Last month, Avenir Properties of Harrogate, was told by North Yorkshire County Council that it was reducing the size of the plot on Coltsgate Hill in order to put in two footpaths.

The impact of this move means that the scheme – which will also see the construction of two town houses - is now financially unviable.

Despite a series of letters and telephone calls to County Hall, as well as alerting local Ripon councillors and MP David Curry to the issue, Avenir Properties have heard nothing back.

Avenir Properties sales manager Amanda Brayshaw said: “It’s as if the County Council is hiding behind a wall of silence. We have heard nothing from them in over three weeks.

“Ripon is crying out for affordable homes and we have a situation where we want to build five, yet the County Council, which owns the land, has now decided to take a slice off the agreed footprint.

“This now means we can’t accommodate the town houses and the end result is the entire scheme will have to be scrapped.”

Mrs Brayshaw added: “This is a real blow for the city’s first-time buyers. We are asking the County Council to sit around the table with us, but all we are hearing back is silence.”