City leaders push for affordable homes cash boost

Two of York's most senior politicians have said they are pushing the government for more money for affordable housing as part of a major regeneration scheme in the city.

Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said he was "determined" to see a doubling of affordable homes - from 20% to 40% - at the £2bn York Central site.

Clare Douglas, City of York Council's Labour leader, said while the planning permission required that a minimum 20% of those homes were considered affordable, "we have important ambitions to go further".

The BBC understands that Homes England is working with other York Central stakeholders to look into options that would see more affordable homes at the site.

The first phase of the York Central development was granted detailed planning approval last month, clearing the way for more than 1,000 homes, a hotel, offices and a new entrance to York Railway Station.

City of York Council approved the plans for the regeneration scheme on a 110-acre brownfield site behind the station, one of the UK's largest city centre development projects.

Skaith said he had set up a mayoral development zone at York Central partly to give the combined authority he chairs a stronger voice over the push for more affordable homes.

The mayor's team said setting up the development zone gave Skaith a leading role in getting developers, local politicians and landowners to work together on projects in areas designated as a priority for redevelopment.

Other mayoral zones have been set up in Selby and Scarborough.

Skaith explained: "There are a lot of challenges. The cost of land in York makes it more expensive to build, so there will have to be a bigger rate of intervention to get that affordability rate up."

A York Central spokesperson said: "Like the mayor, our ambition is to increase the number of affordable homes at York Central."

The site's developers, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, the city council and Homes England were working together to "secure" more government funding, the spokesperson said.

"Ultimately, raising the percentage of affordable housing at York Central will be another positive step in helping us create this brand new, diverse and inclusive city quarter for the people of York," they said.

Tom Gilman, managing director of McLaren Regeneration, one of the two firms working on the development, said he was "very confident" the government would make money available for affordable housing.

"It's been a collaborative process. I would be surprised if we didn't get the level of affordable housing that we are targeting," Gilman said.

"We've gone through all of the engagement, the dialogue, and we have a registered provider on board."

The housing provider had gone through a selection process involving Homes England, City of York Council and the mayoral combined authority, Gilman added.

"We're now going through the process of securing that additional affordable housing grant," he said.

"It's happening and I'd be really disappointed if it wasn't crystallised."

Some people living near the development site have said they supported the push for more affordable housing at York Central.

Friends Vicki Wood and Tamra Franks, who live just round the corner, highlighted the number of people they saw sleeping rough in the city centre.

"Over 10 years, I have been in two hostels myself," Franks said.

"There's no space. It's really hard to get clean in there when there are actively using addicts in there.

"They do need to sort out some more housing that people can afford. I feel really passionate about it. I'm in a one-bed flat with two kids."

Wood, a care worker, said: "There is too much homelessness in York. There are people you don't even see, they're living in tents."

She described her own experience of trying to find a house she could afford to buy as "grafting, grafting, grafting, but never getting anywhere".

The chances of being able to buy somewhere in York were currently "impossible", Wood said.

"It's really frustrating. There's the older generation, who I Iook after every day, and who have worked so hard to make sure they can leave something for their families," she said.

"I won't have the opportunity to do that for my kids unless I win the lottery."

However, Tony, who would give only his first name, whose garden backs directly onto the site, said he had a different viewpoint.

"There are lots more properties that can be used around the city, instead of increasing it to 40%," he said.

"Industrial estates, empty office blocks, empty buildings on top of shops - they should be brought into use.

"This York Central project is taking far too long and costing far too much money."

Douglas said the council was working closely with the site's developers and its partners to make its ambition to go beyond 20% affordable housing become a reality.

"This includes pursuing the additional government funding needed to deliver an increased percentage of affordable homes," she said.

The BBC understands that Homes England officials recognise that, given York's ongoing housing shortage, different groups involved with the York Central plan wanted to see more affordable homes built on the site.

The organisation, a government agency responsible for delivering affordable homes, is understood to have more than £27m to invest in social and affordable housing projects outside of London.

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