Affordable housing set to be built as Scarborough Council agrees to sale of land at Eastfield and Seamer

The authority’s cabinet approved an “in principle” deal for the sale of the sites subject to planning permission being granted.

All the homes built on the sites following the sale to Beyond Housing would be classed as affordable.

The three sales include land at Scarborough Road in Seamer which could generate 30 affordable homes, and land between 55 and 56 Westway in Eastfield which could add another 10.

The final site is on land adjacent to Musham Bank roundabout, also in Eastfield, which could provide a further 22 units.

The land will be sold to Beyond Housing to take forward the schemes for £350,000 below the council’s open market valuation of the sites which came to £849,500.

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The cabinet heard today that if the sites were sold on the open market just seven affordable homes would be built in total, compared to the 62 under the deal with Beyond Housing.

Cllr Carl Maw, the cabinet member for Stronger Communities and Housing, said the sites represented “quick wins” in the council’s wish to provide more affordable homes in the borough.

A report prepared for the cabinet added that the housing provider would not profit from the discounted deal it would get.

It stated: “In order to provide some comfort that Beyond Housing cannot in some way ‘profit’ from the discounted sale it is recommended that the sale agreement requires Beyond Housing to ensure that any potential ‘surplus’ income generated from rents or sales is recycled to provide additional affordable homes in the borough.

“Similarly any receipts from potential future sales must be recycled.”

It is hoped that work could start on at least one of the sites by next summer.