North Yorkshire Yorkshire Council to step up plans for affordable homes to 'help residents take first step on the property ladder'

A revival of a form of council housing may be part of the answer to Knaresborough’s current housing problems.

The new approach by North Yorkshire Council is part of its plans to deliver hundreds of new affordable homes for local families across North Yorkshire to meet the county’s growing demand for housing.

Buying completed homes directly from developers is to form an important part of delivering the council’s housing ambitions, helping to boost the supply of affordable housing more quickly in areas where demand is greatest.

The latest proposals could see the council acquire 10 new-build homes in Knaresborough, where demand for affordable housing is high, with more than 500 households having identified the town and surrounding villages as their preferred location.

Seven of the properties in Knaresborough, including five four-bedroom homes and two three-bedroom homes, would be made available to rent to families in housing need.

The remaining three homes, one three-bedroom and two four-bedroom properties, would be offered through shared ownership.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Coun Simon Myers, said: “As one of the largest councils in England, one of the biggest challenges we face is a lack of affordable housing.

“The proposals in Knaresborough, where housing is particularly expensive and delivering social rent homes can be challenging, represent another positive step forward in our commitment to provide more affordable homes across North Yorkshire.”

The proposals will be presented to members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee next Tuesday, August 4.

The prospective acquisition would be funded through a combination of the council’s HRA, Homes England grant funding and receipts generated through the sale of the shared ownership properties.

Plans to purchase ten further social rented and shared ownership properties in the market towns of Bedale and Ripon, where the demand for affordable accommodation is also high, were approved last December.

In the 1970s, an average of 115,000 new council houses were built each year in England.

In 2025, English councils delivered a mere 1,705 new council houses.

The Government has set North Yorkshire Council a target of delivering more than 4,000 new homes a year.