Weather
Old Peasholme Homeless Centre should not be demolished say Greens (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
News coverage for York, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and Harrogate.
Old Peasholme Homeless Centre should not be demolished say Greens
8:26am Monday 15th March 2010
THE Green Party in York has alerted a national charity about the city council’s plan to demolish a former hostel for the homeless.
Council officers are hoping the bulldozing of the old Peasholme Centre in Stonebow will clear the way to the site being redeveloped and will prevent the building being vandalised.
But Green Party councillor Andy D’Agorne, believes the building is “perfectly sound” and could be home to 22 homeless people or students on a temporary basis.
His party has reported the demolition move to the independent charity Empty Homes Agency, which campaigns for unoccupied properties to be brought back into use.
Green Party campaigner Denise Craghill said: “The Greens argue that with the housing and property market stalled, this strategy is a gamble that might not even recoup the money laid out on assembling the land for the abortive council project. It runs the risk of either selling at the bottom of the market or creating more derelict land at the heart of the city, rather than using assets to provide services that the people of York need.”
The building has been empty since its occupants moved to a new base in Fishergate last year. The centre for the homeless was originally relocated to make way for the authority to build a new headquarters at Hungate. The council applied for permission to knock it down “to reduce the risk of vandalism and unlawful occupation”.
Neil Hindhaugh, the council’s head of property services, said: “There has been recent interest from the marketplace in developing this site for a range of employment uses which would provide jobs for people in York.”
More News stories
- Spending cuts campaigners take to city walls
- Historic pub submits plans for two-storey extension
- Residents sought for £6m “extra care” complex
- York pupils visit new school site
- ‘Bizarre’ armed robber had prison wish
- Passengers to get say on York bus services
- York's recycling target missed
- More cancer sufferers surviving in York and North Yorkshire
- Nun who has visited 260 countries arrives in York
- Twist in Upper Poppleton chemist wrangle
Your Say YourPress
Cllr Tracey Simpson-Laing, York says...
10:20am Mon 15 Mar 10
When I first suggested Property Guardians in Nov 2008 Lib Dem and Tory Councillors dismissed the idea, an idea being used acorss the country and in Europe for over 20 years.
After linking up a Property Guardian Organisaton with CYC Officers in early 2009 - officers saw the use they could be in that it reduces huge security bills, gives accomodation and makes a place looked lived in - CYC now has a Property Guardian at the former Family Centre in Holgate.
The Peasholme Centre could easily go down this route until the market picks up and it would look better than a 'hole' being left.
I have worked with the Empty Homes Agency in the past to try and sort out the waste of properties in the City and they fully support Property Guardians for commercial property. They also support working to get Empty Dwelling Management Orders on empty and boarded up homes but CYC will not tackle this issue and so last year over 400 homes remained empty and falling apart acorss the City.
With some creative thinking 100's of people could have affordable rented accomodation.
nasrudin, says...
11:49am Mon 15 Mar 10
ha ha ha!
yorknights, york says...
12:52pm Mon 15 Mar 10
jack york, York says...
7:40pm Mon 15 Mar 10
any more folks? songs without the word "ewe" are baaaaard!
King Edward, Taterville says...
8:30pm Mon 15 Mar 10
jack york, York says...
6:58am Tue 16 Mar 10
The Peaseholme Centre does not meet current government requirements and is therefore not fit for purpose. Millions could have been spent on trying to refurbish it, or more prudently on a new site, releasing the capital from the sale of the land. It's a shame when facts get in the way of conjecture and libel
Very good voice,however at the time you Lib Dems stated that the Peasholm Centre had to go because of structural problems the site was already earmarked for the Council H.Q. that particular fiasco had not even begun at the time of the CYC statement therefore there was no intention of releasing capital from any sale as there was no intention to sell it. game, set & match I think, see what I mean about forgetting previous spin folks! facts & libel? don't make me laugh!
anastasia, York says...
7:52am Tue 16 Mar 10
The Peasholme Centre
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
sciencefan, York says...
8:52am Mon 15 Mar 10
So again we see CYC taking a short term ill thought out route to cost saving, rather than planning for the longer term properly.
Kirsten England has been a breath of fresh air in CYC. However the lack of business acumen and the culture that pervaded before re clearly still there!