Locked-up building site to get daily checks to deter break-ins

9:40am Friday 5th September 2008

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DAILY security checks are to be carried out at the abandoned site of York’s new Peasholme Centre, after the company building it folded.

City of York Council is arranging for checks to be carried out of the security fence around the site in Fishergate, to maintain public safety and ensure youngsters cannot use it for a playground.

Ward councillor Dave Taylor praised the council for arranging checks but wanted to know how long it would be before another contractor would be found.

Coun Taylor said: “I think it’s sensible that the council is going to have security checks but this gives me cause for concern as to how long the site may be left like this and clearly, if there is antisocial behaviour, then we shall be asking for something more robust.”

But he was optimistic for the future.

He sais: “I would have thought that there are plenty of builders looking for work at the moment and they should be able to find somebody fairly quickly.”

As reported in The Press earlier this week, work on the centre has been suspended again after Allerton Construction went into voluntary liquidation.

It is the latest problem to hit the development, which was already 14 months behind schedule and costing £700,000 more than first predicted.

An alternative builder has yet to be appointed, but hired equipment on the site is set to be removed and returned by the liquidators to its owners.

A City of York Council spokeswoman, said: “The council has arranged for the site to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that security is not breached.”

The centre was being moved from its current home at Hungate to make way for City of York Council’s planned new headquarters, which is itself now in serious doubt.

Problems with the foundations have already caused lengthy delays, and Allerton’s collapse is set to push completion back by several months more.