Local Plan Working Group: Feedback on draft documents that will define special character for villages in York

Residents and organisations have had their say on draft planning documents which went out to a seven-week consultation period last year.

If approved, the documents could now apply guidelines for Wheldrake and Strensall with Towthorpe to ensure the special characters of the villages are preserved in the determination of future planning applications.

Produced by local steering groups, in conjunction with City of York Council and compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the draft Village Design Statements (VDS) defines the special characters of Wheldrake and Strensall with Towthorpe. They also identify guidelines that could be applied to future developments, as a basis for ensuring that new development fits its surroundings.

Village Design Statements are supported by City of York Council as a means of fostering good design, appropriate to its local context and have so far been completed in Heslington, Copmanthorpe, Rufforth, Skelton, Holtby, Murton, Dunnington, Poppleton, Askham Bryan, Askham Richard and Knapton.

The proposals for each village will now go before the cross-party Local Plan Working Group on 29 January and subsequently require approval by the Local Planning Authority (City of York Council).

The Village Design Statements are a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to the emerging Local Plan. If approved, the plan will become a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

For more information about the plan, visit: www.york.gov.uk/VDSconsultation

To read the responses and find out more about the report click

Further consultation on York and North Yorkshire waste and minerals plans

North Yorkshire County Council, the City of York Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority are producing a Minerals and Waste Joint Plan covering all three planning authority areas.

The latest draft of the waste plan shows changes to the Harewood Whin (Rufforth) site boundary on page 36.

The three minerals and waste planning authorities have responsibility for preparing a long term plan containing land use planning policies to help take decisions about matters such as where, when and how minerals and waste developments should take place.

Further information including the main Supplementary Sites Consultation document is available on the Joint Plan website: www.northyorks.gov.uk/mwconsult

The main purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on the additional and revised sites that are contained in this document.

The consultation period for this stage of the Joint Plan will run until Friday 13^th March 2015 and all responses must be received by 5pm on that day.

Government boost for brownfield housing in York

York central site among 29 nationwide to be shortlisted for financial help.

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)

York Local Plan hits political buffers

Any hope, that York’s Local Plan might be agreed for submission to an “examination in public” before the Council elections are due to take place in May seem to have disappeared today.

Labour Councillors refused at a meeting today to remove Cllr Watt – who now sits as an Independent – from the Local Plan Working Group.

They chose to take that line after Watt agreed to back their “Big City” house building plans.

For the next couple of weeks at least, Cllr Watt would be able to attend working group meetings provided he continues to toe the Labour Party line.

The Conservatives will have only one seat on the working group (although, under proportional representation, they are legally entitled to two)

The next Local Plan meeting is not scheduled to take place until 29^th January.

Little divine inspiration or common sense on show at today’s meeting. click to access

It is to be hoped that the political groups find an accommodation before the “Urgency” committee next meets on 19^th January.

Today’s ill tempered meeting will be best remembered for tit for tat accusations about individual Councillors “misbehaviour”. The allegations should more properly have been raised at the specialist “standards committee”.

The promise of the new Labour Leader, to encourage debate about issues rather than personalities, seems to have fallen flat on its face. The “part time” Labour Leader (Williams) was noticeable by his absence from today’s meeting.

Another Tory Councillor formally resigns in York

As we predicted last week, following his sacking from a key planning committee, Skelton Councillor Joe Watt has apparently now quit the local Conservative Council group.

He will sit as an Independent.

He is the second Conservative Councillor to take this route following the decision of Cllr Sian Wiseman who quit to became an Independent 18 months ago.

Ironically it was the Labour Councils “Big City” Local Plan which prompted both resignations.

There has never, in modern times, been more Councillors “crossing the floor” of the York Council chamber than during the last 4 years.

Labour started in 2011 with 26 Councillors but have seen defections, and an election defeat to the LibDems, reduce that figure by 5

The concern is that the resulting instability may lead to indecision as the City stuggles to take full advantage of the economic recovery.

Only the LibDem (9 Councillors) and Green groups (2 members) have remained united.

The Council’s web site has already been updated to show Cllr Watt’s defection.

The number of Councillors in each Group on the Council is now

Labour 21
Lib Dem 9
Conservative 9
Independent 4
Green 2
Labour Independent 2

NB. We understand that Cllr Watt had already been “deselected” as a candidate for the May Council elections.

Local Plan meeting agenda published

The Council has published a further report on the number of new homes that it believes should be built in the City over the next 20 years.

