York and North Yorkshire to benefit from £4m funding
The combined authority will allocate £3.36m from mayoral funding to build 181 affordable houses in Lowfield Lane, York; Ordnance Lane, York; and Neville House, Gargrave.
Funding allocations for several projects were approved at a meeting of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority on Friday 6 September, including the affordable home projects in York and Gargrave, and local authority infrastructure projects in Scarborough and Hambleton.
This is in addition to £1.27m already secured for the York and North Yorkshire Brownfield Housing Fund.
Lowfield Lane, York, will consist of 64 units, 14 of which will be specialist facilities. Change of use planning permission is required as the site is on a former school, although it was noted at the meeting that pre-planning advice is “supportive of the development.”
Ordnance Lane, York, will provide 101 units, all of which will adhere to Passivhaus standards. Key advisors include Tibbalds Planning & Urban Design, along with architect Mikhail Riches. The professional team led by Turner & Townsend includes Civic Engineers, Simply CDM, Green Gauge, BBUK, Imagine Places and Warm.
Neville House, Gargrave, will provide 16 units, of which nine will be affordable and seven supported living. This will require the demolition of existing un-used property.
As well as housing, a project to provide a new harbour boat hoist in Scarborough was allocated £700,000 and an electric vehicle charging infrastructure improvements programme will receive £175,000.
It was noted that improved infrastructure created by the Scarborough harbour boat hoist will safeguard 15 jobs, improve business supply chains and enable increased days at sea by the fishing fleet.
Meanwhile, improvements to electric vehicle charging infrastructure would see the replacement of 37 charging points in the Hambleton area and 13 in the Craven area.
Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith is utilising the Mayoral Investment Fund to support schemes across the region. He said: “We’re using devolved funds to make a real difference. In this case, supporting key infrastructure projects, which support our economic and net zero ambitions, and another round of funding for affordable housing. Creating affordable homes will help us to reduce inequalities, raise living standards and create stronger communities.”
At the same meeting, Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, was confirmed as housing portfolio holder. He said: “One of the most pressing issues that needs to be addressed in York and North Yorkshire is the lack of affordable housing… I am committed to working with my colleagues to make sure that communities across the region have homes that they can afford so that they have the opportunity to live and work here.”
