Missed bin collections in York – backlog growing

The missed bins from yesterday and due for collection in Haxby, Huntington, Fulford and and Bishopthorpe today weren’t collected. This is put down to continuing staffing and vehicle reliability issues.

Skelton was also missed today

The Council says that it will try to empty all outstanding waste and garden bins tomorrow (Saturday)

It does increasingly seem that the bin emptying service, which was often regarded in public satisfaction surveys as the most appreciated local service provided by the Council, is now in decline.

Two pubs and a former Post Office face decision day in York

Lord Nelson Pub

The immediate future of three local buildings will be decided on 16th September.

The Council has been asked to list three local properties as “assets of community value”. If so designated, local organisations would be able to offer to buy the properties as and when they come onto the market..

 The three buildings concerned are:

  1. The Lord Nelson Public House, 9 Main Street, Nether Poppleton York.
  2. Blacksmiths Arms Public House, Shipton Road, Skelton, York.
  3. Lendal Post Office, 22 Lendal, York

The Council is being recommended to list the two pubs.

Both have been nominated by their local Parish Council.

The owners of the Lord Nelson say that any listing might delay the reopening of the pub as they plan to make improvements and re-let the building.

Sam Smiths maintain that their Blacksmiths Arms outlet has a long-term future with the intervention being unnecessary.

Officials are recommending that the former Post Office building on Lendal is not listed as it does not meet the relevant legal criteria.

10 week highway scheme – A19 Shipton Road, Skelton

City of York Council will be carrying out highways works on the A19 Shipton Road at Skelton from Tuesday 7 May until mid July.

The works are a requirement of the planning consent associated with the adjacent Barratt/David Wilson Homes development of the former Del Monte site. The works are funded by the developer through a Section 106 agreement – a requirement of the planning consent.

The 10 week scheme includes:

  • alterations to the road layout to remove the acceleration and deceleration lanes (filter lanes) to and from the Fairfields Drive junction and to create a suitable access into the former Del Monte site
  • provision of a grassed central reservation area
  • creation of vehicular crossovers though the central reservation at the Fairfields Drive junction and the new Barratt development access
  • provision of uncontrolled pedestrian crossings within the central reservation
  • amendments to bus stops and
  • reduction of the speed limit from 50mph to 40mph.

Work will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption and to maintain access into Fairfields Drive and thereon into the village throughout the main works.

The main construction work is expected to take eight weeks, with subsequent road surfacing planned for a further two weeks.

Week 1 – Temporary traffic lights will be installed (9am to 4pm) at the junction with Fairfields Drive to undertake activities such as removal of existing traffic islands. Access in to / out of Fairfields Drive will be maintained but will be managed to ensure priority is given to keeping traffic flow on the A19 and to minimise queuing.

Weeks 2–8 inclusive – The A19 will operate with narrow lanes during the main construction works, thereby maintaining the continual flow of traffic. Fairfields Drive will remain open but traffic signals may be used to control traffic for specific works at the junction.

Weeks 9 and 10 (overnight) – Resurfacing of A19 and junctions. Traffic flows along the A19 will be maintained using single lane working controlled by temporary traffic signals. Fairfields Drive will be closed during this work.

Work during weeks 1-8 will be undertaken between the hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Night working hours will be 8pm – 6am, Monday to Friday during weeks 9 and 10.

Bus services will be maintained throughout the works, although temporary bus stops will be provided on the A19.

It is intended to reduce the speed limit on the A19 to 30mph as a temporary safety measure during the works.

As with any highways scheme, there is likely to be some inconvenience at times during the works. Everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum. Motorists should expect delays during the works and are advised to plan their journeys accordingly. For travel information in and around York, visit www.itravelyork.info.

The works will be carried out by the council, who will be responsible for public safety and maintaining access. For more information visit www.york.gov.uk/a19skelton

Planning committee set to approve elderly persons home in former Terry’s building

The Planning Committee taking place on 22nd October will be asked to approve 4 major developments in the City.

One of the most significant applications would see the delightful but deteriorating Terry’s HQ office building brought back into use as a care home.  While changes to the layout of the Listed building are proposed, developers face a challenge in meeting modern expectations in a building of this age and layout.

