The York Council has admitted that it will need to find school places for at least an additional 800 primary age children by 2016.
These are children who will move to the City to occupy houses built on (mainly) green field sites around the City.
The number is in addition to a forecast increase of 1359 primary pupils resulting from natural changes to birth rates and new developments already scheduled to take place.
The number of primary school pupils stands at 12513. This will increase to over 14,000 by September 2016.
The Council says that it has identified between 13 and 15 schools which will need to be expanded, with “one or two” additional schools being built.
The Council accepts that most of the expansion – the costs and source of funding for which are not yet known – will be built on existing playgrounds and playing fields.
With “lead in” times for new school buildings in excess of 2 years, it is likely that the City will see greater use being made of temporary classrooms over the next few years.
The revelations come at a time when the Council is starting to consult on proposals to include still more – mainly green field – land in its development plans..
The draft Local Plan published by the Labour led Council 12 months ago proposed that the City should increase in size by 22,000 homes (25%).
Following the highest number of objections ever received for a city-wide consultation in York, theCouncil is moving closer to adopting a Local Plan for the city. The new proposals change some of the sites and add in others.
The Council have issued a media statement saying, “A targeted six-week consultation starts from Wednesday 4 June to Wednesday 16 July, which will seek public views on potential new sites (submitted by landowners and indicated for use by landowners) and boundary changes on some of the sites originally identified in the Preferred Options Local Plan.
The aim of the targeted consultation is to help inform future recommendations on the portfolio of sites for inclusion in the publication draft Local Plan. This document will then be subject to a city-wide public consultation later this year before being submitted to the Secretary of State for public examination
The plan aims to support York’s economic growth, address the shortage of housing and help shape future development in the city over the next 15-years and beyond.
The proposals will also identify new sites for employment and housing – and allocate safeguarded land for the city’s needs.
Following the submission of new sites, assessment of new evidence submitted through the last consultation or suggested changes to key sites in York since the first round of consultation last year, which saw over 14,000 responses submitted, the council is opening up a targeted ‘Further Sites Consultation’ this month.
National guidance currently indicates that for a plan to be ‘sound’ it must be ‘justified’. This means a plan must be founded on a robust and credible evidence base. It also highlights the importance of undertaking and reflecting public consultation and indicates that a plan must be ‘effective’, ‘deliverable’ and ‘flexible’.
The council is working to the Government’s policy/procedures to bring the plan forward. All consultation documents are available online at www.york.gov.uk/localplanand to view in the council’s West Office’s and libraries around York. There will also be a number of consultation public exhibitions at:
B&Q on Hull Road (Tuesday 10 June from 2.30pm to 7.30pm)
Monks Cross Shopping Park – Car Park (Thursday 26 June from 2.30pm to 7.30pm)
York City Centre – Parliament Street (Wednesday 2July from 10am to 4pm)
For further details call the consultation number on (01904) 552255 or email localplan@york.gov.uk
Statutory Consultees including organisations such as Natural England and English Heritage and general consultees on the Local Plan database (approximately 8,000 individuals and organisations) will be sent an email/letter informing them of the opportunity to comment and details of the webpage and where to find additional information.
In order to conform with the Duty to Cooperate consultation with neighbouring authorities will also take place as well as Parish Councils.
It is anticipated that a final preferred options draft of the Local Plan will be published for consultation mid-year and submitted for examination in autumn.
A report was taken to the Local Plan Working Group (17 April) and Cabinet (23 April) to consider and approve a targeted ‘Further Sites Consultation’.
To view a copy of the report visit: http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=128&MId=8484 “