The Conservative-led administration’s commitment to sensible growth has taken another significant step forward with planning permission having been granted for its proposed development of the former Lowfield School site west of the city, clearing the way for 165 much-needed homes in the city - of which 40% will be affordable – plus an 80-bed care home.
The council’s accelerated house-building programme will deliver at least 550 new homes at several sites throughout York over five years, with the affordable homes a mixture of council housing, which will be let at a social rent at approximately £90 a week, and a variety of low cost home ownership tenures will help residents on low and middle incomes and who can’t afford to buy on the open housing market to get onto the property ladder in the city.
Planning permission at Lowfield was granted for 96 two- and three-storey houses, 26 bungalows and 18-apartments aimed people over 55s wishing to downsize. These homes for older people will be built to a standard which allows adaptations to be made as the resident’s needs change and all properties will be build to renewable energy standards above the required levels.
The approved plans include an 80-bed care home which supports the city’s ambition to provide high-quality accommodation for the city’s significant aging population.
In addition, permission included York’s first six self-build housing plots offered by the council together with land for community-led housing group YorSpace to build a further 19 units.
Over 1.5 acres of the development will be left as of open space, featuring a central recreational area open to all residents.
Cllr Helen Douglas, Executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods said: “This is the largest single, affordable development this council will build in a generation and frees up a site that’s been underused for a decade.
“Providing 40% affordable housing on this site is part of a wider ambition of developing 550 new homes on council land in the next five years, together with bringing forward plans for York Central and the wider development plans set out in our Local Plan.
“We’re aiming to be on site at Lowfield early next year to respond to the urgent need for good quality new and affordable mixed tenure homes in York.”
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