Residents and Wetherby Civic Society have also objected to the plan.
But in a planning statement supporting the application, development consultancy Lichfields, acting on behalf of the applicants, points out that there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
It says that, since the Harrogate District Local Plan published by Harrogate Borough Council has not been updated since that council’s abolition in 2023, it is out of date and permission should be granted in the absence of other overriding considerations. It concludes: