Work on an affordable housing development at the heart of a Doomsday Book village is scheduled to start within three months following a decision to approve the project.
Hambleton District Council’s planning committee passed the scheme for 21 two and three-bedroom homes for affordable rent and rent to buy, despite a desire to improve road safety near the junction of Danelaw Road and Cockpit Hill, in Brompton, near Northallerton, being largely thwarted.
The plan had been welcomed by the committee in November as the authority continues to strive to increase the amount of affordable housing in the area, which some developers have not wanted to provide as it is less profitable than building homes for the open market.
The council’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment has identified an urgent need for smaller and more affordable homes with an emphasis being placed upon the delivery of family homes and developer Karbon Homes had identified the same need within Brompton.
However, a decision on the scheme was postponed after councillors said they had been left perplexed by an experts’ assessment of how many pedestrians the development would generate.
Councillors were told one assessment had found the development was likely to generate a maximum of two pedestrians and one bus user during peak hours, despite the homes being aimed at young families and the development being just yards from Brompton Primary School.
The meeting heard talks had been held between highways bosses, the developer and planning officers, but it had emerged the optimum site for a crossing over Cockpit Hill had an intervening area of land that was neither in the control of the developer or council.
Officers told members: “At the present time there is no way of installing a safe crossing at this point, providing access from footpath to footpath. It would effectively leave you on the roadside.”
The highways authority looked at speed reducing measures, such as white lines on the road, but none were considered acceptable, partly due to noise implications and partly due to the volume of road signage, road lines and parking in the area.
Nevertheless, the meeting was told highways officers had agreed there could be warning signs installed on either side of the junction.
Members were also told that concerns over the height of some of the homes had also been overcome by moving their locations.
Ward member Councillor Isobel Sanderson said: “Although we’ve not got our crossing in Brompton we have had it looked at closely so I feel I can now support our application.”
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