North Yorkshire’s Planning Committee is recommended to approve the scheme for 26 homes, including nine affordable homes, when it meets on Thursday (18th).
If approved, the site, off The Balk in Slingsby, would include one 1-bed, twelve 2-bed, eleven 3-bed and two 4-bed homes.
Outline plans for the 2.8 acre site, featuring 26 houses set around a village green, were approved in 2020, with access from Aspen Way.
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The 9000-acre estate says its 15-year vision for development is based around the principles of restoring its heritage, regenerating the natural landscape and reviving rural communities.
In its aims, Castle Howard appointed one of the UK’s most prominent architectural practises, ADAM Architecture, to design the village housing scheme. Having worked on developments such as Poundbury in Dorset and Nansledan in Cornwall, ADAM have a track record of working on prestigious heritage schemes with a need for sympathetic and considerate design.
As part of the process, they undertook a detailed assessment of the historic and local vernacular of the area to design a scheme that complements the wider village setting and sets the standard for what Castle Howard hopes to achieve in terms of design quality for any new homes on the estate.
Castle Howard says it is also committed to playing its role in tackling the climate crisis and the houses will adopt industry leading environmental design principles, which will see homes developed with the highest standards of energy efficiency to reduce emissions and costs for residents.
The Balk site is an allocated site in Ryedale’s Local Plan document.
The Planning Officer’s report on the application said that: “Since the allocation and the grant of outline permission, there have been no significant changes at the site, or in policy, that would justify the Council taking a different view with regard to the acceptability of the development in principle”.
The report further highlights that there is no objection from the Council’s Building Conservation Officer and that amendments to the application have addressed initial comments from Historic England.
Recommending approval, the report concluded: “The proposal respects the character of the settlement, integrates successfully with its surroundings, and helps to create a strong sense of place.”
Jasper Hasell, chief executive officer of Castle Howard, said: “We are delighted that having spent significant time over the course of the last year to design an exemplar development, that this has been recognised by the planning officer.
“Should consent be granted by committee, we plan to start work on site in the first half of 2024 to deliver new homes and affordable housing in Slingsby, with new residents contributing to the vitality of the village and surrounding area.”
