MEMBERS of a family which runs one of the region’s foremost historic houses and estates have unveiled a scheme to build 99 homes in the North York Moors National Park.

The park’s authority, which will decide upon the application, has described the plan as a “major development”, which is likely to raise a number of significant planning issues.

The proposal by Jake and Melissa Duncombe, of the grade I listed Duncombe Park, and developers Keepmoat for a 2.26-hectare plot at the end of Ashwood Close, in Helmsley, includes a 64 flat extra care facility, 35 houses, as well as associated parking and garden areas.

The plot, which would be accessed from Ashwood Close, is an overflow playing field and grazing land and is allocated for mixed-use housing in the Ryedale Local Plan.

A spokesman for Keepmoat said the development would bring “much-needed new housing for local people”, while Ryedale District Council has backed the scheme, saying it is important for the provision of extra care housing and affordable homes in the district.

Developers said the location was ideal for the extra care housing, as it was near shops and public transport. Meeting the demand for extra care housing is seen as critical as 25 per cent of Ryedale residents were aged 65 or over in 2014, while the number of elderly residents is expected to increase by 46 per cent by 2035, with a 128 per cent rise in the number of those aged 85 and above.

North Yorkshire county councillor Clare Wood said: “High-quality extra care provision gives people what they have told us they want – to live independent lives in their own homes, with more choice and control over their support, so they can remain part of their local communities for longer.”

The scheme, due to be discussed by the park authority on Thursday, has received support from Helmsley Town Council, which saw members praise the mix of building materials, but raising concerns about increased volumes of traffic through Ashwood Close.

Residents have expressed concerns over access to the site, its scale and the style of the development, saying a red brick building would “stick out like a sore thumb” in an area dominated by Yorkshire stone properties.