Update on Moor Lane housing appeal

Further details have been made available about the appeal against the council’s refusal of planning permission for 516 homes to be built on land off Moor Lane next to Askham Bog.

The Appellant has submitted further information for consideration by the Planning Inspector in the form of an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment, which can be viewed on the council’s website HERE

Planning officers at the council have confirmed that all of the comments and objections submitted by residents earlier this year will be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate so that they can be considered by the Inspector when determining the appeal. So there is no need for residents to resubmit the same comments previously submitted.

Any residents who want to modify or add to their earlier comments can do so online HERE before 2nd October. All representations must quote reference APP/C2741/W/19/3233973.

The Inquiry will begin on 12 November (venue to be confirmed) and is scheduled to sit for 12 days.

What’s on – Open Day at York Model Engineers on Sunday 22 September

On Sunday 22 September York Model Engineers are holding an Open Day for local residents to find out more about the organisation.

The club is located next to the East Coast Main Line and is accessed from North Lane, Dringhouses, YO24 2JE. It is set in nearly 5 acres of land with three different miniature railways landscaped in woodland ground – a real hidden gem.

For more information click on the link HERE

Moor Lane applicant appeals against planning refusal

City of York Council has received notification from the Planning Inspectorate that the applicant for the Moor Lane planning application (18/02687/OUTM) has appealed the Council’s decision to refuse the outline permission for up to 516 residential units.

The Planning Inspectorate has notified the Council that the Inquiry will start on 12th November 2019 and it is anticipated that the Inquiry will sit for 12 days.

The Council will send notification of the appeal to any person who was notified or consulted about the application and any other interested persons who made representations.

If however the representation was part of a petition, each individual on the petition will not be notified by the Council.

Cllr Stephen Fenton at Askham Bog with YWT’s Louise Wilkinson and Alastair Fitter

Cllr Stephen Fenton commented “This is disappointing news, but not surprising. The application was refused by the Planning Committee unanimously on the basis of a very thorough report which set out clearly why the proposed development is completely inappropriate due to the impact on Askham Bog and local infrastructure.”

“The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust mounted a fantastic campaign to save Askham Bog which attracted over 7,000 signatures. The campaign will go on until the threat to this site is defeated once and for all.”

Dringhouses hit by graffiti blitz

Telecom and electrical cabinets and bus shelters in Dringhouses were recently hit by a graffiti ‘artist’.

Local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton (with the help of graffiti removal wipes!) tackled the bus shelters and cabinets on Tadcaster Road. The electrical cabinet on North Lane, near the entrance to Hob Moor, remains to be cleaned up.

Bus stop on Tadcaster Road near The Horseshoe
Bus stop on Tadcaster Road near St Edwards
Graffiti on North Lane

‘Handyperson’ sought for Woodthorpe shops area

The owner of the area at the front and rear of Woodthorpe shops on Moorcroft Road is looking for a handyman or woman to keep the area tidy. This is a paid position.

Initially because the area is in need of quite a bit of attention, there would be a few days work up front. It would then need a couple of hours every week or fortnight to sweep and keep on top of the weeds.

If anyone is interested, please contact Cllr Stephen Fenton on 07751 963215 or email cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk and he will pass your details on to the landowner.

Travellers move on, but…

The travellers who occupied a playing field at the rear of the Revival estate have moved on, but they have left a large amount of rubbish behind. A chicken was also found wandering around in the debris.

The council’s cleansing team has been tasked with the clean-up job. Local councillors have also asked that the gates and bollards that the travellers smashed through are secured as a matter of urgency.

Travellers served with notice to leave

The Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement team have issued the travellers occupying land next to the green lane in Dringhouses with a ‘direction to leave’ notice requiring them to leave by 17:00 on Wednesday 24 July.

Should they fail to adhere to this direction, the council will apply for a Court Order to remove them, if they don’t leave at that point bailiffs will be instructed to physically remove them from the land.

The Neighbourhood Enforcement team has been sent photographs of the human excrement that is littering the paths and the nature area and they have been asked to arrange for the mess to be cleaned up.

Local councillors have also asked that the gates and bollards that the travellers broke through to gain access to the site – starting with the metal ‘Farm Access’ gate off Sim Balk Lane – are properly secured.

Moor Lane housing application – planning officers recommend refusal

City of York Council planning officers are recommending that the application to build 516 homes on Green Belt land off Moor Lane in Woodthorpe is refused.

The recommendation will be considered at a meeting of the council’s Planning Committee on Thursday 11 July at 4.30pm at West Offices. Members of the committee will decide whether or not to accept the officer recommendation for refusal. Members of the public can attend the meeting in person and it will also be webcast.

The planning officer’s report recommending refusal is published on the council’s website HERE

The report concludes that the proposal by reason of its location within the Green Belt would constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt as set out in Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

It notes that the proposal would result in a detrimental impact on the rural landscape, harm to the Askham Bog Site of Special Scientific Interest, impacts on education provision in the city and potential for significant impacts on  the transport network and highway safety.

It states that the benefits put forward by the applicant  do not either individually or cumulatively clearly outweigh the totality of this harm and therefore do not amount to very special circumstances necessary to justify the  proposal for the purposes of the National Planning Policy Framework.

On Tuesday 9 July at 10.15am Planning Committee members will visit the new Askham Bar Park & Ride site (west / railway side) from where they will view the application site and Askham Bog. Residents are welcome to attend the visit if they wish.