We’ve asked residents to nominate the highest growing weeds on public highways in the City.
These are roads, footpaths , bridges etc which should by now have been treated for weed growth by the York Council.
If left untreated the weeds will gradually break up the surface of the highway causing additional expense when remedial work is undertaken.
The weed control programme is normally sub contracted by the Council. Residents may have seen (or not this year) quad bikers in some streets spraying weed killer
Weeds in the Leeman Road area. Currently about 1 metre high but growing strongly
Weeds higher than 1 metre at the A59 junction near Poppleton. Gives a poor first impression of the City for visitors accessing the nearby Park and Ride site.A long time problem location with weeds now nearly 2 metres high on the parapets of the Ouse Bridge. Happens every year but no weed killer is applied by the Council. This year the weeds have been supplemented by a strong growth in tin cans (licet stagni) In the right place, wild flowers can make a positive contribution to the local environment. These are outside the Foxwood Community Centre. They help to sustain bee populations as well as supporting bio diversity more generally..
The York Council has started consultation on whether to recognise
an “Acomb and Westfield Neighbourhood Forum”
A small group of residents, mainly living in the Front Street
area, want to establish a “neighbourhood plan”. It would supplement the
Councils own Local Plan which will be subject to a public hearing over the
summer months.
Proposed neighbourhood plan area (Acomb and Westfield)
Unfortunately, the area they hope to cover includes the whole
of the Acomb and Westfield wards (approximately 10,000 homes). It would stretch
from Foxwood to Boroughbridge Road, encompassing a disparate group of neighbourhoods
with little obvious community of interest.
If agreed, it would be by far the largest such plan in the York
area. In the main those plans that have been approved cover smaller villages. All
have a shared commonality of interests.
Westfield is not short of groups which seek to influence
Council policy.
There are several Residents Associations, a “planning panel”
(which scrutinises planning applications), a “ward team” and a “ward committee”
together with several “action groups” which tend to focus on stimulating, or preventing,
specific developments.
Adding an additional tier of representation, although only a
consultative body, would involve additional costs and could lead to confusion
about roles and responsibilities.
When it comes down to it, Foxwood has little in common with
Chapelfields or the Gladstone Street area.
It has even less shared interest with Ouse Acres and vice versa. Arguably Foxwood has more in common with the Woodthorpe area.
In our view, this proposal represents an unwelcome diversion
and could take resources away from the key task of raising public service standards
in the area. Residents Associations are bested suited – and of the right scale –
to identify changes that need to be made in local neighbourhoods.
They deserve more Council support.
In most built up sub-urban areas, there is little scope for redevelopment anyway with the focus being to retain existing open spaces. There is an opportunity for more public open space on land lying between the existing development and the A1237 bypass. The proposed Neighbourhood Plan boundaries exclude this land from consideration.
Ward Councillors are already aware of the need to move the extra public open space issue forward.
Front Street in older times. This part of Westfield may require better protection from developers in the light of the current problems at the Bowling Club building site.
There may be a case for a neighbourhood plan covering the Acomb village conservation area and its immediate environs.
The “forum” organisers would be wise to focus on a smaller area like this – where there may be a need for more clarity on its future – rather than try to “boil the, proverbial, ocean”.
In the meantime residents should email the Council to oppose this unnecessary proposal.
City of York Council is inviting residents to learn to Nordic Walk this July.
The council’s latest Nordic Walking course starts on 5 July and sessions will take place every Friday for four weeks from 10am until 11am, meeting at the Rowntree Park Reading Café.
Nordic Walking is a calm, social but vigorous walking style that burns about 50 per cent more calories than walking alone and tones the upper and lower body. Walking with the specialized Nordic Walking poles, residents also reduce impact on the knee joints.
Nordic walking is one of the fastest growing activities in the UK and at the end of the course participants will be given a Nordic Walking UK Freedom Card, which will enable them to attend Nordic Walking groups anywhere in the UK, including several in the York area.
