
Plans for a significant housing development on the Yorkshire Coast have prompted concerns from local councillors regarding infrastructure and services.
It was announced earlier in the year that an area south of Cayton could become home to 2,500 new houses through an accelerated building programme under government spending plans. This development is part of the government's New Homes Accelerator, which aims to speed up housing delivery on large sites across the country. The site South of Cayton is one of three new sites where the Accelerator will focus its attention, with the potential to deliver over 7,400 homes across these three locations.
However, local representatives have expressed worries about the capacity of existing infrastructure to support such a large increase in population. Councillor Roberta Swiers has highlighted the absence of a travel plan for the proposed development and says that any development will need to mindful of connectivity and services and not just focus on building houses.
Councillor Swiers emphasised the potential benefits of the development if executed correctly, saying, "if we get this right, it will be an absolute amazing thing", however, she stressed the necessity for adequate infrastructure, including public transport such as buses and better integration with the station at Seamer to facilitate travel to Scarborough.
Echoing these concerns, Councillor Liz Colling also emphasised the critical need for proper planning around schools and other services.
The government has stated its commitment to ensuring that the next generation of new towns are "well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places" with necessary infrastructure and services. They have also highlighted the importance of public investment and leadership to initiate such developments.
An initial £15 million has been allocated for the next financial year to begin early scoping work on new sites. The New Homes Accelerator is also providing £3 million of grant funding to local authorities for site-specific support.
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