A NORTH Yorkshire tycoon has made a successful plea to councillors to back plans for a development at his home near Ripon.

Paul Sykes, well-known for spearheading the development of the multi-million pound Meadowhall shopping centre at Sheffield, attended a meeting of Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council.

He spoke in support of his planning application, which is seeking the go-ahead to create an agricultural storage building, including a one-bedroomed home for a resident warden at his country home close to Studley Roger.

The village is a gateway to Studley Royal Deer Park and Fountains Abbey, which is a World Heritage Site.

Planning officers recommended councillors refused the plan, but after hearing of Mr Sykes's environmental project for some of the 400 acres of land around his Grade II-listed property, they voted unanimously in favour of the project.

Because they went against the advice of planning officer Jane Lurcuck, councillors must now consider the issue again at their next meeting.

Planners did not accept that a resident warden was necessary.

They believed a warden could carry out the work and live nearby.

But councillors backed the scheme, believing there was a special justification for the development.