By one part of the railway museum, looking across towards the other, Leeman Road

Recently we’ve had a quick visit to Cinder Lane, and then to Leeman Road, following the progress of work on the York Central site, where demolition work has started, following approval of the planning applications for the development. As I mentioned previously, there’s been a public inquiry on the proposed ‘stopping up’ (partial closure) of Leeman Road. The inquiry was underway while I was writing the above, and has now finished.

I’m a bit late to all of this, for various reasons, but since I have read more about it I wanted to add a few more notes/thoughts, in this ‘resident’s record of York and its changes’, as it brings together elements of quite a few things I’ve written about many times in the past. But I’m trying to break it up into pages of reasonable length. (They’ll all be tagged YorkCentral.)

York Central, in general

The fact that the site clearance work has started on York Central has been presented as significant progress on this large and complex ‘brownfield’ site. A report prepared for a meeting of the city council’s Executive on 22 April states that ‘the delivery of York Central’ has been a council priority for well over two decades. And that now

York Central has moved from being a long held ambition to a current reality.
– (source (PDF)

It continues:

The enabling works to prepare the site have now commenced. IP1 works are underway to demolish the former Unipart, Freightliner and Concrete Works buildings, site clearance and track lifting ahead of IP2 works to construct the access spine road and Boulevard, add the pedestrian deck to the Severus Bridges, build the access bridge over the East Coast Main Line( ECML) reroute utilities and undertake works to Millennium Green. Despite the challenges we still face with the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, we are poised to finally deliver on the city’s long held ambition to develop York Central.

That sets it in context. Clearly a huge amount of work has gone into these plans, from so many people, for so long.

A major part of it all is the redevelopment of the railway museum. (Which we used to call the National Railway Museum.)

I have to say that it was clear to me, when walking around with a camera recently, and looking at it more carefully, how a lot of this area around the railway museum could be said to look quite ‘tired’ and dated now. Kind of 1970s meets 19th century with a road through the middle. Though I wouldn’t have thought about it much if it weren’t for the radical plans to change it all, as part of the York Central development.

Vision 2025 – Railway Museum plans

The museum has ambitious plans as it approaches its 50 year anniversary (in 2025). According to its website the museum is

poised to become the cultural anchor—the heartbeat—of the York Central development

To do this it envisages a new Central Hall.

Sensitively and sustainably designed by UK-based architects Feilden Fowles, the building will reference historic locomotive ’roundhouses’. Clad in recycled copper and with high, glazed ceilings with timber radials, the building will be spectacular inside and out, creating a world class-welcome.

Design for Central Hall, Railway Museum, by Feilden Fowles

This isn’t ‘news’, but when it was news, I think many of us may have been distracted by other things. Now I’m paying proper attention, I can see that it’s a splendid-looking thing, References roundhouses and includes recycled copper? Fantastic. Sounds ‘right up my street’, as they say.

But it isn’t literally up my street, and if it was I might have looked at things in a different way. Indeed have been trying to look at things in a different way, in more detail, because the building of this structure means the closure of part of a long-established route.

This new Central Hall

will span the road which dissects the museum

says the railway museum website. I think that should be bisects? – but anyway … when it says ‘span’ it means close part of.

The road was there for quite a while before the museum was, and, as previously mentioned, along it there’s some housing, where quite a few people live, and at the end of it there’s quite a large area of housing, where rather a lot of people live, and not surprisingly, they’re all rather reliant on their route into town, which has been there for quite a long time. Hence the campaign against the closure of the part of Leeman Road the museum wants to acquire for its planned redesign.

I don’t drive, and don’t generally have much reason to travel along the length of Leeman Road, unless I’ve walked up that way to take photos for this website. I’ve been aware of the campaign to oppose the closure. I didn’t really want to spend time on looking into it in further detail, but did, and recognise how many hours the local residents and local councillors must have put into it, to be presenting their case at the public inquiry recently.

As the plan I included on the previous page shows, there is to be a new road through the York Central development, and pedestrian and cycle routes intended to replace the closed part of Leeman Road. Which would mean, eventually, when it’s built, less traffic wending its way through the areas of housing on Leeman Road, as it does now.

It could be said that those who are opposed to it are just ‘resistant to change’, or opposing necessary progress, and that those who have campaigned against it are just thinking of their own interests, and that we should be grateful to have this nationally important/world-class museum in our city and do all we can to accommodate it.

