On the evening of 20th October local author Pauline Kirk will be giving a reading from her new book at Dringhouses Library.
What’s on – Dringhouses Library literary event
What’s on – Dringhouses Local History Group
On Thursday 19th October the History Group will hear a talk by the Civic Trust on their work in the city.
Self-build housing drop-in session
Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward councillors have today been notified of a residents’ engagement event being held at Love to Eat cafe on Moor Lane on Tuesday 3 October from 4pm to 7pm.
The purpose of the event, as we understand it, is to share information on the proposed use of the former garage site on Chaloners Road as a location for three self-build homes.
Cherry Lane development set to go ahead after refusal overturned
A proposal to build a detached dwelling on land off Cherry Lane is set to go ahead after the council’s decision to refuse planning permission was overturned by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate.
The background to the application is available HERE. In summary, outline planning permission was granted for a dwelling to be built on the site, which was followed up with a detailed ‘reserved matters’ application which set out the scale and design of the proposed dwelling.
Whilst the appeal again refusal of the reserved matters application was ongoing, a revised application had been submitted. It is assumed that this will be withdrawn now that the original application has been approved on appeal.
Sim Balk Lane update
Earlier this year, developers announced plans to build 114 homes and a car park on land off Sim Balk Lane, opposite York College. They held a drop-in event at the College and ran a consultation exercise.
A full planning application has not yet been submitted but the developers recently asked the council for a ‘screening opinion’ on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment will be needed. In response, the council has advised that “it is felt that the development would not by its nature, layout and design give rise to significant environmental effects giving rise to the need for formalised Environmental Impact Assessment.”
Natural England have however stated that “there are potential likely significant effects on statutorily designated nature conservation sites or landscapes and further assessment is required. The proposed development is located within/partly within or has the potential for adverse effects on the following designated nature conservation sites or designated landscapes – Naburn Marsh SSSI and Askham Bog SSSI… Should you decide that an EIA is not required, Natural England advises that sufficient information on the potential impacts of this proposal upon these designated sites/areas is submitted with any subsequent planning application.”
The Sim Balk Lane site is not identified as land for development in the draft Local Plan for York. The former Park & Ride is included in the Local Plan as a site for housing, but it remains unclear when and how that site will be brought forward for development.
Travellers move on – but leave trail of destruction
The large group of travellers who were camped on playing fields to the south of York College departed on Wednesday 25th July, but there is now a big clean-up and repair job to do,
Fencing has been damaged, playing fields have been churned up, cut vegetation has been flytipped and there is evidence of the nature reserve having been used as a toilet.
Local councillors have requested a meeting with York College, All Saints School and Council officers to discuss what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of further traveller incursions.
Inconsistent ward funding decisions revealed
Local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton has expressed concern about inconsistencies in how wards are being permitted to spend limited ward funding, after he was refused permission to have repairs made to a damaged community noticeboard.
The perspex cover of the community noticeboard on Moorcroft Road has been smashed
Shortly after coming into power, York’s new Labour administration froze the ward funding that had been allocated in the 2023/24 budget by the then Lib Dem / Green administration. Three-member wards such as Dringhouses & Woodthorpe were permitted to spend £2,393 but it was made clear that this could only be spent on items such as summer holiday activities for children or schemes to support residents suffering from social isolation. Dringhouses & Woodthorpe councillors therefore invested the limited funds available on the popular free kickabout sessions run by York City FC Foundation.
It has become apparent however that the rules around how this funding can be spent have not been consistently applied. Labour-held Micklegate ward, for example, was allowed to spend £175 on repairing a damaged community noticeboard on Scarcroft Green.
When Cllr Fenton sought permission for similar repairs to be made to the damaged community noticeboard in Woodthorpe, the request was turned down by council officers.
Cllr Fenton has called on the Labour administration to reverse the ban on ward spending so that it can be invested in local priorities. He said “It is deeply ironic that the poster advertising the free summer holiday activities will soon be illegible due to the rain pouring in through the shattered perspex which the council refuses to repair.
“Labour say that they are going to make some more ward funding available, but we have no idea how much or when. It’s a complete shambles. If we had known that we could have kept back some of the £2,393 for emergency repairs, we would have done so.
