Residents’ fears over former garage site (From York Press)
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Residents’ fears over former garage site in Lawrence Street, York
9:56am Thursday 19th July 2012 in News
By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk
The former garage site in Lawrence Street,York
CONCERNED residents near a garage being used by squatters are to meet police and council officials to discuss their fears.
The meeting will centre on the former Citroen garage and Bubbles car wash site in Lawrence Street, York, which has fallen into disrepair and been occupied by squatters in recent months.
Residents and businesses have complained about the damage at the garage, antisocial behaviour and a string of emergency service call-outs to the site.
In March, Stephen Eastwood, 45, was left in a coma with serious head injuries, after an attack outside the premises and most recently, emergency services were called and firefighters had to rescue a man when a fire was started deliberately on Monday night.
The building was believed to have been fairly badly damaged by the fire which started on the first floor but burned through the floor, causing debris to fall into the ground floor, a fire service spokesman said.
A local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I believe there were three people inside at the time – police sent one of them on his way.
“When inquiries from local residents were made to police they were told that even if police removed them they would more than likely return in an hour as they have nowhere else to go.
“They also said there was no intention to secure the building against further occupation.”
However, a police spokesman said the situation had been complicated as the owner of the property is based overseas, making it difficult to put legal measures in place to evict the people in the building.
They said there would be a visible police presence in the area.
Paul Marshall, of the Waggon & Horses, said the meeting, which is due to include police and council representatives, will be held at the pub at 8pm on Tuesday.
The police spokesman said anyone witnessing trouble at the property should phone 101.
Comments(31)
mickrick
says...
11:01am Thu 19 Jul 12
Paid for by the council of course and not extracted by blackmail from private builders.
Dave Taylor
says...
11:38am Thu 19 Jul 12
Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of the owner being overseas, something has to be done to make the building secure or to demolish it.
Dave Taylor
says...
11:41am Thu 19 Jul 12
RingoStarr
says...
12:19pm Thu 19 Jul 12
davew17
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12:32pm Thu 19 Jul 12
NoNewsIsGoodNews
says...
2:06pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Dave Taylor wrote:I wonder if it is the same people that emailed me from Zimbabwe?
The garage site is privately owned by a company in Zimbabwe and the two planning applications (for hundreds of student flats) were rightly turned down by the Council's Planning Committee as being over-bearing on the surrounding properties.
Nevertheless, despite the difficulties of the owner being overseas, something has to be done to make the building secure or to demolish it.
They asked if they could transfer 100.000.000 GDP, and the deeds to a property on Lawrence St into my name.
All they wanted in return was a small handlers fee of 10.000 GDP. I've not heard anything since sending them the money via Western Union 3 months ago?
davew17
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2:15pm Thu 19 Jul 12
davew17
says...
2:18pm Thu 19 Jul 12
davew17
says...
2:20pm Thu 19 Jul 12
York1900
says...
2:32pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Dangerous Structures & Public Safety
Environment and Planning > Planning > Building Control > Dangerous Structures & Public Safety
Dangerous Structures & Public Safety
Building Control has a responsibility to deal with dangerous buildings as they occur. Buildings may become gradually dangerous due to old age, deterioration or settlement, or by more dramatic causes such as storms, explosions, fires or impact by vehicles. All buildings which appear to be dangerous should be reported to the Council who will treat the matter with the utmost urgency.
If it is considered that a building is immediately dangerous Building Control can require immediate evacuation and require, or take, any action necessary to protect the public and adjacent property. Such action may involve temporary road closure, barricading, shoring, scaffolding, repairs or demolition.
Where the building is not immediately dangerous the owner would receive a Notice requiring the property to be made safe within a stated time and, if satisfactory action is not taken, an Enforcement Order may be issued. If this is not complied with, the Council can instruct all necessary works to make the building safe and recover expenses from the owner.
It is often possible to discuss a dangerous building with its owner in the hope that the matter can be resolved quickly without the Council instructing work on a private property.
again
says...
3:05pm Thu 19 Jul 12
davew17 wrote:I expect you said something inflammatory..
to the york press y put my comments on here and then take them off mind blowing i thought it was free speech.
Stupidyorkpeople
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3:19pm Thu 19 Jul 12
meme
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4:00pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Dave Taylor
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4:01pm Thu 19 Jul 12
(Councillor Dave Taylor)
Dave Taylor
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4:02pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Dave Taylor
says...
4:05pm Thu 19 Jul 12
meme wrote:If you lived in the single-storey historic Alms Houses, next door, would you really want a five-storey student block towering over you? Or if you lived in the Tannery, would you want another block 3metres from your window? Or would any neighbours want 230 new neighbours on their doorstep but no additional parking and no attempt to control it?
LET THEM DEVELOP IT AND STOP MAKING PLANNING SO DIFFICULT
No. And that's why we have Planning Policy.
bagnall1928@yahoo.com
says...
4:40pm Thu 19 Jul 12
It is essential that the existing buildings and historic factors must be considered. If a suitable compromise can be found it would be beneficial to all.
We must progress, York cannot be constantly weighed down by the old buildings being always considered as
sacrostant.
if a new building can be built that
bridges the gap between the old and the new it would be good.
Surely we have architects who can
sympathetically draw something up.
It is useless to constantly ban everything put forward. We cannot bury our heads in the past or the Shambles!!!
Im sure there are plenty of sites where student blocks can be built out at the university, they seem to have some nice open land out there!.
yorkandproud
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4:50pm Thu 19 Jul 12
R'Marcus
says...
5:00pm Thu 19 Jul 12
york_chap
says...
5:06pm Thu 19 Jul 12
mickrick
says...
5:28pm Thu 19 Jul 12
york_chap wrote:If they could wouldnt they have comp purchased the Swan 30 yrs ago.
Excuse my ignorance of how these things work; but can't the council make a compulsory purchase order or something similar? You could fit quite a few decent sized family homes on the site, or apartments or a hotel. Heck, even flattening the shed and charging a few pounds per day to park there would be a reasonable option in the short term.
Woody G Mellor
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5:44pm Thu 19 Jul 12
Back and Beyond
says...
10:58pm Thu 19 Jul 12
York1900
says...
1:47am Fri 20 Jul 12
The council could use the powers I posted at York1900 says... 2:32pm Thu 19 Jul 12
davew17
says...
6:03am Fri 20 Jul 12
Gramayre
says...
10:22am Fri 20 Jul 12
meme
says...
1:26pm Fri 20 Jul 12
meme
says...
1:33pm Fri 20 Jul 12
Actually you dont have a planning policy as it was blown out of the water by Monks Cross South and there is going to be a planning free for all
I suspect you would get private housing rather than student flats IF your affordable policy was not so draconian
And regardless of what you would like to see its not your site or money at risk and whatever is eventually go there needs to be viable. If you can find a commercial use that works, buy it off them take the risk and build it yourself
That's the problem with York we have Councillor s who let personal views override planing considerations
sane121
says...
1:56pm Fri 20 Jul 12
Dave Taylor wrote:oh that's what's happened to us, we live behind the old dairy, what happened to the planning policy in this case.
meme wrote:If you lived in the single-storey historic Alms Houses, next door, would you really want a five-storey student block towering over you? Or if you lived in the Tannery, would you want another block 3metres from your window? Or would any neighbours want 230 new neighbours on their doorstep but no additional parking and no attempt to control it?
LET THEM DEVELOP IT AND STOP MAKING PLANNING SO DIFFICULT
No. And that's why we have Planning Policy.
heworth.28
says...
1:54pm Sun 22 Jul 12
BL2 says...
10:36am Thu 19 Jul 12