Bishop Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, will be confirmed as the new Archbishop of York, the second most senior clerical position in the Church of England, on July 9, in a service broadcast entirely via video conference due to the Coronavirus restrictions. York Minster is currently closed, although virtual services are broadcast on most days.
Acomb hairdresser plans re-opening
Ali Barbers on Front Street is hoping to re-open on 4th July. They will sue an appointments only system.Staff expect to be working flat out with social distancing in place once it reopens its doors.
Test avaiable to determine whether you have had COVID 19
Public Health England had announced its backing for the test last week, and it was now available to order online at www.yorktest.com. The test uses a process developed by a York company and costs £89.
Deaths
TWO more patients with coronavirus have died at hospitals run by York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The fatalities take the total number of Covid-19 related deaths so far at York Hospital and Scarborough Hospital to 195. The trust said one of the patients died at York, taking the total number of deaths there to 117, and the other died at Scarborough Hospital, raising the total there to 78.
Over 50 streets, squares and snickelways across York’s city centre have been deep cleaned by frontline crews.
City of York Council is taking the opportunity to do a deep clean whilst the city centre is quieter than normal – so as and when the city is allowed to welcome back visitors, please help by keeping our streets clean and putting litter in the bins.
This also takes into account recently changed government guidance that allows residents to spend more time exercising during the day.
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change: “Our front line crews have been doing a fantastic job to cleaning our city centre of weeds, cigarette butts under benches and all those nooks and crannies.
“They’ve been working round the clock to make our city centre cleaner and safer during the pandemic. Please help them by putting your litter in the bin and making sure we keep our city clean.”
Frontline crews are working 7 days a week to carry out mechanical sweeping (using a small ride on sweeper and various pedestrian controlled machines), litter bin emptying, weeding and manual litter picking.
Staff were previously redeployed to assist the waste services team but have now re-joined the public realm service.
The deep clean includes:
the removal of detritus (dust/silt), weeds and cigarette butts from building lines, under benches, nooks and crannies
the removal of cable ties and expired notices, stickers etc.
cleaning the interior and exterior of litter bins.
The council is also identifying/removing graffiti on council owned buildings, which will also be removed.
All council car parks are also being deep cleaned!
The council has worked hard to ensure crucial frontline services can continue despite the pandemic.
All crews carrying out the works will be operating under strict social distancing guidance due to the current Coronavirus restrictions.
The council has worked with trade unions to develop new ways of working and has ensured works can happen in a safe way for front line operatives and the public, whilst the city centre is quieter than normal.
Residents will hope that the teams now move on to deal with the overgrown hedges, weeds, potholes and detritus that impede paths particularly in the sub-urban area.
Sections of the media are reporting that buses will not stop to pick up passengers if drivers have a “full” load.
Larger bus shelters may be needed!
Post COVID, and to retain social distancing, that could be as few as 25 people on a double decker bus.
At peak time such services might previously have carried as many as 100 people.
Bus capacity will be reduced by 75% according to First York. Passengers will be counted at they get on and off services with effect from Monday.
With more workers, and some schools, set to add pressure to the transport system in June, clearly some measures need to be taken to ensure that priority is given to those making essential journeys.
One suggestion is that free – or discounted – travel should be restricted to off peak times (10:00am – 3:00pm and after 7:00pm in the evening). This could affect pensioners, children and those using the YoZone card.
Bus screens now need free space indicators
Some officials believe that this would ease capacity issues on public transport particularly if employers and schools stagger arrival/closing times and that as many people as possible continue to “work from home”.
There has also been a suggestion that a new Priority weekly ticket could limit travel to two hour specified slots during the day (morning and evening) to give workers a better chance of finding space on a particular service.
Despite the protests of some ultra pro cycling groups, that the 15,000 or so per day displaced bus passengers should take to their bikes, the reality is that even doubling the numbers cycling to work would scarcely dent the demand pattern for bus services.
A clear plan to avoid the congestion that increased car use would bring to the City is needed and it is needed now. Whatever the solution, bus companies and the council need to get a process in place quickly if chaos is to be avoided.
Meanwhile it has emerged that the Council failed to spend its bus stop improvement budget last year. Despite pleas for “next bus” screens to be installed at busy stops in Acomb, Foxwood and elsewhere, no progress was made.
The budget was underspent by around £45,000.
The screens, and mobile travel apps, need now to be upgraded to show whether spare seats are available on individual services (as already happens with some rail services).
Real time information systems have a vital role to play in avoiding large queues at bus stops at least while social distancing rules are in place.
Weeds overgrowing a bus shelter in Foxwood Lane
Many bus shelters are in poor condition. Some need repainting. Others need panels replacing. Some are regularly overgrown with vegetation. One on Foxwood Lane famously sports a crown of weeds every summer.
Now, ironically, there is a suggestion that “green roofs” should be installed on some shelters to aid biodiversity. (NB. The shelters that are regularly overgrown are located next to the countryside so make little contribution to bee welfare).
These are issues that require prompt attention and a proper dialogue with local residents.
