Issue - meetings

This report asks Members to respond to a petition, submitted to Full Council, relating to any potential development of Back Park, Balfour Street, and seeks to clarify the status of this property holding.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the receipt of the petition, and the status of the land at issue, be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be asked to undertake an area asset management review in the Leeman Road area.

REASON:      To ensure that the communities assets in this area are optimised and the highest quality of public provision achieved.

Members considered a report which asked them to respond to a petition submitted to the full Council meeting on 29 November 2007.  The petition called upon the Council to ‘permanently remove Back Park…from the list of leisure land under threat of sale’. 

The land comprising Back Park, illustrated on a plan attached to the report, had originally been gifted to the York Corporation by Arnold Stephenson Rowntree, to be held as public land for recreational purposes.  At the time of the petition, it had not been earmarked for sale.  However, part of the land (Area A on the attached plan) had been included on a list of capital disposals approved at Budget Council in February 2008. The Corporate Asset Management Group (CAMG) had suggested that part of the receipt from the sale be used to upgrade the remaining sections of land, thus helping to improve the generally poor condition of public land in this area of York.  Legal advice was currently being sought as to the status of the land, since disposal for purposes other than those stipulated in the Deed of Gift might require consent from the successor organisation to Arnold Stephenson Rowntree.

In response to the advice of the Shadow Executive on this item, and the comments made by the Ward Member, Members noted that a decision on disposal of the land was not due before 2009, by which time the likely effects on the area of the York Central development would be better understood.  In the meantime, it was important to take a holistic view of leisure provision in this area, with a view to determining a long term plan.  This would include consultation with the local community on how any improvements should be funded.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the receipt of the petition, and the status of the land at issue, be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be asked to undertake an area asset management review in the Leeman Road area.¹

REASON:      To ensure that the communities assets in this area are optimised and the highest quality of public provision achieved.