The Site

The proposed site for Heronby is 241-hectares to the south west of Escrick, bounded by the A19 to the east and the Escrick/Stillingfleet Road to the north. At the heart of the site, on a plateau above the surrounding land, lies Heron Wood. A pedestrian and cycle route, part of the Trans Pennine Way, runs from north to south, down the centre of the site.

The Heronby site is particularly well suited to development. Unlike much of the central area of the district, it is almost entirely outside Flood Zones 2 and 3. The majority of the site is within Flood Zone 1, with the lowest probability of flooding, with a small portion of the site in Flood Zone 2.

It is not designated as Green Belt land - the north east corner of the site is close to the York Green Belt – and lies some way beyond the Escrick Conservation Area.

The Heronby masterplan provides an opportunity to improve the ecology of Heron Wood, which sits within the site. New, native trees and shrubs would be planted to increase the biodiversity of the area which is largely today a monocultural commercial plantation. Most of Heron Wood is designated as PAWS, meaning a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site. The new, enhanced planting of indigenous species would help create a much more natural environment where native plants and animals can thrive.

In addition, there would be more tree planting and other habitat creation across the whole of the Heronby site which would further increase the biodiversity of the area.

Although power lines run through the site, the largest of which is a 132kV line, our long-term aspiration is that this would be laid underground.

A large part of the site is surrounded by land which is also owned by Escrick Park Estate. This allows us to take a holistic approach to development, ensuring that the settlement has a clear and defined relationship with the wider landscape and historic, social and ecological contexts.