Eco-homes plan for factory site

The British Sugar factory was demolished last year

An eco-friendly housing development could be built in York if a bid for £6m of government funding is successful.

City of York Council wants to build 60 homes on the former British Sugar factory site off Boroughbridge Road.

The houses would have high levels of insulation and special heat pumps to cut fuel bills.

The council said the development would have on-site recycling facilities and allotments to encourage residents to grow their own food.

Access would be reached via Millfield Lane with a new internal access road.

The British Sugar factory closed in 2007. The council said it was working with Associated British Foods, which owns the site, on the plan.

If the scheme is approved, the council said it would form part of a bid for funding for more eco-friendly housing developments in the Leeds City Region, which incorporated 11 towns and cities in West, South and North Yorkshire.

The council's ruling executive will be asked to approve the bid for government funding later this month.