Heronby plan between York and Selby to be cut from blueprint

Heronby, which was earmarked for land near Stillingfleet, has been a key development to deliver long-term housing growth needs for the area up to 2040. 

Read next:

• 'Plan remains firmly on the table' for 4,000 new homes south of York
• Plans to build 114 new 'affordable' homes in York
• Work underway on £42 million new development in North Yorkshire village

But North Yorkshire Council’s executive members were told today (February 6) that due to concerns raised about the highways impact of the new settlement which cannot be fully resolved at this stage, the proposals should be removed from the plan and that further consultation is undertaken.

An artist's impression of Heronby

Members of the executive also recommended to full council that four new sites are added in Eggborough, Hambleton, North Duffield and Hensall for a total of 301 homes.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open for business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “The revised plan recommends removing the Heronby settlement proposal and adding in new allocations for housing in the villages of Hambleton, North Duffield, Hensall and Eggborough.

“In addition to these alterations, a number of changes have been made to the wording of the policy to address issues raised at the previous consultation. If approved by full council, these will all now be considered as part of the consultation process before coming back before councillors for final approval.”

Cllr Derek Bastiman

The Local Plan sets out where development will take place across the former Selby area. It will also set out policies and strategies that planning applications will be considered against.

If approved, the consultation for proposals for the Selby area will run for six weeks from March 8 to April 19. Further details will be available at www.northyorks.gov.uk/planning-and-conservation/planning-policy/planning-policy-your-local-area

As previously reported by The Press, the long-term plan for Heronby is for up to 4,000 homes by the year 2060, with shops, schools, workspaces, parks and public open space. In September 2022 the now defunct Selby District Council voted for Heronby as their preferred single settlement option to be included in the forthcoming Local Plan.

But it sparked a row with City of York Council who looked set to lodge an official objection over the old Selby council’s preference to build Heronby around 1km from the York council boundary.

According to a York council report at the time, the former Selby council and Heronby developer, Escrick Park Estates, have underestimated the likely traffic impact on the A19 and Naburn Lane.

But Jonathan Coulson from consultants Turnberry Consulting said: “Significant highways improvements are only viable when you have a long-term, large-scale plan in place. Not only has Heronby been designed as a walkable community with its own facilities, services and amenities within walking distance, it also has the Trans-Pennine cycle route running right through the middle, providing the opportunity for people to cycle safely to work in either York or Selby.”

Among the improvements proposed for the A19 were significant upgrades to junctions at the Skipwith Road, Crockey Hill and the A64, which links to the York Designer Outlet park-and-ride.

For more information on Heronby, please visit www.heronby.co.uk

A public consultation on the Heronby development (Image: Escrick Park Estate)