Fresh plans for York flats scheme

Robin McGinn. of Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, at the exhibition outlining plans for the new housing development Robin McGinn. of Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, at the exhibition outlining plans for the new housing development

FRESH plans showing how an empty patch of land in the centre of York could be transformed into new apartments have gone on display to residents.

Persimmon Homes Yorkshire secured planning approval for 240 flats on the corner of Paragon Street and Barbican Road in 2004, but took another look at the development when the credit crunch struck.

The York-based company has now drawn up a revised scheme for 180 apartments, as well as areas of open space.

The draft proposals were unveiled yesterday at a public exhibition at the Melbourne Centre in Escrick Street, with people living nearby invited to air their views.

Persimmon hopes to submit a full planning application to City of York Council in the next few months. If permission is granted, work could start within the next year.

The homes would be built next to a 165-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn hotel, plans for which were approved in 2011 in a separate scheme, and would stand between the apartments and the Barbican centre.

“The reduction in the number of apartments, from 240 to 180, is because the scheme no longer has undercroft parking – which was extremely expensive – and parking spaces will now be above ground, and because the properties are now one and two-bedroom rather than studio flats,” said Persimmon development planner Robin McGinn.

“The site has been vacant for some time, but we feel we are now in a position to take it forward and we want to assess public opinion on what we are now planning.

“We like to think people want to see something done with the site and we hope our plans will be well-received.

“The Barbican centre has reopened and there is planning approval for a hotel next to our site, so there is renewed interest in the area and that supports what we are doing.”

Persimmon said the size and height of the apartment complex is the same as the scheme which was previously granted planning permission, and the public’s views will be considered before a full application is submitted.

A steady stream of residents visited the exhibition throughout the day.

Some cautiously welcomed the change in design because it was not as modern as the original proposal, and others were hopeful that work would finally begin on the site.

Comments(19)

Elle says...
9:18am Fri 11 Jan 13

I am so tired of adverts popping up on this website and covering the whole article I am trying to read. I think I might just give up on the press altogether and find out local news from another source.

Woody G Mellor says...
9:27am Fri 11 Jan 13

Elle wrote:
I am so tired of adverts popping up on this website and covering the whole article I am trying to read. I think I might just give up on the press altogether and find out local news from another source.
The adverts are the reason that you don't have to pay/subscribe to look at this website. They only pop up for 5 seconds then they are gone, and its not every time your on that they appear.

Although it slightly irritates me too, its a small price to pay me thinks.

cityforthepremier says...
9:30am Fri 11 Jan 13

The annoying videos are miles worse than the pop up ads.

TheTruthHurts says...
10:10am Fri 11 Jan 13

The website is pretty rubbish and needs a good look at.

I've noticed that sometimes i click on a page it opens up quickly enough but the page is then just permanently loading in my browser which slows down any other tabs ive got open. And often when scrolling its not smooth it can be really jerky.
'
This is not a hardware issue as i have a fairly new laptop, a brand new tablet and a new phone and it happens on all three whether i'm wired, wireless or mobile.

*FaYmOuS* says...
11:01am Fri 11 Jan 13

Elle wrote:
I am so tired of adverts popping up on this website and covering the whole article I am trying to read. I think I might just give up on the press altogether and find out local news from another source.
Minster FM website provides news without pop ups?

Older Sometimes Wiser says...
11:49am Fri 11 Jan 13

Elle wrote:
I am so tired of adverts popping up on this website and covering the whole article I am trying to read. I think I might just give up on the press altogether and find out local news from another source.
Check out Ad-block (Adblockplus.org) software, it can help in deducing pop up's. Also check with your browser controls to see whether pop ups have been inhibited.
I agree that the Press has done nothing to enhance its " reputation" particularly with these full page advert monstrosities .

Omega Point says...
11:50am Fri 11 Jan 13

To right Woody. I look at on-line papers from all the places I have lived in. How great is it to keep up with news from places years ago or having relatives there. Of course there are drawbacks and if you had to subscribe you would have some complaints but the gebber does not return a fiver and ask for it in pound coins

Omega Point says...
11:54am Fri 11 Jan 13

"gebber", meant begger,!

bob the builder says...
12:10pm Fri 11 Jan 13

What ads, videos and pop ups? You lot must be using IE - no one in the know uses IE, get Firefox and the add-ons and you can pretty much strip all adverts and block content. I thought you were referring to the endless 'news' stories plugging businesses. What makes this derelict plot any more likely to see development than the rest? Is there a social housing group poised to but 100 flats in it? If there is you wouldn't want to live there anyway.

greenmonkey says...
12:13pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Now then, any comments about the flats??! Certainly not before time that Persimmon got on with doing something with this prime location 'brownfield' site to meet the housing needs, although the article doesnt say anything about how many affordable homes will be available.

cityforthepremier says...
12:24pm Fri 11 Jan 13

bob the builder wrote:
What ads, videos and pop ups? You lot must be using IE - no one in the know uses IE, get Firefox and the add-ons and you can pretty much strip all adverts and block content. I thought you were referring to the endless 'news' stories plugging businesses. What makes this derelict plot any more likely to see development than the rest? Is there a social housing group poised to but 100 flats in it? If there is you wouldn't want to live there anyway.
Surely if you were as "in the know" as you claim you wouldn't be browsing the half-arsed website of a backwater local paper? Just a thought!

