Green bin emptying and recycling collection backlog growing

The Council has not updated their web site to say how collections went today (Tuesday). However there are large numbers of full green bins still on the streets in the Foxwood area at least.

Last nights report from the Council suggests that it is still pushing a bow wave of un-emptied green bins and recycling boxes forward from one day to the next.

This is Mondays progress report from the Council.

Latest waste service update Monday 25 May

All scheduled household waste collections have been made.

We were unable to collect recycling waste from Copmanthorpe, Acaster Malbis, Woodthorpe and Foxwood as a result of restrictions on operations due to coronavirus.

We were able to return for all outstanding recycling waste, except for waste from Haxby, Rawcliffe and Clifton.

We’ll attempt to collect this recycling on Tuesday 2 June. Please present your containers for collection by 7.00am.

We’ve been unable to collect garden waste from a number of properties in the following areas due to capacity issues:

  • Acaster Malbis
  • Copmanthorpe
  • Wheldrake
  • Deighton
  • Dringhouses
  • Woodthorpe

We were able to return for all outstanding garden waste, except for waste from Clifton Moor and Clifton.

We will attempt to collect missed garden waste on Tuesday 2 June, but may not be able to revisit until later in the week. Please leave greens bin out and we’ll get to you as soon as we can.

Coronavirus York Updates; 2nd June 2020

No more deaths

No more coronavirus hospital deaths have been reported this week. The total across the York and Scarborough hospitals remains at 210.

Safeguarding support for children updated and improved

Another step to further improve support for children and young people across the City of York has been taken.

Over 600 professionals from City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local health organisations have helped update guidance which extends the city’s coordinated approach to safeguarding.

This threshold document clearly sets out for all agencies consistent safeguarding assessment levels, at what point early help or intervention for a child or its family is needed, and the level or intensity of that help or intervention.

Published by City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership, the guidance builds on cross-city work already underway by York’s multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) which was set up in July 2019.

Reporting concerns about the neglect or abuse of a child is now done through the MASH and the updated contact details are:

(more…)

First Bus announces app update to live-track bus capacity

Pleased to see that First buses have been able to take up the suggestion that we made a couple of weeks ago that the available capacity of buses should be via a smartphone App. Hopefully the same information will also be displayed on street screens before very long.

First says, “This week we will be launching an update to our mobile app that will enable customers across the UK to live track not only the location of their next bus but also its available capacity, as we continue to develop ways to help customers social distance on board our fleet.

First Bus will be the first major bus operator to roll out live capacity tracking. This reduces uncertainty for customers and allows them to make informed decisions about their essential journeys. Going live this week, the app update will show customers a bus icon on a map depicting the live location and available capacity of each vehicle in the vicinity. This new functionality will provide customers with the information they need as the bus approaches.

The innovation has been made possible by First Bus’s new passenger counting functionality, announced at the end of May. Data from this system feeds directly to the First Bus app in real time. This app update coincides with First Bus doubling the number of buses operating across England from Monday 1 June, with support from UK Government. First Bus expects to be able to increase service levels across its networks in Scotland and Wales in coming weeks.

With social distancing guidance being observed at the same time as lockdown restrictions are being relaxed, this additional capacity will allow customers to travel in comfort and safety. To further support social distancing, and in addition to passenger counting, seats on each bus are now clearly marked indicating where customers should sit.

First Bus continues to encourage cashless payments, and use of the First Bus App to purchase mTickets, to reduce the need for contact between customers and drivers.

Giles Fearnley, Managing Director of First Bus said “We are really proud to have been able to fast-track this technology to ensure safe, informed travel during these difficult times. Our buses provide an essential service for our customers and we are doing all we can to support them.”

This latest update from First Bus forms part of its ongoing work to improve the customer experience.
 

Apple store travel app link
Android store travel app link

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N.B: The app update will be available from Apple and Android app stores during the first week of June 2020 Dependent on individual phone user settings, the app may automatically update or require the phone user to manually select to update to the latest version 4.7

The app update is available to all First Bus app users in the UK and any customers downloading the app for the first time after the update will automatically have the live tracking functionality

First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks. We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.

Wild flower planting success in York

Hull Road roundabout

We haven’t always been fans of those who anat to see grassed areas left to grow “wild”. One motivation has been to help pollinators (bees) but to often they have become eyesores packed with litter and potentially hazardous thorn bushes. One case in point are the long neglected verges in Foss Islands Road.

However there is an example of a planting scheme that has gone well on Hull Road. The roundabout there is a blase of colour this summer.

This is mainly down to the efforts of Cllr Mark Warters who is himself a professional horticulturalist.

He tells us, “

Took many years of increasingly aggressive emails and ridicule to get CYC to stop putting bedding plants in twice a year, neglecting them to the point that they were waist high in weeds and half dead through lack of water to taking on board the idea of clearing it and sowing it down with a flower mix.

Last year was the first year, the tree in the centre was planted this year January time and the whole lot should have been oversown with a permanent wildflower Mix that should take over in time from the annuals.

However given how last year’s annual Mix has sown itself and proved to be very drought resistant, colourful and requiring little if any maintenance – dead stems cut over once in the Winter – it might be worth pursuing on other roundabouts to produce a better feature and save time and money.

We hope that Councillors in other parts of the City will follow this lead. The key clearly is to prepare and maintain beds properly.

Initially at least it is probably as much work as planting bedding plants. But the results are more resilient and – in the case of Hull Road at least – require little on going maintenance.

Police and Fire chiefs to answer questions at 1:00pm today

Leaders of North Yorkshire’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic will give an update on the work they are doing, and answer questions from residents and businesses.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan will lead the live update and will be joined by:

  • Chief Constable Lisa Winward – North Yorkshire Police
  • Chief Fire Officer Andrew Brodie – North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Members of the public are invited to watch the meeting from 1.00pm on Tuesday on YouTube  and submit questions in advance by emailing info@northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk, posting on Twitter using the hashtag #NYscrutiny or commenting on Facebook. Not all questions will be able to be used, but they will inform the Commissioner’s questioning and the general discussion.

Julia Mulligan has decided in these uncertain times that there should be a regular update on the Coronavirus response direct to residents and businesses, and this is the sixth of those broadcasts.

Previous meetings can be viewed on our website: https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/coronavirus/cvupdate/

These updates replace the regular public accountability meetings which are an opportunity to ensure the police and fire service are performing as well as possible to keep North Yorkshire safe and feeling safe.

All are invited to find out more about the meeting and watch live at https://bit.ly/CV2June

Agenda:

  • Local Resilience Forum update
  • Police – operational response update
  • Fire – operational response update