Issues reported today in west York

The end of the holidays brings with it a need to deal with some issues. Today we have reported issues with

  • dog fouling,
  • dumping next to the recycling banks on Acomb Wood Drive,
  • leaf fall in the Greenwood Grove area
  • litter in the Chesney Field area &
  • more litter on the Tithe Close snicket

Hopefully they will be addressed quickly now.

Verge damage – no improvement despite Council promises.

Damaged verge on Thoresby Road 2019

Its over 3 years since the York Council looked at the problem of vehicle damage to grass verges. A lengthy report promised improvements not least in taking action against drivers who carelessly damaged verges.

Verge damage was costing taxpayers around £35 per sq metre to fix. Enforcement action was promised and some “Ward Committees” also said they would use their delegated budget to provide lay-bys.

St Stephens Road

There has sadly been little progress. Problem locations such as the flats on Thoresby Road continue to be blighted. Promised lay-bys have not materialised. There has been no enforcement action, no protective bollards or “eco grid” surfacing have been installed.

Drivers do need somewhere to park their vehicles but the Council’s response has been glacial recently.

LED lighting in York

The York Council has converted 12,000 of its streetlights to LED working since 2013.

The remainder are Low Pressure Sodium discharge lamps (1100), high-pressure sodium lamps (5000), Metal Halide (150), plus 1800 other types

The upgrade cost £2.7 million and was funded from borrowing.  Some further conversion work is planned this year.

The Council admits that it did not consult before implementing its programme although some residents express concerns about sensitivities to LED lighting, e.g. people suffering from migraines, lupus and autism.

Some problems (relating to health and road and public safety) regarding glare and flicker are associated with LED street lighting.  Warnings about LED lights have been published (link)

The Council says that its lighting is fault free.

The Council says that it did consider the impact on wildlife such as bats.

LED lighting is regarded as more environmentally friendly as it reduced energy use. It is expected to be more reliable reducing maintenance costs. It is also claimed to reduce night time glare (light is directed downwards)

However, there have been complaints about dark patches on some paths.