Mayor launches drive to build more homes

A new initiative is aiming to accelerate local homebuilding.

David Skaith, the mayor of York and North Yorkshire, has officially launched a Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England to tackle the urgent need for housing across the region. 

The partnership also involves City of York Council, North Yorkshire Council and York and North Yorkshire Housing Partnership.

Mayor Skaith says the collaboration will focus on boosting the supply of homes, particularly affordable housing, across coastal, urban and rural areas, with key objectives including strengthening relationships with major site owners, speeding up delivery of investment-ready or stalled sites, and ensuring new homes support the region’s goal of becoming carbon negative by 2040.

Mayor Skaith said: “Across York and North Yorkshire, we are in the midst of a housing crisis, with some of the most expensive homes in the UK. 

“With over 10,000 households on housing waiting lists in our region, we must act now.

"We need to build the right homes in the right places, ensuring people in all our towns, cities and villages can stay and live in our region. 

“Bringing together Homes England, our councils and key organisations through the York and North Yorkshire Strategic Place Partnership will help us all deliver on our shared vision to get building.”

This agreement makes York and North Yorkshire the ninth area in England to have a Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England. 

Pat Ritchie, chair of Homes England, added: “Our Strategic Place Partnership with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority shows how Homes England supports local leaders and partners in delivering place-based regeneration.

“In York, for example, we are already working with partners including Network Rail, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum to drive forward the transformation of York Central – one of the UK’s largest brownfield sites – into new homes, cultural spaces and infrastructure.

“Delivering 1.5 million homes this Parliament will take a collective effort across the housing sector. 

“Homes England’s role is to support locally-led projects like this, helping ensure new neighbourhoods reflect long-term regeneration goals and the needs of communities.”

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