New York boundary signs to be installed

West York pressing for hard border down centre of river Ouse in attempt to get fair share of Council budget.

New York boundary signs are to be erected. They replace the existing 9 signs which are now 22 years old. An additional sign is to be provided near Sutton.

Each boundary sign will depict a different aspect of York on the reverse, with images chosen in collaboration with Make It York. The preferred design is  is shown below.

Final installation is subject to planning permission.

 The current advertiser, York St John University, has confirmed they will continue to support advertising on the new signage.

 

Local Plan hearings set to take place in the New Year

City of York Council has received confirmation from the two inspectors, who have been appointed to examine York’s Local Plan, that a series of public hearings could take place as early as February.

Six weeks notice will be given prior to the start of the hearings at www.york.gov.uk/localplanexamination

The council met its deadline of submitting the plan in May, following agreement to endorse the draft plan at a special Full Council meeting on 17 May.

It also means York has met the timescales previously agreed with the secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Local Plan provides clear rules which determine what gets built, and where, in York over the next 15 years and beyond.

Regular updates will be provided on the Local Plan Submission webpage: www.york.gov.uk/localplanexamination

Councillor Keith Aspden, Executive Member for Economic Development, said: “I am pleased that the Planning Inspectors have agreed to our suggestion to hold early public hearings on York’s Local Plan, in order to discuss York’s housing need.”

“With the recent publication of ONS data, we are confident that our balanced approach to creating the Local Plan means that we remain on track to securing a plan that will deliver more housing in the city, whilst protecting York’s special character.”  (more…)

Traffic signals to be upgraded on Walmgate junction

Walmgate Bar 1830 Traffic signals came later!

Ageing and outdated traffic signals at the Walmgate junction with the Inner Ring Road are set to be replaced in the New Year by City of York Council.

Works are estimated to take around six weeks to complete – between Sunday 6 January and Friday 15 February.

New, more reliable, traffic signals will be installed on the junction of Walmgate / Barbican Road / Foss Islands Road and Lawrence Street (Walmgate Bar). This junction was last refurbished in 2002.

Pedestrian crossing facilities will also be improved, by widening the islands and improving the cycle lane on Lawrence Street.  An early start signal for cyclists will also be installed, coming out of Walmgate Bar, to provide them with priority coming out of town.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption. Residents are assured that everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum. During most of the works, except when Walmgate is closed during the weekends identified below, all routes will be kept open. However, there will be lane closures on some approaches to the junction reducing capacity. Motorists should expect significant delays and plan their journey accordingly.

To help minimise this disruption and complete the works as quickly as possible, work will be carried out from 7.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am – 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The left turn from Walmgate on to Foss Islands Road will be prohibited during the works, diversion routes will be in place. Walmgate will be closed at the Bar on Sunday 6 January to allow for preliminary site works to be undertaken. Walmgate will also be closed on the weekends of 12 / 13 and 19 / 20 January to allow the works on the approach to be undertaken safely.

During the works it is anticipated that all bus services will operate as normal, however there will be delays when travelling through the junction.

When Walmgate is fully closed at the bar buses which normally use this route will need to be diverted.  Information regarding the diverted routes will be posted at www.itravelyork.info/

Temporary crossing points will be available at all times during the works to ensure that all pedestrian crossings that are currently available are maintained.  Traffic marshals will be on site between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week to assist with pedestrians crossing the road.

The five year traffic signal asset renewal programme was given the green light by the councillor responsible for transport and planning in November 2015 at a public meeting.

The total replacement programme will cost £2.620m over six years and will be funded through the capital programme budget and the existing Local Transport Plan budget.

Residents are urged to plan ahead, allow more time for journeys on these routes and to consider alternatives and to use public transport where possible. Bus services will be operating as normal for the majority of the works but passengers are requested to visit www.itravelyork.info/ for more information.

The works for Walmgate have been coordinated alongside the works for Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement to minimise disruption and inconvenience, and at a time which the council understands is the quietest time of the year for businesses.

For information regarding the scheme during the works visit: www.york.gov.uk/walmgate

Frequently Asked Questions
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Major improvements works for Stonebow,Fossgate and Pavement to take place between January-April 2019

Old Fossgate

City of York Council is investing £1.1 million to make major improvements to Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement in York’s city centre.

The works will improve the street’s appearance and character, create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and improve access for pedestrians and cyclists, which will attract more visitors to the area.

Starting from 7 January, the scheme will be carried out in phases over 12 weeks, and are estimated to be completed by early April, weather permitting, in time for Easter.

For the first time in a generation, the council is completely reconstructing the roads and footpaths on Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement, which are in a poor condition and need to be replaced.

This will involve constructing/resurfacing and rebuilding the existing stretch of road – including excavating, which will require archaeologists to be in attendance.

The council consulted with businesses, traders and residents in September about changing the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to reverse the traffic flow on Fossgate, which have now been implemented. At the same time, the consultation also included details about this scheme too.

In addition to this, the council hosted a drop-in meeting on 11 December, offering an open invite to talk to traders, businesses and residents about how the council can work with them to help minimise disruption and promote “open as usual” messages.

It’s likely that the work will cause significant disruption to traffic as these are major works. The council is aiming to keep this to a minimum by:

  • Allowing one way access from Colliergate, turning right only, onto Pavement towards Piccadilly at certain time.
  • Deliveries will be permitted on Fossgate and Stonebow during certain times but will be managed by traffic marshals.
  • Full overnight road closures will be required for surfacing works at the end of the scheme (in April). Further details will be provided nearer the time.

For more information, please read the FAQs [below] at www.york.gov.uk/FossgateStonebow  or for more travel information visit www.itravelyork.info/roadworks

The works for Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement have been coordinated alongside the works for Walmgate to minimise disruption and inconvenience, and at a time which the council understands is the quietest time of the year for businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions  (more…)

Newbury Avenue

Garages to be demolished

The Council have appointed Transcore Ltd to build the 5 new bungalows scheduled to be constructed on the site of the Newbury Avenue garages.

The value of the contract is £731,505.90.  It is understood that separate contracts are being awarded for other work such as the demolition of the existing garages.

The works are currently held up following an administrative mistake which meant that movement of telecoms equipment, which needed to be moved before alternative parking provision could be made, wasn’t ordered soon enough.

The Council contract for the bungalows gives a target completion date of 3rd September 2019.

We understand that when demolition contractors removed the garage doors at Newbury Avenue they found a stolen car in one unit.

Separately, the Council have been served with a Freedom of Information request which seeks to explore why some Council garages have been left unused despite there being a waiting list of potential renters.

“Clay sir?” That’ll be £50,000 please

York Council claims it has no money to repair speed warning signs or lop trees on Wetherby Road

Work on the Wetherby Road roundabout is almost completed with no further road closures expected.

It has been revealed that the costs of managing the night time closure of the junction were over £39,000.

The Council recently also awarded a contract for the supply of clay for the project. The contract for the clay was valued at £50,000 (!)

Provision of a street lighting “passively safety scheme” at the junction cost £220,000.

These sums can be compared to the potential cost of a few thousand pounds to lop trees on Wetherby Road which are currently obstructing vehicle and pedestrian movements. The Council says that it does not have the budget to compete necessary tree work or reinstate the speed warning sign which has been missing for over 12 months.

Some landscaping work is expected to take place in 2019 at the Wetherby Road/A1237 junction before contractors move on to upgrade the next roundabout.