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.
It seems that good news may be on the way for council tenants in Dringhouses who are waiting for much-needed home improvements.
Tenants were invited to an exhibition at Foxwood Community Centre in July 2022 to select from a range of products and materials to modernise their homes. It had been expected that the improvement works (formerly known as ‘Tenants Choice’) would get underway in the 2022/23 financial year, but this did not happen.
Residents have contacted their local councillors to seek confirmation of when they can expect the work to begin, and Cllr Stephen Fenton has received the following update from the council’s Housing team:
“We have been finalising a procurement exercise to appoint 2 contractors to undertake the works on our Home Improvements Programme (previously named tenants choice) as previous contracts had expired. I am pleased to say that this has concluded and our programme for this year is just about finalised. This will see us make a start on Dringhouses as well as attempt to gain access to the properties which have previously missed out on this work on estates where works have previously been completed. I must stress, not all properties awaiting work or missing out on work previously will commence this year and this is being planned over a number of years. A letter is drafted to send out to all properties in Dringhouses and the list of properties not completed elsewhere to inform them of the approach to the home improvements this year and the names of the contractors appointed and will soon be sent out now the contractors are confirmed.
I understand that expectations may have been raised with an event and there may have been intentions to start before now and if there has been no formal communication to this point, we apologise for that. All tenants affected by works this year will be notified in advance to allow them time to make plans for the works to take place. Once again, I apologise for any lack of effective communication to this point that may have caused distress to anybody living in our properties.”
Stephen has asked for a copy of the letter that is to be sent to residents.
The planning application recently submitted by the council to demolish the garages at the Moor Lane end of Chaloners Road has been withdrawn.
The site has been earmarked for the construction of four self-build homes. Local councillors understand that the application has been withdrawn so that an Arboricultural Method Statement can be produced, setting out how the retained trees will be protected during demolition works. The application will then be re-submitted.
An application to re-designate a property in Wains Road as a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’ has been withdrawn.
HMO application withdrawn for 146 Wains Rd
The application made for 146 Wains Road, and a similar application made for 8 Leven Road, attracted a number of comments on the council’s online Planning portal. The application for Leven Road remains live.
The property at 146 Wains Road now has a ‘To Let’ sign in the front garden.
To help a mother and daughter move home for the first time in 40 years, City of York Council and SASH, a charity for homeless young people, will be decorating the pair’s new council flat.
City of York Council’s 60+ Housing Advice Service and SASH are delighted to announce their fifth Enable Project. Enable brings together young people who have experienced homelessness and are now part of the SASH supported lodgings scheme, and older people who are working with the 60+ housing service. The older people may be experiencing difficulties with decorating or gardening, and the young people may need to learn these skills for when they have their own home – as well as getting a taste of volunteering. The older people get to pass on their skills and knowledge while getting a much-needed job done, and both young and old enjoy gallons of tea and tonnes of biscuits!
The project is also supported by Homebase, with staff from the York store helping out on the makeover days and sharing their DIY expertise with the young people, along with donating much-appreciated decorating materials.
The council’s 60+ Housing Specialist has been working with Thelma Wright, aged 86, and her daughter Sally for over a year, as they made the difficult decision to move from the house where they have lived in for over 40 years, into a flat in council’s sheltered accommodation at Barstow House.
Thelma Wright said: “We’ve decided the flat will be much easier to manage and it is an exciting new start for us. The Enable team will be going to help with the decorating, giving the whole place a lick of paint ready for our move.”
Yorkshire Housing has appointed new contractors to complete homes at three developments which had been on hold due to contractor Southdale Homes going into administration.
Esh Construction will take over work at Hob Stone which is located off Windsor Garth in York.
Work on the site is expected to recommenced later in July. Some of the properties are expected to be occupied before the end of the year.
18 months ago, the development met a lot of opposition when it was revealed that the Labour Council would almost double the number of houses to be built on the former school site.
