The demolition of an empty York care home to make way for a new development has taken a step forward.
City of York Council is set to procure a contractor for works to prepare the Willow House site, in Long Lane Close, off Walmgate for demolition ahead of 36 new affordable homes being built.
A council report on the decision stated preparatory works were essential to deal with any risks on the site and known constraints to get it ready for the housing development.
Work is set to be funded with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority brownfield and national One Public Estate grants.
It follows the approval of plans for the 36-home development in May which came after permission to knock down Willow House was granted in March.
The building, which was constructed in 1975, currently stands empty and is in a poor state of repair. It is set to be demolished along with garages and a storage building also on the site.
Plans for the demolition stated the works would see buildings unsympathetic to the neighbouring York walls removed, improving views and allowing the land to be put to better use.
The council development set to be built on the site includes 36 one, two and three bedroom homes set to be offered with social rents and on shared ownership deals.
Up to 117 residents would occupy the development which would be made up of 11 one-bed, 19 two-bed and 6 three-bed homes.
Preparatory works for the development are set to begin at the site next spring, according to a council report last April.
Speaking after plans for the homes were approved in May, council Labour housing spokesperson, Cllr Michael Pavlovic, said the development would build much-needed homes for people on lower incomes.
The executive member said: “Many local people can find that they struggle to afford living in the areas where they grew up. More social rent and shared ownership homes mean more residents can afford to live in their home communities.
The Willow House site is among five in York earmarked for a total of 315 affordable homes.
The other four are Castle Mills, Lowfield, Manor CE School and Ordnance Lane.
Preparatory works at Ordnance Lane were also due to start next spring according to council timescales published in April.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Cllr Nigel Ayre, claimed the schemes had ground to a halt due to the administration’s insistence on only building affordable homes on the sites.