But … this impartial observer, trying to understand the detail, can understand why those who oppose it so strongly have opposed it. The ‘devil’s in the detail’, as they say. I can’t cover all the detail here, but see the previous page for a helpful clear plan showing which part of the road this relates to.

There is apparently to be pedestrian access through the museum when it’s open, intended to replace the direct route that Leeman Road currently takes, but outside of opening hours it means going the long way round. And it seems reasonable to challenge the closure of a long-established right of way.

A recent document (PDF) made available as one of many connected with the public inquiry is a legal agreement on the proposed ‘permissive’ route through the museum grounds. There’s a long list of conditions, (including no spitting … a bit 19th century?), and possibly having to have your bag searched. That’s a bit different from the current open road that we can all at present progress down quite freely.

The issue is now with experts who have listened to the various viewpoints and will make their decision in due course.

Update: 23 Sept 2021

Local media reports today:

Great news – or a huge two-fingers to York? Leeman Road will close, rules Transport Secretary (York Mix)

Grant Shapps gives green light to close Leeman Road in York (York Press)

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Information board for the new Hudson Quarter, new buildings behind, 25 Jan 2021

Though so many other things have been paused, locked down, construction appears to have continued on the many building sites in and around the city. For this ‘resident’s record of York and its changes’ I’ve been thinking about buildings and building sites that I could do with catching up on, when out for my local stomp about.

One of these, within easy walking distance from my home, is the new ‘Hudson Quarter’, on the site of the now demolished Hudson House. I had a walk up there a couple of days ago.

I knew from media coverage that work on the new buildings had moved on apace, but I wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing the new development. My expectations were quite low.

After crossing Scarborough Bridge and walking through the side of the station I emerged in what I think is known as Tea Room Square, between the old Station Hotel (as it used to be called) and the station portico. I wanted to see how the new development looked from that angle, and was expecting to see some hideously dominant thing looming over the walls.

By the station – Hudson Quarter development behind the city walls, 25 Jan 2021

But I didn’t think this was too bad. In fact quite like it. At least there’s a bit of variety and interest there, not just a big boring block. I can’t remember if we could see Hudson House from this viewpoint.

I had thought I’d go up onto the bar walls to view it from that vantage point, but then realised that the walls tend to be closed when it’s icy, as had certainly been the case earlier in the day. So I approached it from ground level instead.

Or rather, two ground levels. As previously discussed, the buildings here sit on the site of the old station, and the lines that used to go into it, and they’re in a cutting lower than the roads on either side. The access gate to the lower level was open so I had a quick dash down to have a look.

Through holes cut through the walls in the 19th century for the trains to come in, we can see a bit of 21st century development, the ‘Hudson Quarter’, in the glow of the late afternoon sun.

Sunset glow on Hudson Quarter and the city walls

After retracing my steps and crossing Queen Street bridge, I headed for Micklegate Bar and Bar Lane, rounded the corner into Toft Green, to be greeted by the new Hudson Quarter buildings. New brick alongside old.

From the corner of Bar Lane and Toft Green

I thought this view was quite pleasing, down Toft Green. Or rather, the top bit of it. Still not fond of the grey hotel further down.

The new Hudson Quarter buildings, Toft Green

Just wondering if I can find in my files an old view of the street, for a ‘before and after’, to compare with the above … Yes, here we are:

Hudson House from Toft Green, July 2018

So, just a quick update. More later perhaps, perhaps with a view from the bar walls.

I’ve written a lot about the old Hudson House in recent years. About its history and its demolition.

. . . . .

Despite the lockdown, or perhaps because of it, I’m doing my best to put more time into this ‘resident’s record of York and its changes’. If you would like to support this long-running series of musings and ramblings, fact-filled long-winded bits and thoughtful things, and help pay its hosting costs, virtual coffees are always appreciated.

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Bridge Lane buddleia, some years back. Even bigger now …

Previously we were looking at an area of land where rare wildflowers grow, plants that have taken years to establish and need particular conditions in order to flourish.

Let’s stay with plants, but in this case the more common plants, the ones that arrive without introduction and quickly establish themselves in our built environment, flourishing anywhere without any encouragement — the plants seen as weeds.

Concerns have been expressed about out of control weed growth in various parts of York, particularly in areas outside the city centre. The problem has been discussed at a recent council meeting.

Initially it might look like the concerns are just about tidiness, and could be viewed as people making a fuss about nothing, particularly if it’s concerns about whether it looks bad to tourists. If it was just about tidiness and tourists I wouldn’t be writing about it.

