Confusion surrounds Labour’s plans to build three new care homes in York after it was revealed that one of the proposed sites in Fulford has been abandoned and another in Acomb has been delayed. Meanwhile, questions are being asked after plans were revealed to use the Burnholme School site as an alternative venue and sell the site in Fulford.
In May Labour agreed proposals to close the city’s nine care homes and replace them with state-of-the-art homes at Fordlands Road in Fulford and Haxby Hall plus a new care village site at Lowfield in Acomb. However, just 6 months later the Fordlands plan has been scrapped after analysis revealed concerns over flooding and space. The Burnholme Community College site has now been identified as the preferred alternative. The changes mean that the new facility will not meet the original April 2014 opening date, with the Burnholme site not available until after the school closes in July 2014. Meanwhile, the Lowfield Community Village project in Acomb has also run into problems as the tendering process to select a partner to run the site will now take longer than anticipated and the proposed April 2014 opening has also been scrapped.