More affordable homes are due to be built across North Yorkshire through a new partnership to help people get on the housing ladder.
Work on the first of a series of developments under the new scheme, which involves our property company, Brierley Homes, and Broadacres Housing Association, has begun.
Brierley Homes is a private house-building company wholly owned by us, while Broadacres is a not-for-profit housing association based in Northallerton and operating across the North of England.
By pooling their knowledge, experience and resources, they hope to help meet the demand for affordable homes.
The initial scheme is at Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, and will be called Laverton Oaks.
Brierley Homes is delivering the scheme following an agreement to buy the land from Broadacres.
It will feature 33 houses, of which 13 will be affordable homes. They will be built to the highest specifications and feature energy-efficient construction techniques.
The scheme is scheduled to be completed within two years.
Details on further projects will be revealed in the coming months.
Brierley Homes managing director Stuart Ede said: “This announcement is the result of 12 months of hard work and negotiations between ourselves and Broadacres on this and other schemes.
“It is an exciting partnership between two North Yorkshire companies that will deliver high-quality housing in areas of greatest need."
Broadacres’ director of development and investment, Helen Fielding, said: “Working in partnership with Brierley Homes, we are pleased to be able to provide 13 much-needed affordable homes in this part of rural North Yorkshire.
“It’s important that we continue investing in even more affordable housing across the county, ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for local people now and in the future.
“We see working closely with Brierley as a major step towards achieving this.”
The news was welcomed by executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers.
“North Yorkshire is a beautiful place in which to live, work and raise a family. However, the affordability gap between earnings and house prices is the largest in England outside the South-East,” he said.
“This presents huge problems for those who aspire to own their own homes and for those who rent. Anything we can do to help them is to be welcomed.”