Mayor candidate Keane Duncan has committed to a “brownfield first” new homes plan to help protect York and North Yorkshire’s countryside.
The Tory candidate’s statement comes after Rishi Sunak this week promised not to “concrete over the countryside” said the bulk of Britain’s new homes would be built in major cities.
The Prime Minister has earmarked denser inner-city areas where demand is highest for any extra housing rather than pave over the greenbelt.
Welcoming Rishi Sunak’s plan, Keane Duncan pledged to unlock 900 new homes on brownfield sites in his first two years as mayor using £12.7m of funding devolved from Westminster.
He said: “I want more young people and families in York and North Yorkshire to achieve the dream of owning their own home.
“Ensuring our area is affordable for everyone, especially the next generation, inevitably means we must build more – but it is important we get the location right.
“I would unlock responsible development on brownfield sites and deliver 900 new homes in my first two years as mayor.
“The York Central site earmarked for 2,500 homes shows the scale of our ambition, but there are many other parcels of abandoned or underutilised land prime for regeneration.
“We should prioritise building the next generation of family homes on these sites first to ease the pressure on our beautiful green spaces.”
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has also announced plans to slash red tape to pave the way for more conversions of shops and takeaways into houses in efforts to address the housing crisis.
Be the first to comment