Last ditch bid to save ‘heritage’ Ordnance Lane site in York

City of York Council wants to build the new, eco-friendly homes - at least 40 per cent of which will be ‘affordable’ - as part of its drive to deliver 600 new homes under its Housing Delivery Programme. A report to city planners who meet tomorrow (Thursday) recommends that it should be approved.

But heritage campaigners say the early 20th century houses which will have to be demolished to make way for the new development could instead be saved and modernised.

Chris Rainger of the Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society says the three blocks of early-1900s houses are a small but important part of York’s military heritage.

An artist's impression of the proposed development

“The houses were built to provide accommodation for staff at the Ordnance Depot and Military Hospital, and are similar to others which the council is spending millions on refurbishing and improving their energy efficiency,” he said.

“The houses face south and their open gardens could become a green walkway from the traffic of Fulford Road to the quiet of the new estate. One house is of a particularly nice Arts and Crafts design and a picture from 1924 shows it behind a group of soldiers proudly displaying a trophy.

“Unless councillors realise the importance of preserving York’s military heritage, it looks like these homes will soon be rubble.”

The council says the site is mainly made up of a warehouse and a ‘bus depot’ used by Transdev, which would relocate to another site by the Rawcliffe Park & Ride. But it admits some houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s will have to be demolished.

These include four houses in Ordnance Lane built between 1891 and 1909, and another five built later, before 1931. The houses known as the ‘Married Quarters’ will remain, it says, and will be converted into eight business units and two community spaces.

A council report on the scheme says 16 trees would be removed, but 145 would be planted and the site would feature a cycle route and parking for ten cars to the north of the site, with a further 31 parking spaces on the street on the west side of Hospital Fields Road.

The new houses will be made up of 24 one-bed homes, 32 two-bed homes, 14 three-bed homes, 10 four-bed homes and five large five-bed homes. All will be built to passivhaus standard and at least 40 per cent will be affordable.

York Civic Trust is broadly in favour of the scheme, welcoming its promise of intergenerational living and communal spaces and the low car-use ambitions. But it adds: “The loss of the three early 20th century buildings is lamentable and contributes to the piecemeal erosion of theb military heritage.”

Denise Craghill, the council’s executive member for housing, said: “The proposed development at Ordnance Lane retains and enhances the best and largest building on the site at the heart of the development. The buildings to be demolished were independently assessed as having low historical and architectural merit...and do not add anything to the Conservation Area.”