All existing York Council Elderly Persons Homes set to close before 2019

£2 million price tag put on Lowfields site – Future of playing fields unclear.

Labours plans to abandon the super care home project mean that 7 existing elderly persons homes will close:

  • Grove House,
  • Haxby Hall,
  • Morrell House,
  • Oakhaven,
  • Windsor House,
  • Willow House and
  • Woolnough House.

All will close by March 2019.  The first will close its doors next year.

The Council expects many of the occupants to move into homes provided by the “independent sector”

Houses will be built on most of the vacated sites.

It is proposed that the Lowfields site be used for the provision of “over 100 new homes” including “downsizing” homes to rent and buy for older people as well as “starter homes to rent and buy so that younger families can get on to the housing ladder”.  

The Council says that a capital receipt of “at least £2m” for the land will also be realised, confirming that any redevelopment will be by the private sector.

Whether the playing fields are included in this purchase price is unclear

Oakhaven

Oakhaven

It is proposed that the “facilities for older people originally envisaged as part of the Community Village on the Lowfields site be, instead, provided at a newly built Extra Care and Health Hub which is expected to replace the Oakhaven OPH on “Front Street” (sic)”.

The Council says it

will be on making best use of the existing stock of Extra Care Housing in the city.  There are five dedicated sheltered housing with ‘extra care’ services in York containing 205 units of accommodation.

Four of these are Council managed schemes – Marjorie Waite Court, Gale Farm Court, Barstow House and Glen Lodge, whilst the fifth (Auden House) is managed by York Housing Association. All homes in these schemes are to rent”.

The Council claims that many of those occupying places in these homes don’t need “extra care” facilities and hints that they may be moved out to make way for those judged to have higher needs!

They say, “We will work with exiting residents to keep disruption to a minimum

The report concludes,

York is also under-supplied with Extra Care Housing given the city’s demographics and the anticipated growth in the numbers of over 75s expected over the next decade.

Analysis suggests that there will be need for 490 units of Extra Care accommodation by 2020, rising to 645 in 2030, based upon nation benchmarks. There is a need for both Extra Care to rent and Extra Care to buy; currently just one third of the provision in York is to buy despite 81% of York’s older residents owning their own home.

The independent sector is beginning to address this need. For example, McCarthy & Stone are currently building 28 new sheltered homes to buy at Smithson Court on Top Lane in Copmanthorpe. Elsewhere in Yorkshire they are beginning to build and provide their Extra Care offer – called Assisted Living – and we would expect that they will continue to provide new accommodation as the market demands”.

With the overcrowding in York NHS hospitals reaching crisis point over the last few months, partly as a result of a lack of availability of the right kind of care places for the elderly in the City, the prospect of another 4 years elapsing before the issues are resolved is deeply worrying.

After 5 years of talk, muddle, delay and confusion, Labour abandon plan for Lowfields Elderly Care Village

£1 million wasted on aborted project?

Acomb care village site - project abandoned

Acomb care village site – project abandoned

Labour have today admitted that they have failed to deliver a new modern facility – aimed at older people – on the site of the former Lowfields school.

The Council report can be read by clicking here

Talks with potential contractors have been abandoned and the future of the site has been thrown into the air again.

The site had been “marketed” jointly with the Burnholme school site on the other side of the City (which may still go ahead)

Residents in the west of the City were hoping to see the equivalent of the Hartrigg Oaks facility, which Rowntree Housing manage on the other side to the City, built in Acomb. The Lowfields site was considered to be ideal because it is within walking distance of all major services and facilities. It is close to a frequent buss service.

Although the retirement village was agreed in 2010 by the last LibDem administration, the project was derailed when Labour took office in 2011. They tried unsuccessfully to develop the scheme as a Council run home…. believed to be a condition which a local government union imposed when funding Labours last election campaign.

“In house” provision proved to be unaffordable with build figures of over £20 million leaked to the media in 2012.

The project then went the same way as the Community Stadium plan, with additional requirements being heaped onto potential developers making the whole scheme unviable.

Instead of admitting failure 2 years ago, Labour continued with a doomed “procurement process” until today’s’ announcement brought the sorry saga to an end

The project was 5 years behind schedule and is probably a bigger example of mismanagement than even the Lendal Bridge fiasco.

