Problems with dumping in Hob Moor beck have been passed to the drainage board for their attention.
Stadium will cost Council Taxpayers £1 million a year.
Huntington project administration costs hit £6 million
More details of the changes to the Huntington Community Stadium project have emerged. The papers reveal the administration and project team costs for the project have increased from £3.5 million to £6 million.
The Council will borrow a total of £8 million, meaning that local taxpayers will have to find £720,000 a year in debt charges. In addition the Council will contribute £323,000 towards the annual running costs.
The report talks about a developer paying £12 million for land on which to construct 6000 square metres of retail and commercial space.
This space would be used for
- Retail units totalling 4245 sq m
- Two restaurants totalling 110 sq m
- A digital cinema with bar totalling 1652 sq m
There are numerous risks identified for the project.
The land was originally acquired by the Ryedale Council for leisure purposes. There may be at least a chance that the original owners will seek a share of any enhanced value resulting from commercial development.
Equally the inclusion of – yet more – out of City centre retail development will be controversial.
This is the issue most likely to delay the granting of planning permission and could result in the application being “called in” by central government. In turn, this would impact on the target start (April 2015) and completion (July 2016) dates.
The Council don’t rule out a Judicial Review – a process initiated by opponents of change and which added, in the last decade, nearly 2 years to the timetable for modernising the Barbican auditorium.
A 15 month construction commissioning timetable looks highly ambitious anyway.
Less obvious risks may arise. Not least the ubiquitous Great Crested Newts who mounted a strong resistance to being evicted from the neighbouring John Lewis site.
The report confirms that
GLL will be responsible for the overall management of the site and the direct management of the Community Hub, leisure facilities and associated assets. This will be controlled by an overarching lease and management contract for a 13 year period with a 5 year extension option.
As part of the procurement process, GLL have appointed York City Football Club (YCFC) as a sub-contractor to operate the stadium area. YCFC will work with CGC (York Racecourse hospitality company).
The proposal will involve changes to the existing parking and access arrangements. This will see the re-routing of Kathryn Avenue around the stadium, creating a pedestrian only and fan zone, strengthening links with the Vanguard retail scheme
The report also says that “All community hub tenants will enter into lease agreements with CYC for the use of the facilities. All leases have been set at appropriate commercial rates”.
The report includes a table showing how costs have increased over the last couple of years
| Component | Approved March 2012(£Ms) | Approved Nov 2012(£Ms) | Proposed Sept 2014(£Ms) |
| Community Stadium | 14.2 | 14.8 | 16 |
| Leisure Complex | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| External works | 1.5 | 1.45 | 3 |
| NSLC sub total | 15.7 | 15.25 | 31 |
| Other facilities / Project costs & contingencies | 3.5 | 3.95 | 6 |
| Total | 19.2 | 19.2 | 37 |
| Commercial Development Costs (externally funded) | – | – | 10 |
| Gross Total Cost | 19.2 | 19.2 | 47 |
Consultation underway to revamp York’s signposting
An award-winning consultancy which has worked on a number of nationally acclaimed projects for Derby, Oxford and Cambridge has been appointed to undertake a six-week consultation on behalf of City of York Council, into the future-look of York’s signposts, and in particular how this can benefit people with disabilities or dementia.
York Community Energy supply Switch drop-in sessions
City of York Council is inviting residents to attend a drop-in session where help will be on hand to assist them in signing up to the Big Community Energy Switch, which could help them save money on their gas and electricity bills.
The sessions will take place in various locations throughout the city in September. Residents who would like to find out more about switching are asked to bring a fuel bill along with them.
Sessions will take place on:
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New Cornlands Road area Focus published
Page 1 click to enlarge
Pages 2 and 3 click to enlarge
Page 4 click to enlarge
Lynn Jeffries funeral
We understand that the funeral of former Westfield ward Liberal Democrat Councillor Lynn Jeffries will take place on Monday 8th September at 11:00 am at the York Crematorium.
More details to follow
True economic impact of Lendal bridge fiasco emerging
City centre footfall up 60% compared to last August
The York Council delayed responding to a Freedom of information request until just 5 minutes after a key Lendal Bridge decision was taken yesterday.
After the meeting had concluded it emerged that the effect of the closure on City Centre businesses last year had been more substantial than had previously been revealed.
The Lendal Bridge restrictions were in place from 27th August 2013 to 1st April 2014.
Camera enforcement on Coppergate started on 15th August 2013
During the earlier part of the restriction period footfall – measured by a camera in Parliament Street – showed a significant decline peaking at -12% during September.
The situation improved only during March when a 14% increase was recorded comparing 2014 with 2013.
However, since the camera enforcement was stopped on 1st April 2014, visitor numbers have soared.
- April 2014 up 29% on previous year
- May 2014 up 21%
- June 2014 up 25%
- July 2015 up 33%
- Aug (to 25th) up 60%
These figures are far higher than might be accounted for solely by the economic recovery.
Fortunately they do seem to suggest that the City’s reputation has not been permanently damaged.
A failure by the Council to refund all fines which were imposed unlawfully could change that picture.
The failure to provide information in a timely way – and prevent some Councillors from seeing key legal advice on the Lendal Bridge issue – may lead to the York Council Leadership being reported to the Local Government Ombudsman
Westfield Councillor Stephen Burton casts deciding vote in 5 -4 Lendal Bridge fine cliffhanger
Labour reject calls to refund all Lendal Bridge fines
Labour have rejected Liberal Democrat calls for all motorists fined for crossing Lendal Bridge to be automatically refunded.
In July, Labour run York Council confirmed that it would drop its appeal against a Government Traffic Adjudicator ruling which said the Lendal Bridge closure was unlawful and would repay the 50,000 plus motorists fined. However, the Labour Cabinet decided that only those who contact the council and apply will get their money back.
