Public get chance to view Helmsley town plan (From Gazette & Herald)

Public get chance to view Helmsley town plan

2:32pm Wednesday 1st July 2009

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HELMSLEY could be in line for its biggest development for years if plans to create new housing and jobs get the green light.

The scheme, earmarked for a 12-acre site on the east side of the town near Sawmill Lane, is due to go on public show on from noon to 7pm on Friday at the town hall.

Northminster Developments of York are behind the ambitious project. Its directors, George Burgess and Martin Gill, together with Ian Atkinson of DSP Architects, outlined their plans to town councillors.

Mr Burgess said his company had been working on the plans for three years with the Duncombe Park Estate and the scheme would be the first of its kind in North Yorkshire.

The vision, he said, was employment-led and would probably include a care home, nursery, homes, a large green swathe of land and provide employment.

The employment sites would be next to the industrial area in Sawmill Lane.

Mr Burgess said: “It is very important that Helmsley should have a scheme of the highest quality.”

He added that Northminster had been in talks with Thomas the Baker which wants to expand its enterprise in Sawmill Lane.

The industrial buildings would provide quality space for new businesses and opportunities for existing ones.

The living and working initiative would see people living in the area with job opportunities on their doorstep, and full advantage would be taken to maximise energy constraints in the design of the buildings.

The estate would have a cafe and meeting area for residents and staff, and a new road structure was planned.

Mr Atkinson said: “We are looking to have pedestrian access to the town centre and for the buildings to sit in harmony with the rest of Helmsley. The whole scheme will invigorate the area.”

Timber and stone would be used for the construction with a mix of housing for single people, families, couples and older people. Accommodation will range from one-bedroom to four bedroom properties.

Coun John Buffoni said he was concerned that the scheme would “knock on the head” any hopes of Helmsley getting a by-pass on the old railway line, and that the site was in a high risk flood area.

He added that the site had long been designated as Helmsley’s last area suitable for industrial use and the town’s young people needed employment opportunities.

Coun Buffoni said housing could be provided north of the A170. His sentiments were echoed by Coun Martin Van Der Weyer, who told the developers that there should be more employment provision on the site and less residential housing.

Mr Burgess said: “The aim is for people to live where they work.” There was, he said, a “green aspect” in working from home, where people could work more productively and not waste time travelling.

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