 Clearly one big question is how much has been spent (staff time, “soft marketing”, plans, procurement etc.) so far on the Lowfields project?

Some sources put the figure at over £1 million.

The U turn will cause consternation in elderly care facilities across the City. Some were destined to close when occupiers moved to the brand new state of the art village.

Now it seems that some may be modernised with suggestions that there could be a new facility and health hub at Oakhaven.

The Council has promised to work with current providers to provide improved facilities especially for dementia sufferers.   A  £2.5m extension to Glen Lodge may be built for dementia care. 

The level of care at Auden House is to be “improved”.

Labour have said that they want to build houses and flats on the Lowfields school site.

Our view is that local residents should be consulted and that the Council should remember that, while the care village had widespread support, alternative building plans were viewed with suspicion by the local community.

Obviously all this will be overtaken by the elections in May when most people expect Labour to be ousted from the leadership of the York Council.

Liberal Democrats still believe in the principle of establishing a quiet, caring, environment for older people in Acomb.

We would look to make the Lowfields site available to providers with the experience and drive to move the project forward again.

The tragedy unfolds – year by year guide to failure (click for details)

  1. 2011 May – Developers offer to build care village at Lowfields
  2. 2011 Aug – “Future of care homes homes” consultation starts
  3. 2012 Jan – Council plans to build on Lowfields playing fields, according to leaked documents
  4. 2012 April – Council announce 2014 opening date for Lowfields care village
  5. 2012 May – “Private sector to run Lowfields care village” Council announces
  6. 2012 Dec – Council announce delays to Lowfields Care Village. 2014 opening date abandoned
  7. 2013 May – Lowfields care village opening slips to 2016; huge cost increase
  8. 2013 Nov – “Dementia Support” promised for Lowfields Care Village.
  9. 2014 July – Secrecy descends on school site plans
  10. 2014 Dec – Labour Cabinet member accused of “dithering” on Lowfield project
  11. 2015 Jan – “In light of continuing care crisis in NHS”, Scrutiny Committee chair forced to submit Freedom of Information request
  12. 2015 Feb 23rd – Council announces it is abandoning the Lowfields care village project

7 flats proposed for empty storage space above Front Street shops

Latest Planning applications Westfield Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Acomb

None

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Westfield

1 - 9 Front Street

1 – 9 Front Street

Location:       1 – 9 Front Street York

Proposal:       Conversion of vacant first floor retail space to 7 apartments with external alterations including replacement windows, cladding and rear entrance

click to access

click to access

Site location map click to access

Site location map click to access

Ref No: 15/00178/FUL

Applicant:      Mr John Skelton  Contact Mr Dean Starkey  Consultation Expiry Date        16 March 2015 Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level DEL

This is the block next to the new Boyes store which is currently being renovated.  The plan to provide more homes linked to the reuse of empty space will be welcomed by many, and would make a contribution to our Acomb regeneration project.

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Location:       All Wrapped Up 9 Front Street York YO24 3BW

Proposal:       Change of use from shop (use class A1) to restaurant/ cafe(use class A3)

Ref No: 15/00067/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Simon Ryde   Contact Mr Dean Starkey Consultation Expiry Date        16 March 2015  Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       17 The Gallops York YO24 3NF

Proposal:       Erection of boundary fence

Ref No: 15/00180/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Ian Wright   Consultation Expiry Date        16 March 2015 Case Officer:   Sandra Duffill  Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       2 Otterwood Bank York YO24 3JS

Proposal:       Single storey side extension and conversion of garage to habitable room

Ref No: 15/00189/FUL

Applicant:      Mrs C Leach     Contact Mr Paul Butler  Consultation Expiry Date        16 March 2015 Case Officer:   Sandra Duffill  Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       3 Osprey Close York YO24 2YE

Proposal:       Crown reduce by 2m to Shape Oak Tree protected by Tree Preservation Order No.: 26

Ref No: 15/00332/TPO

Applicant:      Mr Tony Fairburn        Contact Mr David Gregory        Consultation Expiry Date        16 March 2015 Case Officer:   Esther Priestley        Expected Decision Level

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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/

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