PLANS have been submitted for 78 new homes to be built on the site of a former food factory.

The Del Monte factory, based at Skelton Park Trading Estate on Shipton Road in Skelton, closed in 2012.

David Wilson Homes has now applied for permission to build 78 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes at the site.

A planning application for 60 new homes on the land was put forward in 2015 but the scheme was put on hold after councillors raised safety concerns about people being able to cross the A19.

The new planning application says each property will have its own garden area and parking space. Most houses will be two storey buildings.

Documents say: “The layout demonstrates that the site can comfortably accommodate 78 dwellings, areas of open space, landscaping and associated infrastructure, internal access roads.

“The site will be accessed via the existing access point off Shipton Road, albeit this will be upgraded as per the outline approval. A central spine road into the site will then loop around the site to provide access to a number of private drives.

“The layout incorporates a range of different house types and sizes which is in response to the clear need for properties within this part of the city. This includes smaller one-bedroomed properties up to larger four-bedroom dwellings.”

Developers also said a pond at the site, seen as an “important feature”, will be kept and a trail and seating will be built.

A further area of open space is planned for the centre of the site and a playground with equipment will also be installed.

The developers also own an open space to the west of the site, which is not included in the current proposals.

The former factory, which closed in April 2012, employed between 130 and 140 members of staff.

The site was set up as the headquarters for Wrights of York, which was famous for its pork pies and Yorkshire patties, in the 1960s and has been the home of food manufacturing for various companies including Freshbake Foods, Campbell’s and the Albert Fisher Group. It was bought by Fresh Del Monte Produce in 2002.