A NEW eco-friendly educational centre at Harlow Carr could attract more than 10,000 school children each year after plans for the innovative new project were unveiled.
Harrogate Council's planning committee passed plans for the modern learning centre, 20m-high wind turbine and teaching garden at the RHS gardens on Tuesday as part of a package of new facilities set to replace the existing portable building, which pl
anners said were inadequate and insufficient.
Planning officer Mr Parkes said: "The new building will provide modern facilities with a greater capacity for educational activity, covering growing and cooking fruit and vegetables, sustainable gardening, recycling and caring for the environment, the wider importance of plants for people, and skills for a career in horticulture."
Head of RHS estates Dave Alexander said RHS Harlow Carr attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 3,000 school children on specially-arranged educational visits, and a further 20,000 coming with their families.
But Mr Alexander told the committee the new centre, funded in part by a grant from the Carbon Trust, would treble the number of pupils visiting the site, estimating that more than 10,000 youngsters would come to the gardens on educational day trips.
The committee was concerned by the proposed black finish of the turbine head and blades, but the applicants agreed to change it to a light grey finish to blend with the tower itself.
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