Labour announce plans to build on more Green Belt land

Click to enlarge Boroughbridge Road

It has become clear which additional sections of Green Belt land are now under threat from Labours expansion plans.

They announced a year ago that they wanted to increase the size of the City by 25% over the next 15 years.

Now they want to go even further and have identified additional stretches of green belt land that could be developed.

This despite a number of “windfall” opportunities emerging over the last year which has seen planning permission granted in York for around 1500 additional homes on brownfield (previously developed) land.

Click to enlarge A1237

No community is safe from the expansion plans although the Boroughbridge Road (Acomb Ward) and Poppleton (Rural West) area fare particularly badly.

A whole series of residential developments will see virtually all the land lying between the existing built up area in east Acomb and the A1237 developed.

There will also be a huge expansion of the Northminster Business Park on the other side of the A1237. The garden centre site may also be developed.

click to enlarge Boroughbridge Road

Other communities facing additional development include

New Earswick,
Escrick,
Heworth Without,
Fulford,
Elvington,
Designer Centre (expansion and new Park and Ride location),
British Sugar site,
Osbaldwick,
Haxby,
Huntington,

Click to enlarge Manor school

Clifton Moor,
Winthorpe new town,
Dunnington,
Wheldrake,
Copmanthorpe,
Knapton Moor (new solar energy site),
Towthorpe (ditto),
University (further expansion),
Wigginton Road (Park and Ride site),
Askham Bryan (compressed natural gas depot and Freight Transhipment centre)

click to enlarge Boroughbridge Road

Details can be downloaded by clicking here

Breaking News – York Council abandons Traveller and Showman’s site proposals

The York Council is withdrawing its proposals to establish traveller sites at Dunnington and on Malton Road.

The Council is, therefore, still looking for sites for 59 pitches.

It has also confirmed that it will not allocate land on Wetherby Road (near Knapton) for use as a Travelling Showman’s Site.

It is still looking for a suitable Showman’s site but has reduced the requirement to 8 plots of which two would be accommodated by expanding an existing site at Elvington.

Details of the changes can be read by clicking here (Para 8)

Concerns still remain for the sites in question as their inclusion for development, in the first Draft of the Local Plan, has brought into question whether they will be retained in the formal “Green Belt” when it is adopted.

As the Council’s web site papers seem to be inaccessible at the moment a copy of the relevant report can be downloaded by clicking here

Save the green belt update

Local residents backing the “save the green belt” campaign

The Council has now published details of some of the changes to land allocations that it is proposing to make, following representations by land owners.

The agenda for the Local Plan Working Group can be viewed by clicking here.

We will provide a background briefing and analysis on this web site tomorrow.

Latest Planning applications Acomb and Westfield Wards

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb Ward. No applications for the Westfield Ward were received last week

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

Location: 18 Carr Lane York YO26 5HU

Proposal: Two storey side and single storey rear extension

Ref No: 14/00691/FUL

Applicant: Mr Sam Akers Contact: Miss Kate Fewson Consultation Expiry Date: 28 April 2014Case 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.

Acomb Moor tree cut down – no consultation

It appears that the York Council ordered one of the trees on Foxwood Lane – adjacent to Acomb Moor – to be cut down.

They claim it was diseased.

There was no consultation with residents or local Councillors.

Suspicions were raised that the felling was connected with the proposals contained in the Councils new draft Local Plan which could see Acomb Moor built on.

NB Meanwhile the Council has finally started to publish the objections made to Labour’s Local Plan.

They are unsorted and largely impenetrable in their present form

Latest Planning applications Acomb and Westfield Wards

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

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

Location: 8 Sitwell Grove York YO26 5JG

Proposal: Two storey side and single storey rear extensions and dormer to rear

Ref No: 14/00394/FUL

Applicant: Mrs Margaret Hunter Contact: Keith Wilkinson Consultation Expiry Date: 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision Level: DEL

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Location: 1 Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BS

Proposal: Reserved matters application for approval of external appearance and related details for the erection of dormer bungalow following the grant of outline permission 10/02085/OUT

Ref No: 14/00511/REM

Applicant: Mr David Hughes Consultation Expiry Date: 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision Level: DEL

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Location: 9 Fawkes Drive York YO26 5QE

Proposal: Erection of detached dwelling

Ref No: 14/00525/FUL

Applicant: Mr Andrew Gibson Contact: M T S Architectural Services Consultation Expiry Date: 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Victoria Bell Expected Decision Level: DEL

———————

Location: 132 Carr Lane York YO26 5HG

Proposal: Single storey side and rear extension

Ref No: 14/00690/FUL

Applicant: Miss Sarah Waite Consultation Expiry Date: 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Will Steel Expected Decision Level: DEL

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Westfield

Location: 72 Green Lane Acomb York YO24 4PS

Proposal: Single storey side extension

Ref No: 14/00163/FUL

Applicant: Mrs Marion Hall Contact Mr John Gray Consultation Expiry Date 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Will Steel Expected Decision Level DEL

———————-

Location: 9 Thornwood Covert York YO24 3LF

Proposal: Replacement detached garage

Ref No: 14/00584/FUL

Applicant: Mr Gordon Tailby Contact Mr Gordon Tailby Consultation Expiry Date 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Sandra Duffill Expected Decision Level DEL

———————–

Location: 1A Front Street York YO24 3BW

Proposal: Installation of external extract duct to side and fan to roof

Ref No: 14/00629/FUL

Applicant: Mr Polat Akcicek Contact Mr Andy Sykes Consultation Expiry Date 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision Level DEL

———————–

Location: 7 Willoughby Way York YO24 3NS

Proposal: Two storey side extension

Ref No: 14/00660/FUL

Applicant: Mr Darren Simpson Contact Mr Paul Elliott Consultation Expiry Date 21 April 2014Case Officer: Will Steel Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location: 3 St Stephens Square York YO24 3EJ

Proposal: Single storey side extension and detached store to rear

Ref No: 14/00681/FUL

Applicant: Mr David Teasdale Contact Mike Swinglehurst Consultation Expiry Date 21 April 2014 Case Officer: Will Steel 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.

