Schools overcrowding crisis looms if York expansion gets go ahead

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.

overcrowded1

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.
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Latest Planning applications Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location:       289 Thanet Road York YO24 2PH

Proposal:       Two storey side extension

Ref No: 14/01151/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Simon McCulloch      Contact Mr Steve Mills  Consultation Expiry Date        17 June 2014 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Hob Moor development starts

Our Lady's school site clearance started

Our Lady’s school site clearance started

Builders have moved onto the Our Lady’s school site and have started to fell trees.

The Our Lady’s school buildings will be demolished within the next 3 weeks.

School to be demolished in a few days time

School to be demolished in a few days time

Work has already started to provide an electricity power supply to the new housing development.

The whole scheme, which involves the erection of 55 new homes, is expected to take about 12 months to complete.

The building contractors have said that all site traffic will follow the Kingsway West/Ascot Way/ Ashford Place/Windsor Garth bus route to access the site.

Crumbling road surfaces on Windsor Garth

Crumbling road surfaces on Windsor Garth

Residents remain concerned about the poor state of the roads on the route, and in particular the rapidly deteriorating road humps, although whether it would be worth completing permanent repairs before the heavy traffic moves on, is open to question.

Latest Planning applications Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location:       15 Dringthorpe Road York YO24 1NF

Proposal:       Two storey side extension

Ref No: 14/00994/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Stewart Butler       Consultation Expiry Date        9 June 2014Case Officer:   Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed)       Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       51 Eason View York YO24 2JB

Proposal:       Single storey side extensions

Ref No: 14/01012/FUL

Applicant:      City York Council Contact Mr Jordan Rowe  Consultation Expiry Date        9 June 2014Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Hob Moor development – latest

Our Lady’s school site Windsor Garth

The Council has received details of how the developer intends to fulfil the planning conditions applied to the Our Lady’s school site development

Details of the Section 106 agreement for the development of the site have now been published. They reveal that of the 55 properties to be built on the site, 20 will be for social rent (housing association) while 21 will be at an “affordable” rent (usually 80% of the market rent).

click for more information

click for more information

The agreement allows the developer to pay a commuted sum to the Council instead of providing – through a social landlord – the rented accommodation on site.

The landlord is obliged to offer a free bus pass or free bicycle to the first occupier of the dwelling. Each property will have an external power socket to allow the recharging of electric vehicles.

The agreement also specifies the working hours for the site but is vague about access routes and – critically – to what extent plant will be allowed to move around Hob Moor itself.

 

Liberal Democrats force housing U Turn in York

Public consultation papers on controversial development plans will include housing numbers after Liberal Democrat councillors forced a dramatic U-Turn tonight.

Green Belt campaign logo Labour run York Council’s ‘Draft Local Plan’ outlines proposals to build 22,000 houses on sites across York. Last month the Labour Cabinet approved a report for public consultation which earmarked further sites and recommended boundary changes on some sites identified last year.

However, the consultation papers excluded housing numbers for the new and amended sites. Liberal Democrat councillors Nigel Ayre, Ann Reid and Carol Runciman ‘called-in’ the decision for further review and at tonight’s CSMC (Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee) meeting the cross-party committee voted to include the housing numbers.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Planning, said at the meeting:

“The principle of consultation should be that residents are given as much information as possible about the proposals being put forward. We believe that housing numbers are central to this consultation and should be published. Whether one of these sites is for 20 or 200 houses will make a huge difference to how residents view it.”

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Reid commented:

“I am pleased that common sense has prevailed and residents will now be able to see the housing numbers proposed for each site. The Labour Cabinet should never have tried to hide the housing numbers from residents in the first place. Labour’s argument that including the numbers ties the hands of developers was nonsense, especially as housing numbers were published for sites in last year’s consultation.”

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Plans for new town “wholly inappropriate” say housebuilders

Plans for a new settlement south of York have received a major blow after housebuilders and planning experts said the scheme was “wholly inappropriate” and the location was “unsustainable”.

