Proposals submitted to build Garden Village with 1,753 homes
Proposals have been launched today for a new ‘Garden Village’ housing community in York that could provide 1753 new homes for the elderly, key workers and working families.
The Galtres Garden Village Development Company has submitted detailed proposals for the scheme to be included in the new Local Plan which York Council will announce on 23 January, with a public inquiry due to start in May 2018.
If allocated for development, the company says the scheme will quickly provide affordable houses for local people by working in partnership with the council’s Housing Development Company and Homes England to help address the current housing crisis with homes that are needed the most.
York is currently under pressure from the Government to address a significant shortfall in the current Local Plan which proposes 867 new homes every year until 2032. Fresh figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) say the city actually needs 1,070, leaving a shortfall of more than 200 a year.
The scheme is proposed be built on 93 hectares of land to the north of the Northern Ring Road and Monks Cross. As well as more than 500 affordable homes for local people, the scheme includes more than 290 retirement homes and a 64-bed care home. Amenities would support the new settlement including a community hub, village green and recreation facilities, a school, surgery, shops and country park.
Mixed tenure housing, with a variety of home ownership and rented options, is being proposed.
The company says the ‘Garden Village’ concept is embraced throughout with a landscape-led design which draws upon the classic Rowntree’s philosophy of creating a Garden Village with a community atmosphere, linked to healthy living, training and education.
Martin Hawthorne, of Galtres Garden Village Development Company, said: “The City of York has is under immense pressure by the Government to address a significant housing shortfall, particularly for an ageing population and the lower paid. We believe that our proposal will contribute to addressing this shortfall and will help to ensure that the new proposed Local Plan meets the approval of the Independent Inspector.
“What’s different about our scheme is that we are inviting the Council to participate in the design, specification and delivery of the village so that the housing provision serves those that need it at affordable prices or arrangements. If included in the Local Plan, we are able to start the process immediately with land that is available now.”
The development is proposed on land which is currently closed and private. It will create a new country park and work with the landscape keeping old hedgerows and water courses.
The company says its will work closely with the council to address traffic and congestion and maximise the benefits of widening the ring road in the area. It will use the A64 as a key access road encouraging traffic away from nearby Earswick and Huntington.
Hawthorne added: “Building in this proposed location takes the homes away from the ring road and uses land fronting North Lane near the A64. The new homes will be out of sight from existing villages of Huntington and Earswick and motorists using the ring road. This is not a case of urban sprawl; the new community will sit neatly in its own environment.
“At the heart of the designs is the Green agenda. The Garden village approach emphasises the ‘human’ nature of village life. Certainly, the green routes, pathways and wildlife will be central to the designs but so will the creation of the village facilities and transport links. These all work towards a self-contained community able to access services without making unnecessary journeys.
Galtres Garden Village Development Company is currently consulting with the council and councillors.
