A MULTI-MILLION-POUND bid to develop hundreds of homes and shops has taken a huge step forward.

The team behind ambitious plans to revamp a forgotten part of Selby by constructing a new Olympia Park site has secured £16 million to go-ahead with their proposals on Barlby Road, catering for 863 homes, a care home, football pitches, allotments, cycle lanes, a new school.

The application received planning permission at the end of last year, and secured this latest round of funding through North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Cllr Mark Crane, leader of Selby District Council, believes the money will see the plans become a reality.

He said: "This money makes the development of the site not only a possibility.

"It tidies up an area of town that has needed it for some time.

"It will provide much needed housing in the district and when the whole of the site is finished it will bring jobs to the area.

"If you look at the number of bids that were successful and unsuccessful this is good news because there was a lot of unsuccessful bids around, so to get the money is great news for the district."

With millions of pounds being pumped into the town, Cllr Crane thinks it will only be a matter of time before others start investing in Selby.

He added: "It can only help in that direction.

"When people see the money brought in by this and the possibility there it has to encourage further development for Selby.

"The money was needed to make this happen and now the next step for the owners is to look for partners in the housing development arena, and if you drive into Selby you will see a big sign saying the land is available."

A schedule of work has yet to be outlined for Olympia Park.