New housing plans lodged for former Nestle factory site

Almost 300 homes could be built as part of the redevelopment of York’s former Nestle factory buildings if newly submitted plans get the green light.Latimer Developments, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has submitted an application to City of York Council for the redevelopment of the land at Cocoa West, off Wigginton Road.The site previously contained the core of the original Rowntree factory buildings, developed between 1890 and 1940, but these have now been demolished. It is allocated for housing as part of the wider ‘Nestlé South’ site.Full planning permission is sought for the construction of 299 homes, with a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.A total of 109 (36 per cent of the scheme) affordable homes are proposed, with a mixture of social rented and shared ownership housing.The plans also include a crèche and associated car parking, public open space, improved access from Wigginton Road, landscaping, infrastructure and drainage, and other associated works.Outline planning permission was granted last year for 118 houses and 307 apartments, alongside commercial, retail and community uses, on the site.The conversion of the former Cream and Almond blocks to the immediate east of the site was approved in September 2017 for a mixed-use development comprising 279 apartments, a convenience store and conversion of the listed Joseph Rowntree memorial library for community space. Work is yet to start but the development is expected to complete in 2023.The project team on the latest application includes Lichfields, JTP, Optimised Environments Ltd (OPEN), Civic Engineers, ADL, AECOM, WT Partnership, BBSeven, Prospect Archaeology, Forever Consulting, Barnes Associates, Surface Property and Wold Ecology.