60 new businesses for York, following launch of new support system: http://t.co/IQ8s1GY78C
— The Press (@yorkpress) September 9, 2013
Neighbourhood Plan for Dunnington?
As a result of the governments Localism Act 2011, local communities are encouraged to come together to get more involved in planning for their areas by producing neighbourhood plans, which are designed to guide new development.
The costs of preparing and consulting on such a plan are put at around £20,000.
A report will be taken to a decision session on Monday 16 September to ask for the Cabinet Member of Transport, Planning and Sustainability to approve and progress the application for a Dunnington Neighbourhood Plan.
Dunnington & York Local Plan click to enlarge
Residents still have a week until the consultation period ends on the 16 September at 4pm, and a verbal update will be provided to the Cabinet Member during the meeting.
Over 450 York residents have already had their say on what could be the city’s the first parish council to get its own Neighbourhood Plan.
However the current consultation is only about what area the plan should cover, so there is a suspicion that residents are using this as an opportunity to make a further protest about the York Council’s Local Plan policies for the village.
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New parking restrictions in Clifton announced by York Council
Click for large scale maps of all the proposals
The Council has agreed to implement as advertised Traffic Regulation Orders in
• R33 Bootham (South):
• Sycamore Place;
• R33 Bootham (South : Queen Anne’s Road);
• Junction of Ashton Avenue and Crichton Avenue;
• Ratcliffe Street, junction areas with Burton Stone Lane, Falgrave Crescent and Haughton Road;
• Westerdale Court, Compton Street and Clifton.
However objections from residents were at least partly upheld and proposals amended in:
• Kitchener Street;
• And Field View, junction areas with Burton Stone Lane and Haughton Road (with additional restrictions on Haughton Road)
Following representations from residents and Liberal Democrat spokesperson Cllr Ann Reid, the Council has agreed to reduce the time that restrictions will apply outside 48 -54 Clifton. They will apply now only on weekdays, 10:00am – 4:00pm.
The decision was made at a “behind closed doors” meeting.
Burglary in Newbury Avenue
Burglary in the Newbury Avenue area (Kingsway West). Insecure rear door entered, wallet/purse with £300, and a laptop stolen. Info to #101
— NYP York West (@snayorkwest) September 9, 2013
Residents launch petition to retain Green Lane (Acomb) on de-icing schedule
The York Council is planning to remove little Green Lane from its winter gritting schedules.
The section of road affected leads from the roundabout to the entrance to Hob Moor School. It is extensively used by specialist buses taking special needs children to the school.
Although on the schedule, gritters struggled to keep the access open during the severe weather conditions encountered in 2010.
Now local residents are collecting a petition aimed at restoring the street to the de –icing schedules. They also hope to persuade the Council not to reduce the number of salt bins in the area.
2 years ago the Council moved to prevent local ward committees from establishing and maintaining local salt bin networks.
Elsewhere in the local neighbourhood, residents are also planning protests about the virtual elimination of local roads from the de-icing rota. The whole of the Kingsway West and Stuart Road estates will not be on the primary salting routes in future despite many of the roads being bus routes.
Click for larger map
Residents point to the £75,000 a year being spent on advertising the City at Leeds Bradford airport as one source of funding for what most regard as a basic safety requirement.
Residents have until next Monday (16th) to complete a Council on line survey although this does not include a status quo option.
A decision on the gritting routes is likely to be made at a meeting taking place on 9th October at which residents hope to hand in their petition.
NB. In the same area problems with litter drift near the shops have been reported to the Council. The Council has also been asked to intervene to ensure that the owners fill in a large pothole on the (private) shops forecourt which represents a hazard for pedestrians.
Litter near Green Lane shops
Pothole on shops forecourt
Britain in Bloom – New questions asked
It appears that the decision that York would not enter the Britain in Bloom contest this year was only taken in July.
The City has already been entered into the competition.
The decision was taken in private with no report on the implications being published.
Neither residents nor those involved in Britain in Bloom at a community level were consulted.
