The first spade has gone into the ground at Latimer’s £83m Cocoa Gardens development in York.

A ground-breaking ceremony today featured York Lady Mayoress and leading councillors on the site of the former Rowntrees Factory gardens.

The scheme is being delivered by Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association and the principal contractor on the project is Lovell.

Homes England is a strategic partner on the scheme having awarded Latimer a £249.7m grant to support developments across the country through its Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26.

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Cocoa Gardens is the latest phase of Latimer’s work to regenerate the former Rowntree’s Factory site, which was established in 1890 and played home to some of the nation’s most loved confectionery brands including KitKat, Aero and Smarties, to create a vibrant new community.

It will see 302 homes built on the site, which follows Latimer’s transformation of the Rowntree’s Factory itself, with The Cocoa Works scheme of 279 luxury flats.

Some 36 per cent of Cocoa Gardens homes will be affordable- 56 on shared ownership and 54 through affordable rent. This adds to 84 available through shared ownership at The Cocoa Works.

Joy Cullwick, the Lady Mayoress of York said called it fantastic to see the former Rowntree factory redeveloped in a way that reflects its heritage and values.

“Joseph Rowntree was ahead of his time on the well-being of workers and the wider social value his business contributed to York and this ethos will be carried through by Latimer in the homes they build.

“This development will create a vibrant and inclusive new community and Cocoa Gardens and Cocoa Works will usher in an exciting new chapter for York.”

Cocoa Gardens will offer a range of one to five-bed homes and apartments, with the first homes to be available in Summer 2024.

Community amenities will be available to residents at both The Cocoa Works and Cocoa Gardens. These include a shared concierge, located in the refurbished Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library building, co-working spaces, a community shop, an on-site café, and private working booths.

Richard Cook, group development director at Latimer said: “Cocoa Gardens will make a huge contribution in creating a vibrant and diverse community at this iconic site, delivering quality, tenure blind homes as part of a sustainable development that will provide much-needed affordable homes for York.”

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Lovell says it has for 50 years worked with local councils to help deliver affordable housing.

Regional managing director Robert Adams added: “Working with communities as they transform themselves is at the heart of our vision and we are proud to be working on behalf of Clarion Housing at the Cocoa Gardens development in the heart of York."