Work starts on Great Ouseburn housing development

Work has started on a new housing development in Great Ouseburn.

North Yorkshire County Council’s housing company, Brierley Homes Limited, has started work on the scheme which is on Branton Lane in the village.

It will see nine new homes built on the site.

Called The Paddocks, the first phase will focus on a highways scheme to provide the access to the new development as well as the installation of traffic calming measures.

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It will include a scheme to safeguard an avenue of lime trees and will be overseen by Brooks Ecological, which will work in partnership with the council’s highways company NY Highways.

Construction on the houses will start next year after access work is complete.

Matt O’Neill, director at Brierley Homes, said: 

“We are pleased to be moving forwards with this development, which will provide high-quality new homes in an area with high demand for housing.

“It is good to be working with NY Highways and their work will help the village by providing new traffic calming measures and also protect the environment by ensuring the lime trees are protected from unintended damage.”

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said: 

“This highways work is a vital first step in the construction process and we are delighted to be completing the task on behalf of Brierley Homes Limited.

“Our construction staff are working carefully and the new traffic calming will be a benefit to all who live in the area.”

Scrutiny of loss-making Brierley Group delayed by nine months

North Yorkshire County Council has been criticised for delaying scrutiny of its loss-making Brierley Group.

The council set up the Brierley Group in 2017 to bring together council-owned companies and save money.

But the group, which includes housebuilding company Brierley Homes, reported a loss of £639,000 last year.

Brierley Homes’ developments include Woodfield Square in Bilton and Millwright Park in Pateley Bridge.

Council officials this week told a shareholder committee the group had bounced back with a “really positive” first three months of the financial year.

But a Conservative councillor questioned why the Tory-run authority had delayed its corporate scrutiny committee examining the performance of the Brierley Group by some nine months.

Cllr Richard Musgrave, who represents Escrick, said: 

“Our scrutiny is pretty much pointless if it is so out of date considering it.

“The Brierley Group made a whacking great loss for the year to March 2021.

“I certainly have some questions I would like to ask about the performance of the Brierley Group.”

Does council have business acumen?

Cllr Musgrave’s concerns follow other members of the authority questioning whether the council has the necessary business acumen to run the array of firms, in particular housebuilding.

However, senior county councillors said they were positive the losses could be recouped.

The committee was told the Brierley Group was seeing “promising shoots of recovery”, with a predicted profit by the end of the year of £51,000 as complications arising from the covid pandemic begin to wane.

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Members heard the Brierley Group’s education service was adapting to meet changing demands and its internet access arm had seen a strong start to the year.

They were also told First North Law, a council-controlled law firm, had been buoyed by improved performance, waste management company Yorwaste had performed well and its building design consultancy was forecasting a return to profitability.

However, Brierley Homes was forecast to generate a loss for the year of £712,000.

The meeting heard a primary concern for Brierley Homes was the availability of materials and labour to complete committed projects to time, cost and quality.

Brierley has a ‘perception problem’

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said the outlook for Brierley Homes was much more positive than the council had become accustomed to over the last year, and highlighted how the authority was forecast to receive £4.3 million in savings and benefits this year from its companies.

Cllr Gareth Dadd, the council’s finance executive member, said Brierley Homes was suffering from a “perception problem” due to upfront housebuilding costs and when its developments in Harrogate and Pateley Bridge were completed next year the figures would look different.

He said: 

“If you were a layman looking at that sort of balance loss or perceived loss you would be quite startled by it. We know that it is not a true reflection.

“We have a duty to shoot this loose rabbit dead that it is costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds or has even snowballed into millions.

“It is going to take some time before we realise the benefits of it. Politically we are going to have to live with the perception issue with the hope that those who are casting doubt on it listen to the full story and not just a headline figure.”

Demolition of Bilton’s Woodfield House set to begin in January

Work to demolish Woodfield House care home in Bilton and build 19 flats could start in a fortnight and last more than a year.

A construction management plan submitted to Harrogate Borough Council says construction firm HACS will start the project on January 4 and continue for 55 weeks.

If the plan is approved, workers will be on site in Woodfield Square from 8.00am – 6.00pm from Monday to Friday and 8.00am – 1pm on Saturdays.

Access to the site is from Skipton Road via the Woodfield Estate.

North Yorkshire County Council’s housing company Brierley Homes was granted planning permission for the project last month.

It has sparked controversy because none of the homes is classed as affordable.

This is because Brierley Homes applied for a Vacant Building Credit — a government mechanism to encourage vacant properties back into use, which can be used to remove the provision for affordable housing.

Instead, Brierley Homes will make a financial contribution of £72,528 to Harrogate Borough Council, which granted planning permission.

