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 Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter Franchise The Shambles is one of the best-preserved Medieval shopping streets in Europe, according to York's travel website .
Its cobbled streets are lined with old overhanging buildings and shopfronts, forming a busy trading street to this day. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in 2007 The iconic facades in a desirable part of town have made The Shambles one of the most expensive places to live in the city. Mortgage company Bankrate judged that The Shambles was the second most expensive 'famous street' in England - after London's Oxford Street.
While the shop-fronts have all been replaced and restored over the years, their careful preservation provides rare insight into the York of old. Many today now house cafes, sweet shops and gift shops key to local trade. York Council has been crucial to the preservation of this site, buying up many of the properties in 1920 to stop them being demolished.
The decision to sell off flats a century later remains controversial. The council's corporate services, climate change and scrutiny management committee heard on Monday a litany of issues with the flats on The Shambles. This included accessibility problems 'and other requirements', according to York Mix.
Judging their upkeep not financially viable, the council has made the case for selling the properties. Cllr Ayre, among the most vocal critics of the plan, said the move would see the flats sold off to the highest bidder. This risked going against Labour's commitments to providing more affordable housing, he argued.
'This is nothing short of a fire sale of council assets, including some of the city's crown jewels,' he said. 'Given the location of the Shambles flats we all know what they will be used for, this is a conscious decision to flip affordable homes into luxury flats. 'We're not a private developer, we're a local authority, there is social value in having somewhere in the city centre where people can afford to live.
' Cllr Pavlovic argued that selling the flats would raise money that could then be invested in good quality affordable housing elsewhere. 'No one wants to take these properties on and it would cost a fortune to redevelop them,' he said. 'The Avenue building has been allowed to deteriorate for five years.
'The money that we receive from selling them will deliver far more affordable housing elsewhere.' The Shambles has been voted the most picturesque street in Britain The council bought flats in 1920 to stop them being demolished The Shambles, still lined with buildings dating back to the 15th century, took the prize for Britain's most picturesque street in the Google Street View Awards in 2010. Ian Addyman, a shop-owner on the strip, said at the time it was full of 'historic charm'.
He said: 'There is a real feeling of community amongst shop owners and I think we all feel privileged to work in such a beautiful place. The shops here are all strikingly different and unique. 'Most people say that if you visit York, then at some point you will walk down The Shambles.
'It has been the backdrop for many a jigsaw, chocolate box and railway poster and once you visit you will see why.' London Labour Harry Potter Share or comment on this article: 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' e-mail Add comment.