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
3:40pm Fri 11 Jan 13

greenmonkey wrote:
Now then, any comments about the flats??! Certainly not before time that Persimmon got on with doing something with this prime location 'brownfield' site to meet the housing needs, although the article doesnt say anything about how many affordable homes will be available.
Ask the planning officer/s who Persimmons will most certainly have had dialogue with. The scheme will not have been progressed to this amount of detail without input from the Council's planning department. As a councillor you will know this and have access to those dealing with it. When you have the information, please share it with us all.

Looks like a good investment opportunity for buy-to-let and private landlords, for block sales or outright sale. I wonder if Persimmon's have a deal already sorted ? Without a pre-sale, it's a big risk in the current market.

Time will tell, if it's a serious intention to build, or just a marketing exercise to try and offload the land ?

Triestobehelpful says...
5:58pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Firefox with Adblock Plus and ScriptMonkey. Recipe for advert- and pop-up-free browsing. Question is, how much longer can the poor old Press go on giving away their news (such as it is) for nothing? These latest in-your-face ads really smack of desperation.

Woody G Mellor says...
11:44pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Who is the little lad in the picture?

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
12:52am Sat 12 Jan 13

Woody G Mellor wrote:
Who is the little lad in the picture?
He's the future !

Persimmon are putting their faith in youthful inexperience.

Their Executive Chairman, John White retired last year, aged 60, after 32 years with Persimmon.

This year Chief Executive, Mike Farley aged 58, has retired after 30 year with the company.

The new chief Executive, Jeff Fairburn, is just 45 years old.

We are seeing a growing trend of young, relatively inexperienced leaders of the largest PLC housebuilders. Taylor Wimpey's Chief Executive, Pete Redfern is 41, and Mark Clare, Barratt's Chief Executive although older at 55, only joined the company in 2006 from the Gas industry, and his first major deal acquiring David Wilson Homes in 2007, nearly sunk the company.

At a time when the industry is still licking it's wounds after shrinking to around half it's size owing to the credit crunch, and struggling to make the returns on capital that are necessary for growth, the experienced old hands are getting out. That is not good news and sends out a message that the industry has serious underlying problems !!!

Magicman! says...
4:07am Sat 12 Jan 13

Undercroft parking no longer being offered means parking space will be above ground... so that'll offer parking for about 10 cars then!

Paul Meoff says...
8:49am Sat 12 Jan 13

Scarlet Pimpernel wrote:
Woody G Mellor wrote:
Who is the little lad in the picture?
He's the future !

Persimmon are putting their faith in youthful inexperience.

Their Executive Chairman, John White retired last year, aged 60, after 32 years with Persimmon.

This year Chief Executive, Mike Farley aged 58, has retired after 30 year with the company.

The new chief Executive, Jeff Fairburn, is just 45 years old.

We are seeing a growing trend of young, relatively inexperienced leaders of the largest PLC housebuilders. Taylor Wimpey's Chief Executive, Pete Redfern is 41, and Mark Clare, Barratt's Chief Executive although older at 55, only joined the company in 2006 from the Gas industry, and his first major deal acquiring David Wilson Homes in 2007, nearly sunk the company.

At a time when the industry is still licking it's wounds after shrinking to around half it's size owing to the credit crunch, and struggling to make the returns on capital that are necessary for growth, the experienced old hands are getting out. That is not good news and sends out a message that the industry has serious underlying problems !!!
All in favour of giving kids a chance but the lad in the picture must be a year 10 on work experience, not an employee.

Scarlet Pimpernel says...
9:16am Sat 12 Jan 13

Magicman! wrote:
Undercroft parking no longer being offered means parking space will be above ground... so that'll offer parking for about 10 cars then!
Probably a few more than 10, but, it's likely that this would cause some problems with parking ?

I think that the original scheme that was worked up by Barbican Venture, who sold the site to Persimmon, had an agreement for parking on the Kent Street double-decked car park for so many residents to use..

Leroy02 says...
7:31pm Sun 13 Jan 13

Say what you like about Persimmon and this flats scheme, but this Robin McGinn looks like an intelligent, knowledgeable and serious young man. Attractive too. Rather like a young Dudley Moore.

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