Members of the planning committee will be considering the proposed conditions and Section 106 legal obligations, recommended by officers, at their meeting on Wednesday 23 May 2012.
In addition, the committee will consider a related application for drainage, landscaping and ecology works mainly comprising new ponds and channels totalling approximately 4,500sqm, together with a mosaic of wet and dry grassland and native planting. Two viewing platforms would be erected for public access.

The application has been prompted by the planning application for the community stadium and retail development scheme on the Vangarde (John Lewis/Marks & Spencer) site and at the existing Huntington Stadium.

Officers report, “the development would affect existing amphibian populations within the Vangarde site. In order for the development scheme to be implemented, the impact on amphibians would have to be mitigated.The proposal is for the amphibians to be relocated to an alternative, better, location between Malton Road and the Park and Ride site at Monks Cross. Planning permission for the creation of an amphibian conservation area was granted in August 2011. The landscaping and drainage works for which consent is now being sought include a wildlife corridor between the Vangarde site and the amphibian conservation area. The proposals would provide an informal recreation and education space within the community”.
The decision to approve the stadium planning application means that work on the detailed planning application for a new county standard athletics track, to be built at the sports village at York University’s Heslington East Campus, can also progress.

The Community Stadium will provide a home for the city’s professional football and rugby league teams. It will enable the football and rugby league teams to continue to deliver and develop the extensive range of community programmes with schools, clubs and community groups across the city.

The development will include:

• A new clinical health facility providing outpatients facilities, which will address access and health inequality issues, for example physiotherapy, pain management, sexual health, weight management and blood taking.

• An Institute for Sport and Well-being with St John’s University, focusing on delivering initiatives to promote sport, activity, health, education and well-being for those living and working in York and the surrounding area.

• An independent living assessment centre for people with disabilities and their carers.

• A new child’s play facility and crèche – Creepy Crawlies.

• Improved links and integration of these facilities with the existing leisure centre and a package of improvements to the existing leisure centre (Courtneys/ Waterworld).

• A new 3G floodlit games court aimed at junior football and rugby, for the local community.

• Wider community use of the onsite conferencing and entertainment facilities.

• A new Gateway Explore Library.

York High school students are being asked to have their bikes tagged as part of a campaign to reduce cycle theft in the City (see right),

The safer York Partnership have issued a statement in support of the campaign, “York is a cycling city, and has a far higher level of cycle usage than in the majority of UK cities. Cycling is good for the city in terms of the environment and the health of our residents. However, a proliferation of bikes can mean rich pickings for any would-be thieves.

Unfortunately over 1000 bikes are stolen each year in York. A significant proportion of these have been left insecure – bikes that haven’t been locked at all, locked inadequately, ‘secured’ with a poor quality lock or locked to themselves or an insecure object.

It is fair to say that in the above cases cyclists make it easy for a thief to walk off with their bike. Cycle theft statistics could be radically improved if people took more care over the security of their bikes. (more…)