A BLUEPRINT for housing and industrial developments has taken an major step towards becoming official.

An independent report into objections to the Harrogate District Local Plan has now been drawn up and is being considered by Harrogate Borough Council.

By the end of next month the authority will have drawn up its response to the report, with another six weeks allowed for further objections before the plan is officially adopted.

The plan sets out sites which are considered suitable for development and those which should be free from housing or industrial use.

It includes allocating the former Ministry of Defence site, off St George's Road in Harrogate for 165 houses, with the rugby club ground at Claro Road earmarked for a 100-home development.

But land at Doublegates Quarry, Ripon, will not be allocated for housing, contrary to the recommendation of the independent inspector.

A site at St James Park, Knaresborough, already earmarked for industrial development will be extended by a further ten hectares.

Land off the city centre link road at Ripon is to be set aside for use as a park-and-ride site, along with land off Wetherby Road, Harrogate.

Land at Beeches Farm, Ripon, which had previously been earmarked for a food superstore is now to be left as it is, with the council concentrating its regeneration efforts on the west of the Market Place.

Harrogate planning chairman Geoff Webber said: "This will be the first time that the district has had a comprehensive local plan and it will be very important in guiding decisions on planning application in the future."