List of planning applications received by York Council between 25th Feb – 1st Mar in the Westfield Ward

Labour Councillors have said that if future neighbours will NOT receive a notification from the Council about any planning applications that they receive. Instead they will depend of residents seeing the notices which should be displayed on a nearby lamppost. We think that such a system is highly fragile! We will there routinely report on this web site that applications received for the Westfield Ward each week. Most are likely to be routine domestic extensions many of which are unlikely to be controversial. Full details can be found by by clicking the reference below or by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site.

• Ref No: 13/00214/FUL Location: 19 Huntsmans Walk York YO24 3LD Proposal: Conservatory to rear Applicant: Mr And Mrs Snowball Contact Mr Howard Berry Consultation Expiry Date 26 March 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

• Ref No: 13/00290/FUL Location: 45 Askham Lane York YO24 3HB Proposal: Single storey rear extension and replacement roof to side Applicant: Mr Alistair Hogben Contact Mark Tabert Consultation Expiry Date 26 March 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

• Ref No: 13/00303/FUL Location: Instyle Kitchens & Windows Ltd 45 Front Street York YO24 3BR Proposal: Conversion of part ground and first floor from retail to self contained flat (Use C3) (retrospective) (resubmission) Applicant: Mr Gary Langley Contact Mr Howard Berry Consultation Expiry Date 26 March 2013 Case Officer: Victoria Bell Expected Decision Level DEL

• Ref No: 13/00381/FUL Location: 10 The Green Acomb York YO26 5LR Proposal: Single storey building to rear Applicant: Mr Hugh Morris Consultation Expiry Date 26 March 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

Confusion about Police intentions regarding the enforcement of 20 mph speed limits in York

20 mph

With the Councils deeply flawed public consultation process on the proposed City wide 20 mph speed limit drawing to an end, a Chief Police officer’s statement has raised concerns that cameras may be deployed to enforce the new limits.

Hitherto the Police in York have said that they would expect any such limit to be “self enforcing” while the Council’s own web site talks of winning the “hearts and minds” of drivers..

The national statement reads;

“Reports from the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group have stated that police are not enforcing 20mph speed limits. The police policy is clarified below”

An ACPO spokeswoman said:

“In most cases, 20 mph limits will follow Department of Transport guidance and include features such as speed bumps or traffic islands designed to slow traffic. ACPO guidelines include thresholds for enforcement across all speed limits to underpin a consistent policing approach. However it is for local police forces to apply a proportionate approach to enforcement of 20mph limits based on risk to individuals, property and the seriousness of any breach. Where drivers are exceeding the speed limit through willful offending, we would expect that officers will enforce the limit and prosecute offenders.”

Locally the chief supporters of the new limit (Cllr Semlyen in Dringhouses and Cllr Williams in Westfield) have so far failed to make clear whether they support deploying speed cameras to enforce 20 mph limits (the Police have recently trebled the number of mobile cameras that they operate in the county)

At a meeting held on 29th January the “Cabinet” member with responsibility for transport (Cllr Merrett) told Councillors, in response to a question about the enforcement of 20 mph limits, “Regarding the enforcement of the 20mph speed limits in residential areas of York by the Police, the Cabinet Member responded that enforcement would be carried out selectively, where needed”.

The suspicion is growing that the enforcement of the unnecessary 20 mph limit will turn out to be another “cash cow” aimed at penalising hundreds of otherwise law abiding drivers in the City.

No doubt the Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan and the Acting Chief Constable will make the local police policy clear before the consultation period closes.

House prices stable in west York

West York House price graph

West York House price graph

Most homes in the YO24 area are still selling for more than they were purchased for. There are some exceptions although these are mainly properties which were bought towards the end of the property price boom in 2007.

There were quite a lot of sales in December with prices fairly stable in the YO24 postcode area.

One bedroomed property is particularly cheap with a property in Eaton Court available for less than £90,000.

3 Bed semis are fetching anything from £135,000

£250,000 is a typical asking price for a 4 bed semi

House prices

House prices

Monthly rental prices have stabilised at around £650 (2 bed terraced in Milner Street) with a similar property in Murray Street available for £665

The streets on the west of York with the highest turn over of properties are:
1 Holgate Road
2 Gale Lane
3 Tadcaster Road
4 Tedder Road
5 Front Street
6 Acomb Road
7 Bellhouse Way
8 St Pauls Mews
9 Gladstone Street
10 St Pauls Terrace

Least expensive homes in west York Click to enlarge

Least expensive homes in west York Click to enlarge

Most expensive homes in west York

Most expensive homes in west York

Womens Boxing comes to Explore Library in Acomb!

nicola-adams_2303708b

Pack a punch! Boxing Taster Sessions

“As part of International Women’s Week, come along to one of our free boxing taster sessions to discover what inspired Nicola Adams to win gold at the London Olympics”.

Explore Acomb – Tuesday 5 March 10am to 12noon (Four 30 minute sessions)

No need to book, just call in! For more information phone 01904 552651 or email: acomb.library@york.gov.uk

York business rate debts revealed.

The Council has published a list of the money owed in business rates in the City as of 1st January 2013.

Most are for the current financial year although others date back as far as 2001.

Both Barclays Bank and Lloyds owe 1p for the present year!

The list includes a large number of telecommunications companies as well as empty sites at industrial and retail parks.

Some of the more eye catching debts include:

• North Yorkshire Fire service (Clifford Street) -£6962

• NHS (Manor Lane) -£1340

• DEFRA -£26,100

• York Credit Union -£349

• Yorkshire Water (Siwards How Water Tower –since 2010) – £383

• University of York -£5616 &

• “The City of York Council” (property in Gillygate) -£1300 (!!!)

The full list can be accessed on the Council’s web site by clicking here