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Halifax Estates has submitted representations to City of York Council on its draft Local Plan.

Halifax Estates is the majority owner of Whinthorpe, a site to the south of the A64, which is allocated in the draft plan for 5,580 homes (of which 4,680 are expected to be delivered in the plan period). Whinthorpe could also provide new schools, employment opportunities, shops and community facilities.

The representations identify the opportunities for homes and jobs presented by Whinthorpe, as well as its constraints. The key issues on the site are traffic, flood risk and the need to protect Heslington Tillmire SSSI. Halifax Estates will continue to work to address these issues over the coming months and ahead of the Local Plan’s adoption in around 18 months’ time. However, initial analysis concludes that Whinthorpe is sustainable, viable and deliverable.

City of York Council’s ambition is to deliver 4,680 homes at Whinthorpe between 2015-2030 as part of its wider plans to provide 22,000 more homes to meet the needs of the City’s growing population and to encourage employment growth.

James Irwin, of Halifax Estates, said:

“Although this is still early days in the Local Plan process, I am excited that our vision for Whinthorpe has begun to take shape. Our submission to the Council shows that Whinthorpe is deliverable and, as importantly, that we are confident it can become a beautiful place to live.

“We believe the key to developing a real place with a real community is for Whinthorpe to provide shops, services, facilities, opportunities for employment and education, and a large amount of open space. This will not be just another housing estate.

“The Council’s housing targets are ambitious but we are broadly supportive that Whinthorpe can deliver the 4,680 homes required during the Local Plan period.”

If Whinthorpe is allocated in the adopted Local Plan, any plans Halifax Estates might then bring forward would still be subject to the rigours of the planning system, including further consultation, before any development can take place.

James continued:

“We still have a lot of work to do but I believe our submission is a positive first step. We have carried out some preliminary feasibility analysis and started to define our vision for Whinthorpe, and we will continue to work with the local community and City of York Council to make sure this is the right development for York.”

In a previous press release, the site was referred to as Holme Hill. It is now Whinthorpe.
For further information, please contact Jeremy Fieldsend on 0113 246 9243.

 

Aug 5 2013