The report fails completely to offer any possibility of reaching a consensus, driven, as it is, by the now discredited “Big City” strategy devised by the last Labour administration.

Council officials need to get back to basics. History is fact and an average of around 600 additional homes is what has been produced in the City over the last few decades.

Births, deaths and house building click to enlarge

In the last two years the housing waiting list in the City has fallen from a peak of 4692 to 1344. That is the backlog in demand that needs to be accommodated and, with nearly 5000 outstanding planning permissions available in the city, volume requirements (but not necessary affordability) can be addressed.

Natural population growth (births minus deaths) have averaged around 1000 a year producing an internal demand for less than 500 additional homes each year.

As was explained a coupe of days ago, there are a vast range of opinions on what may happen over the next two decades.

It is however highly unlikely that we will see high levels of sustained economic growth over the longer term. There will be peaks and troughs

Hence a figure of between 600 and 650 additional homes per year – on average – is a reasonable and justifiable aspiration.

The sooner York Council officials recognise this and get on with planning on that basis the sooner York’s Local Plan can achieve widespread support.

Local Plan – more realistic housing figures emerging?

Fig 1 Economic growth forecasts click to view

Those York Councillors who attended a briefing session last week on the Local Plan will have found out little new.

The disconnect between Labour’s, highly optimistic, economic growth assumptions and population projections remain, although figures provided by specialist consultants are beginning to paint a more realistic picture.

A study by Oxford economists suggest that as many as 13,000 new jobs could be created in the City over the next 15 years. However, about half of these will simply replace jobs which are being lost.

Fig 2 Population growth click to view

The same team says that there could be an additional 24,300 people wanting to live in York by 2030. This would generate a demand for about 450 additional homes per year (see figs 1 and 2 right).

The Council has finally admitted that 75% of the projected population growth can be attributed to immigration, rather than “providing affordable homes for York families” – the claim used by Labour to justify their “Big City” growth plans in the past.

Fig 3 Summary click to enlarge

In summary (fig 3) the consultants conclude that the York economy should grow by around 2.8% on average each year.

The Local Plan agreed in February 2011 had agreed that around 550 additional homes were needed in the City each year.

Population projections vary enormously depending on when the calculation has been undertaken (see below)

Changing population projections

A second set of Consultants (ARUP) conceded that a straight projection of the 2011 estimates would produce an annual requirement for 638 homes pa.

They suggest that this should be increased to 838 to reflect an “assumed higher economic growth rate post 2021”.

It is this argument, about the level of economic growth that the City could sustain, that is likely to be the key area of debate as the Council moves forward to decide how many – and where – additional homes should be built.

If the lower figures are used then – taking into account an allowance for the large number of windfall opportunities which occur in York – it should be possible to produce a Plan which respects the City’s green field setting.

The other question which needs to be addressed honestly is whether the homes will actually be built?

Housing demand is increasing again following 5 years when house prices in the City have been stable. Over 5000 outstanding planning permissions currently exist but – partly as a result of the recession – house building levels have been sluggish (fig 4)

Fig 4 Housing completions in York click to enlarge

Some changes are likely with central government acting to remove the requirement for affordable housing quotas on developments of under 10 homes.

Council Housing

A review of the Councils policy on purchasing properties to rent on the open market is also overdue now with the recently announced 6 new (2 bedroomed) Council homes – scheduled to be built on a site on Pottery Lane* – apparently likely to cost over £170,000 each when site values are included.

There are dozens of modern 2 bedroomed property available on the open market for lower prices.

*Residents can view the plans for the Pottery Lane development on Thursday 11 December at St Wulstan’s Church, Fossway from 4pm – 6:30pm.

NB. The latest Council house waiting list figure for York show that it has reduced to 1348.

York Local Plan – private briefing meeting announced

The York Council has issued a media release saying that all Councillors are being invited to a (private) briefing session on options for progressing the Local Plan.

Apparently they will be able to question the consultants who produced the background data that was claimed to underpin Labour’s “Big City” strategy.

It was a tactic which resulted in a plan which attracted massive public opposition and which was then ditched at the October Council meeting.

It is unusual for the Council to issue a media release about an internal briefing session. While any attempt to involve all groups represented on the Council in making important decisions would be a step forward, consultants evidence is often predicated on justifying a given political outcome.

Some fresh thinking, and options, will be expected by opposition councillors

In particular Councillors will be expecting to see robust challenges to both the economic growth assumptions, and resultant housing building plans, which caused so much unrest in the City.