I’d like us to adopt a more sophisticated, selective and perhaps proactive approach to the creeping greenery in our streets. Perhaps not rely so much on the council and its contractors to be wandering about spraying weedkilller, and thinking that spraying weedkiller is all that needs doing. If that’s what used to happen in the ‘old days’ then I don’t want the old days back. There are serious concerns about the effects of weedkillers. Though they might seem the most convenient way of getting rid of the green bits growing out of cracks in the pavement, we have more understanding now of some of the toxic effects of our supposedly convenient chemicals — or at least I hope we do.

Some of the problematic growth looks too well-established for weedkillers to solve the problem anyway.

Some plants seen as weeds can be removed simply by bending down and pulling them up, and that approach might be more sensible, rather than the weedkiller dousing. Others are far more tenacious, clearly firmly lodged in cracks in pavements and buildings, and have a woody base that is the product of more than one year’s growth. They can damage buildings, or branch out so far into footpaths and cycle paths that it’s difficult to get past them.

Buddleia — also sometimes spelt buddleja, and commonly known as ‘the butterfly bush’ — isn’t a small annual weed that you could pull up by hand. It’s a shrub, a vigorous thing, managing to produce a huge amount of growth even if its roots are growing in the poorest soil in the tiniest crevice. It has become very common in the local landscape.

Recently I noticed a particularly striking example on North Street, off Micklegate.

Buddleia, North St

I’ve seen buddleia growing out of buildings before, quite a few times. Often small examples, on unoccupied buildings (like the old Reynard’s garage/Airspeed building), and often up at gutter or roof level (as on the Tuke House on Lawrence Street) where they’re hard to reach. This one was easily reachable, and so low down that it was obstructing half the pavement.

Buddleia, pavement obscuring

How did it get so big without anyone doing anything? Perhaps not the council’s job, or their contractors, as it’s growing out of a wall rather than the pavement, but it seems daft that it was just left there to grow so huge, blocking the pavement.

Images from Google Street View, from past years (2017 and 2018), show that it appeared just a few years ago, and make clear how much growth this plant puts on in a year. If only it had been pulled out of the crevice it had settled in, back when it was small.

And along the street next to it, its offspring from its many seeds were taking root in the crack between the pavement and neighbouring buildings.

Seedlings, North Street

That little buddleia and all its siblings presumably came from the seedheads of many years of growth from the big buddleia growing out of the wall a bit further down the street.

At the very least it should have been deadheaded of its seedheads every year after flowering.

I know the buddleia, ‘the butterfly bush’, has many admirers, and can be bought at garden centres, and many people like to have it in their gardens because of the butterflies that are apparently attracted to it, and so my apologies to anyone who is offended by my calling it a pernicious weed, but that’s what it has become.

Defra says the highly-dispersible seed of what was originally a garden plant has resulted in extensive buddleia populations in the wild, where the shrub has often out-competed native vegetation and reduced biodiversity.

Gardeners are being asked by Defra to remove seed heads after flowering to prevent its spread before it becomes “ubiquitous”.

Buddleia: The plant that dominates Britain’s railways (BBC, 15 July 2014)

Buddleia, and other rampant weedy growth, on railway land off Leeman Road, Aug 2004

That article dates from 2014, five years ago. I was struck by the word ‘ubiquitous’, as I remember using the phrase ‘ubiquitous buddleia’ in something written some years back. I assumed — as ubiquitous isn’t a word I use often — that I’d used it because of having read this article. But no, a quick search shows that I referred to ubiquitous buddleia in 2006, in a piece on the Hungate area. For many years I admired its exuberance on that ‘brownfield site’.

We were encouraged to tackle it in 2014 ‘before it becomes ubiquitous’ (though it already was), and here we are in 2019, where it’s growing profusely all over the place, including in the stonework of Ouse Bridge.

As I’ve mentioned before, and as illustrated at the top of this page, there’s another buddleia forest developing on Bridge Lane, near the hospital. It was tackled after I wrote about it, presumably by the council, but weedkiller spraying or hand pruning hasn’t removed it, and this year it’s back full of even more vigour, growing out of the bottom of the historic brick wall boundary at the back of Bootham Park Hospital. Quite well-established now, and perhaps impossible to remove. I’d be happy to pop along there with my secateurs and loppers, but then what do I do with the branches I cut off? I think I have to file that under ‘what we pay our council tax for’.

