The York Council says that 22 tenants receiving housing benefit have exercised their right to buy the Council house they are living in.
Of these 5 qualified for the top £75,000 discount.
All the homes sold were valued at less than £149,000.
Long term empty property finally back in use
9 Bradley Drive
A small house on Bradley Drive – site of one of York’s longest running empty homes wrangles – is finally ready for re-occupation.
The, privately owned, singe bedroom property, had been empty for over 6 years and had been due to be brought back into use in 2011.
Unfortunately, at that stage, the newly elected Labour Council interrupted the legal process that would have allowed the property to be sold.
The property has finally been restored. It now features modern heating, cooking and bathroom facilities.
Local residents have welcomed the improvement to the neighbourhood that the renovation work has brought.
Hob Moor – development work starts on Our Lady’s school site
Our Lady’s school site clearance started
Builders have moved onto the Our Lady’s school site and have started to fell trees.
The Our Lady’s school buildings will be demolished within the next 3 weeks.
School to be demolished in a few days time
Work has already started to provide an electricity power supply to the new housing development.
The whole scheme, which involves the erection of 55 new homes, is expected to take about 12 months to complete.
The building contractors have said that all site traffic will follow the Kingsway West/Ascot Way/ Ashford Place/Windsor Garth bus route to access the site.
Crumbling road surfaces on Windsor Garth
Residents remain concerned about the poor state of the roads on the route, and in particular the rapidly deteriorating road humps, although whether it would be worth completing permanent repairs before the heavy traffic moves on, is open to question.
Council U turn on housing policy sees them set to buy new Council homes on open market
It looks like the York Council will finally take our advice and buy flats on the open market to increase the availability of Council homes in the City.
We have long advocated using the substantial surplus that the Council holds on its revenue account to buy empty properties on the open market. Labour has resisted this over the last 3 years but finally seem to have some to their senses.
They paln to buy eight two-bedroomed and six one-bedroomed flats which are being constructed on Lindsay Avenue. The flats will have easy access to shops, bus routes, GPs and a Post Office. The Council says that the homes will be offered as downsizing opportunities for tenants aged over 55.
However over 50% of the people on the housing waiting list are single people seeking one bedroomed accommodation.
The Council should buy existing empty properties on the open market to help these residents (many of whom live in larger social housing properties which would be freed up for families).
Under the last Labour Government Council house building reached a, post second world war, low.
Other downsizing schemes with housing association partners include those in Tang Hall, Huntington and Acomb, plus a further scheme completing in June 2014 at Water Lane, Clifton. This is in addition to a new council house building programme, of which sites at Beckfield Lane, Chaloners Road, Fenwick Street and Newbury Avenue are proposing apartments for people downsizing.
This new site on the corner of Lindsey Avenue and Sowerby Road has been marketed since summer 2012 as a development opportunity. With no interest expressed in running the former public house as a business, or the site as a commercial development opportunity, the site was auctioned in September 2013 and was purchased by York-based RHW Developments which has experience in delivering affordable housing.
The planning application was submitted in late March 2014, the outcome is expected in June 2014 with building work to start this summer with the completed homes ready in the summer 2015. If approved, the acquisition price would be paid in stages during construction.
The Council has declined to reveal how much it is paying for each property.
9 Bradley Drive – Renovation starts
More vandalism reported on 9 Bradley Drive on 11th March
23rd April work starts on renovating 9 Bradley Drive
We last reported the decaying condition of – long term empty property – 9 Bradley Drive in March.
There has been a catalogue of delays in bring the singe bedroom property back into use but we understand that the Council have now finally gained possession of the property.
The house contents have been removed and the property has been screened against access. New windows and doors are to be fitted.
It is expected that tenants choice contractors will start work before the end of the month with a new tenant likely to move in towards the end of May.
Move to get more parking places in Chapelfields
Acute parking problems have developed on the Chapelfields estate over the winter months.
Many verges have been damaged and now residents – backed by local Liberal Democrats – are calling on the Council to take action.
One idea being put forward is the use of matrix grass protectors of the type used when providing off street parking spaces in other parts of Acomb. The matrix protectors have the advantages of looking like grass verges but are not subject to damage by vehicle over-runs.
Other options being considered include bitmacing some verges, providing laybys, a new programme of dropped kerbs/verge crossovers and the provision of parking areas outside blocks of flats.
Residents are also collecting signatures on a petition which will be presented to the next York Council meeting.
