3 months after council staff left the Guildhall to move into the new West Office building, a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the – now empty – building is still costing taxpayers £162,000 a year.

The figure doesn’t include any modernisation costs and is partly made up of Business Rates payments.

Although it was always intended that the Council Chamber would continue to host full Council meetings, it appears that other meeting rooms are also being used on an ad hoc basis.

This rules out the possibility of negotiating a reduced Business Rate liability and will have implications for heating, lighting and caretaking costs.

It appears that meeting space at the New West Offices is at a premium.

The original plan has been to locate senior staff and Councillors in the historic part of the building while leasing out the more modern annex. Space freed up at the new West Offices would also have been let providing a useful additional revenue stream for the Council (further details of the West Office arrangements will be published on this web site tomorrow)

The Council courted controversy when Labour decided to abandon the Guildhall. Critics pointed out that the prominent listed building would continue to be a burden on taxpayers and that it would be more economical to continue to use it as the centre of democracy in the City.

A largely bogus “design competition” for the site was hastily bundled together last year, although it was always clear that the huge investment needed, for a major remodelling of the building and access arrangements, was be unlikely to be available in the short term.

So it has proved to be the case with parts of the building now left to rot.

Empty buildings owned by the York Council (annual costs in brackets) include:

• Ashbank (£28,000),

• Hollycroft (£24,000),

• St Antonys House (£27,000) and

• Guildhall (£162,000)

Other empty property is leased by the Council and will be handed back to the owners during the next 6 months. Significant costs will accrue in the mean time. The properties involved are:

• Mill House (Lease expires 14th June 2013) Cost £73,000

• 20 George Hudson St (12th July 2013) £68,000

• 18 Back Swinegate (1st September 2013) £139,000

• St Leonards & Museum St (23rd June 2013) £113,000

• Little Stonegate (13th June 2013) £13,000

The anticipated cost includes rent, rates and services up until the planned termination of the lease.

628 residents have now signed the “Save the Green Belt” petition with more arriving with every post.

An independent “Action Group” is now being set up to ensure that any representations on the Wetherby Road/Knapton site (that are made, when the public consultation period on the plan starts in June) are coordinated and to a high standard.

A steering group is holding its first meeting on Monday (probably in a private house so attendance will be limited).

The Action Group has support from a wide area including Knapton and Rufforth & across most political parties. Andrew Waller is coordinating input from the Westfield side of Wetherby Road (tel.337757) Reuban Mayne, who helped to organise the petition in Acomb, is also a keen supporter.

Meanwhile the distribution of “Save the Green Belt” window posters starts today. They are being delivered to all households on Wetherby Road who have signed the petition.

A similar delivery is planned for the Foxwood Lane area where residents groups are opposing plans to build houses on a green belt site.

Some residents are planning to lobby Labour Cabinet Member Cllr Dafydd Williams at a Westfield Ward meeting on Saturday (18th May, Explore Library on Front Street from 10:00am)

Cllr Williams was one of the “Cabinet” members who voted in favour of the green belt developments at a meeting held on 30th April

So far he has failed to take any action to address residents concerns about the decision

The residents are likely to be joined by people living in the Newbury Avenue neighbourhood who are aggrieved over the “Cabinet’s” plans to demolish garages in the area.

Watch this web site for further updates on the Green Belt campaign