Funding of more than £9.2m to build 700 homes on brownfield sites across North Yorkshire and York has been approved.

The money is a result of the devolution deal unlocking housing development on brownfield land. The aim is to deliver affordable, accessible, and low carbon housing.

The schemes include 18 homes at Main Street, Ingleby Arncliffe, 17 homes at Raskelf near Easingwold and Carrs Billington, Askrigg and 160 homes at the former Arc Factory, off Catterick Road, Colburn, Catterick Garrison.

Most of the rest of the homes are set to be built in and around York with 392 homes on former gas works at Heworth, York.

There are nine schemes in total, with 252 affordable homes. The housing is being built in rural and urban areas.

The development in Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton, is on the site of the demolished village school, and the hope is the high quality affordable housing will attract young families.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The school site in Ingleby Arncliffe has been cleared ready for new housing to be built

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les said: "North Yorkshire is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but with that comes a massive demand for housing, especially for more affordable homes.

"We want people to be able to continue to live in the communities where they grew up, while also allowing others to move to the county to help to bring in the skills and experience which are needed to boost the economy.

"This is a significant moment for both North Yorkshire and York to see more than £9m being used to fund hundreds of new properties, especially with more than a third of them being affordable homes.

“It is another indication of the benefits that are being realised ahead of the devolution deal, bringing in additional funding from the Government to help to address some of the biggest issues which we face."

Councillor Claire Douglas, leader of City of York Council, added: "It is so important to us that York not only has the number of homes it needs but that they are at prices that people can afford and are both for sale and to rent."

The funding was agreed, subject to further due diligence, at the York and North Yorkshire Joint Devolution Committee. If it goes ahead the new combined authority will administer the fund. Investment has been secured from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

James Farrar, interim director of transition for the combined authority, added: "A new combined authority could be operational in January and formally launched in February. A mayoral election would take place on May 2 2024.”

Once elected, the new mayor will have responsibility for a 30-year Investment Fund totalling £540m and powers to improve the supply and quality of housing and secure the development of land.