It asks the Council to help to improve the condition of the Chapelfields area and, in particular, to resurface roads/footpaths, repair damaged fences, improve street sweeping, tackle anti social behaviour/crime, refurbish grassed areas, improve car parking and restore street furniture which has been damaged
Matrix protection for grassed areas.
House prices in York – still bargains to be had
Several properties in Acomb sold for less than £120,000 recently.
With most people on the housing waiting list seeking one bedroomed properties, these homes represent an opportunity for the Council to add to its stock of socially rented property. They should at least consult home choice registered applicants to see whether the properties would meet their needs.
Recent sales have included
| Address | Sold price | Sold date | Type |
| 15, Eaton Court, YO24 3NJ | £110,000 | 31 Jan 2014 | 1 bed semi-D |
| 10, Invicta Court, YO24 3NN | £116,500 | 20 Feb 2014 | 1 bed terraced |
| 78, Cornlands Road, YO24 3EA | £146,500 | 31 Jan 2014 | 3 bed terraced |
| 7, The Knoll, YO24 3EB | £140,000 | 07 Feb 2014 | 3 bed semi-D |
| 144, St Stephens Road, YO24 3EF | £126,000 | 08 Jan 2014 | 3 bed semi-D |
| 150, Askham Lane, YO24 3HR | £145,000 | 29 Jan 2014 | 3 bed terraced |
| 73, Cornlands Road, YO24 3DX | £119,000 | 21 Feb 2014 | 2 bed semi-D |
| 24, Girvan Close, YO24 2XR | £325,000 | 17 Jan 2014 | 5 bed detached |
| 29, Troutbeck, YO24 2RE | £177,000 | 24 Jan 2014 | 2 bed semi-D |
| 2, Ryecroft Avenue, YO24 2RR | £201,500 | 31 Jan 2014 | 3 bed semi-D |
Some larger properties are being advertised for sale
|
|
||||||
|
|
Properties without a chain include:
|
|
||||||
|
|
Properties where the asking price has been reduced include:
|
|
||||||
|
|
The rental market remains buoyant with the following currently available
|
|
||||||
|
|
£625 pcm Invicta Court, Acomb, YO24 2 Bed Terraced
£675 pcm West Bank, York 2 Bed Flat
The latest House Price Index from Land Registry shows that house prices increased by 0.7 per cent in February.
The annual change in England and Wales stands at 5.3 per cent. In York values have yet to return to 2008 levels.
The number of property sales has increased over the last 12 months.
Newbury Avenue development – plans published
Newbury Avenue development layout. Click to enlarge
The York Council’s controversial plan to develop the garage area off Newbury Avenue has taken a step forward with layout plans having been published.
The plans show a 3 storey block, containing 9 flats, on the site.
The main criticism of the Councils plan had been its impact on the availability of parking spaces in the area, increased traffic, the dominating effect of an additional 3 storey building and its impact on the adjacent Hob Moor conservation area.
It now seems likely that the Council intends to hijack the private space to the rear of the existing blocks of flats on Newbury Avenue and Windsor Garth for joint use by the new tenants.
The plans do show an allocated parking space for each new flat although the provision for visitors is unclear. No measures to address the needs of drivers displaced from the garages have been announced.
On street parking space in the area is very limited. and the dropped kerb and layby provision programmes have both stalled recently.
A planning application is expected to be submitted and determined in May. Residents will be able to object to the proposals and are permitted to address the Planning Committee before a decision is made.
The issue has become more sensitive since the Council decided to approve the building of 55 houses on the site of the former Our Lady’s school.
Newbury Avenue development plans click to enlarge
Newbury Avenue flats development – drop in session
Newbury Avenue garage block where Labour plan to builds flats
A Public Information Drop-In Event has been organised for those interested in the plans for new Council flats on Newbury Avenue and Chaloners Road
The proposals fro Newbury Avenue were very controversial when they were announced last year.
The Council has still to confirm how it will deal with the extra car parking requirements generated by the vehicles displaced from the site.
The “drop in” takes place on
Wednesday 16th April between 4pm – 7pm
at the York and district Indoor Bowls Club, Thanet Road, YO24 2NW
226 tenants swap homes in York
Around 11,000 tenants were claiming housing benefit in York at the end of the 2012/13 financial year.
click to visit
Of these over 8000 were occupying socially rented accommodation (Council/Housing Association properties)
814 tenants were registered on HomeSwapper seeking direct exchanges.
226 exchanges had been completed in the year.
The York Council has recently amended its policies to give priority to exchanges to be used in cases of social or financial hardship. A downsizing incentive scheme has been introduced.
NB. At the end of February there were 2,300 applicants on the housing waiting list in York