Decision details

Appointment of YorSpace as the preferred partner and potential purchaser of land to provide community self-build housing at Lowfield Green, in accordance with the plans for the site agreed by Executive on 7th December 2016 to “sell plots of land for use by self builders and community housing to provide homes”.
The attached briefing note details the YorSpace offer and their suitability to work as our preferred partner on this development.
This decision will be followed by an exclusivity agreement being signed in respect of the potential purchase of the land.
Any development of the site will be subject to the granting of the relevant planning consents and agreement of appropriate commercial terms.
The sale of land to YorSpace will be guided by Section123 of the Local Government Act 1972 which authorises the Council to dispose of non-housing land at the best consideration reasonably obtainable or for less than best consideration/full open market value provided that: (i) the difference between the price obtained and full market value does not exceed £2 million AND (ii) the Council (acting reasonably and properly considers) that the disposal will facilitate the improvement of economic, environmental or social well-being of the area. When the decision to dispose is made, these considerations will be taken into account.

During public and stakeholder engagement regarding the Lowfield Green development, YorSpace expressed an interest in being involved as part of our ambition to deliver community and self-build housing on the site, allowing us to give life to our legal obligations to support self-build and custom build housing.
YorSpace have shown interest in being involved in other sites and were formed to support the delivery of affordable and alternative housing types in York.
We also considered making more land available as self-build plots and less for community self build but, after public and stakeholder engagement, it was concluded that the development risk is best managed by having the larger portion of land devoted to community build rather than individual self build.

The sale of the land for development of open market value housing. Other land on the site will be devoted to this purpose.