According to a local community blog published in Brixton, London, the local version of the “container village” hasn’t paid any rent to the Lambeth Council for 5 years.
“Pop Brixton” was used as a paradigm when the York Spark owners were trying to persuade the York Council and its planning committee that siting shipping containers in a conservation area was a good idea.
Like Brixton, the operators offered to rent the Piccadilly site from the Council and to share in the ventures profits.
An FOI response to the “Brixton Buzz“ has revealed that a similar deal there produced no income for the local authority.
Now, like in York, monthly rental payments are being sought by Lambeth Council.
A Freedom of Information requestwas submitted to the York Council on 25th August asking the authority to confirm that the terms of a new lease– agreed in February – have been fulfilled by the site occupiers.
Spark operated on a “tenancy at will” basis earlier in the summer following its closure during the health crisis. Its original lease expired on 1st July 2020
Residents have won their battle to prevent a huge 5G phone mast being erected on Bellhouse Way.
The 20 metre high mast would have been located next to the Foxwood Community Centre.
The proposal from Hutchinson/Clarke Telecom was heavily criticised by the residents association, ward Councillors and neighbours. They were concerned that the mast would dominate the residential streetscape, affect footpath widths, impede sight lines and could have facilitated criminals to use the cabinets to gain access to nearby properties.
The Council gives the impact on visual amenity as its main reason for refusing the application. The full decision notice can be read by clicking here
While the Telecoms Company could appeal against the decision we hope that they will now stand back and reflect.
A more obvious location for their mast would be on Foxwood Lane next to the Thanet Road sports area.This is well away from the nearest dwelling.
The existing mast cabinets could be moved there as could those which are currently located at the entrance to the Rugby Club car park (which also cause sight line problems for drivers).
Still, at least in this case, the Council seems to have heeded the views of the local community.
The decision by the planning committee last week to allow the replacement of the old tax office (Swinson House) on Piccadilly with a modern hotel, has prompted a debate about the boundaries of the central York Conservation area.
Central York Conservation Area
Some say that the loss of the 30’s building – together with other developments on the street not least the ugly Spark container village – means that the street now has little conservation merit.
They have a point.
The current Conservation Area appraisal for the historic core – which can be read by clicking here – lumps Piccadilly in with the Castle as a character area.
Piccadilly is rather a barren street, lacking trees or visible greenery and dominated by large buildings. The Foss is very much hidden behind buildings which back directly onto it, a legacy from its industrial past. This means there is almost no public access to the river; the exception is the Travelodge by Castle Mills Bridge. The large buildings and their positioning also block views to the Castle, only a glimpse of which is possible from Piccadilly Bridge.
The tax office is not identified as a building of merit. The Red Lion pub is as was the, now long gone Airspeed/Trolleybus shed on the site of which Spark now park their shipping containers.
Council decision sparked criticism
One of the suggestions in the assessment, which have been largely ignored over the last 10 years, was the need for more tree planting on the street.
Whether the time is right to take Piccadilly out of the Conservation Area is a matter of opinion.
There will be those who think that Council resources could be better deployed at this difficult time. Planning permissions which have been granted – and not implemented – can be superseded by new proposals. There must, for example, be a limit on how many modern hotels the City can sustain.
Perhaps the Conservation area status gives greater weight to those who seek a quality approach to the regeneration of the Piccadilly area.
Certainly at present it is little more than a blot on the streetscape.
The York Council will consider next week itsreactionto controversial changes to planning laws being promoted by the government.
Although some of the proposals will be welcomed – they include commitments to green space and tree planting – other look set to reduce the amount of influence that local communities have on what is built in their area.
Government claims
The government also seems to be willing to address the problem of delays on sites which already have planning permission (e.g. the British Sugar site on Boroughbridge Road) and other derelict sites that developers have put in their “land banks” (e.g. the site next to the Barbican).
Derelict Council land
There are no proposals, however, which would force Local Authorities to release unused land and empty buildings for reuse.
