Rowntrees promise environmental uplift over next couple of weeks

JRHT have responded to complaints about vandalism and litter in the Teal Drive play area.

They are considering whether the children’s slide can be repaired. It may have to be removed. The playground is likely to be closed in the interim.

Residents had complained about the amount of little in the park.

Elsewhere in the estate the hedge which lies between Wenham Road and the Foxwood Park will be cut down shortly (it blocks an access path) and leaf detritus will be swept up.

Wenham Road hedge will be lopped and leaves swept up

The slide in the playground has been vandalised and may have to be removed.

Litter is a constant problem on the playground

 

High winds bring renewed calls for better tree maintenance

Large, unbalanced, trees need to be checked for safety

At least  one large tree has been blown over by the high winds today. It is reported to be blocking a road near Elvington.

The  incident has produced a renewed call for the Council to lop some of its older highway trees.

Tree detritus has been falling on passers by in Wetherby Road

Residents in streets like Wetherby Road and (little) Green Lane have previously called on the Council to lop – or maybe pollard – overgrown trees. They have had little response.

Trees in Wetherby Road were shedding small branches yesterday.

Some trees in Ridgeway have been pruned this week

Contractors were undertaking minor works nearby in Ridgeway but larger trees were being left.

In due course high sided vehicles are likely to impact overgrowing branches.

Trees on Parliament Street have been pollarded

The council has pollarded trees on Parliament Street. They will grown back quickly, but to a scale in line with the function of the street.

Some ward committees have allocated funds for lopping work but non of it appears to have been spent to reduce the hazards caused by large,old trees.

Any work must be competed before the start of the bird nesting season.

Harewood Whin waste landfill site set to close

Entrance to Harewood Whin

York’s waste will no longer be sent the city’s landfill, which has closed after more than 30-years in operation.

The site at Harewood Whin, near Rufforth, opened in the 1980s and will now, over time, be transformed into a wildflower meadow, which hopes to encourage more fauna and flora to the area.

City of York Council and its operator Yorwaste will be marking this significant moment in York’s history this month.

Household waste collected in York and North Yorkshire is now being sent to Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP) near Knaresborough.

The plant can process up to 320,000 tonnes of waste per year and is operated by Amey on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council. Diverting this waste away from landfill means AWRP can also use it to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 40,000 homes in the area.  (more…)

Some good news as Council acts on dangerous plant found at Lowfields

Japanese Knotweed

A planning application, which would see a patch of Japanese Giant Knotweed removed from the Lowfields playing field, has been submitted.

Specialists will remove the invasive plant from a section on the west of the site.

The reason it can cause a threat is because it grows so rapidly. Each plant can grow up to an inch a day and has the ability to mature rapidly across a large surface area.

As it grows so quickly it can actually cause a lot of structural damage. It can cause damage to tarmac and concrete, increase erosion, damage retaining walls, damage building foundations and block drainage pipes.

The planning application can be found by clicking here. It is work that would need to be undertaken even if redevelopment were not to take place.

Location of Hogweed on Lowfields site plan

Recycling facilities under pressure in York following festive break

Long queue today to get into Hazel Court recycling centre

1/4 mile long queues developed on the route into the Hazel Court recycling centre earlier today.

The post Christmas rush also resulted in  the paper banks at Acomb Car park overflowing. There is space in the adjacent bottle banks.

Fly tipping has steadily increased today. The issue has been taken up by Cllr Andrew Waller

We think that the Council needs to do more – perhaps using social media channels – to tell residents where there is spare recycling  bank capacity and when  the full banks in other locations will be emptied.

Fly tipping at Acomb Car park

 

Go alcohol-free for Dry January 2019 says York Council

Another part of the Council says drink more water!

City of York Council is supporting calls for residents in the city to try having a Dry January in 2019 and enjoy the benefits from having a break from drinking.

A YouGov poll released this month has revealed that one in ten people who drink – an estimated 4.2 million people in the UK – are already planning to do Dry January in 2019.1 Dry January participants stop drinking alcohol for one month to feel healthier, save money and improve their relationship with alcohol long term.

Current low risk drinking guidelines say that men and women shouldn’t drink more than 14 units per week. If you do drink as much as 14 units, then it should be spread evenly across three or more days.

Dry January is run by the charity Alcohol Change UK.  Signing up for Dry January increases the chances of getting the most out of the month. You can download Try Dry: The Dry January App to track your units, money and calories saved, plus many more features. Or you can sign up at dryjanuary.org.uk for regular support emails with tips and tricks from experts and others like you.

In York 30 per cent of adults drink over the recommended 14 units of alcohol per week, compared to the England average of 26 per cent.

