What's about to Happen?

Dubai based Al Khaleej are preparing a planning application for submission to Harrogate District Council, to build a huge sugar beet plant on the A168, immediately north of Grade 1 listed Allerton Castle and gardens, north east of the junction of the A1 and A59 Knaresborough to York road.

Why is this important?

If the plant is built in the proposed location it will:

Cover 161 acres (130 football pitches).

Include 4 silos, each silo is taller than York Minster and twice the width of its front elevation.

Operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, resulting in 3,400 two way lorry trips per day, causing diesel pollution and traffic chaos all along the A59, A168 and as far as the York ring road.

Result in a potential sickly sweet smell affecting a wide area with the additional risk of a ‘bad eggs’ smell from poisonous hydrogen sulphide produced by the cleaning process.

Affect land that provides habitat for wetland birds, wild flower meadows and nearby otters.

Affect the setting of Allerton Castle and nearby conservation areas, having a negative impact on tourism employment.

Be highly visible from Sutton Bank, Harrogate District and beyond, spoiling countryside views.

The site selected by Al Khaleej is not suitable for a number of environmental and economic reasons and other brownfield locations make far more sense. The land is being sold by North Yorkshire County Council without regard to the environmental and social cost to their residents and we would urge you to support our campaign.

Al Khaleej is a huge company with huge resources and we will need funding to be able to fight them in whatever ways we can.

Click HERE to sign the on-line petition