The Harrogate district has been awarded £50,000 of government cash to bring forward housing on two underused garage sites.
The cash will be used by Harrogate Borough Council to cover infrastructure costs for five new homes at the sites on Woodfield Close, Harrogate and Park Row, Knaresborough.
Other councils received more funding – including City of York which got more than £2.5 million – but the borough council said it was still “delighted” with its allocation.
A council spokesperson said:
“£50,000 is no small sum and the council tenants of Harrogate will be more than happy to see this cost met by the grant award and not from council rents.
“This is a fund specifically aimed at the cost of infrastructure requirements on council-owned land.
“By helping meet these costs, sites will become viable for development, either by the local authority directly or by private developers, enabling the site to be placed on the open market.”
The council has secured almost £4.5 million for such sites over the past few years.
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The latest allocation comes from the government’s £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund which aims to bring forward affordable homes and get people on the property ladder.
Harrogate is one of the most unaffordable places to live in England, with average house prices around 11 times the median annual income of people who work in the district.
The council itself has admitted there is a “desperate” lack of affordable homes and has pledged to bring these properties forward through private developments, building social housing and bringing empty properties back into use.
Announcing the latest funding allocation, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, MP Michael Gove said:
“We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.
“Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.”
