A major urban extension to the north of York is pressing ahead with plans submitted for its final design.

Redrow Homes has submitted a ‘Reserved Matters’ application concerning 323 homes on land west of Monks Cross Link Road, Huntington, and at the northern third of a 164-acre site.

The proposal form part of the ‘Strategic Development Site’ known as Monks Cross North, which was approved by the Secretary of State last December.

The scheme promises a ‘Garden Village’ type development, including country park, primary school, community facilities and convenience store.

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The application to City of York Council says there will be five separate ‘Reserve Matters’ applications split largely between Redrow and Bellway to deliver the scheme.

It explained: “The two housebuilders are working together to ensure the site is developed comprehensively in a co-ordinated manner to deliver all the benefits agreed in the outline approval and in the Section 106 (planning) agreement.”

“The aim is to deliver a ‘garden village’ development that acts as a sustainable urban extension to Huntington.”

York Press: A masterplan of the scheme

‘Monks Cross North’ would contain its own shop, land for a primary school, walking and cycling facilities, plus bus links to Huntington and Monks Cross Retail Park.

Each Reserved Matters application would deliver 30% affordable housing.

The 323-home scheme would feature 15x1-bed homes, 87x2-bed, 104x3-bed, 83x4-bed, and 34x5-bed homes. All would have EV charging units.

The company has described its plans has ‘a modern interpretation’ of a ‘traditional garden village.’ It will be built in stages and take ten years to build.

The report noted plans were submitted in January 2018 for the 970-home development with a target date for determination of March 2021. But City of York Council had not determined the scheme by September 2021, so Redrow took it to appeal on grounds of non-determination.

A report for that November’s planning committee recommended approval saying the Green Belt site had been allocated for housing in the emerging Local Plan. The scheme would meet housing needs and York lacked a 5-year housing supply, which all delivered the Very Special Circumstances to allow the project.

York Press: The site of the 970 homes at Huntington

The application further explained the principle of development had been established through the local plan housing allocation and the outline approval, with the application meeting local planning policies and the outline approval.

It also said there would be more family homes than under the Huntington Neighbourhood plan to meet local need.

It said: “The effects of Covid on the housing market in Yorkshire have been stark since mid-Summer 2020. Many estate agents are increasingly concerned about a shortage of properties for sale.

“The overall indicative mix for the Monks Cross site is reflective of the LHNA (Local Housing Needs Assessment) targets albeit provides slightly higher amounts of family housing to reflect market demand.

“The City Centre of York has and continues to deliver the vast majority of the one- and two-bedroom residential dwellings within the District. This justifies the need to deliver this Reserved Matters application in the form of a Garden Village Proposal due to the lack of other suitable opportunities across the district of York to deliver 4 to 5-bedroom sized properties in such a large presence. Thus, this makes this Housing Mix associated with this Reserved Matters application appropriate.”