Would you believe it; They’re going to dig up Tadcaster Road again!

A Council media release today confirms what many feared. The Tadcaster Road carriageway is going to be dug up again only 3 months after it was resurfaced.

Resurfacing work was completed in June

The carriageway is currently in excellent condition and contrasts markedly with the condition of most other roads in west York.

But it seems that the Council jumped the gun when they undertook a £600,000 resurfacing scheme earlier in the summer.

Waste Of Money GIFs | Tenor

The government announced a £5 million improvement budget in July only weeks after work on the road was completed. The government was responding to a bid that the York Council had made earlier in the year.

It is likely that taxpayers will want to know a lot more about how this blunder happened.

The Council media release issued today says,

“One of the busiest roads in York is set to benefit from a £5million government funded road improvement scheme.

City of York Council was successfully awarded funding from the Department of Transport’s Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund.

The funding will enable to council to improve large sections of drainage along this route which will reduce localised surface water flooding. The work includes the delivery of additional pedestrian crossings and will ensure the road is maintenance free for the next 10 years. 

The authority has been proactively working with all the major utility companies, water, gas, electric, phones, to coordinate their future work. During this process it became apparent that Northern Gas Networks (NGN), were due to carry out major work in 2023. Working in partnership they have brought this work forward to 10 October 2020 ensuring minimum disruption for residents and commuters. The council works are scheduled to start in January 2021.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Executive Member for Transport, said at City of York Council, said:

“It’s excellent news that our bid for £5million to upgrade Tadcaster Road to reduce localised flooding has been reviewed by Government and is now in approved.  This will deliver much needed improvements to one of York’s busiest routes.

“Our primary goal is to ensure these works are coordinated with utilities companies so that the level of disruption for residents, businesses and visitors is reduced as much as possible.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Wasn’t part of Tadcaster Road resurfaced earlier this year?
Yes, the council bid to government for a scheme on Tadcaster Road. The council received confirmation in March that it was unsuccessful and would not receive funding.  Therefore the council resurfaced a section of Tadcaster Road as it was in need of urgent repairs between The Horseshoe and St Aubyns Place. 
However, in June the council was then awarded the £5million funding to improve large sections of drainage along Tadcaster Road which will reduce the risk of localised surface water flooding.

Northern Gas Networks have recently informed the council they have plans to carry out major works to their service at Tadcaster Road by 2025. The council was not made aware of these works before the section of Tadcaster Road between The Horseshoe and St Aubyns Place was resurfaced earlier this year.
Whilst it is not an ideal situation, the Council would rather sacrifice a small part of the works that have been undertaken already rather than risk the digging up of the major £5 million scheme in a few years’ time for the Northern Gas Networks scheme.  

Coronavirus York 7th October 2020

Deaths and test results

66 (SIXTYSIX) additional positive test results were announced today. This brings the total number of cases to 1765

There have been no further hospital deaths

The most recent spike in case numbers in the City coincided with the opening of the additional test centre at Heslington last week.

The area with the largest number of positive test results (39) over the last 7 days has been the Heslington/University/Fulford neighbourhood.

This suggests that part of the reason for the surge may be the consequence of a large number of younger people being tested at Heslington. Unfortunately the authorities do not provide any demographic or tracing statistics at local authority level which would allow greater understanding of any such linkages

At the University of York, there are now 135 individuals self isolating due to a positive Covid-19 test That is up from 113 yesterday.

At York St John University there were 63 people with a positive test on Tuesday – up from 46 the day before.

The number of positive test results peaked at 80 on Friday 7th October. There were also 74 cases recorded on Sunday (4th October).

The peak, 7 day case numbers per 100,000 head of population, figure reached 192 on Sunday. That is the highest recorded since the pandemic started.

New payments for self isolating workers

Eligible residents who are required to self-isolate by the Government’s Test and Track scheme, will be eligible for one-off payments to support them through the 14-day quarantine period.

The new Test and Trace Support Payment scheme from the Government is for people on low incomes who are unable to work from home while they are self-isolating. This new scheme will also apply to eligible self-employed people who can prove they are unable to work while self-isolating. Information on how to apply for a self-isolation support payment is available at www.york.gov.uk/selfisolate. Application forms will be available at this link from 9 October.

Where earnings are affected by self-isolating, applicants may be entitled to some financial support; a one-off ‘Test and Trace Support Payment’ of £500. Anyone told to self-isolate by the NHS’s scheme must do so or face fines of up to £10,000, and the £500 payment must be returned.

Those eligible for a Test and Trace Support Payment will have been:

  • asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace either because you’ve tested positive for coronavirus on or after 28 September, or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
  • in receipt of one or more benefits

Support may also be available for those who don’t meet the Government’s eligibility criteria. Details of our ‘discretionary scheme’ will be published as soon as possible at www.york.gov.uk/selfisolate.  

We know that as well as health concerns, the coronavirus pandemic has given many people additional financial worries.

Meanwhile, for existing support from the Government, please find out about:

  • Additional information and support at the Money Advice Servicewhich has up to date information and guidance on the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic at moneyadviceservice.org.uk or on freephone 0800 138 7777
  • The benefits you might be eligible for, how to claim and how any benefits will be affected if your circumstances change at gov.uk/benefits-calculators

For help to claim any of the help above or for more advice on sources of support in the city, please go to www.york.gov.uk/BenefitsAdvice or call 01904 551556 who will be able to help or refer you to the most appropriate support.