The village and neighbourhood entrants are however understood to continuing with their entries. Judging is underway.
Offers of voluntary help to organise the City’s entry were snubbed.
The late withdrawal meant that no other Yorkshire City was able to enter to represent the county.
It appears that the decision was a panic move taken only days before the Britain in Bloom judges were due to visit the City.
Although the Council says it may enter again in the future, it could take 5 years or more to build up the momentum needed to be awarded the Britain in Bloom City title.
Meanwhile the decision to squander £75,000 a year on advertising at Leeds Bradford Airport has been “called in” for reconsideration. The review meeting will take place on Monday 16th September. The agenda can be found by clicking here.
Danesfort Avenue roadworks from tomorrow
Danesfort Ave closed at Kingsway West & Gale Lane junctions from 00:01hrs 9/9/13 till 24:00hrs 7/10/13 due to electricity works.
— York Travel (@york_travel) September 5, 2013
A1237 to Beckfield Lane cycle path agreed in another ”behind closed doors” decision
The Council has decided on the layout for a cycle link on the A59.
No justification for the design detail has been published by the Council nor were the normal cross party consultations undertaken. The cost of the scheme has not been revealed.
The footway would be widened on the A59 from the by pass through to the Beckfield Lane junction. All crossing points at the junctions would be upgraded to allow them to be used by cyclists.
There would be some shared use paths accommodating both cyclists and pedestrians.
The cycle route connects to a proposed crossing of the A1237 before terminating at the new Poppleton Bar Park and Ride site.
A1237 to Beckfield Lane cycle path. click for larger map
Suddenly we are awash with “All York” bus ticket sales information
The Council has issued a statement saying that 12,000 “All York” teenagers’ bus tickets were sold during August.
For 12 months the Council and bus companies resisted providing any information on sales figures.
When eventually they were forced to publish them, it was revealed that sales of the taxpayer subsidised “All York” tickets were only 25% of forecast levels.
The young persons travel tickets were designed to provide cheaper fares for teenagers during the schools holidays.
The £1-30 a day tickets were a worthy project in principle which bus companies should have been happy to fund. The extra revenue, won by filling empty seats, would have more than covered their costs
However, the York Council chose to offer a 20p per journey taxpayers subsidy.
So that’s around £2,400 taxpayers have had to fork out in just 1 month for a scheme that has netted bus companies around £15,000.
One bus operator is claiming that the August sales represent a 500% increase over the previous year. Given that there wasn’t an ”All York” teenagers ticket available last year then that seems to be a spurious claim.
If the announcement heralds a more open approach by the Council to the provision of information about local bus services then that is to be welcomed.
We look forward to seeing details of service reliability published on a regular basis.
York Council waste collection changes. If your refuse bin isn’t emptied next week….. check this list!
The York Council is introducing new waste and green recycling collection timetables from next Monday (9th September).
Some households will receive recycling for the first time and others may have changes to what day of the week their rubbish, recycling or green waste is collected
About 10% of properties will see a change to their collections days.
The Council says that it has written to every affected household explaining the new collection days.
Given the past record of the York Council with communications, we are sceptical about whether everyone will have had, and understood, their communication.
A complete list of addresses (10639 of them) were sent out to ward Councillors as late as 2:00pm today Friday 6th September.
That is less than 1 working day before the new arrangements are due to be introduced.
The complete list of affected properties can be viewed by clicking here.
It is in alphabetical street order.
Alternatively, you should also be able to check out the day that your next collection is due by entering your postcode at this web location http://tinyurl.com/York-bin
Roads in the Westfield area that are affected include:
• Beagle Ridge Drive (change of week)
• Beechwood Glade (change of week)
• Cedarwood Close (change of week)
• Huntsman’s Walk (change of week)
• Maplewood Paddock (change of week)
• Thornwood Covert (change of week)
The Council says, “It is important to continue to ensure that your rubbish, recycling and garden waste are presented before 7am on the day of collection”.