Henry Pankhurst, ex-chairman and current planning spokesman for Harrogate Civic Society, told the Stray Ferret he was not happy that all the new homes will be sold at market value with no provision for affordable properties, particularly as they are being built by a local authority.

Mr Pankhurst said:

“It’s very disappointing. I would have hoped North Yorkshire County Council would have recognised that Harrogate Borough Council has a difficulty in providing affordable housing. It’s an ideal location to have more affordable housing.”

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Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, defended the company’s business model in a statement released to the Stray Ferret: 

“Brierley Homes’ focus is on developing high-quality housing with the primary aim of generating an income to reinvest in supporting frontline services provided by the county council.

“This is a socially responsible approach and is something buyers see as positive, too. I believe that our taxpayers expect the county council to use its assets wisely and responsibly, as in this case. “

 

County council housing company accused of avoiding building affordable homes

North Yorkshire County Council has been accused of “getting out of” building affordable and social housing on two new housing developments in the Harrogate district. 

The council’s housing company, Brierley Homes, has recently been granted planning permission to build 19 homes in Bilton, Harrogate, and another 20 in Pateley Bridge.

As they are on brownfield sites, Harrogate Borough Council would normally ask for at least six affordable homes in each development, however, the Bilton development will have none and the Pateley scheme will have just four. 

This is because Brierley Homes was able to use a Vacant Building Credit, which can be used to incentivise property developers to bring difficult sites back into use by removing the need to provide 30% affordable housing. 

A Harrogate politician has suggested the local authority should be concentrating on providing more affordable homes in its developments, rather than speculating on the housing market. 

Liberal Democrat county councillor Geoff Webber wrote to Brierley Homes chairman Karl Battersby to say he was “very disappointed” at both plans. 

He called on NYCC to adopt a more “socially responsible” approach to housing in the future. 

He said: 

“I appreciate that the use of this device to get out of providing much-needed affordable and social housing is within the law but I would have thought, as a public body responsible for the well-being of our residents, that NYCC might have influenced this decision. 

“It would be worth bearing in mind that whatever happens with local government re-organisation the new single tier authority will have responsibility for housing. 

“I remain very disappointed and hope that in future Brierley Homes (and NYCC) will adopt a more socially responsible attitude.” 

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The homes in Pateley Bridge will be sold at the market rate which will mean a three-bedroom home could expect to fetch well over £300,000. 

In an objection to the proposals, Pateley Bridge Town Council said the plans will come at the expense of “badly needed affordable and social housing for local people”.  

Harrogate Civic Society also spoke out against the plans in Bilton, which will replace a demolished council-run care home, calling the Vacant Building Credit a “dreaded thing” due to its effect on affordable homes. 

NYCC will demolish one of its Woodfield House care homes in Bilton to build new housing.

Harrogate Borough Council says 208 affordable homes need to be built in the district every year. Council case officer Kate Broadbank expressed “disappointed” in the lack of affordable housing in the Woodfield scheme. 

Brierley Homes was established in 2017 by North Yorkshire County Council. All profits are used to support frontline council services in the county. 

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, defended the company’s business model in a statement released to the Stray Ferret: 

He said: 

“Brierley Homes’ focus is on developing high-quality housing with the primary aim of generating an income to reinvest in supporting frontline services provided by the county council. This is a socially responsible approach and is something buyers see as positive, too. I believe that our taxpayers expect the county council to use its assets wisely and responsibly, as in this case. 

“In compliance with Harrogate Local Plan policy, the Pateley Bridge scheme will provide four affordable homes, which will be transferred to a local housing association upon completion. The business is further exploring the provision of rural affordable housing and is keen to progress this. 

“Unitary status, whatever form it takes in North Yorkshire and York, will offer opportunities for housing, and Brierley Homes is well placed in this regard. 

“Vacant buildings credit is an important tool in national planning for brownfield sites and given the focus of the business it is appropriate to take account of it.” 

County council to build 20 homes in Pateley Bridge

North Yorkshire County Council’s housing company has been granted planning permission to build 20 homes in Pateley Bridge.

The council-owned former Highways Depot on Millfield Street will be demolished to make way for the development, which will be called Millwright Park.

It will include six two-bedroom, two three-bedroom and 12 four-bedroom properties.

The homes will all have an electric vehicle charging point and will include 37 car parking spaces in total.

Four of the homes will be classed as affordable, which has received criticism.

Because the depot was derelict, Brierley Homes was able to use a Vacant Building Credit (VBC) to reduce the number of affordable homes in the development from five to four.

The VBC is a planning mechanism to encourage developers to bring vacant properties back into use and can be used to reduce the number of affordable homes.

