Monks Cross Case Study: Urban Sprawl Impacts

Monks Cross Case Study: Urban Sprawl Impacts

• Monks Cross is a 3km area northeast of York, developed since the late 1990s.
• Originally rural farmland, with arable fields, gentle slopes and hedgerows.
• Included poorly drained areas used by livestock.
• Brockfield Park was a key site for development, replacing housing.

Recent Developments

• Population growth in York led to geographical expansion.
• New housing and facilities (schools, clinics) built in Huntington, increasing population by 3000 in a decade.
• First phase (1998) brought retail chains, fast food, petrol stations, and car parks.
• Vanguard Shopping Park opened in 2014, costing £90 million.
• Expansions include a large Primark store (45,000 sq ft) in 2016.
• Park features a Community Plaza, using trees and plants for sustainability.
• York Community Stadium adds sports facilities (8000 seats). Includes a swimming pool and cinemas.
• Extensive parking and high-quality retail offerings, attracting large numbers of shoppers (estimated 100,000 visitors weekly).

Impacts of Urban Sprawl

• Significant loss of farmland (3 km2 since 1998).
• Increased impermeable surfaces (roads, parking), reducing infiltration and increasing surface runoff into the River Foss, potentially leading to increased flood risk.
• Increased traffic congestion along Malton Road, impacting commuters, and contributing to air pollution.
• Air pollution from vehicles (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide).
• Destruction of habitats: loss of hedgerows (harbouring protected species like Great Crested Newt and Primrose).
• Relocation of ponds, following Nature England rules.
• Economic benefits: creation of local jobs, and substantial spending by visitors to the area (>£568 million for York, with 10% leakage to Monks Cross).
• New housing and services created in Huntington (e.g., Huntington Health Care Centre, Yearly Primary School).