Issue - meetings

To consider future options available to bring the temporary accommodation at Ordnance Lane up to decent homes standard, and give an in principle endorsement of a capital bid to Communities and Local Government for a resettlement project for young people through the “Places of Change” programme.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to:

(i)                 Endorse the expression of interest submission to Communities and Local Government for capital funding for a Young Persons Places of Change project

(ii)               Agree to explore future options for Ordnance Lane temporary accommodation.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      This solution will provide people going through the homeless or resettlement route with accommodation that is fit for the 21^st Century and which improves their life chances by providing training in trades and life skills which will also help to sustain future tenancies in the long term.

Members considered a report which outlined future options available to bring the temporary accommodation at Ordnance Lane, York, up to decent homes standard. An in-principle endorsement of a capital bid to Communities and Local Government for a resettlement project for young people through the Places of Change programme was also requested. 

Key criteria that would relate to any Places of Change bid submitted from York were set out in paragraph 15 of the report. It was noted that a number of different options would need to be explored in more detail concerning the future of Ordnance Lane and that this would be necessary irrespective of the success of any bid.  Proposals for the future could include any of the following options:

Option 1 - Demolish the existing scheme and replace it with a new build providing 25 x 2 bed self contained units for temporary accommodation, and a Places of Change/Foyer scheme of 20 x en suite units for 16/20 year olds.

Option 2 - Demolish the existing facility, re-build a 25 x 2 bed self-contained scheme for temporary accommodation and consider redeveloping the rest of the site for affordable housing.

Option 3 -Refurbish the existing buildings up to decent homes standards, acknowledging that there will be an element of shared facilities 

Option 4 - Dispose of the current Ordnance Lane site on the open market and relocate the existing use with or without the Places of Change / foyer scheme to a new site.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to:

(i)                 Endorse the expression of interest submission to Communities and Local Government for capital funding for a Young Persons Places of Change project.¹

(ii)               Agree to explore future options for Ordnance Lane temporary accommodation.²

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      This solution will provide people going through the homeless or resettlement route with accommodation that is fit for the 21^st Century and which improves their life chances by providing training in trades and life skills which will also help to sustain future tenancies in the long term.