Plans for 314 homes as part of a new garden village in Huntington are set to go before councillors.
Redrow Homes Ltd’s application for the development, south of North Road and west of the A1237, has been recommended for approval by council planning officers.
The developer stated the plans were a part of the wide Monks Cross Garden Village scheme featuring almost 970 homes, a new primary school, community hub and country park.
But Huntington Liberal Democrat ward councillors Keith Orrell, Carol Runciman and Chris Cullwick said they had concerns about proposed access from North Lane and questioned the need for a school.
The application’s hearing at City of York Council’s planning committee next Thursday (9 October) comes after the then Conservative government stepped in to approve outline plans for the wider scheme in 2022.
Redrow Homes appealed to the Planning Inspectorate saying that the council was taking too long to rule on the application, leading to it being signed off by ministers.
A masterplan for the whole scheme, which is set to feature around 968 homes, was first submitted in 2018.
The plans set to go before councillors form part of the first of three phases, coming ahead of the central and southern parts of the scheme.
Plans feature 212 homes which would be sold on the open market, with 94 available at affordable rates.
A further eight plots have been set aside for self-build homes.
‘Access calls ignored’
The development is made up of 10 one bedroom, 83 two-bed, 127 three-bed and 86 four-bed homes.
No objections to the plans have been raised by council officers or external public bodies.
But councillors Orrell, Runciman and Culwick said calls for access to come from the Monks Cross Link Road had been ignored.
They added doubts remained about the need for a new primary school amid falling birth rates locally.
Huntington Parish Council also objected when plans for the homes were first lodged in 2023, stating that North Lane was unsuitable for the amount of traffic the development would generate.
Three objectors living nearby said they were not against the new homes but called for the impact of the development on local health services and transport to be assessed.
In response, council officers said talks with developers since the plans were lodged had resulted in 217 of the homes being served by access from North Lane.
The rest of the 314 are set to be accessed from the northern roundabout on the Monks Cross Link Road.
Officers added investing into the expansion of existing schools remained an option if it is deemed to be preferrable to building a new one.
Redrow Homes stated in its application that the wider development would feature its own shops and good walking, cycling and public transport links to Monks Cross Shopping Park and Huntington.
The developer stated: “The aim is to deliver a new garden village development that acts as a sustainable urban extension to Huntington.”
