Fresh plans for Heronby, a new community for North Yorkshire’s future generations, are now being shared with the public.

And the team behind the proposals want to hear ideas from its potential future residents.

An early masterplan for Heronby was drawn up as part of the former Selby Local Plan process in 2021.

Ultimately, that process stalled and was then halted after North Yorkshire Council took over planning powers for the area when it was created in 2023.

Now, in response to what a planning inspector has called North Yorkshire’s chronic shortage of planned new homes, steps are being taken to prepare for an outline planning application.

The plans for around 3,500 homes, a country park, schools, a health centre and more are being brought forward by Escrick Park Estate on land west of Escrick, between Selby and York.

The estate’s Beilby Forbes Adam said: “When North Yorkshire Council said it couldn’t take Heronby forward though the Selby Local Plan process, which was scrapped not long afterwards, we said we remained committed to creating a new community for the county.

“Two years later we are moving closer to being ready to submit an outline application. But before we do we want to hear what the potential future residents of Heronby would like to see there.

“We welcome the views of people of all ages, but we do particularly want to encourage younger people to join the conversation about what Heronby should be, about what it could mean to them.

“The housing crisis means too many young people can’t find a home of their own and are struggling to get on and lead their own lives - we want to hear from ‘Generation Limbo’.”

The team is preparing for a public exhibition later in the year in Escrick, but initial ideas can be found on the website www.heronby.co.uk, together with a feedback form.

In the meantime, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping request has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council as part of the planning process.

This is a formal step asking the council’s officers to consider what should be included in an Environment Statement which would be submitted as part of a planning application.

While an EIA scoping request sits on the council’s planning portal in the same way as a planning application, it is not an application in itself.