Liberal Democrat councillors Keith Aspden, Ian Cuthbertson and Ann Reid called-in the decision for review saying that all motorists who received fines should automatically be contacted and then repaid, using the revenue from the fines currently ring-fenced in council reserves. The Lib Dems believe that the onus should not be on drivers to apply for their refund, especially as the majority of people who were caught out by the ban do not live in York.
However, tonight Labour used their majority on the cross-party Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee to vote down the Liberal Democrat proposals and back the original decision by 5 votes to 4.
Cllr Burton who led the fight to stop an enquiry into the unlawful fines again toed the party line and voted not to tell motorists about the availability of refunds!
NB Important information that was apparently kept from the committee will be published here tomorrow
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Increased cost of Community Stadium is bad news for taxpayers
Future of Waterworld and Yearsley pools under threat
Labour are circulating a glossy brochure ahead of the publication of a report on the future of leisure provision in the City. Private briefings to staff and media have raised serious issues about the future of swimming and other facilities in the City.
The project will now cost £37 million in total with Greenwich Leisure (who have operated Waterworld for the last 3 years) taking on responsibility for all major sporting and swimming facilities in the City.
Greenwich Leisure are a CIC although the level of local York engagement – if any – in their management decisions and structure has yet to be announced.
Community Stadium
The project will cost taxpayers £8 million more than originally budgeted. It had been expected that a 6000 seater stadium and replacement athletics track could be built for the £12 million contribution from the John Lewis development. The Council would have contributed only the value of the Huntington Stadium site (conservatively assessed as £4.1 million). The Football Foundation would have put in the £2 million that it had loaned against the value of a redeveloped Bootham Crescent.
Later Labour said that they would spend the £4 million contingency included in the Councils budget for the project. This had been included as a potential loan which would be repaid from stadium income.
Now Labour are stating that they will borrow an additional £4 million bringing the taxpayers contribution up to £8 million in total, with the stadium capacity increased to 8000 (it costs roughly £1 million for every additional bank of 1000 seats).
It is highly unlikely that such an additional burden could be passed on to the Football and Rugby clubs with details of their rental agreements not having yet been revealed.
At a time when the campaign for” safe standing” – backed by the Liberal Democrats is gaining momentum – local fans will be bemused that the design does not appear to provide for rail seats (although this modification could still be made)
Council taxpayers will be responsible for the debt repayment charges on the amount borrowed which will be around £600,000 a year. It is far from clear where this money will come from although some additional “commercial elements” have been designed into the scheme.
Given the controversy about out of city centre shopping, this raises doubts about how long the planning process might take and with it the ability of any contractor to meet a July 2016 opening date.
Waterworld
Waterworld and its associated gym will close in December.
A new pool and gym will be designed into the stadium. However it will be more conventional than Waterworld with only a small “fun” pool included.
Waterworld is only 20 years old and with that kind of life one wonders how durable such facilities now are? (The Barbican pool lasted for 40 years, Yearsley is over 100 years old)
Since the opening of the Sports Village on Hull Road, the Council has met national standards for the provision of swimming pools. There is insufficient demand to pay for an additional swimming pool (which is why Labour quietly dropped their plans for a city centre pool).
Yearsley Pool
Under Labours plans, the opening of the new pool at Huntington will mean the end of the Council subsidy (around £250k pa) for the Yearsley pool. The unique 50 yard pool has fought off two previous attempts by Labour to close it although ironically in early 2011 – following a £1 million refit undertaken by the then LibDem controlled Council – Labour invented a bogus “closure” rumour and campaigned against something that was not going to happen. A new boiler was fitted at the pool meaning that the steam heat supply from the Nestle site could not attract disproportionately high charges.
Yearsley Pool
Labour have now performed a 180 degree policy about turn.
The only chance for the pool would be for users to acquire the site and run it independently as a community asset. However it is highly unlikely that that increased admission charges could make up the financial deficit – more so as it would have to complete with three other modern pools in the City not to mention those at several independent sports clubs, hotels and schools.
Its only hope would be for Nestle to relent and allow a profitable gym to be added although this might involve them losing some car parking space.
Energise
The management of Energise – the sports facility on Cornlands Road – seems less threatened by the take over plans.
The centre is very popular and no doubt Greenwich Leisure will want to keep it that way. However standardisation of charges and facilities, together with focusing some types of provision at just one site, may prove to be a challenge in the future.
No guarantees are being offered on admission charges although heavy competition from the private sector may help to keep them down.
What next?
The Stadium project is running over two years behind timetable. The publication of a report, for decision by the Councils Cabinet on 9th September, is belated but welcome.
Residents will be looking very carefully at the business plan for the new facility as the Council – which will remain the freeholder – does not want to risk having to step in to recover a failing project a few years down the line (as happened in Huddersfield a few years ago).
The changes to the retail component of the project do raise planning issues that may take some time to resolve, jeopardising the construction start date..
Whether a July 2016 opening date is realistic remains to be seen.
Lynn Jeffries
Steve Galloway with Lynn Jeffries who was a keen supporter of Green Belt conservation.
We were sad to hear of the death of Westfield Ward Councillor Lynn Jeffries over the weekend.
Lynn had been suffering from an illness for some time.
She was elected to represent the ward in May 2011 and joined the Liberal Democrat team 18 months later.
She was a tireless campaigner on behalf of people with disabilities and readily supported local residents in the Westfield area on a range of issues including conservation of the natural environment.
She had recently been involved in a door to door survey of over 3000 homes in the ward taking up dozens of issues with the Council on behalf of respondents.
Our condolences are extended to her friends and family.