If you have your own rampant buddleia, or see one in the wild, it might be good to try to manage its growth in some way. Remove the flowers immediately after they fade, before they set seed. It’s advised that the shrub is pruned every year, in March, down to near the base. This way it provides flowers every year for the butterflies but doesn’t become a nuisance. But if it’s growing out of a crack in a wall or pavement then pruning it isn’t enough, it needs removing, preferably as soon as it appears as a small seedling.

City of York Council is recognising that weed growth is causing some problems, and it was discussed at a meeting recently, in early October. I haven’t had spare time to watch the webcast of the meeting, but perhaps one fairly straightforward action that could be taken, if it hasn’t been already, would be to reduce to manageable stumps the rampant buddleia bushes at the back of the council’s offices, West Offices. They were huge and full of seedheads forming when I was up there in late summer this year.

Buddleia, West Offices, 30 Aug 2019

These were presumably put in as part of the original planting when the landscaping was done, when it became council offices. Perhaps it was assumed that this planted area would be looked after. It looks like it hasn’t been.

On the other side of the access road to the back of West Offices, and growing close to one side of the NER war memorial, is another buddleia, also massive. Perhaps not a good idea to let this get so well established, in such a sensitive location.

Buddleia by NER memorial, 30 Aug 2019

Perhaps the council’s new focus on weed control could start in its own backyard …

But perhaps we can all help by removing buddleia flowers as they fade, and pulling up any buddleia seedlings from the cracks where they’re settling and starting their infrastructure-damaging growth, and controlling the burgeoning buddleia before any more seeds are scattered to the winds.

. . . . .

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Further information

Invasive shrubs, from rspb.org: ‘It has become increasingly clear that Buddleia davidii can be highly invasive. It produces lots of small, light seeds, which spread extremely easily. It can grow in many places, even in cracks in buildings several floors up.’ (Read more …)

From the Liverpool Echo: ‘This plant has invaded Tuebrook -and it’s spreading like wildfire –  Once buddleia plant gets into walls, it can lead to them being pulled down’

CYC report (PDF) on the weed problems

Glyphosate weedkiller: Where is Glyphosate Banned? – ‘A number of cities, counties, states and countries throughout the world have taken steps to either restrict or ban glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.’

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Coppergate Centre multi-storey car park and Clifford’s Tower, from Foss Bridge (2006)

On the previous page, after serious thoughts, and not wanting to ‘close low’ on this series of pages on the Castle Gateway area, I thought that it might be nice to take imaginary flight, picturing perhaps one of the city’s pigeons, so that we didn’t have to concern ourselves with the mundane issue of crossing the busy road of Tower Street.

Flying a short distance we find ourselves at the multi-storey car park attached to the Coppergate Centre. From up there on its higher levels we get a bird’s eye view of the area around it. Ten years ago I took a few photos from up there, and revisited this summer to capture similar views ten years on.

Here’s the first 2007 view, looking over part of Piccadilly:

Piccadilly buildings from the multi-storey car park, July 2007

Note the building in the foreground, with greenery growing from its gutter, a former car showroom apparently. To the left, a little further back, the old Reynard’s Garage (and former Airspeed factory). Also prominent is Ryedale House.

And here we are in 2017:

Piccadilly from the multi-storey car park, August 2017

Ten years on, the building in the foreground looks smart and clean. It’s now known as Piccadilly Lofts. I always liked that building, and it’s pleasing to see that it’s still here alongside the Foss. Also striking, I thought, in the photo above, is how Ryedale House looks better now it’s empty, without the various colours of blinds and curtains at its windows. Though there were plans to convert it to residential accommodation there’s been no progress on that front.

The other major difference is that the Reynard’s/Airspeed building on Piccadilly has been demolished. As previously mentioned, the cleared site is to be home to Spark:York, housed in shipping containers.

The former Reynard’s garage is more prominent in this closer view of Piccadilly, again from summer 2007:

Piccadilly and the entrance to Merchantgate, view from the multi-storey car park, July 2007

And this summer:

Piccadilly from the multi-storey car park, August 2017

In 2017, there’s an open area where the Reynards/Airspeed building used to be, and on the back wall of it a colourful mural is visible.

