A proposal to build 20 affordable homes on farmland has been unanimously approved by councillors, despite some residents claiming the development would create a surfeit of such housing in their area.
A meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Thirsk and Malton constituency planning committee heard the three one-bedroom, six two-bedroom, nine three-bedroom and two four-bedroom properties in Swinton, north-west of Malton, would remain as affordable housing in perpetuity.
The approval comes just days after a full meeting of the authority heard councillors would need to be more accepting of housebuilding proposals, particularly in villages, to address the county’s lengthy waiting list for homes, tackle the loss of key services and arrest the depopulation of rural areas.
An agent for developer Karbon Homes said the proposal would make an important contribution towards the supply of affordable homes and had been clearly established by a housing needs study of the Ryedale West villages area.
It found over the next five years a minimum of 68 affordable homes were needed in the area, over and above a recently approved development in the adjoining village of Amotherby, where 58 affordable homes had been approved.
The meeting was told the ongoing need in the area included 25 social affordable rent and 43 home ownership properties.
Amotherby Parish Council had said the recent approval of 58 affordable homes in Amotherby appeared to have been “swept under the carpet” in an effort to justify the local need for the Swinton development.
Residents had also claimed the affordable housing would be “better off built nearer to where applicants work” as there were very few employment opportunities in the village.
However, planning officers said refusal on the grounds of exceeding local needs would be “very difficult to support”.
A parish housing needs survey for Swinton had identified seven households in need with a further ten local households registering a housing need at the two public consultation events held in the village.
Officers told the meeting there have been no affordable houses completed in either village since at least 2012.
Nevertheless, one resident objecting to the scheme told the committee over that time she had seen “the village grow from a population of older people to visibly younger families”.
After highlighting potential road safety issues, the resident added although the proposal suggested the new residents would be encouraged to use public transport, the lack of such services in the village would render that ambition impossible.
She said: “Amotherby already has planning permission for 58 affordable homes and we’re supposed to be a joined-up village.”
Councillor Malcolm Taylor underlined the county was experiencing a “housing crisis”.
Councillor Lindsay Burr, who used to represent the village, said there was a “crying need” for affordable housing.
The meeting heard while some residents did not want to see properties built, the alternative was to lose popular facilities and services, such as the pub and school.
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