 The ‘Whinthorpe’ development is planned for Green Belt land at Holme Hill, alongside the A64 to the south of Heslington. The original proposals had space for 5,500 houses – making the planned settlement bigger than Easingwold or Dunnington. However, housebuilders such as the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and Linden Homes along with expert planning consultants have criticised the proposals in consultation papers recently published by Labour run York Council.

The consultation responses include:

  •  Consultants for the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust said “We consider that the site is wholly inappropriate for development in landscape and green belt terms. Indeed, in our view, it is impossible to identify a site or area in the countryside surrounding York where development would have a worse impact on the character or setting of the historic city”.
  •  The same consultants raised concerns over the lack of local infrastructure and said that pressure on schools meant there was the danger that “small children will need to be decanted to distant schools”.
  •  ID Planning said the site was in “an unsustainable location” and could become a commuter town for Leeds which “would not be assisting in the economic growth of the city (York)”. They said there was “no evidence this site has been tested or is viable” and that public transport options were “unknown”.
  •  Henry Boot Developments said “the assumed build out rates are simply too high and are unsustainable/undeliverable”.

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University of York set to expand

Key planning decision expected this week

The Council s planning committee will be asked to approve this week plans which would see a big increase in the number of jobs on the University of York campus at Heslington.

One application would see the existing Vanbrugh College (Block D) replaced with a 4 storey research, office and teaching block for the Environment Department. The University says the development will create an additional 66 full time jobs.

Some concerns have been expressed about the loss of student accommodation although a new residential block is due to be opened later in the year. The application is recommended for approval.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The Planning committee will also consider the details of the three storey education, social and catering building (Piazza Learning Centre) which will be located between Field Lane/A64 and the Hull Road.

The proposals would provide teaching accommodation (including a 350-seat lecture theatre), library, study areas, 200-seat restaurant and social space. The building footprint would be 2450sqm and total floor space would be 6238sqm

The meeting on Thursday will also consider plans to establish a petrol filling station, restaurant and 50 bed hotel near the Hopgrove Roundabout. The application – which is in the Green Belt – is recommended for refusal by officials

Latest Planning applications Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location:       York College  Sim Balk Lane York YO23 2BB

Proposal:       Erection of two storey building to accommodate construction skills centre following demolition of existing meeting centre

Ref No: 14/00899/FULM

Applicant:      Ms Louise Lawrence-Crockford    Contact Ms Louise Roberts       Consultation Expiry Date        4 June 2014Case Officer:   Erik Matthews   Expected Decision Level COMM

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Location:       60 Hunters Way York YO24 1JJ

Proposal:       Single storey rear extension and dormer to rear

Ref No: 14/00925/FUL

Applicant:      Mr And Mrs Cragg  Consultation Expiry Date        27 May 2014 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level COMM

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Location:       7 Glenridding York YO24 2SQ

Proposal:       Two storey side and single storey rear extensions

Ref No: 14/00996/FUL

Applicant:      Mrs Sandra Poynter      Contact M T S Architectural Services    Consultation Expiry Date        27 May 2014 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Nearly half of planning appeals against York Council decisions are successful

5 of the 12 appeals against York Council decisions on planning applications – considered during the first 3 months of this year – were successful.

At 42% the rate of appeals allowed is above the national annual average of around 33% and higher than the previous quarter figure for York of 18%.

Overall for the last 12 months 27% of appeals were successful.

The Government announced last year that it will use appeals performance in identifying poor performing planning authorities, with a view to the introduction of special measures and direct intervention in planning matters within the worst performing authorities. This is now in place for Planning Authorities where more than 70% of appeals against refusal of permission for major applications are allowed

Most of the successful appeals were against the decisions of Council officials who took them under delegated powers.

A full list of the planning applications which went for appeal can be read here One successful appeal allows the owner of Penn House in St Marys to clean the outside of what is a Listed building!

Blue Bridge hotel

Blue Bridge hotel

The results of appeals on a further 15 refusals of planning permission are awaited. They include plans to erect 102 dwellings on land to the north of Brecks Lane, Strensall.

NB. A meeting taking place next week is being recommended to approve the conversion of the Blue Bridge hotel in Fishergate into 11 flats and one house. This is another brownfield site not included in Labours Local Plan as suitable for residential accommodation. The application further erodes the cae for building on Green Belt land.