We’re close to the Foss, and moving to the left, we’re looking out over and along it, upstream. In 2007:

River Foss from the multi-storey car park, July 2007

And 2017:

River Foss view from the multi-storey car park, August 2017

The main difference is the new large St John Central building, student accommodation, in the Hungate development area, closing the view along the riverside towards Peasholme Green/Foss Islands. But the ‘Destructor’ chimney is still a landmark, as is Rowntree Wharf, to the right.

We’ve now moved beyond the ‘Castle Gateway’ area, as it has been defined. Here’s another view from ‘on high’, in 2007, taking in the wider landscape, to the Walmgate/Navigation Road area.

View across the Piccadilly and Walmgate area from the multi-storey car park, July 2007

We’ve moved to the right of where we were before. The building now known as Piccadilly Lofts is in the foreground, with the Foss just below it. Piccadilly is behind it, hidden from view. St Denys’s church on Walmgate is a landmark. There’s a large crane to the left of the church. In the far distance, hills are visible, an open landscape.

So much change, in the ten years since. Summer 2017:

View across the Piccadilly and Walmgate area from the multi-storey car park, August 2017

Student accommodation blocks on the horizon to the left, in the Walmgate/Navigation Road area. Close to St Denys’s church a development of town houses on a back plot behind Walmgate, next to the Spark:York site. Looking at them, with the grey and rather boxy/industrial upper storey, and noticing a similar look to other bits of the skyline around here, I’m wondering why there were so many comments suggesting that the Spark:York shipping containers were going to look horribly out of place in this area.

Here’s a closer view:

Piccadilly and Walmgate area rooftops, August 2017

In 2007 I didn’t take many photos of the views from up here. But on the recent visit the light was wonderful and everything was looking bright and handsome, so I took quite a lot, including, of course, a fair few of Clifford’s Tower.

Clifford’s Tower and its car park, August 2017

Recently there’s been so much focus on the more familiar view of this building, from the street level, from the front and the steps. Interesting to see it from up here. From here it looks a bit odd, that green mound, like the car park was there first and the historic structure has been plonked down on it. It reminded me of a jelly mould. A wider grass ‘apron’ around it might be more elegant and appropriate.

Clifford’s Tower, a less familiar view

And then here, it was like seeing a familiar thing afresh, and I realised that I rarely look at it from this side, or of course from so high up. From up here, looking across to it, it was good to see it framed by the greenery of trees rather than surrounded by tarmac.

Then to move round to another viewing point and see it rising above brick and pantile.

Clifford’s Tower across rooftops

And alongside the standalone iconic structure of Clifford’s Tower I also admired this pleasing streetscape, looking towards Peckitt Street, heading down to the Ouse. Again, the trees enhance it.

View across Tower Street towards Peckitt Street

To finish this page of ‘bird’s eye view’ images, a view of the Foss.

View of the river Foss by Piccadilly, looking towards Castle Mills, Aug 2017

So pleasing, I thought. It’s clear, from up here, that a green corridor has been formed by the Foss and the trees, shrubs and weeds around it, and on its (usually slow-moving) waters. We’re looking downstream, towards Castle Mills, the Foss Basin and the confluence, where we were on the previous pages. On one side of the river we have the Castle car park, stretching almost to the river’s edge, with a bit of walkway, grass and trees at its edge. At the other side, by Ryedale House, there’s the rather scruffy building, with the humped low roof. I’ve always found it rather pleasing.

Looking at this we then have to imagine what the proposed developments might change here. There’s an application to build a hotel (17/00429/FULM) on the site where the single storey building is now. That, of course, will be much taller, five or six storeys. Much loftier and more dominant than what’s there now. And if we lose the Castle car park and get more public space close to Clifford’s Tower we’re likely to get another sizeable building at the river’s edge, as suggested in published plans. So the reflections in the river will change, reflecting buildings, not light and sky so much.

Time to leave this area and focus on other things. There’s a lot to cover, and I’ve been thinking about Holgate. Time to fly off over there.

. . . . .

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Steps by Lendal Bridge, 29 April 2013

This month I’ve posted something every day, an ‘April daily photo‘. I thought I’d summarise it all here, with a list, and a few thoughts below.

… Numbers 1, 2 and 3 started with details, buds on a tree, a coal hole cover, an old phone box.

Then details didn’t seem enough, and we shifted focus. So number 4 was a photo of the under-construction Peasholme Centre.

Number 5 was about geese, and how a Task Group is scrutinising them.

Number 6 shifted to a since obscured view of a former industrial building across one of those areas we call a ‘brownfield site’.

