Housing Study for County Published

Michelle writes: A major new study revealing the housing needs of North Yorkshire and York for the next five years has been published. I will try to find out some more specific information on Harrogate to post here.

It looks at all aspects of housing – including affordable housing, housing for older people and supported housing for vulnerable people as well as the ‘open’ housing market of homes for sale and rent.  And it says that almost 3000 affordable homes a year are needed across the county to meet the needs of people unable to buy or rent a home on the open market.

The first ever North Yorkshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment commissioned by the North Yorkshire Strategic Housing Partnership, will now be used to help shape housing policies across the county. The findings will support each authority’s Local Development Framework – the development plan for each area used to guide future housing developments.

The report also confirms the challenges for providing homes for the area’s ageing population – with older people living in large family homes finding it difficult to downsize. And it highlights that many young families are struggling to enter the housing market.

“Housing markets and communities’ housing aspirations don’t follow local Council boundaries,” said Councillor Richard Foster, Chair of the Local Government North Yorkshire and York Housing Board.

“This study will help us to understand what type of housing North Yorkshire people require now and in the future, so we can plan properly to meet that need. We will use the research findings to make sure that we get our housing plans and planning decisions in our local areas right.”

The study incorporates the findings of a survey of householders in Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, York and the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. A lighter touch review was undertaken in Selby since it only undertook its own detailed study in 2009.

It shows the following key points:

• if North Yorkshire is to meet the needs of all households which cannot afford to buy or privately rent it would need to deliver 2808 affordable homes a year for the next five years
• there is a shortfall of smaller one and two bedroom homes – and larger four or more bedroom properties
• average house prices in the rural areas are £250,000 - £40,000 more than the county average
• affordability is a big issue for people living in the rural areas
• high house prices continue to make it difficult for households with lower incomes to buy a home in the county making the role of the private housing market important
• almost 40% of older people said they wanted to downsize
• the private rented sector is an important source of housing for young single people
• the population is expected to grow increasingly older – especially in the numbers of single and couple households
• it is expected that a greater number of households will have support needs over the longer term, mostly because people are living to a greater age
• the county’s population has risen by 5.7% since 2001 with York, Selby and Harrogate having the highest levels of household growth

Michelle joins Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) for Army Foundation College, Harrogate.

Michelle writes: I have recently been appointed to the IAP for the AFC Harrogate.  The panel’s key role is to advise, challenge, support, and encourage the college staff in their task of transforming teenagers into Junior Soldiers, approximately 1200 every year. The panel meet regularly and undertake individual visits to the college. I am delighted to be joining the IAP and look forward to working with fellow members, college staff and junior soldiers.

To view the AFC Harrogate website and for more information on the panel, click here

Rossett Sports Centre Latest

Michelle writes: Back in December, I explained that Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) planned to pull out of the management of Rossett Sports Centre as of October 2012. We were all unhappy about this prospect and worried by the potential loss of well-used facilities, such as the all-weather pitch used extensively for matches and training by local football teams. HBC were looking to make cost savings for 2012/13 and this proposal contributed to approximately £64,000 of savings over the year.

Jim and I sit on the Overview and Scrutiny Commitee and we played a key role in scrutinising the budget and the proposed cuts. We were passionate about protecting the services and we made the recommendation that the proposal to pull out of the management of the sports centre should only go ahead if there were alternative arrangements made before the council pulled out. We're pleased to say that this recommendation was included.

This means that although ALL Councillors voted to pass the budget, that HBC will not withdraw until a suitable alternative to take over the sports centre management has been established. To this end, HBC have begun talks with Rossett School and the school is giving serious consideration as to how it can continue with giving community access outside of school hours. We're reassured that HBC is committed to seeking alternative arrangements and we'll keep you posted on any future developments. Needless to say, Jim and  will offer support wherever we can be useful.

If anyone has any comments, please do get in touch.

Harlow Hill Methodist Church

Michelle writes: Jim and I were delighted to be invited by Charlotte South to see the new porch and improvements to the front area of Harlow Hill Church. It's the only church in the local area with an important community space; we're supporting it and we hope that you will too.

Charlotte South has made this contribution to explain more:

It was a pleasure to welcome our local councillors Michelle Woolley and Jim Clark to visit the Church last week and to see for themselves the significant improvement that has been made to the building by the completion of a new entrance porch at the front of the Church. 

The development at the Church has generated significant local interest and now completed makes a really big difference to the appearance of the building but is also practically much more useful in that it has created a small room for meetings etc. The Church currently comprises of a well-used community hall which some 13 groups use on a regular basis. This room is also available for hire for parties or other one off events. In addition there is a large comfortable room on the second floor available to hire and the Church itself now that this can be accessed from the new porch. Toilet facilities are available on both floors and there is a new kitchen with hot water boiler.

