MAJOR decisions will be taken today on City of York Council’s bid tackle the housing crisis.

Two delayed council house building sites are due to be revived, and senior city councillors will be asked to approve an ambitious £20 million fund to buy and build new homes.

Plans were confirmed for new council homes on Newbury Avenue and Chaloner’s Road as long ago as 2014, but have been either on hold or in limbo for years after a building firm pulled out of the Chaloner’s Road site, and ruling councillors pulled the plug on the Newbury Avenue plan saying the scheme was not suitable for the site.

New plans have been drawn up for five one-bedroom bungalows on Newbury Avenue and six two-bedroom houses at Chaloner's Road. Top councillors will be asked to approve them later today. At the same time, a major investment fund is being created to pour £20 million of council money into building new homes for social rent, with another £80 million to improve and update existing council homes.

Councillor Fiona Derbyshire, Labour group housing spokesperson, said the group welcomed anything that would bring new affordable housing for York, but criticised the “colossal waste of taxpayers’ money” caused by the rethink on Newbury Avenue.

“A housing scheme was ready to be developed in 2015 and only as we approach 2018 is it being taken forward,” she said. "New bungalows have been started and completed elsewhere during this time.”

However Sam Lisle, the Conservative executive member for housing, said the delays were actually caused the council listening to people in the area.

He said: “It is important that developments are appropriate and I look forward to progressing these plans at Executive.” Cllr Lisle confirmed that the homes funded by the £20 million will be for social rent, although some could be offered for sale under “shared ownership” schemes.