Number 7 looked from the outside at a building less widely accessible than it was, because of changes to its charges for entry.

Number 8 was an appreciation of daffodils in flower, which seems essential in April, on a piece of land we tend to think of as ‘common land’, but I’m not sure it is.

Number 9 took us to the gate of a place closed and private for decades, a building site now, for student accommodation.

Number 10 paused to appreciate another flower, on a piece of land rescued and enhanced, a former tip to a nature reserve.

Number 11 revisited a school building long since demolished, a landmark in its neighbourhood, nominated for the Local List.

12 drew our attention to a famous painted ad on a wall, and the changing streetscape around it.

13 visited a soon-to-be-demolished furniture warehouse, and a characterful detail round the back of the building.

14 went back to revisit 12, from a slightly different angle, confirming that a view of it has been lost, with a recent building intervening.

15 pictured a pub since demolished and replaced with housing.

16 visited a street corner where one photo prompted a lot of thought and brought many of this month’s general themes into one page, which ended up rather long as a result.

17 visited a large building site on brownfield land out in the suburbs, a residential development, but with no ‘affordable’ housing provision.

18 perused the newly-glazed colonnade at the theatre, which has claimed its space in full and no longer freely shelters shoppers at the bus stop.

19 appreciated an architectural detail reminding us of the importance of co-operation, on a building soon to be student accommodation.

20 took us out of town to a lane which has survived as a right of way, despite the land on either side being used for military purposes.

21 paused by a quiet corner of the Museum Gardens and thought about cultural change, and toilet provision.

22 considered the reuse of a building, a change of use, and why people who live nowhere near it feel so strongly about it.

23 looked at some lovely blossom and a tidy rose bed and reminded us not to take things for granted.

24 appreciated the beauty of a well-worn pathway between trees, and reminded us of the value and importance of rights of way.

25 looked at a 1960s office block, and plans to convert much of it to residential accommodation, as has happened with many other office blocks in the city.

26 was inspired by a plaque on a wall in the Museum Gardens, wondering if agreements being drawn up would safeguard our rights to visit it for free.

27 revisited the subject of the ‘problem geese’ and questioned whether they really are a problem, and how many residents see them that way.

28 touched on something else often seen as a problem in the city, the increase in licensed premises and extended opening hours.

29 took us back towards where we started the month, with an appreciation of a detail – layers left beneath, reminders of recent history.

30 took us to the heart of York, or one of its hearts, to a plaque on the Mansion House and the thoughts it provoked, as we move into May.

. . . . .

It ended up being a bit wider in scope, and a fair bit deeper in thought, than I originally intended. It was supposed to be a way of providing something new for visitors to the site to look at every day, but without being too time-consuming for me to do. But it ended up taking up a lot of time, and so a daily update probably isn’t sustainable.

However, I’m pleased with the overall result, and how it grew. And it ended up going in a certain direction because of a walk on the evening of 3 April, only a few days in. That wander into and through part of the city centre was the first I’d done for a while where I was in the right frame of mind for taking proper notice of my surroundings. And various thoughts I’ve been having for some months/years resurfaced in response to the things I was seeing, and they’ve emerged in the many words since, and affected the choice of the daily photo, and made me change some of the selection from images I’d planned to use when sketching out the project. (One of the ‘rejects’ is at the top of this page.)

So what have I wanted to focus on, in choosing these particular images my camera focused on …

That we shouldn’t take things for granted and assume we’ll always be able to access them, enjoy them. That sometimes the place can still surprise, particularly in April when flowers appear. That buildings have been demolished and new ones built, and that the new ones often intrude on views we once admired, and that perhaps we demolish less often now, and refurbish more, turning offices into homes, former chapels into supermarkets. That there’s a lot of student accommodation being built. That there’s a lack of residential accommodation for everyone else. That the city tilts towards the interests of the better-off, more and more. That less of it is accessible for free to the wanderer of its streets and potential peruser of its cultural institutions. That all these things tie in to things I’ve been writing about for years in different ways, because it’s all connected. And that I’ve been observing all this and all these changes for a long time, and that in my head it all links together and layers up and that when it does I tend to write a lot about it.

And that there are a lot of planning applications we need to visit or revisit, and geese we need to perhaps defend, so after a short break we’ll resume our efforts. But perhaps not post every single day. I’m having a flare-up of my repetitive strain injuries from typing so much, and my eyes are tired.

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Lisa @YorkStories

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