Labour still peddle 25% City growth as Walmgate scheme produces “361 housing units”

Prominent Labour Councillor Tracey Simpson Laing has announced today that Labour is still going for housing growth of over 20,000 during the next 15 years.

She claims that the figure – published in a draft Local Plan which went out for public consultation during the summer – is necessary to meet “demand in York over the next 15 years”.

Derwenthorpe development

Derwenthorpe development

Residents had expected that the Council would carefully consider the responses from the Local Plan consultation before deciding whether this figure was indeed necessary.

Many residents have said that they do not want the City to expand by 25% in such a short timescale.

Others have pointed out that there will be insufficient jobs to sustain such growth while large areas of the City and surrounding countryside would be blighted.

In a separate development the Council has confirmed that the student housing development, on The Press site on Walmgate, which received planning permission last month, will produce 361 housing units against the total annual target of between 800 (old Local Plan target) and 1200 homes (Labours new target). Most will be 2 person flats.

As the accommodation is tied, none of the units will contribute directly towards providing more affordable accommodation in the City.

Latest Planning applications for 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

Acomb

Ref No: 13/02878/FUL

Location: 15 Lidgett Grove York YO26 5NE

Proposal: Single storey side extension

Applicant: Mr John Atkin Contact: Mr Tim Mann Consultation Expiry Date: 23 September 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level: DEL

Westfield

Ref No: 13/02889/LHE

Location: 112 Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BY

Proposal: Erection of single storey extension extending 4.050 metres beyond the rear wall of the original house, with a height to the eaves of 2.5 metres and a total height of 3.9 metres

Applicant: Mrs Mora Scaife Contact Mr Andy Sykes Consultation Expiry Date 23 September 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

Ref No: 13/02914/FUL

Location: 40 St Stephens Square York YO24 3EJ

Proposal: Single storey rear extension

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Casling Consultation Expiry Date 23 September 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth 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.

Showman’s Yard consultations. Council publish response to FOI questions

The Council has published a series of replies to questions asked about how the need for a Showman’s Yard in the City was assessed and what consultations with potential users took place.

Showman's site Wetherby Road Knapton Withdrawn in July

Showman’s site Wetherby Road Knapton Withdrawn in July

The proposal to establish such a site on land between Wetherby Road and Knapton was withdrawn in July.

The documents include internal Emails between Council officials. Significantly they do not include any correspondence from Councillors.

The documents can be found be clicking the following links

Background

Emails about Showman’s Guild meeting

Emails about March meeting

June Emails

The Council has still not indicated how – or even if – it will now seek to accommodate the claimed need for a Showman’s Yard site in the York area.

Nor has it made clear whether it is considering the Wetherby Road Knapton site for allocation as a conventional residential development site in any revised Local Plan.

Council housing sites – Freedom of Information request now reveals the sites that were considered.

When the Council announced its preferred list of locations for new Council houses 5 months ago, it refused to reveal which other possible locations had been considered.

Now a Freedom of Information request by Cllr Ann Reid has forced the Council to reveal the identity of the sites.

Green Lane garage site

Green Lane garage site

The sites under consideration were:
• Green Lane garages (Westfield Ward)

• Viking Road garages (Acomb Ward)

• Infill land on Maple Avenue. (Bishopthorpe Ward)

• Infill land to the rear of 21 – 51 Fossway (Heworth Ward)

The sites eventually selected were

Fenwick Street 9 Apartments
York Road, Haxby 4 Houses
Beckfield Lane 27 (Houses & Apartments)
Chaloners Road (Garage Court) 11 Apartments (possibly 8)
Hewley Avenue (Garage Court) 6 Apartments
Newbury Avenue (Garage Court) 9 Apartments

The Planning committee will consider the Beckfield Lane application next week. Thursday, 5th September, 2013 2.00 pm George Hudson Board Room – 1st Floor West Offices (F045)

Details here.

The application includes 9 “affordable” houses and 9 “affordable” flats. In total 27 units will be built there. There have been several objections to the plans

Latest Planning applications for Acomb and Westfield

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

Acomb

Ref No: 13/02575/FUL

Location: 222 Beckfield Lane York YO26 5QS

Proposal: Single storey side extension and dormers to side and rear

Applicant: Mr Chris Wright Contact: Mr John Dougal Consultation Expiry Date: 17 September 2013 Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level: DEL

Ref No: 13/02870/FUL

Location: 167 Boroughbridge Road York YO26 6AN

Proposal: Single storey rear extension and conservatory to rear of existing annex

Applicant: Mr And Mrs Mitcham Contact: Mr Peter Dimberline Consultation Expiry Date: 17 September 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision 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.

Now it begins – Westview Close decision set to erode York Green Belt

The first successful appeal against a refusal of planning permission in the York Green Belt will see 8 additional homes built in Westview Close in Acomb.

Westview Close

The application, from Hogg builders, was originally rejected by the York Council.

Subsequently the Council published its, now infamous, draft Local Plan in April which sought to build on land previously recognised as being part of the Green Belt.

Now an Inspector has used that as an excuse to allow the Westview Close development to go ahead.

Click here to see the full decision.

Labour also want to build on the adjacent land – the former Civil Service Sports Ground.

The ruling bodes ill for the future of the City.

List of planning applications received between 12th -16th August 2013 Acomb and Westfield Wards

Acomb

Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards. Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Ref No: 13/02665/FUL

Location: 1A Danebury Crescent York YO26 5EH

Proposal: Erection of 2no. detached dwellings to rear

Applicant: Mr Jeff Gilbert Contact: Mr Brian Scott Consultation Expiry Date: 9 September 2013 Case Officer: Jonathan Kenyon 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.

York housing numbers just don’t stack up

The announcement that 648 “student rooms” are to be provided on The Press office site have raised questions about discrepancies between figures included in the draft Local Plan and subsequent planning applications.

The Press site wasn’t even identified for residential use in the Local Plan.

Within 3 weeks of the plan being published, an announcement was being made that “58 purpose built student flats and 303 studio apartments would be built on the site” (Press 12th June)

Press cutting 12th June 2013

Now the actual planning application to be considered next week is for “648 student rooms”.

It’s the latest in a long line of inconsistencies with site densities in actual planning applications being double the Local Plan figure.

It also seems that the Councils “affordable homes” strategy is collapsing. A government inspector ruled that 0% affordable homes were required on the Grain Store site.

The Council had already reduced the number of affordable units required at the Terry’s development and a similar reduction was made at the Hungate and the Barbican.

We now understand that the planning application for the Sessions site has been withdrawn amid speculation that this also will now have less than 10% affordable units.

It looks like the Labour plan, to flood the market with cheap land in the hope that prices would reduce, has collapsed before it has even reached the Public Inquiry stage.

Big retail and housing plans go to York committee next week

Press building, Walmgate

The plan to demolish the existing building occupied by The Press reaches the Planning Committee next week (22nd).

Monks Cross

Monks Cross

The plan would see the erection of 1 three storey and 1 four to seven storey block and the conversion of Wards Warehouse to provide student accommodation (648 student rooms and management facilities); the erection of a 3 storey office (class B1), an extension to the Poads Building and the provision of associated cycle and car parking facilities and landscaping works.

The details can be read by clicking here

The application is recommended for approval.

Monks Cross

The extensions to the existing Monks Cross development are described as “external alterations to amalgamate five existing units (nos 3, 4, 5/6, 11 and 12) and create additional mezzanine floorspace to create two non food retail units” Details can be found by clicking here.

The applicant says that one of the new units would be occupied by Primark. The second unit would be occupied by Debenhams

The application is recommended for approval