Emergency planning exercise stages river rescue

An emergency planning exercise held today (9 October) on the river Ouse has highlighted the importance of partnership working to ensure an effective and co-ordinated approach.

Partners were involved in an unrehearsed staging of a rescue to free passengers from a pleasure boat supposedly damaged by a falling tree. This enabled York River Ouse Safety Advisory Group (ROSAG) to test its River Ouse Emergency Plan with emergency services and voluntary organisations.

Held upstream of Bishopthorpe in a deliberately difficult to reach stretch of the Ouse, the exercise called on the expertise of officers from the council, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, North Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Canal and River Trust, as well as York Rescue Boat and City Cruises York.

‘Casualties’ were ferried from the stricken boat to Bishopthorpe Marina where, if required, they were treated by Yorkshire Ambulance Service and then sent to a survivor reception centre in the village for further assessment and support given by the Major Incident Response Team.
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York Council tackles nettle threat

The Council has acted promoted to remove nettles which were impeding Foxwood Lane. Reported on 2nd October the nettles were removed today.

Nettles removed from Foxwood Lane Not so good is the entrance to Hob Moor from Holly Bank Grove. It’s only October and the path is nearly impassible for pedestrians because of boggy ground. The Holgate Ward committee should take a leaf out of their counterparts in Westfield who arranged for improvements to a similar footpath access, to Acomb Wood from Hawkshead Close, over the summer.

We hope that the contractors, currently working on putting in new Toucan crossing signals at the junction of Kingsway West and Thanet Road, will take the time to resurface the carriageway hammerhead while plant is is the area. The surface is dangerous for cyclists

The same contractors may also be responsible for vehicle damage to the Thanet Road sports area. Bulbs were planted in the grassed area by residents groups over recent years.