Issue - decisions

In March 2022 the council Executive approved the recommendation to enter into a construction contract with Caddick Construction to deliver the Burnholme Green scheme in accordance with the approved planning application 20/01916/OUTM. This planning approval contained, as noted in the report to the executive, 5 self-build plots named as Terrace 5. As part of the construction contract, Caddick Construction were required to level the site and bring services up to the boundary of the self-build land.

Following learnings from Lowfield Green, the decision had been made not to allow any self-builders to start on site until the main contractor had finished the main site. During construction of the main development, the council was approached by a custom build developer with an offer for the land that detailed a proposal to deliver 7 custom build homes. This offer was within the RICS valuation for the land with the added benefits of delivering 2 additional dwellings. As well as giving residents of York the new opportunity to customise and shape their own home, the singular and coordinated nature of a custom build development on this extremely constrained site also has advantages for the new residents of the Burnholme Green.

This solution meets the intended outcome of securing a development that delivers truly custom-built homes to ensure that the dwellings can be counted as self or custom build under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended by the Housing and Planning Act 2016). The councils self-build register currently has 881 individuals registered as wanting to design and build their own home in York with only 181 self-build planning permissions having been granted since 2016.

While this delivery model does reduce the choice available to the self-builders, a survey sent out to those on the self-build register revealed that there was considerable appetite for this type of custom build development. With the legislation accepting that the self and custom build spectrum is broad, it is felt that a custom-build solution will enhance York’s offer and is better suited to this site.

This decision proposed is to accept the offer for Terrace 5 at Burnholme Green from a custom build developer and have contracts drawn up and proceed to the exchange of contracts, and completion under the terms of the contract.