Work on 64-home development at Thornton under way (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Work on 64-home development at Thornton under way

9:00am Monday 10th December 2012 in News By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

An artist’s impression of the homes

Work is under way to build a development of more than 60 homes in Thornton, Bradford.

Outline planning permission was granted to developer Persimmon Homes in 2010 for the site, to the west of the junction of Allerton Lane and Old Road, Thornton.

At that point a variety of commitments were made, including a quarter of the homes being given over to affordable housing, as well as financial contributions to improving educational infrastructure and recreation facilities in the ward.

Full permission was granted in September and the development of 64 two and three-storey three and four-bed homes is to be called Sunningdale Park.

Last month, the National Housing Federation warned only one fifth of the new homes Bradford needs are being built every year.

Its report, Home Truths 2012, shows nearly 21,000 low-income individuals and families in Bradford were trapped on social housing waiting lists last year.

But the stock of properties managed by housing associations has shrunk by two per cent over the past five years.

Meanwhile, those who want to buy their home are stuck in a vicious circle where they cannot afford to save up for a mortgage deposit, while the cost of renting a home grows.

The federation, which represents the UK’s housing associations, has urged the Government to hand over disused brownfield public land so thousands more affordable homes can be built.

Building more homes on this previously developed land would also give a much-needed boost to the hard-hit construction industry, it has argued.

Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire sales director, Simon Whalley, said it had taken steps to try to make the new development as affordable as possible.