“Given the continued ban on ward spending, I’ll fund the repairs to the Moorcroft Road noticeboard out of my own pocket.”
Travellers arrive on playing fields
A large group of travellers have again set up camp on playing fields to the south of York College. It seems that they gained access through the gate next to the changing room block on Sim Balk Lane.
The Police and the council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement team have been made aware so that the necessary action can be taken.
A similar incursion in May 2022 resulted in a large quantity of cut vegetation being flytipped in a nearby nature reserve.
Dringhouses Council House improvements – New Letter Is Released
In July 2022, the tenants of Dringhouses Council homes were invited to an exhibition at the Foxwood Community Centre to select from a range of products and materials to modernise their homes. But despite being promised that works would begin within the 2022/23 financial year, these works have unfortunately not yet occurred.
However, after local councillor Stephen Fenton requested a copy of the letter to be sent to tenants on this matter, a letter updating residents on the modernisation programme has now been issued. This letter can be seen below:
(Tenant’s name)
First of all, can I apologise to you for any delay you have experienced with your home’s modernisation.
Over these past few months, we have been working with a number of residents to redesign our Home Improvements programme – previously known as Tenants’ Choice. This includes our aim to replace all kitchens and bathrooms before they are 30 years old.
This year, our Home Improvements programme will be updating homes which we couldn’t work on during the Covid pandemic and homes in some parts of Dringhouses, which is the next area due for completion.
New Contractors have been appointed to carry out the programme of work, which will start this summer. Our contractors are BM Services and Urban Construction Interiors, both local to York.
As soon as we’re able to confirm dates and which homes will be updated, we will let you know when we can survey your home, discuss your choices, and start work.
Meanwhile, if you have any urgent repairs to the areas of your home identified for replacement, please report them by calling our Housing Repairs phone line, open 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, on 01904 551550 (option 4, option 1).
If you have any questions about this letter or about the Home Modernisation programme, please email us on capitalprojectsteam@york.gov.uk or call our repairs service who will arrange for a call back by a member of the team to answer your questions
Kind regards,
John Hughes- Investment Manager
Mr Hughes confirmed in an e-mail to Cllr Fenton that “Works will commence this year on Dringhouses with the first 50 properties to be issued to the contractor in the coming weeks. Works will commence in quarter 3 (September onwards) with hopefully at least another 25 properties to completed this year but this will depend on the cost of completing the first 50.”
Dringhouses Sports And Social Club Open Their New Accessible Toilet in Style
On 20th July the Dringhouses Sports and Social Club held a ‘grand opening’ for their new accessible toilet at the weekly musical afternoon.
These weekly sessions are well-loved by the local community, particularly older people living alone, with the room packed full. The sessions used to take place at the nearby Cross Keys pub but moved into the larger venue of the Dringhouses Sports and Social Club which can accommodate more attendees.
Some residents with a disability were unable to attend these sessions due to there being no accessible toilet. So a fundraising campaign was launched, and with the help of a grant from the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committee, the local building firm Kitson Builders constructed the new facility.
Before the toilet was officially opened, the Vintage Rhythms Dance Band serenaded the audience with pitch-perfect trombones and trumpets playing songs of yesteryear.
During the interval – and to the audience’s surprise – a toilet seat covered with paper was brought out onto the stage. It was held aloft by Cllr Stephen Fenton and music session organiser and key fundraiser Ken Waller. After a 5 second countdown, a trombone was thrust through the toilet seat and let out a triumphant toot of success as the audience applauded.
Click here to watch the exciting moment for yourself!
Cllr Stephen Fenton said “It’s fantastic that ward funding has been able to help deliver this new facility which makes this community venue more accessible. The weekly music sessions provide a great opportunity for people who are lonely or isolated to get out and interact and form new friendship groups. I’d like to thank the volunteers who organise these sessions and have led the fundraising efforts which have enabled these improvements to happen.
“My pleasure at this achievement is tempered by the uncertainty that hangs over the future of ward funding, after the new Labour council administration announced that they would be making changes to how ward funding works. No details have been provided as yet, and it would be a real shame if similar schemes could not be supported in future.”
Many thanks to Kitson builders who constructed the new accessible toilet as well as Vintage Rhythms Dance Band and the other bands for entertaining the local community with regular music sessions.