PLANS for a vineyard and winery on the edge of York have run into opposition.

Mark Barron seeks to create Holme Lea Winery, with a 122m2 building, on a 3.3ha site off Hull Road, Dunnington.

His application to city of York council said: “The proposal would create an area for the production, bottling and storage of the wine that is to be created from the new vineyard at the smallholding.”

“The proposal is considered to be an appropriate rural form of development at the site and would introduce a form or agricultural diversification for the existing holding.”

Planning documents note the site, north of the A1079 and south of Hagg Lane, is in the  Green Belt outside defined limits in a countryside location.

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The development would “vastly increase the scale and sustainability” of operations at the existing smallholding. Two jobs would be created by the development.

“The proposed development represents a natural growth and expansion of an existing rural smallholding and as such we believe that the proposed development is compliant with the aims of national planning policy framework,” the application continued.

Furthermore, the planned building would be constructed on hardstanding, close to other out buildings.

The application added: “The proposed design is certainly superior to the large industrial looking buildings that existed on the site just a few years ago and which can be clearly identified on Google satellite view.”

However, Dunnington Parish Council has told City of York Council it objects to the scheme, citing a raft of planning grounds.

The parish council says the proposed development is in the Green Belt and it believes its size makes it appropriate development in relation to two nearby properties.

The council also says the application contains no information about the impact of noise from the proposed business, nor details about vehicle movement, or its potential future growth and the impact on the environment.

Furthermore, recent planning applications have been obtained for equine livery purposes only and a change of use has not been sought in respect of the field that has been prepared to take the vines.

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The council added the land has a potential archaeological interest which needs to be addressed and there is no environmental impact assessment especially concerning potential flooding.

If approved by City of York Council, the vineyard would be the closest to the city,

Other vineyards in the area include the Yorkshire Heart Brewery and Vineyard at Pool Lane, Nun Monkton; the Dunesforde Vineyard at Upper Dunsforth in the Vale of York; the Ryedale Vineyard at Farfield Farm, Westow; Little Wold Vineyard at Beverley Road, South Cave; and Laure Vines, Aike Lane, Driffield.

Yorkshire also has the popular Leventhorpe Vineyard, Newsome Green Road, Off Bullerthorpe Lane, Woodlesford, Leeds: and Holmfirth Vineyard, Woodhouse Lane, Holmbridge, Holmfirth.