TWO years ago it looked as though the stalled Hungate development might never be completed. The problem wasn’t so much recessionary forces, more a row over affordable housing levels and payments towards community facilities.

Now, it seems, these differences have been resolved and construction has started on another 195 homes.

This is good news for a key site. York is desperate to see new housing and having a gaping hole inside the city walls, for so long, has been a terrible waste of prime building land.

It was fine for the archaeologists who had longer to dig, but not for those crying out for somewhere to buy.

So it is good to see a regeneration of the area getting under way again. The prices are encouraging too, at least for central York, with apartments ranging from £115,000 for a studio to £385,000 for three-bedrooms.

And there is excellent news on the employment front, because the project will create 150 jobs during construction, which coupled with the 500 new jobs that will come with Hiscox’s £19 million office complex at the site, is very welcome for York.

Phase two at Hungate has been a long time coming. We hope the remainder of the 720-home project, its shops and bars will continue free of problems.