More roadworks including St Helen’s Road monthly resurface

Tadcaster Road (including St Helen’s Road)

St Helen’s Road – road works a familiar site

Resurfacing works will take place from Wednesday 20 May between 9.00am and 5.00pm, for 4 weeks, working Monday to Friday only.

In order to carry out the work safely, phased lane closures will be in place from the junction of Middlethorpe Drive to the junction of Knavesmire Road whilst works are taking place

James Street

The resurfacing works will take place from Wednesday 10 June for up to 4 nights, working between 7.30pm and 5.00am, Monday to Friday only. A full road closure from, but not including, the junction of Lawrence Street up to, but not including, the junction of Morrison’s will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

In addition to the above, we’ll be carrying out kerbing and drainage works on Monday 1 June for a period of 7 days working Monday to Friday, from 9.15am to 4.00pm. These works will be carried out under local traffic management, will not affect access/egress and the road will be open as normal.

In order to carry out these works safely, a number of measures will be taken.

Staff will use ‘stop and go’ traffic control boards whilst works are taking place to manage lane closures, together with the use of a lead vehicle convoy system to guide traffic past the works at a safe and constant speed. This is to ensure that adequate health and safety is maintained for both local residents, the travelling public and the contractor

Site staff will be on hand to advise and assist residents about any access restrictions once the works are ongoing

All on-street parking in the working area and within close proximity to the works will be suspended at these times, although any specific access requirements may be arranged by speaking to the site traffic management operatives, who will co-ordinate with residents’ and businesses’ requirements around the ongoing construction operations. This will not affect access for residents or businesses and the road will be open as normal

Bus services will be running as normal, and although there may be slight delays as a consequence of the works, this will be kept to a minimum

Emergency services will be permitted through the works at all times. Please note that cyclists are advised to dismount and use the adjacent grass verges.

Blue Bridge repairs to start next week

Refurbishment and maintenance works are scheduled to take place on Blue Bridge, over the River Foss, from Monday 18 May for up to eight weeks.

This will include general painting and repairs to the bridge parapet railings, the removal of old paintwork and steelwork repairs. In order for these works to be done safely, the bridge needs to be removed from the site.

A temporary scaffold walkway and bridge will be installed to allow pedestrian and cyclist access whilst the works on Blue Bridge are being undertaken.

There will be two brief closures (of up to 15 minutes each) during this time, to allow the bridge sections to be lifted out and returned into position. This will take place towards the start of the project and towards the end.

The width and overall length of the temporary bridge will be similar to the existing Blue Bridge. We’re asking residents to allow plenty of space between themselves and others in order to reduce the possibility of groups meeting along the restricted width of the temporary walkway.

The works themselves will take place between the Blue Bridge Lane and New Walk (i.e. along the River Ouse riverbank side).

It is possible to avoid this area by traveling via Fishergate for both pedestrians and cyclists.

The width dimensions of the temporary bridge will be similar to those of the existing bridge, but with a ramp to access the bridge from one side. Cyclists will be able to use the temporary bridge which will be flat, unlike the existing bridge which rises to a peak.

The River Foss navigation will not be available for access to river craft for the duration of the works.

Now Nunnery Lane faces closure

With the Blossom Street gas main repairs due to be completed tomorrow (Friday) the expectation was that congestion levels in the area would reduce. This despite the reluctance of the Council to reopen the southbound carriageway on Bishopthorpe Road.

It seems that problems may only just be beginning.

Resurfacing works on Nunnery Lane will take place from Monday 15 June for seven nights, working between 7.30pm and 5am Monday to Friday only.

A full road closure from, but not including, the junction of Tower Street up to, but not including, the junction of Blossom Street will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

Cyclists will have to dismount and use the footways/grass verges. Pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be free to use the footways at all times.

In addition to the above, the council will be carrying out kerbing and drainage works on Monday 8 June for a period of one week working 9.15am – 4pm. These works will be carried out under local traffic management, will not affect access/egress and the road will be open as normal.

The diversion for Nunnery Lane from City Centre end will be: Queen St -> Station Rd > Rougier St -> Bridge St -> Clifford St -> Tower St and vice versa.

The diversion for Nunnery Lane from Bishopthorope Rd end will be: Scarcroft Rd -> The Mount -> Blossom Street -> Queen St -> Station Rd > Rougier St -> Bridge St -> Clifford St -> Tower St and vice versa.

So it looks like 24/7 inconvenience for people living in South Bank (at least) if the southbound Bishopthorpe Road carriageway closure continues.

Coronavirus York updates; 14th May 2020

Grants to Micro businesses

The Council has said that it has now processed 766 grants totalling £738,539 for micro businesses. There is a budget ceiling of £1 million on this scheme.

