£200m city site blueprint backed

A LONG-awaited 200m scheme to develop the site of York’s former Terry’s factory is set to be given the go-ahead next week, with the hope of nearly 3,000 jobs.

City planners have given the nod to a revised blueprint for the 27-acre site, although council leaders and their political opponents remain at loggerheads over the traffic impact.

The decision due on Wednesday could draw a line under a saga dating back to 2008 when the original application for the site was thrown out amid concerns about transport and infrastructure.

York Council leader Andrew Waller said: “Clearly a lot of work has gone into the revision including community engagement to make sure the right information is flowing between council and the applicant.

“It is important to our economic future.”

More than 300 jobs were lost when the Terry’s factory closed in September 2005 after American parent company, Kraft, transferred production to Europe.

The York company behind the new project, Grantside Ltd, bought the site for 26m in April 2006, and more than 2,700 jobs are expected to be created if the development is approved.

Proposals include a four-star hotel along with a business hotel, an 80-bed care home, a children’s nursery, a medical centre and a convenience store as well as homes.

The revamped proposals have switched a business park with the proposed residential area of the site, meaning that homes will be built on the side closest to the city centre.

There had been lengthy discussions about a bypass around the nearby Bishopthorpe village, although studies had shown that this would not make a difference and therefore it was no longer required.

Coun Waller argued the new layout was more logical.

He said if the scheme, recommended for approval on Wednesday, went ahead it would mean there would be “no question that York was open for business”.

He added: “It would bring back into use the factory building which thanks to Kraft has been left empty, and it creates space for companies to grow on.

“There is demand in the city for medium-sized businesses wanting slightly larger premises. It would satisfy the demand there as well as providing a significant amount of affordable housing.”

However, opposition Labour councillors representing the area could still throw a spoke in the wheel. They have claimed the developer has seriously underestimated the increase in office traffic.

Coun Sandy Fraser, who represents the Micklegate ward, said: “We fully support this site being developed, and there are positive layout and housing changes compared to last time.

“But I have to say that the developer has more work to do if it is going to convince many people, including many local residents, who are still of the view that they will be overrun by traffic.”

Another Mickelgate councillor, Dave Merrett, said more incentives were needed to encourage people to walk or cycle to and from the site, or use public transport, before site could work acceptably.

But Coun Waller argued the council’s own computer model, the benchmark for all applications of this type, had been used to predict traffic flows.

He added: “Grantside have made tremendous steps to engage with the local community. There is 1.6m Homes and Community Agency money involved and I would not want to see that put at risk by political spin from the Labour Party.”

No one was available for comment from Grantside.

The planning report on the revised application states that it addresses all the previous reasons for refusal.