More than 100 affordable new homes will provide “housing for local people who have been increasingly priced out of York in recent years”, say developers.
Altogether, 106 homes are proposed to be built on New Lane in Huntington, next to the cemetery. However, the area is set to be designated green belt in the new Local Plan.
Built by Jomast Developments, and managed by Together Homes, one of the largest housing associations in the north of England, the development would be “a 100% affordable housing scheme incorporating an appropriate mix of social and affordable rent and shared ownership options”.
“The housing will be offered with a period of exclusivity to local key workers in the city, such as NHS staff, social and care workers, school workers, civil servants, and emergency service workers,” planning documents say.
“The proposed scheme will help meet an existing and growing critical need for affordable housing in York.”
The proposals include:
- 106 affordable homes, with a range of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom properties
- “generous open space” for the recreation and amenity of residents, helping to provide a sympathetic green setting for the development
- a programme of landscaping including tree and shrub planting throughout the site “to promote biodiversity”.
If the area is confirmed as green belt in the Local Plan, building would only be allowed in “very special circumstances”.
But the developers say: “We believe that the significantly positive contribution of circa 106 affordable homes in helping to meet York’s critical affordable housing needs, and the social benefits of providing much needed affordable homes for local key workers, would vastly outweigh the impact on the site’s designation as Green Belt.”
They go on: “In the six years between 2013/14 to 2018/19, a total of just 461 additional affordable homes were delivered in York.
“Affordable dwellings lost through the right to buy scheme means that the net increase of supply during this period was just 77 affordable homes.
“These figures are in stark contrast to the need to provide 592 new affordable homes each year as identified in the council’s 2022 Local Housing Needs Assessment.”
Feedback from a public consultation has been used to develop the plans. The developers add: “The consultation has also highlighted several local residents who would be interested in living at the development.”
You can read the plans and leave a comment on them here.
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