Terrys Site

  • Former Terry’s Offices, Bishopthorpe Road, York, YO23 1DE (15/01623/FULM) A major full application for the conversion of former Terrys headquarters building to a care home with 82 care bedrooms and 8 care apartments with rooftop extension and car parking  plus (15/01624/LBC) A listed building consent application for internal and external alterations in connection with the conversion of the former Terry’s headquarters building to a care home with rooftop extension.  The Terry’s Headquarters Building comprises a Grade II Listed brick and stone built former office block to the east of the former entrance to the Terry’s chocolate manufacturing complex dating to the early 1920s. The site also lies within the Terrys/Racecourse Conservation Area. The premises have been vacant and deteriorating since 2011 when after chocolate manufacture at the site ceased, the subsequent office tenant vacated the premises. Planning permission is now sought for conversion of the premises into an 82 bed care home with 8 extra care apartments. The proposal includes a single storey roof level mansard extension. The application is recommended for approval
  • Land to the North of Avon Drive, Huntington, York (15/00798/OUTM) A major outline application for the erection of 109 houses. The application includes 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom houses. 30% of all house types would be affordable. The development would be bounded to the north by a landscaped buffer between the housing and the ring road. Two access points would be created via two vacant plots on the north side of Avon Drive. A new internal loop road within the development would link the two accesses. However the site is in the Green Belt and its development is therefore inappropriate  The application is recommended for refusal
  • Grantchester, Stripe Lane, Skelton, York, YO30 1YJ (15/01659/FUL) A full application for the use of land for a 20 pitch touring caravan and camping site. The site has recently been granted a 5 caravan and 10 tent certification by the caravan and camping club and is being operated within the parameters of this licence. A small building has been constructed on the south side of the plot which provides toilet facilities and water and emptying points are located towards the northern boundary. The proposal is to increase the use of the site to accommodate up to 20 caravans or tents. The application is recommended for approval
  • Plot 7, Great North Way, Nether Poppleton, York (15/01307/FULM) A major full application for the erection of a motor vehicle dealership, sales and servicing buildings with outside vehicle parking areas. Planning permission is sought for the construction of a Arnold Clarkcar dealership with associated facilities including car servicing, valeting and used car sales within a 3014 sq metre building employing 45 full time staff. The site has been notified as a SINC or Site of Interest for Nature Conservation on the basis of its calcareous vegetation and a colony of Great Crested Newts which have subsequently been “trans-located” (!) The application is recommended for approval

Community Stadium not on agenda for next planning committee meeting

Confirmation that the Community Stadium project is slipping further behind schedule has come with the publication of the agenda for the Planning Committee scheduled to take place on 19th March.

Community Stadium Nov 2014

Community Stadium planned for Huntington

This was to have been the meeting at which that the proposals would have been considered.

The timescale for a July 2016 opening for the stadium always looked very tight given the controversial nature of the “enabling” retail development. The project subsequently was thrown into disarray when first the Highways Agency suspended the scheme and then a “war of words” broke out between Council officials and the Knights rugby club, who were to have been one of the major users of the Stadium.

 A date has been reserved in the Councils calendar for a meeting on 27th March but It now seems unlikely that the planning application will be determined before the new Council’s Planning Committee has its first meeting in June.

It looks increasingly likely that the new Councillors, who will be elected on 7th May, will have a can of worms to sort out.

The March Planning Committee will, however, consider some important issues

George Hudson Street student flats

The committee will consider a change of use from offices to student accommodation comprising of 58 self contained units with associated facilities including shop, cycle store, managers office, communal lounge, gym and laundry. A new shop front to the proposed entrance on the George Hudson Street elevation will be provided. The building is Listed.

Del Monte Site, Skelton

The committee will have a second go at approving a new 60 home development at this former factory site.

Naburn Lock caravan park

The committee are being asked to agree that this 100 pitch caravan park be allowed to open throughout the whole year

New teaching block at the University of York

Proposal to build a 13 metre high, 4240 sq metres floor area, teaching block on a site on Spring Lane previously occupied by staff housing

Housing development on Grain Store site, Water Lane

An application for approval of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of 215 new dwellings, following the grant of outline permission in 2012

Key York planning decisions scheduled for 22nd January

Future of B&Q, former Council offices and Del Monte sites to be determined

B & Q Hull Road

Sainsbury’s have applied to convert the premises into retail food store with external alterations including reconfiguration of the shop front, canopy, installation of new customer cafe and associated toilets, installation of ATMs, removal of existing garden centre and builders yard and reconfiguration of site access and customer car park.

The store will have 5,591 Sq m of retail floor space and 505 car parking spaces.

There have been 93 objections to the proposal mainly on transport grounds. Several competitor traders have also objected.

71 people have written in support of the plan.

The application is recommended for approval but will be referred to the Secretary of State who will decide whether to call it in for further consideration.

Del Monte site Skelton

The application seeks outline consent for the use of the site for residential development for up to 60 dwellings. The site has previously been used as a factory, which was demolished last year.

20% of the homes will be “affordable”.

The application is recommended for approval. If approved the new homes will reduce the pressure to build on Green Belt land.

Offices to be turned into homes

Offices to be turned into homes

 Former Council offices, 1-9 St Leonards Place

 This application seeks planning permission for the change of use of 1-9 St Leonard’s and 2- 4 Museum St, and includes the former stable block to the rear.

At present these buildings are vacant and were last used as City of York Council offices. The applicants wish to convert the buildings into 5 town houses and 29 apartments.

The former stable block would be converted to 1 mews house with a double garage and 5 mews houses over 5 double garages would be developed along the rear lane. The layout of the existing St Leonard’s place car park would be revised to create a private car park with 30 parking spaces. Gates and railings would be reinstated around the car park area.

The Council is seeking a contribution of £298,169 towards the provision of “off site” affordable housing. Concerns about air quality for rooms facing St Leonard’s Place, means that windows will be fixed and fresh air ventilation will be drawn mechanically from the rear of the buildings.

The application is recommended for approval together with a parallel application which would permit limited works to the Listed building. This is another project that will reduce the pressure for building on the Green Belt.

  1. Planning permission is also recommended for approved at Hagg Lane, Dunnington for the extension of a car park currently used during the week by Costcutter staff and of Saturdays by footballers.