Liberal Democrats force housing U-Turn in York

Public consultation papers on controversial development plans will include housing numbers after Liberal Democrat councillors forced a dramatic U-Turn tonight.

Green Belt campaign logo Labour run York Council’s ‘Draft Local Plan’ outlines proposals to build 22,000 houses on sites across York. Last month the Labour Cabinet approved a report for public consultation which earmarked further sites and recommended boundary changes on some sites identified last year.

However, the consultation papers excluded housing numbers for the new and amended sites. Liberal Democrat councillors Nigel Ayre, Ann Reid and Carol Runciman ‘called-in’ the decision for further review and at tonight’s CSMC (Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee) meeting the cross-party committee voted to include the housing numbers.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Planning, said at the meeting:

“The principle of consultation should be that residents are given as much information as possible about the proposals being put forward. We believe that housing numbers are central to this consultation and should be published. Whether one of these sites is for 20 or 200 houses will make a huge difference to how residents view it.”

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Reid commented:

“I am pleased that common sense has prevailed and residents will now be able to see the housing numbers proposed for each site. The Labour Cabinet should never have tried to hide the housing numbers from residents in the first place. Labour’s argument that including the numbers ties the hands of developers was nonsense, especially as housing numbers were published for sites in last year’s consultation.”

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Plans for new town “wholly inappropriate” say housebuilders

Plans for a new settlement south of York have received a major blow after housebuilders and planning experts said the scheme was “wholly inappropriate” and the location was “unsustainable”.

The ‘Whinthorpe’ development is planned for Green Belt land at Holme Hill, alongside the A64 to the south of Heslington. The original proposals had space for 5,500 houses – making the planned settlement bigger than Easingwold or Dunnington. However, housebuilders such as the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and Linden Homes along with expert planning consultants have criticised the proposals in consultation papers recently published by Labour run York Council.

The consultation responses include:

  • Consultants for the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust said “We consider that the site is wholly inappropriate for development in landscape and green belt terms. Indeed, in our view, it is impossible to identify a site or area in the countryside surrounding York where development would have a worse impact on the character or setting of the historic city”.
  • The same consultants raised concerns over the lack of local infrastructure and said that pressure on schools meant there was the danger that “small children will need to be decanted to distant schools”.
  • ID Planning said the site was in “an unsustainable location” and could become a commuter town for Leeds which “would not be assisting in the economic growth of the city (York)”. They said there was “no evidence this site has been tested or is viable” and that public transport options were “unknown”.
  • Henry Boot Developments said “the assumed build out rates are simply too high and are unsustainable/undeliverable”.

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York University set to expand

Key planning decision expected this week

The Council s planning committee will be asked to approve this week plans which would see a big increase in the number of jobs on the University of York campus at Heslington.

One application would see the existing Vanbrugh College (Block D) replaced with a 4 storey research, office and teaching block for the Environment Department. The University says the development will create an additional 66 full time jobs.

Some concerns have been expressed about the loss of student accommodation although a new residential block is due to be opened later in the year. The application is recommended for approval.

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The Planning committee will also consider the details of the three storey  education, social and catering building (Piazza Learning Centre) which will be located between Field Lane/A64 and the Hull Road.

The proposals would provide teaching accommodation (including a 350-seat lecture theatre), library, study areas, 200-seat restaurant and social space. The building footprint would be 2450sqm and total floor space would be 6238sqm

The meeting on Thursday will also consider plans to establish a petrol filling station, restaurant and 50 bed hotel near the Hopgrove Roundabout. The application – which is in the Green Belt – is recommended for refusal by officials

Police move to close three Indian restaurants in York

A police application to close down 3 Indian restaurants located in York will be considered by the Council on 19th May.

Indian Ocean restaurant and take away on The Green in Acomb

Indian Ocean restaurant and take away on The Green in Acomb

The 3 restaurants under threat are:

The removal of the premises license (Indian Oceans reproduced below) would effectively close the premises as the activities authorised are:

Licensable Current Days & Hours
Recorded Music(Indoors & Outdoors) Monday to Sunday11:00 – 01:00
Late Night Refreshment(Indoors & Outdoors) Monday to Sunday23:00 – 01:30
Supply of Alcohol(On & Off sales) Monday to Sunday11:00 – 01:30
Opening Hours Monday to Sunday11:00 – 01:30
New Year’s Eve All activities to continue until 04:00

If the committee approves the Police application then the license holders can appeal to the Magistrates Court.

The move arises from illegal workers who were found at the restaurants when police and UK Border Agency officials raided them.

West Yorkshire Joint Authority – where is York’s money going?

The first meeting of the Joint Authorities investment committee takes place next week. Although an agenda has been published for the meeting which will take place in Leeds, we doubt if many York residents know of its existence.

We believe that the York Council should publicise details of this organisations meetings in the same way that it does its own

closed doorsThe committee will for example discuss a Strategic Economic Plan

Residents, looking for an assurance that the money being invested by York in the regional transport fund will bring early benefits to York, will be disappointed. A report makes little reference to York concentrating on West Yorkshire projects.

A further report on the introduction of superfast Broadband access to York says,

“In York the situation is slightly different in that the current programme is being delivered by North Yorkshire County Council by its wholly owned company NYNET which has ownership of the delivery contract with BDUK. The NYNET contract together with BT’s own commercial investment is forecast to achieve 96% coverage in York by the end of 2014. However, as set out below, the proposal going forward is for York to be part of a joint new programme in collaboration with West Yorkshire”

The report is largely opaque failing to identify communities which do have superfast broadband access and the timetable for those that will be added over the coming months (and years).

With York lagging behind the rest of the Leeds City Region in gaining access to 4G mobile phone networks, there will be a fear that the City will not get value for money from its broadband budget.

All the members of this committee are Labour. York is represented by Cllr “Leftie” Levene, the well known Republican, who allegedly needs a Sat. Nav. to find the bathroom.

Meanwhile there has been some speculation in the media that York’s bid for the HS2 rail college could be  unsuccessful with others in the “Leeds City Region” touting for the project. The Joint Authority has not discussed the issue although its transport chair issued a media release in April

Real time maps of York – weather and traffic congestion

Residents can now access a radar map showing current weather conditions across the county. Click map for access. http://preview.wunderground.com/wundermap

click to access

click to access

And a reminder that a real time map is also available showing congestion levels, current and planned road works http://roadworks.org/

click to access

click to access