Future of Lowfields school site to be considered on 30th June

Lowfields school site is now overgrown

Only days after the NHS said it was considering building a Mental Health Hospital on the Lowfields school site, the York Council has slated the future of the location for debate on 30th June.

A new “Forward Programme” has been published which gives only 4 weeks notice of the discussion.

The three items down for decision are:

1. Move forward with plans for the re-development of the Lowfields school site, beginning with public engagement regarding use and design.
2. Consult on the closure of a further Older Persons’ Home in the autumn of 2016 and one in the first half of 2017, following the Moving Homes Safely Protocol.
3. Open negotiations to purchase land adjacent to Haxby Hall in order to facilitate the examination of options for its future.

The original intention had been to site an older persons “village” on the footprint of the former school site. This was subsequently abandoned when the then Labour led Council lost control of the project amidst escalating costs.

Instead, they decided to concentrate all resources on building a new “hub” on the east of the city at Burnholme.

This led to accusations that the Council was ignoring the needs of older people on the Acomb side of the City.

There now seems to be no chance of the Council finding money to develop the site itself.

Instead the hope is that it will be put on the open market (as it could have been two years ago) with bids being assessed against an agree set of criteria. If the aim remains to provide accommodation principally aimed at older people (the site is ideally located near to amenities) then a high weighting could be given to bids that can guarantee that outcome.

This is what the Council (belatedly) did when selling off the Oliver House elderly persons home for redevelopment. That site was subsequently sold to a company specialising in retirement properties.

This strategy has the added value that older people “downsizing” to Lowfields would free up more family sized accommodation elsewhere.

Residents will be keeping an eagle eye on the Council to ensure that no development intrudes onto the Lowfields playing fields.

There is a shortage of football pitches on the west of the City and potentially the former school playing field would also be an important amenity for any new community development.

Action taken in Lowfields area

We’ve been out and about in the Lowfields area today. Although public services are generally better than they were a year ago there are still some issues.

It appears that the Council is not routinely cleaning cul do sacs and difficult to access areas like garage forecourts.

Below are some issues that we have reported using @fixmystreet

Detritus on carriageway in Harold Court. We have also reported the faded street sign

The rear entrance to the former Lowfields school on Tudor Road needs weeds clearing and detritus sweeping up. The cul de sac is much improved since the paths were resurfaced last year

The area around the entrance to the Lowfields School site on Dijon Avenue needs a good clean up.

The Dijon Avenue garage area has been untidy for over a year. There have been problems with dumping while potentially hazardous thorn hedges are overgrowing the area.

More speculation about future of health services in Acomb

The announcement that the Lowfields school site being considered as a possible location for a new mental health hospital has prompted questions about other health facilities in Acomb

Acomb Garth NHS choices web site review

Acomb Garth (Gables) on Oak Rise already provides mental health services for Acomb. There is no recent report by the CQC commission on Acomb Garth. Acomb Garth was reported to be changing its role with a view to providing dementia care services from March. But little information has subsequently been made public.

The Trust web site still lists it as providing a HQ for community mental health services

No change has been made to registration documentation, with the “NHS choices web site” not even quoting correctly the responsible NHS Trust (now Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust). There is even confusion about the name (Acomb Gables/Garth).

Trust web site Acomb Gables review

The Trust describe the work at the Garth/Gables as follows:

Acomb Gables Recovery Unit is a 16 bed adult inpatient unit, for men and women from York, Selby and the surrounding areas.

This inpatient service works closely with clients, community mental health team, family and friends.

The site offers:

one to one work around psycho-social interventions
an evolving therapy group programme and activity programme
support with activities of daily living and meaningful activity and employment
a wide range of opportunities is made available to access employment; housing; and occupation including voluntary work.

Adjacent to the Garth/Gables is the Acomb Medical Centre.

The Beech Grove GP practice, which is located there, has recently announced a merger with a practice based on Front Street. “It is proposed that the Beech Grove premises, currently in Acomb Health Centre would close and the newly merged practice would be situated at 14 Front Street, Acomb. This is the current premises of Front Street Surgery”. The change is expected to take place in October.

So it appears there will be vacant space on the Oak Rise/Beech Grove site.

Whether this would be a suitable location for a new hospital is another matter.

Transport links in central Acomb are better than Lowfields but neither approaches the range and flexibility of options available in the city centre.

Lowfields on list of possible new mental health hospital sites

After over 4 years of neglect by the York Council, the derelict former Lowfields school site has emerged as one of the options for the location of a new mental health hospital.

