Much interest and excitement has been generated locally by recent reports of a bid for Unesco World Heritage status for York. Furthermore, York has also been shortlisted for the Toyota Mobility Foundation’s ‘sustainable cities challenge’ worth $9mn over three years. But to be successful, York must maintain its high standards in terms of the environment and sustainability, and plans put forward by St Peter’s School in York could put this at risk.
The ‘sustainable cities challenge’ is a grant designed to help congested cities develop sustainable transport systems, so preserving the fabric and wellbeing of the built environment and inhabitants. The only other European city is Venice. In order to be successful, however, York must show that it is meeting the conditions laid down (for both awards) and continue to show maintenance of these standards thereafter.
These awards could make all the difference in maintaining the city as a pleasant environment in which to live and work, something that increasing congestion and complacent planning in the recent past is putting at risk. Prominent amongst these are the current plans put forward by St Peter’s School as the first part of a three-phase strategic development plan.
Below are the open fields as they are now with views across to York Minster
The St Peter’s School development proposal
The new plans envisage a commercial sporting facility replacing natural grass playing fields: carparking for 72 vehicles accessed along narrow streets, room for several luxury coaches, large storage buildings, artificial sporting surfaces surrounded by high fencing, a spectator stand for 126 people, floodlighting on 15m poles all in a quiet residential area currently designated E2 (semi-rural).
The school says it has already signed commercial letting contracts with York Sports and York Hockey Club. This will be available seven days a week (9am – 10pm) during school holidays, and from 6-10pm (9pm Sundays) during term-time. Even the school’s own travel plan speaks of 312 vehicle movements an hour by parents and staff while also confessing that it does not know how many will use the commercial sports facilities.
The school wishes to expand the currently single lane gated entrance at the end of a cul-de-sac to a two-way tarmacked drive. This is crossed by several footpath rights of way and cycle routes.
What is required for World Heritage status?
The Unesco criteria specify that a world Heritage site MUST:
- Have world-leading cultural or architectural assets
It is inarguable that York Minster fits this criterion as an outstanding medieval building and seat of the archbishop. It also contains internationally important archaeological remnants, many of which are still unexplored below the ground. They are a key area of the Unesco bid. St Peter’s School is also part of this historic fabric, but its plans to install eight acres or so of artificial pitches involving stripping all the topsoil and digging large, anti-flood soakaways in an archaeologically sensitive area are not exactly ideal.
- Be sustainable over the foreseeable and not detrimental to local residents in any way
The increasing traffic congestion around this locality and further degradation of local residents’ amenity is not sustainable and severely impactful to their enjoyment of their locality. It is not sustainable because it undermines the city’s stated aims to reach net zero by 2030 as well as improving air quality and residents’ wellbeing. This is especially so in terms of carbon emissions, air quality, noise and light pollution. Local traffic is already often at gridlock; these plans can only draw more vehicles into this residential area.
- Enhance the local environment through ecological improvement and accessibility
Rather than enhancing the local environment, the school’s plans are actually degrading what remains of the surrounding greenbelt and ings (water meadows) to the north of the city. These are valuable remnants of the former ecological and historic farming systems alive with wildlife and rare survivals such as the Tansy beetle, found in very few other sites and classed as ‘highly endangered’. The plans also risk ‘forever chemicals’ and microplastics being washed out onto the ings and into the River Ouse.
Naturally, these plans will adversely affect the local ecology; bats, owls, overwintering wildfowl. Birdlife generally, will suffer if this development goes ahead. As the city ecology officer says:
“…Overall, it is considered that any further development of the land would have detrimental and irreversible impacts to the river corridor, its associated faunal and faunal assemblage, and correspondingly the nationally significant wildlife site – Clifton Ings and Rawcliffe Meadows [site of special scientific interest]. It is also considered that the proposed development does not adhere to the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) …”
One major risk to the Tansy beetle is summer flooding, something this development arguably increases the risk of. The City of York Council flood risk officer states:
“…the site-specific infiltration testing we witnessed failed and, therefore, the proposed surface water drainage scheme that drains the new buildings … semi-impermeable sports pitches and car parking … via soakaways is not acceptable. We also see the scheme includes an unrestricted overflow into an existing surface water manhole which again will not be approved.”
- Preserve historic ambience, quality and local benefit
Clearly the school’s plans would lead to loss of historic ambience, quality and local benefit, including historic views over the river toward the Minster from BOTH banks. The noise and light pollution from 40-50+ shouting, adult hockey/rugby players and the 126-seat spectator stand would be very intrusive, as would the constant flow of new traffic into and out of the site in the evenings.
As the city landscape architect has pointed out in his objection to these proposals:
“…the proposed development would cause significant adverse harm to the relatively natural, simple, open landscape character of the site and its interconnectedness with adjacent open spaces.”
And in relation to the new-build and light pollution:
“In summary, the proposed development would cause significant adverse harm to views from the surrounding footpath network from the southwest and northwest of the site, in particular from the open access along the top of the flood bank from where there are clear views across the site and to wider views of the city including York Minster.”
The Toyota Prize for Sustainable Cities
If this were not bad enough, York’s shortlisting for a Toyota prize (worth $9mn) is equally compromised. This award is specifically designed to help recipients in striving toward net zero, improved air quality and a more sustainable future; something which the City of York Council has been attempting for several years.
However, having got through to a shortlist of six cities, York is in serious danger of failing in this particular bid, in no small part due to the possibility that the St Peter’s proposals might be granted. Here are the criteria under which York was shortlisted:
Transport is responsible for almost a third of York’s total emissions, negatively impacting health, wellbeing, and the city’s architectural heritage. A 2030 net zero target recognises that reducing the impact of each journey is critical (from Toyota’s shortlisting announcement).
As the newly elected Labour council attempts to address these issues, it has recently introduced a new local plan and is currently consulting on a new air quality action plan; this aims to reduce current pollution levels by 25% over the next five years which would necessitate a reduction in traffic of 5%. The Toyota Sustainability Challenge would be a great help in achieving this but the award of it could fail if the St Peter’s application were to be allowed because it would undermine the council’s own actions. As the highways department and the residents’ own transport consultant point out:
- The character of the residential roads in the vicinity of the site will be adversely affected because of the significant volumes of additional traffic that will use them particularly at the start and end of the school day and during evenings and weekends (residents’ traffic consultant).
- The (school’s) transport assessment does not quantify the arrivals/ drop offs/ pick-ups and departures of the sports related elements. We have experience of considerable congestion in other flood-lit rented sports facilities where substantial numbers of cars are accessing/egressing at change over times. Detailed trip and parking accumulation (split into short periods of time) would be necessary for assessment (City of York Council network management, Jan 2023).
In conclusion, City of York Council need to grasp what is at stake here if this planning application is allowed. These proposals undermine the council’s action plan on air quality, the new local plan and its net zero 2030 aims, and, therefore, are not aligned with the criteria for the Toyota nor Unesco awards. Unless they decisively refuse it at the earliest opportunity, they risk losing these valuable awards that could do so much to enhance the city and preserve its fabric for generations to come.