Little interest in York “streetscape”

A Council working group is likely to endorse later today a plan which could have a significant effect on the appearance of City centre streets.

The strategy was subject to “public consultation” last year but attracted only 59 responses.

The consultation was conveniently “buried” by the Council in a deluge of documents published last May on all aspects of the Local Plan.

The document shows a patronising disregard for sub-urban areas, consistent with the policies of the present Council. They seem to be included only as an afterthought. This could mean that secondary shopping areas like Front Street continue to be starved of resources.

Although many of the ideas in the document will be welcomed, the underlying flaw in the strategy is the almost complete lack of analysis of cost effectiveness.

There is little point in having a policy of laying block pavers, if the City is simply unable to afford to install that type of surfacing over a wide area.

Flexible surfacing – such as that provided in Library Square – is cheaper and easier to maintain.

In most parts of the City such a surface would be adequate. Critically it would allow a larger area to be upgraded for the same level of funding.

Similar criticisms could be levelled at the sections on street lighting, cycle lane width and parking arrangements.

The document would also concentrate maintenance resources on the City centre at the expense of the sub-urban areas.

It quotes spending less on the outer ring road, but in reality it is housing areas that would suffer because they have a low pedestrian footfall.

All in all, this is a financially short-sighted – some might say idiosyncratic – strategy which will need to be revised when Labour lose control of the York Council.

Local Plan – Developers jumping the gun?

Freedom of Information revelation

The Council has admitted in a response to a Freedom of Information request that it is discussing building on green field sites on the outskirts of York before a new Local Plan has been agreed (or even discussed publicly)

Some of the sites are in the current Green Belt which is protected by a parliamentary directive.

Civil Service sports ground Boroughbridge Road, York

Some applications are proceeding with undignified haste:

Application at Brecks Lane Strensall (now granted planning permission)

Scoping opinion for Monks Cross North

The council has admitted giving pre application advice for the following sites:

Land at New Lane Huntington

Land at Church Balk Dunnington

Former Civil Service Sports Ground, Boroughbridge Road/ Millfield Lane –“currently invalid”

The Council now charges for pre planning application “advice”. It says that it does not reveal which sites it is giving “advice” on.

This means that residents and other interested parties are effectively precluded for the process and will only become involved when there is a “done deal”.

The York Councils approach to establishing a new “Local Plan” is little short of disgraceful. Residents who made a record number of objections to Labour’s plan have been kept in the dark about the process for nearly 9 months.

Meetings have been scheduled in April at which the views of landowners are expected to be published.

No timetable for dealing with residents objections has been set.

York Council finally publishes its Fossgate pedestrianisation plans

The York Council has published its plans to pave Fossgate.

click

The scheme is a long standing one. It was scheduled to be done after the Deangate project in 2011, but Labour changed priorities and allocated money to the Kings Square scheme instead. Only a limited amount of work is now planned at the northern end of Fossgate.

Nevertheless the scheme is likely to cost in excess of £300,000.

This is likely to inflame opinion in sub-urban areas.

Investment in the – much busier and arguably more run down – Front Street area was limited to £30,000 by the Council last year.

The Council says, “Following a city-wide consultation, proposals outlining the future look of Fossgate will be taken to a Cabinet meeting next week (Tuesday 1 April) for approval.

Over 600 individual responses were submitted during the latest consultation for three of the six priority Reinvigorate York schemes including Fossgate, which took place in January/February this year.

Other schemes include Exhibition Square / Theatre Interchange and the Duncombe Place/Blake Street junction, which will separately be taken to Cabinet in June.

The report provides an overview and detailed feedback of the consultation undertaken and outlines the preferred junction improvement option for the Fossgate scheme.

(more…)

York Local Plan – confusion grows

No sooner had the agenda for York’s Council meeting – to be held next Thursday – been published, than meetings to discuss the Local Plan have appeared in the Council’s diary of events.

The Council agenda had included several questions critical of the delays, and lack of clear milestones, in the preparation of the Local Plan

Yesterday we reported that the Forward Programme of decisions – a legal requirement for all major issues – did not include any reference to an update of the Local Plan.

Residents protest against Local Plan

So far, residents have not even had an opportunity to speak out about Labour’s plan – announced a year ago – to increase the size of the City.

Now a mysterious “special” meeting of the Councils “Cabinet” has been scheduled for Wednesday 23^rd April. The Councils web site has been amended today to say that;

“During the consultation additional information on sites was submitted by landowners and developers. Before making any final decision on sites to be included in the Local Plan, the Council would like to understand the public views on this additional information. Reports relating to this will be considered at the Local Plan Working Group and a special cabinet in late April and this will be followed by public consultation”.

Whether landowner’s comments will do anything to reassure residents about the Councils expansion plans remains to be seen.

The Council has still not published the 4000+ objections made by residents to the original plan.

Any new information is due to be considered by the (all party) “Local Plan Working Group”, a meeting of which has now been scheduled for Tuesday 22^nd April. As this is the day before the Cabinet meeting, it is unlikely that the working groups views – much less any views expressed by residents – would be reported to a meeting which is taking place the next day.

Legally the Cabinet cannot take any decisions on “key” matters – like the Local Plan – without giving 4 months notice in their Forward Programme.

They have still not published a timetable of milestone dates which will lead up to the inevitable Public Inquiry into their plans, which is now unlikely to take place before next year.

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