29 Castlegate remains empty

29 Castlegate – £1/4 million repair bill

One of the properties owned by the Council which has remained empty and unused for a long period of time – 29 Castlegate – looks like it will remain so indefinitely. Budget provision to upgrade the property – which occupies a key position next to Fairfax House – is being taken out of this year’s programme.

Apparently a decision, on the future of the building, will be taken at a meeting next month.

The property, which most recently accommodated a youth support centre, was to have been sold, with the York Civic Trust the most likely occupant. That deal fell through amidst claims that the Council were not getting “best value” for the property.

 The Council now says that the refurbishment work cannot start until the next financial year. £270,000 has been allocated for repairs to the building

It remains unclear why the Council did not try to sell the property on the open market and why no attempt has been made to find at least a temporary use for what is a prime site.

School improvements on hold in York

It seems the York Council has decided to shelve some schemes in its school maintenance and improvements programme.

In total around £4 million of works are being slipped into next year.

Schemes which are expected to be carried out in this financial year are located at Dringhouses and Ralph Butterfield Primaries.

A start on a major extension of Fulford school is also expect to start before the end of the financial year.

The delays are blamed on COVID-19 restrictions.

Work on a replacement library at Haxby will also not now start until 2021 at the earliest.

Housing delays in York

As well as the much-publicised delays in re-letting empty Council homes, it seems that the pandemic has also resulted in delays in modernisation plans.

 The “tenants’ choice” programme (bathrooms, kitchens etc.) was to have seen 294 properties upgraded this year. The Councils contractors were confident they could achieve that number.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a larger than expected  number of tenants are currently declining to have  the work done. According to a Council report tenants are declining the work due to” nervousness relating to the pandemic, ill health, or their inability to be able to cope with the disturbance such works would inevitably cause”.

Rooms at the refurbished Lincoln Court sheltered housing scheme are now ready for letting. 3 former residents are understood to be among those moving back into the building.

More worrying news; work on fire safety improvements has halted. £2.2 million scheduled to be invested this year is being slipped into next year.

On a more positive note, the Councils shared ownership programme is going well.  34 properties have been acquired with several now being occupied by “key workers”. This is the project where residents identify a property available for sale which is then jointly purchased. The occupants then pay rent on part of the property while it remains in Council ownership.

Building work has started on 79 of the 140 plots at Lowfields according to the Council

 Some of the 79 homes on which work has started at Lowfields, have been taken up on a shared ownership basis.

Over £7 million which was to have been invested in social housing in the City during the current year is being slipped into 21/22.