The Council media release reads,
(more…)

Clegg slams Labour Local Plan for York

In a letter to local Labour Councillor James Alexander the Liberal Democrat leader criticises “incremental” housing development – adding homes to existing communities – and advocates larger schemes on “Garden City” principles that are accompanied by new schools and other key infrastructure.

Labour’s Local Plan proposals 2013 click to enlarge

He writes: “I recognise that the incremental add-on style of development, or ‘urban sprawl’, tends to cause high levels of local resentment.

“Building around the edges of existing developments often destroys local green spaces, does nothing to improve local infrastructure and tends to create a drain on resources such as schools and hospitals.”

The Lib Dem leader said he was looking at a “range of options” to encourage communities to accept new garden cities.

The Local Plan published by Labour 18 months go relied heavily on incremental development. The fringe building proposals including using sensitive sites like Moor Lane

The Labour Plan was sent back to the drawing board in October

The only development which might have been considered to be a new “garden village” was a 6000 home community be called “Whinthorpe” which was to have been located south of the A64 southern by pass near the University.

It is, however, in the Green Belt and would require a huge investment in transport infrastructure to bring to fruition.

The expectation is that any new garden village would be located further away from existing urban areas with the ability to provide enhanced transport links a key criteria.

Liberal Democrats have previously identified how an additional 12,000 homes can be provided on brownfield land in the City over the next 25 years.

This would be adequate to meet the requirements of any realistic economic growth projection.

The LibDem plan would – unlike Labours – include a “windfall” allowance intended to recognised that many homes will be built on sites which are currently used for other purposes.

NB. Most new homes built in the City during the last 5 years have been built on brownfield land.

Over the last 18 months a record number of planning applications for new houses (over 1600) have been approved by the York Council. 90% of these have been for brownfield “windfall” sites not identified for redevelopment in Labours Local Plan.

Labour still planning population growth of 40,000 in York over next 15 years.

5000 homes lopped from Local Plan following unprecedented number of objections as residents force short term reprieve for Moor Lane development.

Stables housing site on Tadcaster Road

Labour have revealed a “new” Local Plan which commits them to building around 1000 home s per year on average during the next 15 years. A higher rate is planned of the next 6 years

This means that the size of the City will increase by over 20% during the period up to 2030.

Net internal population growth (births minus deaths) is around 1000 a year on average

With home occupancy at over 2 persons per dwelling, this generates a demand for around 500 additional homes each year.

The others will be occupied by inward migrants.

The Council statement says,

“In order to continue maximising the delivery of housing, new targets have been proposed in the plan to a minimum of 996 homes per annum over the Local Plan period. For the first six years sufficient land will be earmarked to build 1,170 homes per annum, delivering 16,980 over the life time of the plan, to accommodate a population growth of around 40,000 people over the next 15-years

The previous target was 1090 – 1250 new and affordable homes per year up to 2030. Amendments to the portfolio of sites reflect up to date evidence base work. Approach to density is National Planning Policy framework (NPPF) compliant”.

The latest draft of the Local Plan gives residents some hope that the proposed development of 17 hectares of land on Moor Lane (enough for 500 houses) will not happen in the foreseeable future. Labour is now proposing that this area should be “safeguarded” and not developed until after 2030.

In welcoming the change Lib Dem Councillor Ann Reid said “I am in no doubt that the number of residents who objected to this site through letters, emails and petitions helped bring this change about. However we cannot be complacence as developers will continue to fight to be allowed to develop this land. I shall continue to support resident in a bid to completely remove the land from the plan.”

Meanwhile the other sites in Dringhouses and Woodthorpe are still included.

The proposals are for 116 houses at the Stables/Cherry Lane and 50 at the old Park and Ride site.

The land behind The Square has been reduced in size following representations from The Hospice with 49 houses proposed instead of the original 65.

Despite the overall drop in numbers and Labour claiming a “brownfield first” policy, 80% of the proposed development will take place on green field sites.

NB. A reference to a gypsy Caravan site being constructed on Moor Lane actually refers to Wetherby Road between the A1237 and Rufforth. Two sites are proposed. Neither were included in last year’s consultation process

Draft Local Plan download

Committee agenda and papers click here http://tinyurl.com/LPYork22

Cllr Stephen Fenton, Cllr Ashley Mason & Cllr Paula Widdowson

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Liberal Democrats