LONG-AWAITED plans for one of York’s largest housing schemes are moving forward, years later than originally planned.

British Sugar is asking City of York Council about the details it needs to include in a planning application as it seeks final approval for up to 1,100 homes.

Now, a new timetable outlining the development suggests the final homes may not be ready until 2034/35, a decade later than once expected.

Central government has already given outline consent for British Sugar to develop the 39.54 hectre site at Plantation Drive.

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The sugar beet processing factory closed in 2007, with the loss of more than 100 jobs and the demolition of the buildings. The site has lain empty since 2008.

Landowner Associated British Foods first announced plans to redevelop the site in 2013.

But wrangling over City of York Council wanting more affordable housing as part of the scheme, and British Sugar saying such homes could not be afforded due to the cost of restoring the site, helped delay the planning process.

York Press: The sugar plant in full production

The planning inspectorate eventually approved outline plans in 2018, which included 33 affordable homes.

This followed approval given in 2017 to build two access roads onto Boroughbridge Road and Millfield Lane, with a link across to the former Manor School site.

Further approval was also given in 2020 to construct a development platform, land form engineering works and land reclamation.

A 71-page application to City of York Council says British Sugar has met all the pre-commencement conditions, and permission to redevelop the site has been implemented by groundworks starting in February 2023.

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Now, Rapleys LLP has been instructed by British Sugar to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report to support a Section 73 application for the proposed development.

A Section 73 planning application can be used to seek permission to develop a site without complying with a condition previously imposed.

“There has been considerable evaluation of the local environment and the prospective impact of the redevelopment of the site,” the application said.

A report on the environmental impact of the scheme has been made and further environmental information submitted to the council.

York Press: The old sugar factory

“The buildings and structures associated with the former sugar refinery have mostly been demolished, but some features remain such as a former weighbridge building and wastewater treatment bunds and lagoons,” it said.

The former Manor School was closed and relocated to Millfield Lane in 2009, with the city council demolishing the old school in 2018 to build the link road access from Boroughbridge Road into the main part of the development site.

This latest Section 73 application seeks to vary the existing outline masterplan permission and reflect changes to remediation of the site.

If the changes are approved, there would now be more ‘green infrastructure’ changes to development zones, and land uses, the urban framework and building heights. There would also be revisions to the Main Street details, and revisions to the approved illustrative phasing plan.

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The latest application also reports a new timeframe for the development:

  • A final planning decision is now expected in January 2024 as opposed to December 2016.
  • Site preparation and remedial work, which was planned for September 2017-2018 is now expected in April 2024-September 2025.
  • Work on the first house is now expected to start in April 27, instead of November 2021.
  • Completing the first house for occupation is now expected in September 2027, instead of May 2022.
  • And development of the whole scheme is now not planned until 20234/35, instead of the originally planned December 2025, the application added.