The Councils planning committee have rejected plans to establish a Roman visitor attraction on the lower floor of a block of flats on Rougier Street. The building would have replaced the (rather less than iconic) “Northern House” 60’s office block.
Opponents of the scheme cited the building’s size and the lack of affordable housing units to justify their decision.
The developers now have the options of appealing against the decision, submitting fresh plans or walking away from the City.
It looks like the proposal to construct a Roman visitor attraction on Rougier Street is set to get planning permission next week.
The old Northern House 1960’s office block will be demolished and replaced with 211 apartments, new offices and the Roman history visitor attraction at ground floor level.
The proposed Roman attraction, which has a working title of Eboracum, would based on archaeological discoveries from a two-year dig on the site. It would be three times the size of the Jorvik attraction and is aiming to attract 500,000 visitors per year.
At its maximum height the new building will be of a similar height to the tallest point of the Aviva building and the Malmaison Hotel to either side.
There are a number of objections mainly relating to the size of the proposed building. There are also a large number (69) of letters of support.
Details of the application which will be determined on 24th February can be read by clicking here
The application is recommended for approval.
The development is expected to bring a major jobs boost the the City in the wake of the economic problems caused by the pandemic.
The same meeting is expected to approve the replacement of the Haxby Hall care home with a new 65 bedroomed residential and dementia care facility.
The new care home would be managed by Yorkare Homes Ltd.
The application, which is recommended for approval, says that the existing ambulance station building will be retained.
The plans have been welcomed by social care professionals who comment,
” The proposal to develop a 65 bed care home on the Haxby Hall site is welcomed. The city has a shortage of care home accommodation and specifically for those living with dementia.
Based on national benchmarking York has a current shortage of almost 600 care bedrooms, this application will help to address this shortfall by not only providing an increased number of bedrooms but also by providing a modern, accessible facilities for residents.
I am particularly supportive of the fact that each bedroom in this proposal has an en-suite bathroom and corridors are wide enough to allow those with walking frames or wheelchair users to pass, which the existing care home does not provide.
The terraces on the upper floors will enable all residents to have access to outdoor space and nature. The way the building has been designed will allow natural light into bedrooms, corridors and communal spaces, which is a key feature in design for older person’s accommodation.
The specific provision for those living with dementia, with dementia friendly design elements and a focus on resident’s wellbeing is also strongly welcomed.
Details can be found by clicking here
On Monday, 5 March, bus services will return to their normal bus stops at Stonebow following relocation during the refurbishment of Stonebow House.
The temporary stops outside Marks and Spencer, and further down Stonebow will close.
The stops will reopen with wider pavements and better lighting, significantly improving the environment for passengers. Seating will also be improved later in the year.
At the same time, three bus stops at Rougier Street, for buses heading in the direction of York Station, will close to allow a new bus shelter to be to be put in place following the refurbishment of Roman House.
The Rougier Street stops will reopen towards the end of April after the new shelter has been completed. The new shelter will be a substantial improvement with better lighting, improved seating and in-shelter CCTV.
All stops in the city centre have also been fitted with real time information displays, and all stops have received new, easy to read, timetables.
NB. The number 4 bus service returned to its original route past the railway station yesterday.
For more information about traveling in and around York visit www.itravelyork.info
From Monday 23 October City of York Council is set to start the next phase of work to improve the Rougier Street bus stops which are some of the most used in the city.
The improvements include installing new paving and kerbs to help ready the area for the new bus shelter in January. The work is expected to take four weeks to complete with the stops ready for passengers on Monday 20 November.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible for buses to stop on the Roman House side of Rougier Street whilst the repaving works is underway. Because of this, bus stops on this side of the road (CA-CC) will be closed for four weeks whilst the work takes place.
Depending on the bus route, the nearest alternative stops will be at Low Ousegate, Station Avenue, the Railway Station or a temporary stop at Micklegate. A list of bus services showing the nearest alternative stops during the closure period is available at www.itravelyork.info .
The Rougier Street bus stops will reopen on 20 November, for the Christmas and New Year period, then will close in January for the new shelter to be installed.
The work is part of the Better Bus Area Fund which has also seen improvements to the bus stop on Museum Street. Work is also taking place to enhance the Stonebow bus interchange.
The York Council is to make changes to facilities for pedestrians when it modernises traffic signals on the Lendal Arch “gyratory”.
The changes will provide direct pedestrian crossings removing he need for pedestrian islands at some locations.
Footpaths will also be widened at the Station Road/Rougier Street junction where an all-round pedestrian phase will be introduced in the traffic lights sequence. The work will cost around £130,000. The changes will marginally increase traffic delays in the area (up from 16 seconds to 22.2 seconds at the pm peak).
At the Station Rise/Station Road junction the existing crossing will be widened. A new signal controlled pedestrian crossing to the burial grounds will be introduced. The eastbound cycle lane will be removed. This section of works will cost and additional £130,000.
The report is due to be considered on 14th September.
From Monday 14 August City of York Council is set to improve the Rougier Street bus stops, some of the most used in the city, with new paving and kerbs ready for a major overhaul later in the year.
The work will take place after the scaffolding which has been used to redevelop Roman House is removed. The area will then be repaved ahead of the new bus shelter being installed in October.