Taking part in Dry January helps people to drink more healthily year-round, according to independent research conducted by the University of Sussex with over 800 Dry January participants.2 It showed that Dry January participants were still drinking less in August:

  • Drinking days per week dropped on average from 4.3 to 3.3
  • Units consumed per drinking day on average from 8.6 to 7.1
  • Frequency of drunkenness on average from 3.4 per month to 2.1 per month.

For all of these measures, people who drank more riskily before Dry January saw bigger decreases in the amount and regularity of their drinking – suggesting that Dry January is particularly helpful for heavier drinkers.3

The research also showed that:

  • 93% of participants had a sense of achievement
  • 88% saved money
  • 82% think more deeply about their relationship with drink
  • 80% feel more in control of their drinking
  • 76% learned more about when and why they drink
  • 71% realised they don’t need a drink to enjoy themselves
  • 70% had generally improved health
  • 71% slept better
  • 67% had more energy
  • 58% lost weight
  • 57% had better concentration
  • 54% had better skin.

A poll found that 8% of UK adults are planning to do Dry January, or one in ten of those who drink.

If you drink very heavily or regularly Dry January may not be for you, so check with your GP or local alcohol service before you start. Where an individual is experiencing physical symptoms when they stop drinking (which may include but are not limited to: shakes, sweating, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, stomach cramps or hallucinations) they should seek medical help urgently.

The charity behind Dry January

Alcohol Change UK is the charity formed by the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research. In addition to running Dry January, we work for a world free from alcohol harm. We fund, commission and share research; work to ensure more and better support and treatment; encourage better policy and regulation; shift drinking cultures through our campaigns; and work to change drinking behaviours by providing advice and information. Find out more.

How to sign up

People can sign up for Dry January at dryjanuary.org.uk, or by downloading the brand-new app Try Dry: The Dry January app via the App Store or Google Play. People who sign up to Dry January are more likely to make it through to the end of the month without drinking. They get access to support, tips and tricks, and more. The app allows people to track their units, calories and money saved not drinking, plus track their drinking year-round.

(more…)

Give them a break!

Many public service workers will be on duty over the festive period.  Inevitably the services of the Police, Council workers and health professionals will be required by some members of society.

However we can all help to reduce the pressures on public services with a little forethought and consideration

Vandalised car seats in Cornlands Road garage area.

Litter on Cornlands park

Trolley dumped in little Green Lane parking area

Abandoned bike chained to Indoor bowling club railings

Vandalised house sale sign

Full litter bin

Litter near Foxwood shops. (Residents undertook a litter pick near the bus shelter yesterday)

“Clay sir?” That’ll be £50,000 please

York Council claims it has no money to repair speed warning signs or lop trees on Wetherby Road

Work on the Wetherby Road roundabout is almost completed with no further road closures expected.

It has been revealed that the costs of managing the night time closure of the junction were over £39,000.

The Council recently also awarded a contract for the supply of clay for the project. The contract for the clay was valued at £50,000 (!)

Provision of a street lighting “passively safety scheme” at the junction cost £220,000.

These sums can be compared to the potential cost of a few thousand pounds to lop trees on Wetherby Road which are currently obstructing vehicle and pedestrian movements. The Council says that it does not have the budget to compete necessary tree work or reinstate the speed warning sign which has been missing for over 12 months.

Some landscaping work is expected to take place in 2019 at the Wetherby Road/A1237 junction before contractors move on to upgrade the next roundabout.

Westfield residents petition for better roads and footpaths

Local LibDem Councillor Sue Hunter will present 4 petitions to the York Council meeting on Thursday.

They cover the following issues raised by residents.

Speed humps on Askham Lane need repairs

(i)      regarding the following improvements prior to any further building work starting in the Hob Moor area:

  • Improving the access along Kingsway West/Ascot Way, removing  where necessary, the grass verge
  • Providing dropped kerbs of lay-by parking where this doesn’t already exist
  • Providing alternative, modern, children’s play facilities before any existing provision is removed

(ii)      regarding having roads and footpaths in the Ridgeway area repaired and, where necessary, resurfaced and that  grass verges be “edged” and hedges trimmed back so that the original widths of footpaths are restored.

(iii)     regarding having roads and footpaths (including speed cushions) at the low numbered end of Askham Lane repaired and that grass verges be “edged” and that hedges/trees are trimmed back so  that the original  width of the  footpath is restored.

(iv)    calling on Talk Talk to repair the footpaths and verges that they have damaged during their works

Petitions presented at full Council meetings are normally referred for an officer report to be prepared. They are then considered by a Council committee.