Weed killing contract in York is worth £135,000

Details of the York Council’s highway weed killing contract have been published. They can be found on the public contracts register (click)

An extension clause means that the contract, which started on 1st May 2019, could continue for as long as 3 years. It is held by Adrian Morrison of Harrogate.

The volume of weeds in gullies, on paths and surrounding street furniture has produced a high level of complaints this year.

While the weather has a major influence on weed growth, lack of supervision of the contract is now a major issue in many neighbourhoods.

Independent Councillor Mark Warters has gone as far as calling for the work to be done “in house”. Failing that Parish Councils might be asked to supervise any work.

Mark Warters intends to apply weed killer to a particularly badly infested road in his ward as a way of demonstrating that improvements can be made and quickly.

Other Councillors should follow his lead.

York weed killing contract

More questions posed on cost of football pitch project

The site of new football pitches off Sim Balk Lane has been cleared. The will be used by a team from Bishopthorpe.

The cost of constructing a new “pavilion” at the football pitches near London Bridge has been questioned. It is claimed that the cost of providing 13 pitches plus changing rooms near London Bridge will be £1.5 million.

This compares to the £600,000 cost of providing of a modern changing room & clubhouse recently for the Hamilton Panthers team on Little Knavesmire.

The York Council has been asked to contribute £850,000 to the Bishopthorpe scheme with the rest coming mainly from the Football Foundation and fundraising.

Most of the £850,000 is being abstracted from the Westfield Ward.

Officials claim it is a substitute for the pitches lost at Lowfield which are now being built on.

NB. There has still been no progress on replacing the children’s all weather sports area which was a valued amenity in the Kingsway West area. The Council took the games area over as a building compound over 3 months ago, promising that alternative facilities would be provided.

The promised replacement isn’t event mentioned in the Council’s 4 monthly forward programme of upcoming decisions