ONE hundred and forty houses - including social rented homes and bungalows for older people - are to be built on the site of an old York school.

City Council bosses have revealed their firm proposals for Lowfield Green - the Acomb site that was once home to Lowfields school.

The school closed 10 years ago, but a planning application has now gone in showing exactly what the council wants for the site.

Instead of selling the land off to a private developer, the authority is planning to develop the new housing estate itself - and officials say the £18-£20 million project will give the council more control over what goes on the site, and bring in money once the houses are sold or rented out.

Cllr Sam Lisle, executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods, said: “We need new homes in York and, after being unused for 10 years, this site gives us the chance to develop a good quality, mixed tenure community: the largest by City of York Council since 1988.

“Further to extensive consultation already, we’ve written to neighbours and stakeholders to let them know that the application has been submitted and to invite them to view and comment on it.”

The planning application has been lodged and will appear on the public access planning website once it has been validated in the coming days.

The housing plans include 96 two, three and four bedroomed houses; 26 bungalows and 16 one and two bedroomed apartments for people over 55. Once built, some will be for sale, some will be offered shared ownership, and some will be either council or housing association homes.

There are also six “self-build” plots available, and some land set aside for YorSpace’s co-owned housing - a first for the city.

The site will also include a brand new nursing home - to be built and operated by a private care company, a health and public services building and about two acres of public open space.

Roy Wallington, the council officer overseeing the project, said the new open space would be an improvement on the situation at present where the old school fields are locked and not open to the public.

The scheme has been on the cards for many months, and project managers said they have changed the road layout after neighbours raised concerns it could become a “rat run”.

Cllr Carol Runciman, executive member for adult social care and health, said the bungalows and flats for older people, plus the new care home, were a key component in a major overhaul for older people’s housing in York.

The planning application should be decided early in 2018, and if approval is given building could start by the summer with the first houses completed a year later.