WORK will start later this month on a major new housing development in a village near York after planners gave it the green light.

The £20 million scheme for agricultural land at Green Hammerton, called Spring Heights, involves 80 homes, 32 of them ‘affordable’.

Yorkshire house builder Loxley Homes, which has secured planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council, said it amended its application in response to concerns raised by local people during three periods of public consultation, and worked with planning consultant RDS to revise its plans.

James Elliott, from Harrogate and Leeds-based Aspect Architecture, which was commissioned to design the scheme, said Loxley listened to what planners and locals wanted to see changed during the consultation, which started last year.

“As the planners recognised in their final report, the site has social benefits in providing much-needed housing, and is located near bus routes and roads for commuting as well as being able to support local community facilities,” he said.

“We worked hard to present a very high-quality scheme to fit into the green space and existing village housing stock, and we’re looking forward to moving forward with the development later this summer.”

A spokesman said the first phase of homes was expected to be available early in 2019, and show homes and a marketing suite were due to open by the end of the year, with properties expected to range in price from £63,000 to £585,000.

Residents have been fighting to block an unconnected scheme for up to 3,000 homes near Green Hammerton. The campaign ‘Keep Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton green’ seeks to prevent land being allocated for the new settlement in Harrogate’s Local Plan.