Latest Planning application Acomb and Westfield Wards

Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council for the Westfield Ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location: 48 Beaconsfield Street York YO24 4ND

Proposal: Variation of condition 1 of permitted application 12/02558/FUL to install additional window to first floor side elevation

Ref No: 13/03844/FUL

Applicant: CSMP Homes Ltd Contact Mr Peter Brack Consultation Expiry Date 17 January 2014 Case Officer: Victoria Bell Expected Decision Level DEL

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Car parking chaos hits York City centre

As the sales get into full swing, angry motorists are demanding to know why York has stopped providing car parking space availability information?

Click to access “live” parking and travel information

Until 2011, anyone could access the Councils web site and see how many spaces were unoccupied at each car park.

That information has now disappeared although other Councils still provide the service.

The information isn’t even provided for York’s showcase Park and Ride sites

Today car parks like Castle were full but the Council’s travel service hasn’t bothered to use its “twitter” feed to update potential users.

Signs on the approach roads to the City centre, which indicate space availability, are also unreliable, so many motorists are driving round and round looking for spaces.

This increases pollution and congestion on City centre roads.

Sadly it is another example of new technology providing information that is less useful than what was available a decade ago.

More York companies to get rate relief?

Cabinet to decide individual applications

The York Council is set to make available Business Rate reductions for “young” businesses. The businesses must be independent and less than 2 years old. They would enjoy a 50% reduction in rates payable during the first year.

They must be operating in one of the following sectors.

Bio-medical/sciences
Agritech
Insurance & Professional Services
Rail & related industries
Business software innovation
Creative medicine

The scheme will also apply to proposals to bring empty Listed buildings back into commercial use AND MAY BE EXTENDED TO COMPANIES WISHING TO RELOCATE TO THE CITY.

With the local economy in danger of overheating – early in the economic recovery we are already approaching full employment – the scheme is not targeted on depressed parts of the City.

Local shopping centres like Front Street have fared poorly in recent years. The last thing that businesses in locations like that need is subsidised competition.

The scheme has also been criticised as the plan is for decisions, on which companies will get the award, will be taken by a single party committee (the Councils “Cabinet”).

Companies that apply are not required to reveal what donations to political parties they have made or are planning to make.

The Council has not revealed how much the discounts will cost. The total amount of state aid to an individual company under EU regulations is limited to € 200,000.

York school set to lose rate relief application

The Steiner school in Fishergate is set to have an application for a reduction in its Business Rate liability turned down by the York Council.

The school is a registered charity and a non for profit organisation with any surplus made used for development. The school has recommended fees of ￡6,500 pa per child. The school was seeking a discretionary rebate of £3203 but this is set to be turned down by Labour Councillors apparently on the grounds that it is a fee paying schools.

The York Council currently discounts around £95,000 that charities in the City would otherwise pay in Business Rates. The scale of the relief was reduced when Labour took office in York.

Most charities, and other not for profit organisations, already receive what is known as “mandatory relief” which is paid for by central government.

In York the division of the Discretionary Rate relief is as follows

Category	DRR (total) £	CYC Share £
Not-for Profit	3340	1670
Charities	119931	59966
CASC’s	21925	10962
Rural Discretionary	40605	20303
Rural Top Up	5514	2757
Total Cost	191316	95658

The complete list of organisations recommended to receive Discretionary Rate Relief over the next year can be found by clicking here.

It includes the Tang Hall, Bell Farm and Foxwood Community Centres. Several Church aided schools are also included.

2/3 of the relief is paid by central government.