West Yorkshire brownfield development part of "crucial" plan to meet housing demand
THE chief executive of Britain’s largest housebuilder described developing on brownfield land as a ‘crucial’ part of meeting the growing demand for housing when he visited a pioneering development in West Yorkshire, that has recycled more than 90% of the materials that existed on the site.
Mark Clare, chief executive of Barratt Developments, visited Garnett Wharfe in Otley to discover how the former paper mill in the market town is being transformed. The development has recycled and used 1,000 tonnes of scrap metal and used 12,000 tonnes of paper pulp as a soil improver.
Nearly two in three homes built by the Barratt Group last year were on brownfield land.
“Developing on brownfield land is crucial in ensuring we can meet the growing demand for housing, we well as providing thousands of jobs in the trade sector, which is key to keeping our economy thriving,” said Mr Clare.
“But it is not just about creating housing developments. As the Garnett Wharfe site shows, we aim to make thriving communities that serve families and businesses alike.”
Mr Clare was given a tour of the David Wilson Homes site, which will have 194 homes set along the River Wharfe. He was also shown plans for a new apartment block with visitor centre, café, fish pass, riverside walks, public piazza, commercial building and a new hydroelectric turbine, which is forecast to generate enough energy from the weir to make the development carbon neutral on an offset basis.
The Garnett Wharfe site was one of the first to receive funding from the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, with money from its Growing Places programme going towards demolition, remediation and infrastructure works at the derelict site.
He also welcomed the changes to stamp duty unveiled in the Autumn Statement, describing them as “a real boost to many of the home buyers in West Yorkshire”. The changes mean that someone buying a house for £275,000 will save £4,500 in stamp duty liability.
