Go-ahead for scheme to build 68 homes in village

PLANS to build 68 new homes in North Yorkshire have been given the green light by the local council.

The plan will see North of England affordable housebuilder Adderstone Living partner with northern housing association Karbon Homes to deliver a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroomed affordable properties on a plot of land at Birkby Lane, East Cowton, near Hambleton in North Yorkshire.

The 3.2-hectare site will be close to existing residential housing and 40 per cent of the overall site area will be kept as open space to retain the existing rural character of the area.

Adderstone Living managing director, Stephen McCoy, said: “This is great news for local people keen to get a step on the housing ladder. We now look forward to bringing this much-needed scheme, with its mix of property types and sizes to provide options for residents at varying stages of life, to fruition.

“Indeed, the delivery of social housing has never been more important than at present with commercial pressures on the sector to deliver high-quality, added-value schemes in places where people want to live and build communities.”

The project comes as the Government continues to push for the delivery of new homes to meet the chronic housing shortage and arrest the decline in the affordability of home ownership.

North Yorkshire has been found to be one of the least affordable areas for housing outside the South of England. A report by the North Yorkshire Rural Commission from 2021 found that in some areas of the region, residents would need to pay up to 10 times their annual salary to afford a home.

Developers added that the homes will be “highly energy efficient”, meeting an Energy Performance Rating of A and incorporating air source heat pumps, and solar PV panels.