Latest Planning applications Acomb and Westfield Wards

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield Wards.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Acomb

Location: 9 Almsford Drive York YO26 5NR

Proposal: Two storey side and single storey rear extension

Ref No: 14/00986/FUL

Consultation Expiry Date: 27 May 2014 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level: DEL Ref No:

Westfield

Location: 10 Dijon Avenue York YO24 3DD

Proposal: Single storey rear extension

Ref 14/00869/FUL

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Sturdy Contact Mr Mark Druery Consultation Expiry Date 27 May 2014 Case Officer: Sandra Duffill Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location: 16A Green Lane Acomb York YO24 3DL

Proposal: Single storey rear extension with alterations to roof to create additional living accommodation and 1no self contained flat.

Ref No: 14/00967/FUL

Applicant: Mr David Ellerton Consultation Expiry Date 27 May 2014 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location: 9 York Road Acomb York YO24 4LW

Proposal: Two storey rear etension with dormer window to rear

Ref No: 14/00972/FUL

Applicant: Mr Stephen Kilner Contact Mr Stephen Douglass Consultation Expiry Date 27 May 2014 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

House building numbers and sites: “Give residents the full facts” say Lib Dems

Liberal Democrat councillors say that public consultation on controversial housing plans should be delayed until residents are given the full facts.

Last year Labour run York Council published its ‘Draft Local Plan’ which outlined proposals to build 22,000 houses on sites across York, including 16,000 in the Green Belt. Last week the Labour Cabinet approved a report for public consultation which earmarked further sites and recommended boundary changes on sites identified last year.

However, the public consultation papers do not include housing numbers either for the new sites or amended housing numbers for the revised sites. Consultation papers last year included housing numbers. Controversially, many of the new sites are on Green Belt land.

The Council have also failed to update their plan numbers to take into account over 1000 homes, which have been granted planning permission for housing during the last year, and which are on sites which were not included when the Draft Local Plan was published 12 months ago.

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Nearly half of planning appeals against York Council decisions are successful

5 of the 12 appeals against York Council decisions on planning applications – considered during the first 3 months of this year – were successful.

At 42% the rate of appeals allowed is above the national annual average of around 33% and higher than the previous quarter figure for York of 18%.

Overall for the last 12 months 27% of appeals were successful.

The Government announced last year that it will use appeals performance in identifying poor performing planning authorities, with a view to the introduction of special measures and direct intervention in planning matters within the worst performing authorities. This is now in place for Planning Authorities where more than 70% of appeals against refusal of permission for major applications are allowed

Most of the successful appeals were against the decisions of Council officials who took them under delegated powers.

A full list of the planning applications which went for appeal can be read here One successful appeal allows the owner of Penn House in St Marys to clean the outside of what is a Listed building!

Blue Bridge hotel

The results of appeals on a further 15 refusals of planning permission are awaited. They include plans to erect 102 dwellings on land to the north of Brecks Lane, Strensall.

NB. A meeting taking place next week is being recommended to approve the conversion of the Blue Bridge hotel in Fishergate into 11 flats and one house. This is another brownfield site not included in Labours Local Plan as suitable for residential accommodation. The application further erodes the cae for building on Green Belt land.

Gypsies, Travellers and Showpeople – new sites in York identified

Secret report reveals Labour plans

One of the most controversial aspects of Labours Draft Local Plan for York was the propsed provision for Travellers.

Last year, some landowner’s spotted the opportunity to identify land for use by caravan dwellers but later withdrew them when the “Green Belt” designation of the sites had been undermined.

This happened at both Wetherby Road/Knapton (Showpeople) and Dunnington (Travellers).

The York council was then left with a shortfall of around 60 pitches. If they do not identify sites for them, it is likely that their Plan will not be supported by an Inspector at a Hearing in Public later in the year.

The Labour Councils response was, typically, to table a report at the last minute at a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the week. The highly contentious proposals were not made available to the all party working group which met the previous week, effectively ruling out any chance of consensus on the issue.

Labour propose to establish new traveller sites at:

Osbaldwick – East of Metcalf Lane ST7
Huntington – North of Monks Cross ST8
Rawcliffe – Clifton Moor ST14
Heslington/Wheldrake – Whinthorpe ST15

All these are Green Belt sites.

The principal of housing development on them will be bitterly contested by residents at the public inquiry.

Even if one or two are approved (they don’t need to be as York has more than enough brownfield land to satisfy demand for the next 25 years or more) developers have said that the viability of these huge new housing estates would be jeopardised by the inclusion of traveller camps.

The Council should have included the new industrial areas that it has identified as potential sites for 2 or 3 small caravan sites. Travellers, perhaps more than any other group, typify the need for “live/work” units. Many are involved in salvage or surfacing work which is a use more appropriate for industrial areas. Others may require good access to schools. Essentially these communities need to have a choice of location to meet their differing needs.

The York Council has made a major blunder by slipping its proposals into the public realm in such a way as to avoid any debate.

The decision sheet from the meeting earlier in the week has been published.

The traveller paper was noticeable by its absence. (It has now been added but is very difficult to find and is not included in the “Newly Published” list).

Residents have a right of access to important papers like these.

It is another example of the Council ignoring its constitution and adopting a secretive, bunker mentality.

In the interests of openness you can download a copy of the paper from our web site by clicking here.

York Council publishes Local Plan objections

Largest ever response by residents and businesses

The scale of the opposition, to Labours plan to increase the size of the City by 25% over the next 15 years, is now apparent as all the objections registered have been published on the Councils web site.

View of Minster from Acomb Moor click to enlarge

It would take someone weeks to read through even the summaries which have been provided.

