Wetherby Road footpaths works from 2nd March

Wetherby Road footpath being reconstructed, click to enlarge

The City of York Council will start work week commencing 2nd March 2015 to reconstruct the footway shown on the plan left.

This scheme is programmed to take 5 weeks, weather permitting.

The work consists of fully excavating the footway and reconstructing from the ground up in tarmac, new pin kerbs are to be installed to the rear of the footway and selected road kerbs are to be replaced.

The Contractor carrying out the work will be City of York Council’s Highways department who are responsible for safety and for providing access while the work is ongoing.

The contractor will be working between 9:00am and 4:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 12:30pm on Fridays.

Residents have been offered a discounted extension or new vehicle crossing if constructed as part of this scheme. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this offer should telephone 01904 553130 before construction commences.

Existing vehicle crossing are to be reconstructed to current dimensions.

Bollards

Nearby, the we have reported the damaged illuminated bollard on the approach to the roundabout as requiring attention.

It is one of several bollards which should be illuminated as an aid to road safety,

Unlit bollard posed safety risk at night

Unlit bollard poses safety risk at night

but which have been faulty for several weeks.

Missing 20 mph sign on Briar Avenue. Other signs requiring attention are ignored by Council (Click to enlarge)

We think this sort of work should have a higher priority for the Council than putting up unnecessary 20 mph signs at the entrance to short cul de sacs.

The ones on Briar Avenue (right) have already been vandalised.

Differing Life Expectancy Figures For Men and Women in York

Recently published figures show a differing picture for life expectancy at 65-years-old for men and women in York.

Life expectancy is one of the longest standing measures of health status in England and the first official life tables were published in 1839. Since its inception life expectancy has been used to highlight variations in mortality experience between geographical regions of the country.

Life expectancy for men at 65-years-old in York in 2007-2009 was 18.9 years and for the period 2011-2013 this has fallen by half a year to 18.4. The UK life expectancy figures for 65-year-old men in 2008 and 2012 were 17.6 and 18.5 respectively so in effect, the rest of the UK has caught up with York.

Life expectancy for women at 65-years-old in York in 2007-2009 was 21.1 years and for the period 2011-2013 this has risen by half a year to 21.6. The UK life expectancy figures for 65-year-old women in 2008 and 2012 were 20.2 and 20.9 respectively. So York is maintaining its better than average position.

Julie Hotchkiss, the council’s Acting Director of Public Health added: “What is particularly interesting to note is that these results show the reverse of the life expectancy gap between the well-off and the poor, where the gap is reducing in men, but increasing in women. It could bee that more affluent women are living longer while those who are less well-off are either staying the same or worsening. We will be watching this trend to see what we can learn.”