PLANNERS have turned down a scheme to bulldoze a row of houses in the centre of Selby and replace them with modern homes.

The Broadacres Housing Association had applied to build six two-and-a-half-storey properties, each with three bedrooms, after demolishing existing homes in Douglas Street.

But the project has been refused by Selby District Council despite the organisation behind it claiming it would breathe fresh life into the street.

In a design and access statement submitted to planners as part of the application, the housing association said the current houses had been “unoccupied for an extensive period of time” and were now “in a poor state of repair”, with their room layouts not matching up to the standards expected for buyers.

It stated they would be “almost impossible to renovate”, and claimed their plan to knock them down and build new homes in their place would be “a high-quality residential development”.

The association also said its planned redevelopment would take into account the site’s proximity to part of Selby’s conservation area and the listed St James the Apostle Church, and would not harm either.

Although the area which was earmarked for the scheme lies within a flood risk-zone, the organisation’s experts also said any concerns emerging from this had been addressed.

The plans also drew no objections from the Environment Agency, Selby Parish Council or Selby Town Council, all of which were consulted on the application together with people living in nearby streets.

The reasons for refusing the housing plans have yet to be published by the council, although the decision leaves the door open for the housing association to resubmit them at a later date.