Anger as Acomb snubbed in new road resurfacing programme

School Street must wait for another year for repairs

School Street carriageway surface

School Street carriageway surface

The York Council appointed a new highways boss recently.

He’s likely to get a frosty reception if he ventures into Acomb following his decision earlier in the week to leave School Street off this year’s resurfacing programme. The surface of the carriageway there has been labelled “the worst road in York”.

Not a single footpath or road will be resurfaced in neighbourhoods like Chapelfields and Foxwood.

 In a break with tradition the report, to another behind closed doors meeting, failed to identify in which wards the programmed schemes are actually located.  This had been a useful way to reassure residents that the limited funding was being shared fairly. References are made to several very long streets (Wetherby Road, Front Street, Hamilton Drive etc.)  although the money available will resurface only short lengths of them.

The Director has apparently agreed that the assessments made of each road in the City will be made publicly available in future. This is unlikely to be much of a consultation to those living on the west of the City

Local footpaths that will be resurfaced include:

  • Hamilton Drive (part)
  • Lidgett Grove
  • Middlethorpe Grove

Carriageways due for attention include:

  • Askham Fields Lane
  • Lindsey Avenue
  • Wetherby Road (part)
  • Front Street (Part)

Taken together the investment in roads and footpaths in west York is now at a record low level.