But the general drift away from community control on planning applications will be seen by many as a step in the wrong direction. Zoning land for “Growth” (areas suitable for substantial development), “Renewal” (areas suitable for development), and areas that are “Protected” (e.g. Green Belt) simply ignores the knock on effect that the scale and timing of development can have on a local community .
Derelict land next to Barbican
The proposal also sets the percentage of affordable homes which must be provided in new developments of over 50 homes, and how they will be allocated (first time buyers will be offered 25% of them)
The proposals will allow retail premises to change to offices, or vice versa, without the need for planning permission.
Existing legislation allows for permitted development rights to be used which facilitate the conversation of existing offices to residential units.
The report also confirms that 14 developers in York have applied since March to extend the working hours on their sites. The concession will end in March 2021.
Residents can respond to the consultation via this link (click).
Refuses to reveal location but cost will be £1.65 million!
In one of the most bizarre proposals to come before the York Council, officials are recommending buying agricultural land “within the York boundary” which will subsequently be planted with trees. It says only that it is located in the Green Belt.
The forest scheme is intended to offset a proportion of the CO2 emissions generated within the City.
The Council says it can’t reveal the location of the new forest “for commercial reasons”.
While many residents will support the objective of the initiative, the lack of background information on the scheme is extraordinary.
There is no indication of the grade of the agricultural land in question. At a time when greater food self sufficiency is a high priority for the country, relative priorities must surely be fully evaluated before productive land is lost?
Thereport also says that the new forest – which might be designated as a “stray” – will provide new accessible paths and trails for York residents.
Officials point to the health benefits of greater exercise.
They are right, of course, as we have seen during lock-down. But the Council’s position lacks credibility as it has failed to maintain existing paths and trails, some of which are now inaccessible because of neglect.
The absence of any maintenance and management strategy for any new wood is one of the major omissions from the report.
The Council also quotes (rightly) the need to encourage pollinators (bees and other insects) but again fails to evaluate the effect that planting more woodland would have against providing – for example – wildflower meadows on the land.
In total the Council expects to spend £3 million on establishing new woodland and strays around the City.
It will need to do a lot more work, if taxpayers are to be convinced that this is an effective, and thoroughly thought through, reaction to the global conservation challenge.
NB. In the Westfield area, local Councillors promised 12 months ago to promote the adoption of “stray” status for Acomb Moor. There has been no recent update on the progress that they have made.
We are reminding people to have their say on plans to improve York Station Front with the removal of Queen Street Bridge and a reorganisation of the transport interchange in front of the station.
Comments on the new plans can be made until Thursday 20 August. People will still be able to make representations after this date. Following this, a report will be taken to the planning committee later this year.
The revised plans, which have been submitted for consultation, follow comments raised throughout the 2019 Station front planning process. As part of this, an addendum will be included to modify several areas of the original planning application, following further consultation with partners, residents and station users.
The key changes to the scheme include:
A redesigned multi-storey car park. After consulting with Historic England, plans for the car park have been revised to better respect the heritage of the railway and York RI. This will also move all the station parking into one area making it better visually.
The layout of parcel square has been redesigned so it is more in keeping with station heritage, and in consultation with existing parcel square tenants to give them a new location in the remodelled station.
On-street parking spaces removed from Queen Street to allow a safer cycle route to promote active travel, whilst reducing congestion around the station.
Replacement of existing guttering, downpipes, fascias and soffits with UPVC ones to all areas and replacement and alteration of existing entrance doors.
One of the main areas of objection is likely to be traffic generation with additional vehicle movements adding to those being generated by the adjacent “Lowfield Green” development.
Residents wishing to object to the plans can do so at the planning committee meeting (click) which takes place on Thursday 20th August.
We are reminding people to have their say on plans to improve York Station Front with the removal of Queen Street Bridge and a reorganisation of the transport interchange in front of the station.