The York Council is being recommended at a meeting being held on 7^th December to go ahead with the development of the playing fields on the former school site in Lowfields. There are no major changes from the layout presented for public consultation in September, although the Council says that steps will be taken to stop vehicles short cutting through the new Dijon Avenue to Tudor Road access route.

There has been broad support from respondents for the Elderly Persons Home, bungalows and apartments which will be provided on the east (Green Lane) side of the site.  These will be located on the “footprint” of the former school buildings.

Otherwise the Council has ignored or suppressed the results of public opinion surveys undertaken on the future of the playing fields. 

However, the latest scheme would, in addition to the 52 older person’s units, see as many as 110 houses shoe-horned onto the sports field including 17 self-build and “community build” plots. This would make the development one of the densest in sub – urban York.  A large number of independent builders would be involved meaning that the development timetable could be fragmented over a period of 5 years or more (building work would be scheduled to start in Autumn 2018).

The plans still involve the relocation of the GP surgery from its present site on Cornlands Road.  A relocation of the recently refurbished Acomb Police depot from its purpose built Acomb Road premises is also planned.

Both would mean much more traffic entering and leaving the area.

The uncompromising stance of the Council comes at a time when sites for over 1600 additional homes have recently been identified on redundant MOD land in the City. This news caused the Council to put back its “Local Plan” preparation by 6 months. In turn this means that the objections registered on the sports field development will not be considered before next week’s meeting.

The Council’s move appears to be dictated by the need to generate £4.5 million from the sale of the site. The York Council’s financial position is precarious following decisions to fund a new £12 million sports centre at Monks Cross and a £4.7million “health and well-being” project on the Burnholme school site.

If approved on Wednesday, the proposals will still have to gain planning permission.

There are strong legislative safeguards for playing fields (of which there is a shortage on the west of the City).

The Council leadership will therefore have a far from easy ride if they persist in trying to develop the Lowfields sports fields without broad public support.

Residents are organising a petition opposing the development of the sports field