Since then, progress has been very slow with growing concerns about the development’s impact on the neighbouring Hob Moor nature area as well as pressures on local transport systems
Housing inspections – click to enlarge
Despite complaints about conditions in some privately rented homes in York increasing from 248 in 2012/13 to 318 in 2013/14, inspectors found fewer problems when they visited.
In the most recent year for which figures are available the number of “category 1″ hazards found were (previous year in brackets):
Three improvement notices were issued by the Council along with 14 “hazard awareness notices”.
As well as 99 visits to privately rented accommodation, Inspectors visited 63 Houses in Multiple Occupation, 5 socially rented properties and 5 owner occupied homes.
The information was provided by the Council in response to a Freedom of Information request
In total, 345 additional homes were provided in the City during 2013/14. During the first 6 months of 2014/15, 235 homes were provided.
click to enlarge
York Council homes sold under “right to buy”? (New Council homes completed)
Number on housing waiting list.
Over 2000 planning applications for housing have been approved during the last 18 months, with the vast majority for “brownfield” (previously developed) land
York central site
Campaigners seeking to protect York’s Green Belt have welcomed a government initiative which could accelerate the development of housing on the York Central site.
Papers released on Friday suggest that it may be designated as a “Housing Zone”
Development of the site (behind the railway station) has been stalled since the start of the recession in 2008.
In 2011 the then LibDem led Council agreed a Local Plan which would have seen 1780 dwellings built on the site which enjoys excellent transport links and a full range of services within walking distance.
Although the Labour led Council has since tried to pare down that number, the government scheme could provide a big boost.
Most housing zones are expected to be big enough for between 750 and 2,000 homes. Successful bids were submitted by councils working with developers> They were invited to bid for a share of £200 million for infrastructure and land remediation to get their ideas off the ground.
Successful zones will have access to cheaper borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board and priority access to expert planning and technical support from the ATLAS service run by the Homes and Communities Agency.
It remains to be seen whether the York site will be one of the 10 finally chosen to benefit from the additional funding.
Since the announcement was made on 8th January there has only been stony silence from the Councils Labour “leadership”.
More details of the scheme can be read on the government web site (click)
Having already broken the long standing convention that no party political opinions should be published in Council documentation, both the outgoing Leader and Deputy Leader have produced reports which criticise their opponents or seeking to blame the Coalition for all the ills of the world.
So much then for any attempt at making a fresh start or reaching consensus. Some at least want to continue the confrontational approach which was rejected so comprehensively by electors in the October by-election
Overgrown garage area
One report even seeks to blame the government for a reduction in the number of people registered to vote in the City!
More significantly it continues to turn a blind eye to the deteriorating condition of the infrastructure (right) on many Council estates in the City.
Cllr Alexander sadly has written his own epitaph by claiming “Liberal Democrats want no Local Plan or one that would fail Government requirements” In reality, a Local Plan agreed in 2011 which Labour tinkered with and then withdraw.
Liberal Democrats want a Local Plan which respects both the priorities of the City’s population and which seeks to preserve the unique qualities of the City. Labour’s plan to expand the size of the City by over 20% during the next 15 years satisfied neither of the tests.
Failure to produce a Local Plan which could attract the support of both the Council and the people of the City is a poor legacy to leave to your successor.
Two Cabinet members are to be summoned to a meeting on 11th December to decide whether to include the Punch Bowl in on a list of properties subject to an article 4 direction.
A meeting in October rejected the request even though designation would only require any proposed change of use to be subject to a formal planning application.
The Cabinet members for Planning and for Finance are now being asked to remove permitted development rights by CAMRA who are backed by a 1200 signature petition.
Residents will have to wait until early January before finding out which local bus services Labour plan to cut. A decision meeting would have aired the issue was to have taken place on 11th December. 
The issue has now been referred to a Cabinet meeting scheduled for 6th January 2015.
The Council has made it clear that they are not proposing to consult with passengers likely to be affected by any cuts.