Affordable homes plan for Morrell House care home in Clifton

As The Press reported back in March last year, there were plans for a  'groundbreaking' scheme to convert the former Morrell House care home in Clifton into a communal living block and it was approved by councillors on the former Liberal Democrat and Green run coalition council.

At that point two community housing groups, YorSpace Community Land Trust and OpHouse, were behind the plans to develop it into affordable flats run as a co-op.

It was planned for the old care home, which closed in 2018, to be transformed into 12 flats and a six-person house of multiple occupation (HMO).

An artist's impression of the original plans to develop Morrell House into affordable flats run as a co-op (Image: Supplied)

Since then local residents have said the property has been empty so long it’s now attracting anti-social behaviour and youths climbing on the roof.

An Freedom of Information(FOI) request submitted to the council shows that the council is paying £51.45 a week for security to visit the property.

But at a recent council meeting the current Labour-run authority heard that the interested community housing group has not made a formal financial offer to the council and that, given the acute need for affordable housing in the city, 'other options have been explored', including building affordable housing at the site.

Councillors heard that the feedback received to date has been positive and therefore the executive has been asked to approved plans to allow between eight and 20 affordable homes to be built on the site subject to planning permission.

Pauline Stuchfield, director of housing and communities at City of York Council, said: “The site of the former Morrell House care home has been identified as an opportunity for 100 per cent affordable housing.

“A decision was taken by executive in July this year to dispose of the site to deliver up to 20 affordable homes subject to planning permission. The next steps of this process include agreeing the terms of the disposal and entering into the resulting agreement.

“While the property is empty, it is important that regular inspections are conducted to ensure the safety and security of the site.”