A housebuilding company has been awarded an £89.5 million contract to build 390 homes in Ripon.
Homes England, the government’s housing agency, has commissioned Taylor Wimpey to build the scheme off West Lane in the city.
The contract is due to start in November and finish in October 2027.
Homes England bought the site in February, along with two other developments in Harrogate.
The proposal for Ripon already has outline permission after a government planning inspector approved the development following an appeal in 2018.
It includes plans for 156 of the homes to be designated as affordable housing along with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes.
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Homes England submitted final plans for design and layout of the site in June. Harrogate Borough Council has yet to make a decision on the application.
A spokesperson for Homes England said:
“We intervened to buy West Lane in Ripon to unlock this stalled housing site.
“We’re really pleased that Taylor Wimpey have been selected as our preferred developer, to take on the mantle of providing quality new homes, including 40% affordable provision – that’s 156 affordable homes in an area where they are most needed.”
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said:
“We are delighted to have been selected as preferred developer to deliver in partnership with Homes England a high-quality scheme of 390 homes on the West Lane site in Ripon.
“We have taken a landscape-led design approach to develop a residential masterplan that will enhance the character and identity of the site. We are providing significant areas of open space to allow new residents and visitors to enjoy a high-quality living environment with an attractive outlook. The development will include locally-equipped play facilities and attractive biodiverse landscape features.
“The development will create jobs and employment opportunities in the local community during the construction phase. We expect to start work on site in spring 2022.”
History of West Lane site
In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission to Barratt Homes on appeal for the development.
It was previously rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and because of its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.
The site layout for the West Lane development, as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.
However, Barratt Homes pulled out of the scheme in July last year.
The developer told The Stray Ferret the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update, the company announced revenue had fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It means Homes England now has a major presence in the Harrogate district.
The developer already has plans submitted with the council for 200 homes at a former police training centre on Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate, and is working on a 1,300 home scheme at Ripon barracks.
Homes England also bought the 450-home Bluecoat Park site off Otley Road in Harrogate at the same time as it purchased the West Lane site.
It said the two developments had stalled for various reasons, including the “associated enabling costs” and that their planning permissions were due to lapse imminently.
