A LIST of sites where more than 9,000 new homes could be built in York over the next 20 years has been revealed.

City of York Council will tonight debate a blueprint for the next two decades of development in the city, with the controlling Labour group targeting 800 new properties being built annually.

If the Local Development Framework (LDF) core strategy is approved, a public consultation exercise will be held before it goes to the Planning Inspectorate for assessment later this year.

It outlines how 8,157 homes could be built at 51 specific sites, with 1,002 more at various other locations, as well as possible bases for business.

The York Central and British Sugar/Manor School sites are earmarked for 2,456 homes, with 736 potentially being built on land west of Grimston Bar.

Other sites include land behind the former Frog Hall pub in Layerthorpe, the former Bio-Rad and Sessions factories, Wheldrake’s Millfield Industrial Estate, Lowfield School, the former Barbican pool, York City’s Bootham Crescent ground – if a new stadium is built – and the current Askham Bar Park&Ride car park. Areas for new offices could include land north of Monks Cross Drive, the nearby Vangarde site and around York Business Park.

“The strategy will ensure there is a supply of land to provide for housing, employment and the city’s other needs, allowing the economy to grow,” said Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for city strategy. It will also ensure we get good quality, rather than haphazard, development which knits York together. It’s a challenge, but it’s vital to protecting the city.”

With a 20-year target of building 16,000 homes, the gap between that figure and the total from possible locations already identified could be bridged through “windfalls” – future developments which have not yet emerged – and two “areas of search” for development north of Monks Cross and east of Heworth Without.

Coun Merrett said the Barbican and Frog Hall sites and land south of Hull Road could be dedicated to student homes.

He said: “We are tightening student housing policies and want to work with the University of York and other institutions to meet more of the accommodation demand on campus.

“There is a real social need to provide more family housing, as many couples cannot afford to buy, and the intention is two-thirds of new properties would be family homes. About 20 per cent of homes – 160 a year – would be affordable, and the strategy will also ensure new developments provide more open and community space.”

The Press reported yesterday how Osbaldwick councillor Mark Warters wants a local referendum over the LDF after claiming it would unleash “a tidal wave of development” on York’s eastern edge, with up to 2,500 homes being built on 250 acres of land.


POTENTIAL HOUSING SITES WITH NUMBERS OF DWELLINGS PLANNED

• Specific sites with planning permission:
York College Tech site: 272; GermanyBeck: 700; Minster Engineering: 14; Hull Road: 124; Hungate: 557; The Croft campus, Heworth Green: 29; Kennings Garage: 19; Bonding Warehouse: 2; Derwenthorpe: 538.

• Specific sites without planning permission:
Haxby Road: 15; Castle Piccadilly: 20; North of Trinity Lane: 31; Peel Street/Margaret Street car park: 34; Burnholme WMC, Burnholme Drive: 23.Reynard’s Garage: 12; Heworth Green South/Frog Hall: 130 (possible student housing); Monk Bar Garage: 8.

• Other potential sites identified:
YorkCentral: 1,165; British Sugar/Manor School: 1,291; Terry’s factory: 395; Nestlé South: 315; Former Bio-Rad factory, Haxby Road: 153; Frederick House, Fulford: 31; Cherry Lane: 16; Heworth Family Centre, Sixth Avenue: 23; Askham Bar Park&Ride car park: 68; Lowfield Secondary School, Dijon Avenue: 96; Former Citroen dealership, Lawrence Street: 29; The Tannery, Sheriff Hutton Road: 60; Millfield Industrial Estate, Wheldrake: 145; The Grange, Huntington: 110; Mill Mount: 23; Rear of Mill Lane, Wigginton: 7; Blairgowerie House, Main Street: 21; Council depot, Beckfield Lane: 20; St Leonard’s Place: 25; Princess Road, Strensall: 14; Bootham Crescent: 127; Site off Water Lane, Clifton: 26; Yearsley Bridge Centre: 53; Barbican site: 170 (possible student housing); Site north-east of Nestlé: 187; Former garage, Fulford Road: 19; Brecks Lane, Strensall: 127; Land west of Grimston Bar: 736 (possible student housing); Our Lady’s RC Primary School: 69; Sessions factory, Huntington Road: 76; ATS Euromaster, Layerthorpe: 19; Purey Cust: 12; The Mount: 1.

• Also 1,002 homes at various sites which have planning permission.

• TOTAL: 9,159


POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT SITES

• Office sites:
York Central: 2.2 hectares.
Hungate: 0.48.
Land next to Norwich Union, Monks Cross: 0.41.
Terry’s: 1.
British Gas: 0.25.
Omega 1: 1.04.
Southern part of Nestle: 2.
Land north and south of York Business Park: 3.18.
Land north of Monks Cross Drive: 12.6.
Vangarde site, Monks Cross: 12.47.

TOTAL: 35.63 hectares.

• Research and development site:
Heslington East: 25 hectares.

• Light and general industry, storage and distribution sites:
James Street: 0.44 hectares.
York Business Park: 2.1.
Northminster Business Park: 14.
Land south-east of Murton Industrial Estate: 0.45.
Elvington Industrial Estate: 1.
Elvington Airfield Industrial Estate: 0.87.
Holgate Park: 2.2

TOTAL: 21.06 hectares.