Pateley Bridge Town Council submitted an objection to the plans, saying the homes will be out of reach for young people.

“The council considers that this is a one-off opportunity for NYCC to provide accommodation for local people, particularly the young who often cannot afford to live where they have been brought up, and have to move away, which inevitably changes the demographics of the town.

“On what is in effect public land, NYCC are selling it to their own development company at the expense of providing badly needed affordable and social housing for local people.”

Karl Battersby, chairman of Brierley Homes, said:

“We are delighted that Harrogate Borough Council has approved our scheme for 20 new Brierley Homes at Millfield Street in the heart of Pateley Bridge. The development on the former highways depot will bring back into use this important brownfield site.

“The scheme includes four affordable homes, which complies with Harrogate Local Plan policy. On completion, these homes will be transferred to a local housing association.

“The homes will be energy efficient thanks to a timber frame, electric car charging point and low-energy appliances. They will be built in stone with quality finishes and come with a ten-year NHBC Buildmark warranty.”

Construction on the homes will begin early next year.

The site in Pateley Bridge was originally a railway depot for the defunct Nidderdale Valley Light Railway, before being used by the council from the mid-1950s.

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The former depot is highlighted in red.

Brierley Homes was established in 2017 by North Yorkshire County Council. All profits are used to support frontline council services in the county.

Last month, Brierley Homes was granted planning permission to demolish its Woodfield House care home in Harrogate to build 20 new homes.

The council received criticism from Harrogate Civic Society because none of the homes will be classed as affordable, after Brierley applied for a Vacant Building Credit.

Bilton housing scheme criticised for lack of affordable homes

Harrogate Civic Society has said it is “very disappointed” a 19-home council development in the Bilton area of the town doesn’t include any affordable homes.

North Yorkshire County Council was granted permission last week to demolish its Woodfield House care home on Woodfield Square and build the new homes through its property company, Brierley Homes.

Henry Pankhurst, ex-chairman and current planning spokesman for the society, told the Stray Ferret he was not happy that all the new homes will be sold at market value with no provision for affordable properties, particularly as they are being built by a local authority.

He said:

“It’s very disappointing. I would have hoped North Yorkshire County Council would have recognised that Harrogate Borough Council has a difficulty in providing affordable housing. It’s an ideal location to have more affordable housing.”

The government defines affordable as homes sold at 80% of the market rate or homes for social rent.

Harrogate Borough Council policy requires 30% affordable on all brownfield developments.

However, for this scheme North Yorkshire County Council applied for a Vacant Building Credit — a government mechanism to encourage vacant properties back into use, which can be used to remove the provision for affordable housing.

Instead, it will make a financial contribution of £72,528 to Harrogate Borough Council, which granted planning permission.

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Mr Pankurst called the Vacant Building Credit a “dreaded thing” and said North Yorkshire County Council should have done more to provide affordable housing, particularly as Harrogate Borough Council had identified a need to build 208 affordable homes in the district every year.

Prior to the decision to grant planning permission, a report from Harrogate Borough Council case officer Kate Broadbank also expressed “disappointed” in the lack of affordable housing in the scheme.

‘Excellent opportunity’

Brierley Homes was established in 2017 by North Yorkshire County Council. All profits are used to support frontline council services in the county.

A spokesperson for Brierley Homes said:

“Brierley Homes welcomes the planning approval to redevelop the former care home at Woodfield Square, Harrogate into 19 quality new homes.

“The regeneration and redevelopment of brownfield land is recognised by government as an important aspect of our national ambition to deliver much needed homes.

“The scheme will deliver a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes, with over 50% of the homes being 2 beds. This will offer first time buyers an excellent opportunity for modern and contemporary living within walking distance of the town centre of Harrogate.”

Harrogate care home to be demolished and replaced with 19 homes

A former care home in Harrogate is to be demolished to make way for 19 homes.

Harrogate Borough Council has granted North Yorkshire County Council, which ran the home, permission to demolish Woodfield House on Woodfield Square in Bilton.

The county council will build the new homes through its housing company, Brierley Homes.

The new development will include 11 two-bedroom, six three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes.

The 28-bed care home was built in the 1970s but closed in 2018 because it was deemed no longer able to deliver the required standard of care.

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A Harrogate Borough Council report said the derelict care home had become a hub for anti-social behaviour.

It said:

“It is now becoming an eye-sore for local residents and they are experiencing increasing anti-social behaviour. There appears to be local acceptance of the proposed scheme and a desire for the site to be re-developed quickly.”

Brierley Homes was established in 2017 by North Yorkshire County Council. All profits are used to support essential frontline council services in the county.

This will be the company’s second major project in the Harrogate district. It also plans to build 20 homes in Pateley Bridge.