Plans have been lodged to build up to 75 homes on the site of a former horticultural business and garden centre in North Yorkshire.
Ravensworth Nurseries, located between Richmond and Barnard Castle, shut in 2023 after 57 years, with owners blaming Covid lockdown, “soaring” energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis.
An outline application submitted to North Yorkshire Council now seeks permission to demolish glasshouses and commercial buildings and replace them with a residential development.
Developers argue the scheme would help address a shortage of housing land, support local services and schools, improve biodiversity and bring a vacant brownfield-style site back into productive use.
The application has been submitted on behalf of Andrew and Maria Henshaw, who own nearby Mainsgill Farm, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Planning documents describe the former nursery buildings as becoming increasingly derelict and in a state of disrepair.
Developers said the scheme would provide a mix of housing and include areas of open space, children’s play facilities and landscaping.
The applicant indicated support for the council’s requirement that 30% of homes on major developments should be affordable, subject to viability assessments.
Although the site lies outside Ravensworth’s official development boundary, planning documents argue it forms part of an existing cluster of residential and commercial properties on the edge of the village.
The application also highlights the site’s proximity to local services, including the village primary school, pub, village hall and bus routes connecting Richmond and Barnard Castle.
A transport assessment submitted with the application concludes that the development would have only a negligible impact on traffic levels when compared with the site’s former commercial use.
As the application is in outline form, detailed matters such as house designs, layout and landscaping would be considered at a later stage if planning permission was granted.