These include one on Acomb Moor Strangely the only identified support for developing the moor comes from the York Diocesan Board of Finance . Quite why they would ant to get involved in such a political argument is difficult to understand. However their support is more than offset by dozens of objections.

In addition to individual responses 21 petitions were submitted by residents.

Some commentary has been provided by officials but it remains unclear when Councillors will get the opportunity to debate the issues raised and, indeed when objectors will get the chance to make representations in person prior to the next draft being published.

The draft plan has already been undermined by the revelation a few days ago that, over the last 18 months, most planning permissions in the City have been granted on brownfield sites not identified for housing development in the Draft Local Plan published last year.

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

Latest Planning applications for the Westfield Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield Ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location: We R Cards 8 Odsal House Front Street York YO24 3BL

Proposal: Display of 1no. internally illuminated fascia sign and 1no. non-illuminated projecting sign

Ref No: 14/00702/ADV

Applicant: Mrs Philippa McMullan Consultation Expiry Date 5 May 2014 Case Officer: Victoria Bell Expected Decision Level DEL

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The following application is located in the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward. The path in question links Foxwood to Acomb Park and Woodthorpe via Acomb Wood

Entrance to Acomb Wood footpath

Location: Acomb Wood Acomb Wood Drive York

Proposal: Siting of additional footpath from Ashbourne Way to Quaker Wood Pub and extension of existing path from Girvan Close to Lomond Ginnel

Ref No: 14/00790/GRG3

Applicant: Mrs Jennifer Cairns Consultation Expiry Date 5 May 2014 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision Level DEL

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Solar farm planned for Knapton Moor

Solar Farm site click to enlarge

1.8 hectares of land off Wetherby Road (Site 772) could be turned into a solar farm. The area of land is located near to Harewood Whin.

The Council report indicates what criteria have to be met by these farms which generate electricity from solar panels (similar in principle to those now found on many household roofs).

They are not as controversial as wind farms, being silent and relatively unobtrusive. Security at the sites is high though.

Similar sites are planned for Malton Road and Towthorpe

959 housing sites “missed” from draft Local Plan

Nearly two thirds, of the homes granted planning permission since Labours draft Local Plan was drawn up, have been for sites omitted from the Plan.

A total of 1831 new sites for homes have been agreed since October 2012.

This is in addition to the 3231 sites which already had planning permission.

That means developers could now erect 5062 homes in the City – a 6 year supply of land, based on average house building rates over the last decade.

Of the total new permissions granted, 1678 were for brownfield sites. The vast majority – including the former Press offices in Walmgate – were not identified for residential use when the draft Local Plan was published 12 months ago.

The Council’s plans continue to under-estimate the supply of brownfield land. The plan should identify any site – of more that 0.2 ha in size – with potential for housing. The draft Plan failed to do so.

The additional sites which will be considered on 17^th April also fail to do so.

The Council has also said that it does not know how many additional homes could be accommodated on the new sites due to be considered on 17^th April.

It is an important issue as the Council has not made any allowance for “windfall” sites in its calculation of the total build requirement for the next 15 years.

Nor has it identified the potential for conversion of existing commercial property with some very large opportunities – such as Ryedale House, Stonebow and Hillary House – excluded from the calculations.

Promised conversions, of the upper floors of shopping premises, have also been excluded.

A full list of the permissions granted can be downloaded from here

The figures are likely to be of considerable significance when the Local Plan reaches the Examination in Public Inquiry stage.

The make up of the Draft local Plan base numbers is as follows:

The Local Plan Preferred Options was based on a position at 1^st October 2012. The total number of residential net outstanding consents (commitments) at that date was 3,231 dwellings. This is detailed in Chapter 10 of the LPPO document (Housing Growth and Distribution). The table below splits this figure into site categories.

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Housing building sites – more information released on threats to green field sites

Wetherby Road site. Click to enlarge

The York Council has released more details of the assessments that it has made of requests by landowners for particular sites to be considered for development.

They include assessments for some sites, which were rejected, and are not being considered at its meetings on the 17^th April and 23^rd April 2014

They are relevant though in so far as they provide an indication of the landowner’s development aspirations. They are likely to reappear at the Public Inquiry later in the year when owners will try to have additional development land added to the Plan.

Lowfields school playing fields threat click to enlarge

39 sites, including one off Askham Lane, were rejected because they failed to respect the natural environment; two were rejected because they were on open space, while 21 had poor transport links and/or access to services

The proposals included the land (site ref 220) on Wetherby Road – near Knapton – originally suggested as a “Showman’s Yard” site. Now the owners want to build housing there. Worryingly the reason given by the Council officials for opposing development is the “lack of public transport”. No mention is made of its green belt credentials.

26 sites failed a “technical evaluation”. These included land to the west of Chapelfields (ref 778) which was rejected on grounds of landscape value and potential archaeology.

Land near Chapelfields under threat of development. click to enlarge

There is a similar list of sites rejected for Employment/Retail use.

Askham Bryan freight depot click to enlarge

Council officials have reviewed development boundaries at several sites put forward last year.

Notably a plan by the Council itself to build on the playing fields of Lowfields School (as well as on the previously developed footprint of the school buildings) has been rejected.

Officials point out that the field enjoys a lot of informal recreational use.

They do, however, rather ominously claim that the playing fields may in future be “taken over” by a private sports club!

Officials also rule out the development of even more of the open space between Woodthorpe, Foxwood, Chapelfields and the ring roads (site 791) and the rest of Acomb Moor (site 792) although the partial development of the moor still remains part of the draft Plan.

Approved proposals include a “freight transhipment” and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) site on land between the A1237 and Askham Bryan. Although currently well screened by trees this is an elevated site which would be visible from several miles.

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