A new housing settlement is to be developed at Maltkiln, centred around Cattal railway station.
The plan include a central hub with shops, cafés and other services and the location will offer direct rail links to Harrogate, Leeds and York.
The location remains controversial with many favouring Flaxby Park, on the outskirts of Knaresborough. Flaxby Park was previoulsy used as a golf course, and didn’t involve turning farmland into land for housing.
- North Yorkshire Council formally adopted the Development Plan Document (DPD) in November 2025.
- A detailed masterplan framework has now been drawn up to guide future planning applications within the settlement and ensure development is sustainable.
The draft masterplan framework will be presented to members of the council’s executive when they meet on Tuesday next week (17 March 2026).
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include planning policy, said:
We need more housing across the whole of the county to meet the rising demand, so people are able to choose to live in the communities that they wish to.
However, this is a significant ongoing challenge as England’s largest council in geographical terms. Settlements such as Maltkiln are therefore vital in helping to address this housing need and can help reduce the pressure on our existing towns and villages.
We want Maltkiln to be a vibrant and sustainable new community which can improve families’ health and wellbeing, create jobs and drive investment.
Adopting a masterplan framework is the next step on that journey, with further detail and more opportunities for community involvement to come through the detailed planning application.
Nearly 200 people attended a public consultation event at Kirk Hammerton Village Hall earlier this year, and the feedback gathered has been incorporated into the draft masterplan framework.
The framework has been produced in collaboration with the developers, a cross-council working group involving officers from education, public health, climate change and highways, and local stakeholders.
For more information on the Maltkiln project, visit North Yorkshire Council’s website at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/maltkiln-dpd
The report which will be presented to members of the council’s executive on Tuesday next week can be viewed or downloaded Maltkiln report.