Lowfields school site is now overgrown

The hospital will replace the obsolescent Bootham Park facility which was forced to close last year following a damming inspectors report.

In total 12 possible locations are being considered by the NHS.

The hospital will cover a wide catchment area so – with limited public transport services available – it is surprising that sites away from the City centre are apparently being considered.

The expectation had been that the new hospital would be built next to the existing facility in Bootham – although the traditional facility at The Retreat might have provided an alternative location.

Consultation meetings have been scheduled by the NHS with the nearest being at The Folk Hall, Hawthorn Terrace, New Earswick, on Tuesday 31 May (two events 2.00 – 5.00pm and 5.15 – 7.15 pm).

The NHS trust say,

We are in the early stages of planning for the new facility, which is due to open in 2019, and are inviting people to attend one of four events which are being held in the area.

The workshop style sessions will focus on three main areas – the size and number of beds needed, potential sites for the new hospital and best practice in building design.

Residents had been expecting the latest version of the Local Plan (set to be revealed on 15^th June) to confirm that the school site (the footprint of the buildings) would be allocated for the construction of accommodation mainly aimed at older people. The site is ideal for retired people as it is located within walking distance of a full range of facilities in Acomb Village.

Residents were also hoping that any plans to build on the school playing field would finally be quashed. In surveys conducted by local Councillors the majority of residents said that they wanted the field to be retained as open space.

Morrisons in Acomb applies to sell alcohol until midnight each day

Morrison’s supermarket in Acomb has applied to open from 7:00pm until midnight each day.

The license application to the City of York Council also means that alcohol sales would be available for the same period.

A similar application has been submitted for Morrison’s Foss Islands store.

There have been sporadic problems with anti social behaviour at night in the Front Street area and the car park has been a magnet for some trouble makers. The store is also located quite close to residential properties so there is bound to be anxiety about the impact of the proposal.

Representations to the application must be made in writing to City of York, Licensing Services, Hazel Court EcoDepot, James Street, York. Y010 3DS. Representations must be received within a 28 day period beginning the first day after the application is made. Residents have until 20^th November to raise any objections with the Council Email: licensing.unit@york.gov.uk Tel 552512

The store currently opens between 8:00am and 9:00pm each day except Sunday when the hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm

A similar application for extended hours was recently submitted by the Lidl store on Thanet Road.

York Road Oakhaven older persons home plans announced

Will be replaced with an “extra care” facility.

Oakhaven site plan – click to enlarge

Following a public consultation exercise, the Council is being recommended to go ahead with the conversion of the Oakhaven care home site on York Road into an “extra care” facility.

The City is gearing up to meet an expected 50% increase in the number of residents who will be aged over 75 by 2030.

This forms part of the Council’s plan to provide, by the end of 2018, 525 new units of accommodation of which 343 will serve those with high care needs including dementia. “225 out of date care beds will be replaced”.

Another home – Grove House on Penleys Grove Street – will also be closed. That site will be sold in order to finance the improvements at other facilities for the elderly.

A report, being considered on Thursday, acknowledges that most “extra care” facilities are located on the east of the Ouse. However it fails to recognise the demand for more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site.

Instead in a separate report the Council is being asked to develop such facilities at the Burnholme school site.

Report fails to recognise the demand to establish more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site

Report fails to recognise the need for more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site, which has been left empty and derelict by the Council for over 3 years.

On Lowfields the report says, “The use of the Lowfields site for specialist accommodation with care for older people has been the subject of previous procurement which concluded that such development was unaffordable. However, we continue to examine the use of this site to meet housing, health and care objectives”.

Which means officials have made no progress on marketing the site?

The Oakhaven replacement will provide only 50 of the 525 beds needed to satisfy demand in the City

The papers reveal that the Council will not run the replacement facility at Oakhaven.

Instead it will seek a “partner” to fund, build and operate the extra care scheme. The Council is also relying on another private sector home being constructed at the Terry’s factory site (which received planning permission last week).

It will also sell off the Windsor House home in Ascot Way.

The consultation exercise concluded, “That 97% of questionnaire respondents agreed that bigger bedrooms, en-suite facilities, wider corridors and more social space should be key features of residential care homes. Bigger bedrooms give more social space for residents to entertain visitors, they can accommodate the resident’s own furniture and bigger rooms give staff more space in which to work and support residents, particularly where bed hoists need to be used”.

Work on the Oakhaven Extra care home is expected to start in early 2017 and may be available for occupation in May 2018.

Given the Council’s shambolic record on project management, we doubt if we will see any improvements much before the end of the decade.

Update on issues tackled in the Green Lane, Lowfields and Hob Moor areas