. The road to the North Yorkshire Local Plan Timetable approved by the council's Executive, 16 June 2026 23 Oct to 4 Dec 2026: scoping consultation The public says what the plan should cover. First chance to have a say. 3 Sep to 15 Oct 2027: content and evidence consultation Comment on the plan's proposed content and the evidence behind it. 29 Sep to 24 Nov 2028: proposed plan consultation The full draft plan, including any new housing numbers and sites. 30 Mar 2029: submitted for examination Independent inspectors test the plan. 26 Oct 2029: adoption Subject to the examination. Until then, the Harrogate District Local Plan applies.
The approved timetable for the county-wide plan that will replace the Harrogate District Local Plan.

The scoping consultation running from 23 October to 4 December 2026 is the point at which residents, parish councils and landowners get their first formal say on what the new plan should contain, including whether the Harrogate area’s housing numbers change.

How to track and comment on applications

Every live application in the former Harrogate district is on the council’s Public Access planning portal, where you can search by address or reference and read officers’ reports. The council explains the process, including how to support, object to or comment on any application, on its view and comment page. Big schemes go to the area’s planning committee; you can follow agendas and decisions on the council’s democracy site. New housing supply feeds directly into what homes cost here, which is why these documents are worth watching even if you never comment.

Frequently asked questions

How many homes does the Local Plan require around Harrogate?

A minimum of 13,377 new homes between 2014 and 2035 across the former Harrogate district, around 640 a year, under Policy GS1 of the Harrogate District Local Plan adopted in March 2020.

What is Maltkiln and is it definitely happening?

Maltkiln is a planned new settlement of at least 3,000 homes centred on Cattal railway station, east of Knaresborough. Its Development Plan Document was adopted by North Yorkshire Council on 12 November 2025 and its masterplan framework in March 2026, so it is adopted policy. Detailed planning applications, phasing and infrastructure still have to follow.

Who decides planning applications in Harrogate now?

North Yorkshire Council, the unitary authority that replaced Harrogate Borough Council in April 2023. Applications are still judged against the Harrogate District Local Plan until the new county-wide plan is adopted.

When does the new North Yorkshire Local Plan take effect?

Adoption is timetabled for 26 October 2029, subject to examination. The first public consultation runs from 23 October to 4 December 2026.

What is happening at Ripon barracks?

Outline permission for about 1,300 homes, the Clotherholme scheme, was approved in February 2023. The military is due to vacate the barracks in 2026 and building is expected to run to around 2035.

Sources

Planning timetables move. Dates above are the council’s approved timetable as of August 2026; check the linked council pages for the current position before relying on them.