A controversial development comprising council offices and the base for a building society offshoot have been given the go-ahead - despite the site being on a protected green area.

Members of Craven District Council voted 10-1 in favour of allowing the Skipton Building Society subsidiary Homeloan Management Limited to build a new base on a field on Gargrave Road, opposite Skipton Auction Mart - a development that would also house part of the council's own facilities.

Although the site is within an area of special landscape and building on it would go against the council's Local Plan, members agreed the need to keep employment in the area outweighed the disadvantages.

The application, along with the council's recommendation to approve it, will now have to go to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to be scrutinised and a final decision to be made.

Jill Wilson, of Aireville Grange near the proposed site, protested against the development. She said the nearest building would be 60 metres away from homes, the car park 10 metres and the access road to the site five metres.

She said this would cause light and noise pollution to houses and said the extra traffic on Gargrave Road would add to an already heavy load due to the schools, Craven College, swimming pool and the auction mart.

Haydn Beresford said the Rockwood estate would be turned into a car park due to insufficient car parking on the site.

Jim Ramsey, of HML's agents Indigo Planning, said both HML, which employs 750 people, and Craven Council had a pressing need for new bases and no other sites were appropriate. He said the company also contributed to the local economy.

Coun Stephen Butcher, whose ward contains the application site, was the only councillor to vote against the application. He said he was not against keeping HML in the town but he believed a site earmarked for employment, near Waltonwrays crematorium, was a better location. He said: "It's flat and ideal for development. It would take all the traffic out of Skipton."

Coun Butcher added the Gargrave Road development would have an "appalling" effect on residents. He said: "The car parking is going to be within 10 metres of gardens. There will be lighting in that car park that will go straight into the houses."

But other councillors were concerned about the impact on Skipton and the area if HML was not given the land and the chance to develop its business and workforce.

Coun Paul English said neighbouring towns were queuing up to try to get Skipton Building Society to move and bring its jobs with it and Craven would be "foolish" to let it go. He said the application would upset someone wherever it was located.

Commenting after the decision, Skipton Building Society chief executive John Goodfellow said: "I'm very pleased that the matter has been approved by such a large majority and that we'll now be moving to the next stage of the process."

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