‘Culture of work’ hope as estate bid set for go-ahead

The Middle Deepdale scheme, which has been mooted for decades, will transform North Yorkshire’s largest housing estate at Eastfield, Scarborough, with up to 1,350 homes built, making it bigger than the nearby coastal holiday town of Filey.

The Yorkshire Post has learned that an outline application for the development is being submitted to a Scarborough Borough Council planning committee on July 26, with construction likely to begin as early as October.

Concerns have been raised that the scheme will create a “monster estate” within a community already desperate for services and amenities.

But Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet member for public health and housing, Coun Bill Chatt, dismissed criticism of the size of the largest housing development in the town in recent years, and said it would provide vital new homes for the burgeoning off-shore wind industry and plans for a multi-million pound potash mine in the North York Moors.

Coun Chatt said it was hoped the injection of new jobs and homes will help to encourage a culture of work not seen in the area since the estate was built around half a century ago.

“I’m hoping we are going to create some really good new homes and make areas which are very attractive to live in,” he said.

“In North Yorkshire, eight of the most deprived areas are in Scarborough - that includes Eastfield.

“To promote a culture of work is going to be a great thing.

“This is going to be absolutely fantastic for Scarborough.

“The people working in the potash mine and the wind farms are going to need accommodation, at the moment we don’t have that much available.”

Despite Scarborough Borough Council completing 108 new affordable homes for rent last year - its highest figure for decades - the figure is still far below an annual need of 470 a year.

Meanwhile, there is an estimated 3,500 people currently on its housing waiting list and 67 in emergency accommodation waiting for a home.

“There is a massive need for social accommodation,” Coun Chatt said.

“New homes are very important for the area.

“This is going to create one of the biggest things that we need in this country at the moment – homes for people to live in.”

The outline planning application due before the committee will be for a mixed use development of up to 1,350 homes including investment in school and community facilities, extra care provision and new public space.

It is understood about 30 per cent of the homes will be affordable.

Approximately 500 jobs could be created during the building period and ongoing site maintenance.

The borough council’s skills and employment team is also working to create as many as 100 apprenticeships through the scheme, which is being overseen by a partnership dubbed K2 Regeneration involving Kebbell Developments Limited and Keepmoat.

Senior council officers have stressed that the scheme is of “major strategic importance” to help the future economic growth of Scarborough and the regeneration of Eastfield.

A study undertaken by consultants in 2005 identified the need for Scarborough’s population to grow from 60,000 to 80,000 to boost enterprise and ensure the town is able to build its reputation in the regional economy.

Last year, fears were raised that the development could be affected by the recession and decline of the construction industry.