Plans for a major new community near Harrogate to address North Yorkshire's growing housing need are moving forward.

The Maltkiln settlement, focused around Cattal railway station, is set to deliver thousands of homes alongside essential services.

Proposals aim to create a healthy, sustainable place to live, with attractive walking and cycling routes and a mix of facilities including primary schools, shops, and health and sports amenities.

A central local hub is planned with shops, cafes and other services to support jobs, while the location offers direct rail connections to Harrogate, Leeds and York.

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The council adopted the Development Plan Document in November 2025.

A detailed masterplan framework has now been produced to steer future planning applications across the site and ensure development is sustainable.

The draft masterplan will be presented to the council's executive on Tuesday next week (17 March).

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."