Council officials are recommending approval of a planning application from the National Trust who own and currently occupy the Goddards site at 27 Tadcaster Road. The application is to open up part of the building as a visitor attraction. It is proposed to open up rooms on the ground and first floor to the public. Opening hours to the public would be restricted to 9:30am and 4:30pm,
The gardens are already open to the public, for recreation, but potentially the permission could allow these to be used for events.

The house is grade 1 listed, it was built in 1926-27 by Walter Brierley* for Katherine and Noel Goddard Terry. It is recognised as the finest surviving work by the architect.

Access into the site is through the gatehouse, which fronts Tadcaster Road, the access road then leads to the main house and it’s gardens, and there is a car parking area to the north of the main house.
Planning permission was granted in 1983 for a change of use to convert the buildings on site from residential to office use. The permission was exclusive to the National Trust. Before 1983 the site was still resided at by the Terry family. The gatehouse reverted back to residential use from offices in 1999.

A public consultation event was held on site in Sept 2011 and attended by 87 persons. Officers report that, “All were in favour of the visitor attraction, and saw the proposed use as an important part of York’s history”.

Layout of Goddards. Click to enlarge

The Planning Committee (West) will consider the officer recommendation at a meeting on Thursday.

*Walter Henry Brierley (1862–1926) was a York architect who practiced in the city for 40 years. (more…)

click to enlarge

Although there has been some movement over the last few months in the housing market in Dringhouses, prices remain volatile.

Large developments are influencing prices

A 5 bedroomed chain free property in Wordsworth Crescent is available for £229K.

In the rental market a 1 bedroomed property in Walker Drive is available for £495 pcm. In Vincent Way a 3 bedroomed house is available for £695 pcm.

The latest House Price Index from Land Registry shows that house prices fell over the last year by -0.6 per cent. The number of property sales has increased slightly over the past 12 months, from an average of 57,334 sales per month from September to December 2010, to 60,392 in the same period a year later.

In Dringhouses the average price for a 2 bed property is now £169K having reduced over recent months.

Rentals for most properties have fallen although demand has pushed the average letting price for 3 bedroomed properties up to £906 pcm

Rental prices: Click to enlarge

City of York Council’s Sport and Active Leisure team is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to train up to become Community Nordic Walking Instructors.

The one day training course is organised by Nordic Walking UK in partnership with the council, and takes place on 24 May. Through taking part in the course you will gain a recognised qualification, have first aid training and become a fully fledged Community Nordic Walking Instructor. (more…)

On April 20, the council’s Street Environment Service will be holding a litter awareness event at York College, giving away portable ashtrays and educating young people about the effects of litter on the local area.

In the afternoon of April 20, Westfield Primary School will be showing how they love where they live in a litter pick event at Grange Lane play area, which they have adopted to look after with the help of their street environment officer.

Volunteers from York College will join forces with local community groups and Tesco employees on April 21. This is to help litter pick around Tadcaster Road, including the Cemetery, Bishopthorpe cycle path and Moor Lane.

Friends of Chapmans Pond will be holding a litter and tree lopping event on Thursday, April 26 to help improve the pathway round the pond. Woodthorpe Primary school pupils will be joining them. This event is open to everyone from 10am, Chapmans Pond, Moor Lane. (more…)

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Reid has welcomed Labour’s promise that salt bins in Dringhouses & Woodthorpe will be retained.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Heworth Without asked the Labour Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion, Cllr Sonja Crisp:

“Will the Cabinet Member confirm that all salt bins currently funded by Ward Committees will now be filled and refilled from the core budget?”

Cllr Crisp answered:

“Certainly, all the salt bins required across all wards will be refilled from the core budget.”

Cllr Ayre said “There has been a lot of concern across York that these salt bins would be lost. In wintry weather they are a lifeline for residents and their removal would be extremely unpopular.

“I am pleased that the Labour Cabinet, after Liberal Democrat pressure, has offered a commitment to funded salt bins and this news has been positively received by local residents I have talked to.

“I hope that Labour will stick to this commitment in the long-term and that their use of the word ‘required ‘ is not an attempt to wriggle out of their commitment to maintaining all salt bins.”

It’s D-Day for York on Thursday 19 April when Yorkshire in Bloom Judges – arrive for their spring visit to assess the city for the regional Yorkshire in Bloom competition – part of the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom campaign.

The judges will tour the city to decide how York is doing this spring and whether it meets the Gold standard in terms of its floral displays, green spaces, the look of the local neighbourhoods and street environment, including community involvement.

They will visit a wider variety of sites across the city as well as the historic city centre, including Brunswick Organic Nursery, Bustardthorpe Allotments, Merchant Adventurers Garden, York St John University, Hazel Court Eco Depot, Glen Gardens, Dringhouses Primary School, Askham Bog to name but a few.

The judges will hear about all the work that is going on throughout the city and by local communities including schools, local residents and Edible York. They will already have had a flavour of this through York’s Britain in Bloom portfolio which will be posted on the York in Bloom website page – go to www.yorkinbloom.com and click on the Britain in Bloom link.

Last week the Personal Allowance was raised for the second year in a row, meaning 85,400 people in York will get a £130 Income Tax cut and the number of the lowest paid people who have been lifted out of paying any Income Tax will reach 3,900.

Commenting, Ann Reid Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward Councillor, said:

“The tax system had become increasingly unfair over the last few decades, sucking more and more people into paying Income Tax. It was unfair that when Liberal Democrats came into office, millions of low-paid workers were paying a higher proportion of their income in tax than the richest were.

“The Lib Dems have set about rebalancing the tax system. From this month in York, tens of thousands of ordinary workers will get a much needed tax cut and thousands more will be lifted out of tax altogether. Furthermore, under Lib Dem pressure the coalition government is now quickly working towards raising the tax allowance to £10,000.

“At the same time, we are making sure the rich pay their fair share, by closing loopholes, introducing a tycoon tax and cracking down on tax avoidance. As we clean up the economic mess Labour left behind, it is right that the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burdens.”

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 11 April and Tuesday 17 April 2012

•A64 Seamer by-pass Scarborough
•B1249 Staxton Wold, Staxton, Scarborough
•B1249 Foxholes to county boundary
•A1039 Filey Road at Flixton (more…)

Millions of people could have their energy bills cut thanks to a landmark agreed between the Coalition and all major energy suppliers.

Nick Clegg has announced that the big six energy companies – EDF, E.On, British Gas, Southern, Scottish Power and NPower, who supply 99 per cent of British homes with energy – will now write to customers every year to specifically tell them what the best tariff is for them and how to get it. (more…)

Councillor Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Communities & Neighbourhoods, has reacted to the commencement of Labour’s city-wide streetlight scheme.

“The Liberal Democrat Group welcomes the programme to replace the street lights that Labour removed last year before indentifying any funding to replace them. However, this action is long overdue and it is not new money.

“Labour are implying that this is new investment. In fact, the money is simply being taken from other areas in the Neighbourhoods budget. The overall budget for resurfacing roads and footpaths has been reduced and money has just been moved from highway maintenance to street lights. This means that fewer roads and footpaths will be repaired.

“While residents will be delighted to get their street lights back, it is unacceptable that some will have been waiting for nearly 9 months, throughout the dark winter months. Liberal Democrat budget plans protected these frontline services rather than funding the Labour Leader’s vanity projects such as City Centre Wi-Fi.”