ALMOST 500 new homes are coming to York after £9.2 million in funding has been secured in the next step for York and North Yorkshire's combined authority.

Following a joint devolution committee meeting on Friday, December 15. Approval was granted for nine schemes involving 700 new homes across the county, 496 of which are in York.

The schemes granted funding in York are: 392 homes on the former gas works site in Heworth, ten homes in Sturdee Grove in Heworth, five homes in Hawthorn Terrace South in New Earswick, 19 homes at Lowfield Green in Acomb, and a further 70 homes.

Covering large parts of the city, the 70 additional homes will be built on four sites across York; in Walmgate on the old Willow House care home site, Lowfield Green - in the second phase, Clifton Without on the former school site, and Woolnough House in Tang Hall.

York Press: Clifton Without school site planClifton Without school site plan (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, said: "It is so important to us that York not only has the number of homes it needs but that they are at prices that people can afford and are both for sale and to rent.

"This funding for York and North Yorkshire is very welcome as it means more quality, affordable homes of mixed tenures and ownership models for the city and wider region.

"We are keen to explore further opportunities with the Combined Authority when it is set up in the new year to ensure that more homes can be built."

There are a large proportion of affordable homes included into each scheme. Sturdee Grove, Hawthorn Terrace South, and all of the 70 additional homes.

York Press: Sturdee Grove site planSturdee Grove site plan (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

Heworth Greens development, which is set to be the largest of the proposed builds is on the site of the former gas works. Approved in 2022, £4 million in funding has been allocated to the development. 

Whilst Heworth Green will receive £4 million of the £9.2 million funding, all properties are receiving grants for being brownfield housing. This refers to properties built on abandoned land which was previously polluted by industrial use.

READ NEXT:

Cllr Douglas explained that the funding is subject to "further due dilligence."

For York and North Yorkshire, this joint approach to housing developments is symbolic of the future proposed combined authority. 

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: "This is a significant moment for both York and North Yorkshire to see more than £9 million being used to fund hundreds of new properties, especially with more than a third of them being affordable homes.

"It is another indication of the benefits that are being realised ahead of the proposed devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire, bringing in additional funding from the Government to help to address some of the biggest issues which we face."