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Doubts over village plans as landowner withdraws

Thomas Barrett Map of proposed new village community Thomas Barrett
The map shows the proposed site and the land withdrawn from the scheme
  • A landowner has withdrawn from a scheme for a new village in North Yorkshire
  • The area of the land represented about half of the site
  • Maltkiln, between York and Harrogate, was intended to have up to 4,000 homes
  • The developer has said the plans will be revised and will move forward

Plans for a new village in North Yorkshire will have to be changed after a landowner withdrew from the scheme.

The new Maltkiln community was expected to see up to 4,000 homes built on land off the A59, between York and Harrogate.

However, a landowner left the scheme in January and it has now emerged their land represented about half of the development site.

Developers Caddick Group said they remained "confident" the plans could still be delivered.

The village, with two new schools, would be close to the existing communities of Cattal, Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton and Whixley.

The developer had also planned a new village centre, with community and retail facilities, close to the existing Cattal railway station on the York to Harrogate line.

It has now been confirmed these parcels of land, with room for 2,000 homes, have been withdrawn from the scheme.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it understood council officials were examining if the scheme could still deliver on the aims and objectives of a new settlement, which is part of the area's Local Plan.

DSPUGH/GEOGRAPH Cattal railway stationDSPUGH/GEOGRAPH
The centre of the new village would have been close to Cattal railway station

Kirk Hammerton parish councillor Alex Smith said residents had faced years of uncertainty over the plans and the latest problems were down to choosing the wrong location.

"They've had to spend a long time chopping and changing preferred options, trying to fit a distinct new settlement into a very constrained area.

"It was time they didn't have, given that a key land agreement - almost half the proposed area - has expired."

However Caddick Group said discussions for a way forward were ongoing.

"We are confident that we can deliver proposals, which not only meet the housing needs of the area, but also deliver the requirements set out in the adopted Local Plan and meet the policy objectives of the draft Development Plan Document," a spokesperson said.

They added they remained committed to the scheme and were updating the plans to take into account the new boundaries.

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