Unfortunately, it will not be possible for buses to stop on the Roman House side of Rougier Street whilst the scaffolding is being removed or the pavement renewed. Because of this, bus stops on this side of the road (CA-CC) will be closed for seven weeks between 14 August and 24 September.
From Monday 31st July for up to two weeks, Coastliner services will divert via Monkgate and Heworth Green to avoid possible delays due to traffic signal works in Heworth Village. East Parade and Heworth Road will not be served.
Rougier Street stops CA-CC will be closed from Monday 14th August for seven weeks during scaffolding removal and footway repair works. During this time, the nearest alternative stops will be:
Stops for services heading towards Stonebow and Piccadilly will not be affected by these works. All other stops will remain open as normal.
Stonebow stops SA, SB and SC are closed until the end of 2017 due to major refurbishment works at Stonebow House.
Depending on the bus route, the nearest alternative stops will be at Low Ousegate, Station Avenue, the Railway Station or a temporary stop at Micklegate. A list of bus services showing the nearest alternative stops during the closure period is available at www.itravelyork.info
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Rougier Street will be closed towards the railway station on Tuesday 1st November, from 2100 until 0600 the following morning.
This is for repairs to a manhole cover. Stops CA, CB and CC on Rougier Street will be out of use. The road will be open in the opposite direction (towards George Hudson Street and Ouse Bridge).
Services will be diverted as follows:
City to Acomb. From Clifford Street the bus will go over Ouse Bridge as normal, then LEFT onto Skeldergate, RIGHT Bishopgate Street and RIGHT Nunnery Lane. It will then continue AHEAD to the railway station, turn around by looping round Station Ave/Station Road, back to railway station, then as normal route.
Haxby to Foxwood Lane. The bus will divert from Foss Bank, RIGHT onto Jewbury and ahead onto Lord Mayor’s Walk, then LEFT Gillygate, LEFT past Theatre Royal, RIGHT over Lendal Bridge then normal line of route from Station Road.
Please note: the stops at Stonebow and Low Ousegate WILL NOT BE SERVED. Alternative stop: Theatre Royal. The bus will serve all stops on diversion.
The victim sustained serious injuries to his face including a broken nose, cuts to his head and face, a black eye and muscle damage to his neck.
The area was busy with people celebrating Halloween and officers are appealing to anyone who was in the area of Society Bar between midnight and 1pm to contact them.
They also want to hear from anyone who has any information about who carried out the attack.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Safer Neighbourhood Service Desk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote reference number 12150194046 when passing on information.
Following the move not to allow Cabinet members to take decisions in “private” sessions, the gap has been filled by Council officials who are queuing up make the most use that they can of their “delegated” powers.
This week, the much delayed project to replace the (admittedly odious) bus shelter on Rougier Street next to Roman House was formally shelved.
Developers had been planning to convert Roman House into flats. There were concerns that a new shelter might be damaged during building works.
It now appears that the flats project has been abandoned and new owners are looking into providing a hotel on the site.
The scheme is being funded by the – time limited – “better bus fund” . This is the same fund that the Council misused to subsidise their ill fated Lendal Bridge adventure.
With little prospect of the development on Rougier Street starting in the near future. it would have been sensible to divert the funds into sub-urban areas where bus stop and information facilities have had little improvement during the last 4 years.
Instead officials decided to mothball the project. (Their decision rather strangely refers to the shelter being located in the Skelton ward !!)
Separately – and not yet formally reported to the Council – we understand that improvements to the Theatre Royal bus stop have also been 
suspended. Apparently English Heritage were concerned that the works might endanger the adjacent listed buildings.
The improvements to the Theatre frontage include glazing the area between the columns.
It appears however that these glazing panels – rather than filling in the gaps in between the masonry – will actually be recessed further back.
This raises concerns that a litter trap – or worse – is being constructed.
Clifton Moor link foot and cycle path click to access
Plans to connect the two sides of the Clifton Moor retail park are being redesigned following the opening of the DFS store.
A new combined cycle/foot path has been approved. The costs will be born by developers and land owners.The design is reproduced right
Burdyke Avenue plan click to enlarge
Obstructions on Burdyke Avenue have been causing delays to local bus services. The Council plan to install a parking lay-by with associated parking restrictions. Telecoms equipment in the verge means that the project will cost £55,000.
The plan doesn’t provide any additional parking space and an alternative, which would have utilized gardens for parking, does not appear to have been fully explored.
Estate car parking is an increasing issue.
Labour slowed the improvement programme when they took office in 2011. Until then most wards had allocated money for dropped kerbs, lay-bys and off street parking near flats.
The installation of matrix reinforcement on verges was also being developed as a way of protecting them.
The prices, of the flats being converted from the bus shelter office block on Rougier Street, have been announced.
The penthouse will cost a whopping £300,000 which is a lot given the somewhat noisy neighbourhood.
There is no parking with the flats but theya re being sold with the latest electronic gadgets including an iPad mini that is interfaced “to allow you to control your home, mood and style in seconds. keep cosy or cool with the ability to pre-set thermostats and adjust heating, make your space light and bright or dark and homely with dimmable LeD lights, and enjoy your favourite music or TV on demand with a cutting edge aV system featuring built-in speakers and cabling for wall mounted LeD TVs”.
The development will have a 24 hour concierge service.
More details can be found by clicking here
