Homes scheme for derelict tannery (From York Press)
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Homes scheme for derelict tannery in Strensall, York
7:54am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News
By Mark Stead, Political Reporter
The old tannery in Strensall seen in 2007 after vandal attacks
A DERELICT tannery in York which has been plagued by arsonists and vandals could be turned into 53 new homes.
Plans have been drawn up to create a housing estate on the site off Sheriff Hutton Road, in Strensall, which has been a regular target for antisocial behaviour since it stopped being used eight years ago.
The £5.24 million scheme proposed by David Wilson Homes would create a mixture of two, three, four and five-bedroom properties, with 13 available as affordable housing, which the developers said was needed in the Strensall area.
Villagers have spoken of their frustration at the state of the site, which suffered an estimated five arson attacks between 2005 and 2008, and said they were concerned about potential danger from asbestos and gas within the tannery building. In 2004, Leeds-based company Charles F Stead and Co Ltd, which owned the site at the time, was granted outline planning permission for a large business park, but the development did not come to fruition. In a statement sent to City of York Council as part of the planning application, David Wilson Homes said the scheme would create 43 new construction jobs, mostly for a “local workforce”, and bring £865,000 a year into the local economy through shopping and leisure spending by the house occupants.
“This level of investment will deliver a wide range of direct and indirect economic benefits to the village and the city of York, stimulating employment growth during and post-construction,” it said.
“The proposals will contribute to supporting a strong, vibrant and healthy community by providing a supply of housing which is required to meet the needs of present and future generations.
‘‘The development will deliver high-quality homes for local families and sustain local services and facilities by providing new retail and leisure expenditure.”
The company said despite the 2004 approval for the business park there had been no interest in developing it this way. A decision on the proposals is expected by the end of the year.
Comments(2)
Scarlet Pimpernel
says...
10:23am Thu 18 Oct 12
With Hogg Builders due to submit a planning application on a greenfield site, also in Strensall, for 125 dwellings where they will offer 35%, AH, this will also give the Council an excuse with this target.
The problem we have here is that these five sites which are not representative of the majority of sites in York, where landowners will not sell at depressed values.
Put into context these five sites total 352 dwellings which is less than 50% of the annual total required by York. The sites that are stalled at Hungate, Germany Beck, Nestle, Terry's, Barbican and Grain Stores total around 2,200, and it is these sites that must be unlocked to give York any chance of getting anywhere near what they need.
Even with these stalled sites York will not meet it's targets for the next five years. They should have reduced the target to 10%, and taken a hit on all these sites. This would produce around 200 affordable homes (Hungate cannot afford any) rather than the 100 that will come from the five sites that meet the targets.
Through not reducing the target, the council are risking only getting 257 private and 100 affordable, rather than 200 affordable and 2,357 private homes. They are gambling with thousands of jobs, millions in council tax and new homes bonuses and around £400m revenue to York's economy !
This is exactly the gamble they tried with the 50% AH policy, which lost York around £500m to it's economy and all the jobs, houses and C.tax/NH.bonus that comes with that - and that gamble did not come off.
THEY HAVE BEEN WARNED !
Shouter says...
8:36am Thu 18 Oct 12