The first turf on Hambleton’s largest ever housing development has been cut.
Leading figures involved on the North Northallerton project got together this week in recognition of the importance of the scheme.
It will see more than 1000 new homes constructed alongside a primary school, a sports village and commercial buildings – as well as a link road and bridge over the railway between Darlington and Stokesley roads.
Construction by homebuilders Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey on the initial 300 homes will start soon – while work on the road is already underway. The road will add capacity to the local road network and provide an alternative route avoiding the Low Gates level crossing.
The first phase of road construction will be carried out by Seymour Civil Engineering.
The scheme has been in development for several years and brings together a consortium of developers and funders. As well as the housebuilders they include Hambleton District Council, North Yorkshire County Council, and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership – which has provided a £6m grant to match fund the developer’s construction of the road and bridge.
Councillor Mark Robson, Leader of Hambleton District Council said it was the biggest housing development in the authority’s history. “This scheme will deliver big economic and community benefits for Northallerton and the district as a whole,” he said. “We will initially see 300 homes built along with the road which we hope will also relieve pressure on the town centre.”
And David A. Kerfoot, MBE, Deputy Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, added: “Strategically this scheme is one of our most important investments and vital for our objective to double the number of homes built across York, North Yorkshire and East Riding. In particular this £6m investment has been put towards the link road through the development which kick started the scheme.”
David Bowe, North Yorkshire County Council’s Corporate Director for Business and Environmental Services, said: “This development supports the County Council’s ambitious growth plan for North Yorkshire, seeing the construction of a mixed use development of housing, leisure, retail and office, including the link road, that will facilitate business growth and economic development in a prominent location in this important market town.
“The first phase of the development is to build new roundabouts at each end of the new link road, one on the A167 Darlington Road and one on A684 Stokesley Road. This will take about 20 weeks. As part of the new road network, ultimately Northallerton Road will close to through traffic at Stone Cross and Brompton traffic will use the new roundabout and link road into the village.”