£9.2 million approved for brownfield housing

Funding to build 700 homes across York and North Yorkshire has been approved.

Investment is a result of the region’s proposed devolution deal and will unlock housing development on brownfield land. It will help deliver affordable, accessible, and low carbon housing, creating sustainable and high-quality places.

Nine schemes – which include 252 affordable homes – will receive a share of the York and North Yorkshire Brownfield Housing Fund. A total of £9,177,000 has been allocated.

Projects are addressing housing needs in both rural and urban areas. Examples include plans to build 18 affordable homes on the site of a demolished school in the village of Ingleby Arncliffe, where good quality affordable housing that will attract young families is sought.

One of the fund’s urban projects includes plans for 19 affordable homes at Lowfield Green in York. This will be developed as a pilot for an innovative Mutual Home Ownership (MHO) model, a new form of home ownership with affordability at its heart.

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “North Yorkshire is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but with that comes a massive demand for housing, especially for more affordable homes.

“We want people to be able to continue to live in the communities where they grew up, while also allowing others to move to the county to help to bring in the skills and experience which are needed to boost the economy.

“This is a significant moment for both York and North Yorkshire to see more than £9 million being used to fund hundreds of new properties, especially with more than a third of them being affordable homes.

“It is another indication of the benefits that are being realised ahead of the proposed devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire, bringing in additional funding from the Government to help to address some of the biggest issues which we face.”

Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, said: “It is so important to us that York not only has the number of homes it needs but that they are at prices that people can afford and are both for sale and to rent.

“Increasing the supply of good quality, affordable housing is a key priority for us. We are making good progress on our own Housing Delivery Programme and this funding for York and North Yorkshire is very welcome as it means more quality, affordable homes of mixed tenures and ownership models for the city and wider region. We are keen to explore further opportunities with the Combined Authority when it is set up in the new year to ensure that more homes can be built.”

Funding was agreed, subject to further due diligence, at a meeting of the York and North Yorkshire Joint Devolution Committee on Friday 15th December.

If progressed, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will administer the fund. Investment has been secured from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

James Farrar, Interim Director of Transition for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, added: “Subject to progress, a new combined authority could be operational in January and formally launched in February. A mayoral election would take place on 2nd May 2024.”

Once elected, the York and North Yorkshire Mayor will have certain powers and responsibilities, devolved to them by central government. These include:

• Responsibility for 30-year Mayoral Investment Fund totalling £540m over the next 30 years
• The powers to improve the supply and quality of housing and secure the development of land

Projects allocated funding:

• 392 homes on former gas works at Heworth, York
• 10 homes, Sturdee Grove, York
• 18 homes, Main Street, Ingleby Arncliffe
• 17 homes at Raskelf near Easingwold and Carrs Billington, Askrigg
• 160 homes, former Arc Factory, off Catterick Road, Colburn, Catterick Garrison
• 9 homes across multiple sites in Harrogate and Boroughbridge
• 5 homes at Hawthorn Terrace South, York
• 70 homes across 4 sites in York
• 19 homes at Lowfield Green, York