It also says that it is still awaiting further guidance from the government over the discretionary grants – aimed at local businesses, small charities, B&Bs and market traders – and “we will open up applications as soon as possible”.

York’s self-employed residents could get up to £7,500 by May 25 – or within 6 days of making a claim – as applications for the Self Employed Income Support Service opened on Wednesday 13 May. Check you are eligible and make your claim on the government website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/self-employed-invited-to-get-ready-to-make-their-claims-for-coronavirus-covid-19-support

Lowfield & Lincoln Court building work

The Council has issued a statement saying that building work is recommencing at Lowfield and at the Lincoln Court/Disabled centre on Ascot Way.

in reality work never actually stopped!

Deaths & paitient numbers

ONE more patient with coronavirus has died at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, taking the total number of Covid-19 related fatalities to 186.

SEVEN further cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the City of York Council area, taking the total number to 427.

More hubs promised in York

The Council has issued a media release today saying that it will extend the network of hubs set up to counter the Coronavirus emergency. The 10 hubs formed part of the governments contingency -plan to get essential supplies to those who were being shielded from the virus.

The Council also asked for volunteer helpers and claimed that over 3000 had stepped forward. It turned out that most of the volunteers were little used while the governments arrangements, for supermarkets to deliver food parcels, meant that fewer than 1000 deliveries of food were organised from the hubs.

The council now says

“Since the helpline and hubs opened on 23 March, over 1,300 calls for help have been answered. These were for a range of support, and includes delivering 850 food parcels, information about food suppliers, prescription collection, financial assistance, information about cleaning and dog walking, and much more.

Staff and volunteers at the hubs have made nearly 5,500 telephone calls to residents to check on their needs and wellbeing, and over 200 residents have been connected to volunteers for ongoing wellbeing calls”.

The Council now says it will be working with communities to “create more drop-in hubs”. (The present hubs are not open to the public)

Hubs are very expensive to run. There is no indication from the Council on how much the existing network is costing, much less who has authorised an expansion. The issue doesn’t seem to have been discussed by any of the Councils decision making bodies.

A “hub” operated at the Foxwood Community Centre before the health crisis forced its closure.

The have, of course, been several neighbourhood hubs operating in the City for over 2 years. These pre-dated the coronavirus scare. Several have been reasonably successful and they do provide a meeting point for the disadvantaged.

However, they have often struggled to attract volunteers and mainly rely on paid staff. Hence they are an expensive option.

The Council says that it wants to mobilise its 3000 strong army of volunteers.

So it should.

First it needs to find out what motivated them to offer to help and whether they will still be volunteers after the health scare has receded.

Many will, of course, be returning to full time jobs over the next few months.

So, there are a lot of questions to be answered before the Council embarks on a programme which, in the stark new financial reality, it may not be able to sustain.

Hospital planning application published

As forecast yesterday, a “remote” planning meeting will determine an application next week which could see the York Hospital extended.

The background papers can be found by clicking here. The application is recommended for approval

The applications says,

Planning permission is sought for an extension to the southern elevation of the hospital to provide a vascular imaging unit (VIU). The proposed development would be 14.2 metres in height and would be sited on land currently used as a car park (resulting in the loss of 40 staff parking spaces) the building would be three storeys internally. The access to the building would be internal and externally from the east elevation. Vehicle access would still be provided between the proposed building and the footpath to the south. The proposed materials will be brick to the south and east elevations and grey cladding to the north and west elevations.

The catchment for the proposed unit would be York District, Selby District.
Hambleton, Ryedale and east Yorkshire, Bridlington and Scarborough). The unit would be used by a variety of departments and would be run and staffed by Radiology and its core activity is undertaken by the vascular and cardiac specialists.
The type of procedures include: diagnosing problems with blood flow (aneurysms etc), insertion of balloons, stents, pace makers etc. The extension will provide a Hybrid Theatre on the first floor (with associated Post Anaesthesia Care Unit) and Vascular Labs (and ancillary accommodation) on the ground floor to provide solutions for a number of clinical services across Radiology, Cardiology and Vascular Surgery. The existing VIU unit consists of two labs with a shared control room, prep/recovery space, nurse station/reception and ancillary spaces.

The applications will be the first to be held using the Councils “Remote Meeting” protocol. Under this reaction to “lockdown”, only half the planning committee have been invited to attend and vote on the plans. A virtual – on line – meeting will hear any public representations made using a, pre arranged internet based, link.

The Council has been asked to find a more representative, and accessible, arrangement for dealing with future – more controversial – planning applications.