The developers of a proposed major housing scheme to the north of York have been told they must consider its impact on traffic on the York Outer Ring Road and the surrounding area.
The site should also be “assessed cumulatively” with an even larger housing scheme at Huntington, which has just been approved on appeal.
City of York Council has responded to a call from the Vistry Group (formerly known as Bovis Homes) and BDW Trading Ltd (Barrat Homes) concerning their proposals for up to 800 homes on a 33ha site north of Haxby.
In October the developers sought a ‘scoping opinion’ from the city council as to the details they must submit in their planning application, a move which followed council planning chiefs in August demanding an Environmental Impact Assessment.
A formal planning application, which had been expected in 2022, has yet to be submitted.
Just before Christmas, City of York Council confirmed the site between Usher Lane and Moor Lane was not sensitive and was allocated for housing under the emerging Local Plan.
A council report said an Environmental Statement would now need to include biodiversity. The council’s Highway Development Control (HDC) also sought details concerning impacts on pedestrian access, cycling, including cycle routes, safety and connectivity, as well as bus services, including bus stops.
The approved scheme from Redrow Homes at Monks Cross, with 970 homes, plus school and shop, must be “assessed cumulatively.”
HDC also demanded a “suitable adequately resourced travel plan”.
National Highways also sought details on impacts on the York Outer Ring Road and A64 Hopgrove Junction, both of which are proposed for improvement, with the number of expected trips generated from the scheme as part of a Transport Assessment.
The developers must also submit a full landscape and visual assessment, with an Ecological Impact Assessment as part of a full Environmental Impact Assessment. Details of impacts from extra vistors to nearby Strensall Common were also sought.
Haxby and Wigginton city councillor Andrew Hollyer said he was pleased planners sought detailed consideration of potential impacts on biodiversity, which the developers had proposed to exclude from the Environmental Statement.
The Lib-Dem councillor also backed demands for more detailed and wider consideration of transport issues, including the combined impact of the Redrow scheme at Monks Cross.
He added: “Following the pre-application public consultation held in October we still have significant concerns about the impact of the development on local services and amenities such as road and drainage capacity and the impact on our GP surgery, for which routine appointment waiting times are already too high.
“We also retain our concerns over the lack of space to expand the cemetery as previous expected and the reduction in green space to the south of the site.”
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