Members at Harlow Hill Methodist Church would really like to welcome members of the community to use our building and would like to encourage anyone to get in touch with us who might like to book any of the facilities we have. For full details contact Lorna on 521086. Church services are held each Sunday at 10 am and children are welcome. More activities for children are being planned for the forthcoming year and your support would be much appreciated.

The porch development has cost a significant amount to complete and during the year it is hoped that local residents will support various fund-raising initiatives to be held. The first Saturday of the month is always used to run a coffee morning from 10 am – 12 noon with cake stall, jigsaw and book club. On Saturday 18 February members will be running the refreshments at Wesley Chapel in Harrogate. The grand opening of the new porch will take place over the weekend of Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 when several events are being planned. Also on the list for this year are a concert, auction or promises and sponsored walk. If anyone feels they can help us by donating an item or skill for the auction or would like to get involved in any other way, please contact Charlotte on 563502.

Young and talented? Know someone who is...?

Lynne Mee

Date press release issued: 10 January 2012 CASH AVAILABLE FOR TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE ASPIRING sporting stars and artistes of the future are being invited to apply for a grant from Harrogate Borough Council’s Centenary Grants Project. This project was set up

10:29

Michelle writes: Aspiring sporting stars and artistes of the future are invited to apply for a grant from Harrogate Borough Council’s Centenary Grants Project.

This project was set up to celebrate the council’s centenary in 1984 and since then over 500 talented young people have benefited from the fund.

The council is seeking nominations from sporting or artistic young people who are 18 or under and live in the Harrogate district, who compete or work at a regional level or above. Many of those who have received grants have gone on to national or international level.



Calling all young, talented under 18s...

Last year 32 talented young people received grants totalling £3,500. The disciplines ranged from swimming and violin, ballet and climbing, to taekwondo, cycling and flat green bowls.

The closing date is 29 February 2012. Applications forms and reference forms are available at: http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/pages/harrogate-1801.aspx or by contacting Lindsay Spicer, Sports Development Officer, on 01423 556725 or email lindsay.spicer@harrogate.gov.uk  

Police Training College Future Plans

Michelle writes: Jim and I recently met with Ciaran McGuigan, Head of Centre at the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) Harrogate on Yew Tree Lane to be briefed on the future of the NPIA and its 145 permanent staff and 31 contracted facilities management staff.



The NPIA on Yew Tree Lane

The NPIA will be phased out and will no longer exist in its current form after December 2012. However, many of the functions currently based at the site are critical to support policing nationally and cannot simply be disbanded. Therefore, many of these functions are likely to transfer into a number of newly created organisations that were announced by the Home Secretary earlier in the year and as recently as December.  These include; the National Crime Agency, a Police Professional Body and an Information and Communications Technology Company. 

As part of the transition into the different bodies, NPIA needs to reduce the spending on their national estate by 50%, so it has accepted the need to move away from its Harrogate site. The agency is now exploring the possibility of disposing of the site. It is also looking into the feasibility of moving the training activities to other NPIA sites and finding alternative locations in the area for the other national police work currently done there.

The main reason for the decision to relocate the existing functions is specific to NPIA needing to rationalise and make savings on its estate rather than the functions and services it provides to policing or the number of staff needed to deliver these. No decisions have been made about staff currently working at Harrogate but as the NPIA is due to be phased out by the end of 2012, it is impossible to give guarantees about the future of any of its staff but they will be doing everything possible to minimise redundancies.

Although no definite decisions have been made about the future of the site, the NPIA have applied to Harrogate Borough Council for a change of use, so it may be that part of the existing developed brownfield site could be used for housing while retaining the green surrounding spaces of the college too.

Councillor Michelle Woolley says, “It’s very good news that redundancies will be kept to a minimum and that a part of the site may be considered for housing, relieving some of the pressure to build on Special Landscape Area beyond Cardale Park. “

Councillor Jim Clark says, “Local residents will be sorry to see the NPIA leave as they have been very good neighbours. Residents must be consulted on how the site will be used next.”

Formerly Pannal Ash College, the NPIA premises were purchased by West Riding County Council in 1945 for use as a training college for police recruits. Staff located at NPIA Harrogate is responsible for providing a range of national products and services, for example: national police recruitment, examinations and promotion processes, design of national learning and development programmes, delivery of training programmes, accreditation and quality assurance services, Police Forensic 21 Programme and the Information Technology Helpdesk team. 

Housing Minister urges rural communities to learn from Harrogate

Policies created by Harrogate Borough Council to provide homes in rural areas have been set as an example to other rural councils by the Communities Minister, Andrew Stunall.

Full statement from Andrew Stunall here