Two North Yorkshire housing companies have announced a partnership which will see them build 33 homes at Kirby Malzeard, near Ripon.

It will see Brierley Homes, which is owned by North Yorkshire Council, and Broadacres Housing Association create a new development called Laverton Oaks.

Thirteen of the 33 houses will be classed as affordable.

Brierley Homes is delivering the scheme following an agreement to buy the land from Broadacres.

Work on the site is expected to be completed within two years.

Stuart Ede, managing director at Brierley Homes, said:

“This announcement is the result of 12 months of hard work and negotiations between ourselves and Broadacres on this and other schemes.

“It is an exciting partnership between two North Yorkshire companies that will deliver high-quality housing in areas of greatest need.”

Helen Fielding, director of development and investment at Broadacres, said:

“Working in partnership with Brierley Homes, we are pleased to be able to provide 13 much-needed affordable homes in this part of rural North Yorkshire.

“It’s important that we continue investing in even more affordable housing across the county, ensuring our rural communities remain sustainable for local people now and in the future.”

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Harrogate Borough Council is set to receive a £2.5 million from central government to help buy 21 homes for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees.

A report will go before the council’s Conservative-run cabinet next week that asks councillors to accept the grant and continue Harrogate’s “long and proud history” of welcoming refugees that dates back to the First World War.

Many Ukrainian families have found homes in the Harrogate district since Russia’s invasion through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Afghan families have also arrived through resettlement schemes but there is still a “pressing need” to provide homes for those fleeing war zones, according to the report.

The money will come from the Local Authority Housing Fund, which is a £500 million grant fund launched by the government so English councils can provide housing for those unable to find accommodation.

In the Harrogate district, just over £2 million will go towards buying 19 homes for Ukrainians and just under £500,000 will help buy two larger four-bedroom homes for Afghan families currently in temporary accommodation.

Funding from the LAHF equates to 40% of the cost of a single property. A total of £20,000 per property is also available to cover administrative and repair costs.

The government asks that local authorities secure match-funding to raise the remaining money needed to buy a property and the report says Harrogate Borough Council has come to an agreement with Broadacres Housing Association, which is based in Northallerton.

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The LAHF grant will be managed by Broadacres, which will identify and buy the homes with the council’s approval.

They will then be refurbished by the housing association so they can meet the decent homes standards.

The government says all homes should be bought and ready to be moved into by November this year.

The report says:

“Harrogate has a long and proud history of welcoming those fleeing violence and oppression in their home countries. In the past, this has included Belgium victims of the First World War and Jewish people escaping the Nazis.

“More recently the area has welcomed Syrians, vulnerable children, Afghans and Ukrainians.

“The acceptance of these funds will help the UK’s humanitarian duties to assist those fleeing war and ultimately provide a lasting legacy by increasing the supply of accommodation available to local authorities to address homelessness pressures.”

A housing association has lodged plans to build 60 new homes in Sharow.

Non-profit developer Broadacres Housing Association Limited, which is based in Northallerton, has submitted a joint proposal with V&A Homes (Yorkshire) this week to Harrogate Borough Council for land off Dishforth Road.

Sixty houses would be built in the area, 24 of which would be affordable homes and the rest open market.

The plans come after permission was granted for a housing scheme on the site in 2020, but has since lapsed.

The revised proposal sees a mix of one, two, three and four bed semi-detached houses as well as several three, four and five bed detached dwellings. 

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All the houses would have parking provisions and a pocket park will be on site. 

In documents submitted to the council, Broadacres said:

“Land to the south of Dishforth Road, Sharow offers a unique opportunity to provide housing and community uses in a logical and sustainable location that would bring benefits to the village and those who live there today and in the future.” 

It added:

“The site represents an appropriate and sustainable location for new homes within the village. Proposals will meet with the vision of achieving a development of high quality and inclusive design of buildings, spaces and landscaping. 

“Integrating well within its existing context, reinforcing local character and providing new connections to the village and surrounding countryside.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.