Floods prompt calls to ditch digital base idea (From York Press)
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Floods prompt calls to ditch digital base idea
10:01am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News
By Mark Stead, Political Reporter
COUNCILLORS say plans to turn York’s Bonding Warehouse into a digital media centre should be scrapped after recent flooding.
City of York Council wants to turn the building into a base for up to 250 small “creative” businesses over the next five years and has agreed to spend £1.4 million from its Economic Infrastructure Fund on proposals.
But Dringhouses and Woodthorpe councillor Anna Semlyen, a member of the ruling Labour group who chairs of the economic and city development committee, has said on twitter that public money should not be used for the scheme, after recent flooding highlighted the site’s vulnerability.
She tweeted: “Seriously, Bonding Warehouse digital centre, when temporary escape walkway floods? High-tech kit in flood zone? Don’t want CYC money invested.”
At tomorrow night’s full council meeting, Liberal Democrat leader Carol Runciman will call on Labour to ditch the scheme, saying last month’s floods left the Grade II-listed building inaccessible for several days. The building has been unused since it was damaged by the 2000 floods, and Coun Runciman branded the digital media and cultural centre idea “half-baked”.
She said: “Successive plans for the building have collapsed amid concerns over flooding and maintenance, so pouring more public money into the site after this seems a highly reckless move.”
When the EIF funding was approved in July, officials said several sites for the digital media and cultural base had been looked at, with the Bonding Warehouse emerging as the preferred option. They said small firms had struggled to find suitable accommodation.
Council leader James Alexander said it was committed to the creation of a digital media and cultural centre, and the idea was supported by groups including Local Enterprise Partnerships and Science City York.
He said: “While the Bonding Warehouse was identified as the preferred site for this scheme, we are actively looking at various sites in the city, not least because the demand for creative business space outstrips what can be supplied through this building alone.”
Comments(13)
ShunGokuSatsu
says...
10:18am Wed 10 Oct 12
LibDem
says...
10:33am Wed 10 Oct 12
heworth.28 wrote:The Bonding Warehouse has been in private ownership for 4 years now.
Yes, must fall over ourselves to hand it over to developers so they can turn a quick buck by making it into flats!
The then owners did seek planning permission for a residential conversion (amongst other options) but could never make the investment stack up financially partly because of the flooding issue.
Whatever the eventual use may be for the building, York Taxpayers shouldn't be expected to pick up the bill
akuma
says...
11:03am Wed 10 Oct 12
I was told by certain regular Press commenters that the builid was no flood proof, I wonder if they will be so eager to comment now........
I suspect not, now back in your caves!
old_geezer
says...
12:03pm Wed 10 Oct 12
long distance depressive
says...
12:03pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Whistlejacket
says...
12:28pm Wed 10 Oct 12
If we bring an end to just this one of Cllr. Alexander's grandiose schemes, we can use the £1,400,000 on boring day-to-day street cleaning, pot-hole fixing and other services that the residents of York actually need.
We might even get some salt in our bins!
Stephenliversidge
says...
3:44pm Wed 10 Oct 12
The bonding warehouse would be a big sell to me though and I am one of the people this centre would be aimed at. I'm not the best swimmer for one thing.
If there are other ideas for locations they should be investigated, rydale house on Piccadilly is one possible location?
Stephenliversidge
says...
3:45pm Wed 10 Oct 12
The bonding warehouse would be a big sell to me though and I am one of the people this centre would be aimed at. I'm not the best swimmer for one thing.
If there are other ideas for locations they should be investigated, rydale house on Piccadilly is one possible location?
meme
says...
3:48pm Wed 10 Oct 12
The ground floor will always be a financial write off as despite the claims of being flood protected its impossible to be sure. The ground floor is also full of cast iron columns which prevent it being used for parking
The upper floors can be used for a variety of uses but high tech would be madness. Why not put them in the empty floor in new council HQ/or hazel court or buy another cheap office and put them in there. How about the eco centre which is rapidly becoming vacant due to mis-management.Ie who on earth would have a vegetarian cafe only on a business park where bacon butties etc would sell like the proverbial hot cakes...Only a council run project by politically correct zealots would dream this one up and wonder why its unprofitable and not attractive to the 'inmates' .I use that word deliberatly as thats how they feel they are treated
To do this in the Bonding warehouse is a vanity project of the highest degree and economic suicide
Come on James you have a good excuse to walk away and look out of the box for another solution that is viable
yorkborn66
says...
4:13pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Well said, but has this issue been blatant for years, hence the bonding warehouse has been a headache for years now.
No public monies to be spent on this building. If it is not viable privately for development of accommodation, then a compulsory order to knock it down.
This building will end up like the White Swan Hotel in Piccadilly.
Out with the old in with the new .
bob the builder
says...
6:58pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Silver
says...
8:16pm Wed 10 Oct 12
akuma wrote:Ah well you can always say "Can someone pick up that phone? Cos I called it"?
If I was being big headed I could dig out my comments from the last time the Press ran this story and I said that it will never happen because of the flooding issue.
I was told by certain regular Press commenters that the builid was no flood proof, I wonder if they will be so eager to comment now........
I suspect not, now back in your caves!
heworth.28 says...
10:06am Wed 10 Oct 12