Council plans to sell off flats on York's historic Shambles which inspired Harry Potter's Diagon Alley are branded a 'fire sale of the city's crown jewels' The council bought flats in The Shambles in 1920 to stop them being destroyed By James Reynolds Published: 20:17, 15 August 2024 | Updated: 20:27, 15 August 2024 e-mail 2 View comments York Council has come under fire after announcing plans to sell off homes including in the city's historic 'Shambles' amid an effort to improve affordable housing options. The council agreed to sell five one-bed flats in The Shambles and The Avenue on the open market, arguing it was the most financially viable option as they had deteriorated no affordable housing provider would be equipped to take them on. Councillors were told this week the historic nature of the sites made it unviable to improve them, after the executive agreed to sell the properties in July.
But opponents say the decision to sell homes on The Shambles, a historic landmark believed to have inspired Harry Potter 's Diagon Alley, now in the most expensive part of the city, is a mistake, branded a 'fire sale of the city's crown jewels'. Lib Dem opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre has argued that selling the flats would reduce the availability of potentially affordable housing, and said the plans went against Labour's housing commitments, as reported by York Mix . The historic Shambles has become one of the most expensive parts of the city They are also believed to have inspired.