High winds have been blamed for he increase in litter seen today. Insecure recycling has been blown around many suburbs with the Council struggling to catch up on their collection schedules post New Year.
Full litter bin on Bellhouse Way
Leaf and tree detritus in gutters on Askham Croft
Litter blown by high winds today in St Stephens Road
Surface water problem at junction of Ashford Place and Ascot Way
Waterlogged verges are being damaged by vehicles
At York Magistrates Court today (2 January 2018), the owner of two dogs was given dog control orders after they attacked a terrier.
The two American Akitas are owned by a Julie Ross, aged 53 of White Cross Road, York.
In August last year they attacked a Staffordshire bull terrier on White Cross Road. Both Akitas had run free from their home and began the attack which injured the terrier. Its veterinary treatment was voluntarily paid for by Ms Ross.
In November 2016, Ms Ross spoke to officers about an incident when her Akitas escaped her control and the male attacked two small dogs being walked in Huntington Mews.
In March 2017 Ms Ross received and signed a written undertaking to keep the male dog under proper control following the attack in November. The conditions were to keep him on a lead and muzzled whilst in public, to be walked on his own and to complete all actions recommended by a dog behaviourist. Ms Ross failed to comply with all of these conditions.
Officers were also made aware of an attack on one other dog in July 2017.
The dog control orders have been imposed for both dogs to prevent further attacks. Their requirements include keeping both Akita’s under proper control at all time, keeping them supervised whilst outside and keeping them muzzled and on a fixed leash whenever they are in a public place. The dogs are also to be kept in the control of one person who does not have the control of any other dog.
The prosecution were also awarded costs of £615.61
Attacks by dogs on other dogs should be reported by calling (01904) 551555 or emailing neo@york.gov.uk with as much detail as possible, ie description of the attacking dog and the owner/dog walker, where and when the attack took place, details of witnesses and if any vet costs were incurred as a result.
All dog attacks on a person should be reported to the police on 101 and welfare concerns should be reported to the RSPCA.
Every household in the city will get a black bin or sack collection next week and after Christmas.
City of York Council has organised the extra black bin collections to help households manage the extra waste over the festive period.
Residents need to put their black bins out on their usual black bin collection day next week. With no normal collections over Christmas week, residents are also being urged to check which week their recycling collections are due.
There are also special arrangements for anyone whose bins would be collected on New Year’s Day – these will instead be collected on Friday 29 December.
The Christmas arrangements in full are:
Monday 18 – Friday 22 December
· Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day
· Recycling collected as normal
Monday 25 – Friday 29 December
· No normal recycling or bin collections
Monday 1 January
· All collections due on Monday 1 January collected on Friday 29 December
(including the extra black bin collection)
Tuesday 2 – Friday 5 January
· Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day
· Recycling collected as normal
Councillor Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for waste, said:
“This extra festive black bin collection shows how the council is working residents to help with waste and recycling, and encouraging people to reduce waste.
“I’d like to wish everyone a happy Christmas, and remind them to check their calendars, our website and household waste centres to see just how much – from trees to wrapping paper – can be recycled.”
Residents can check their collection days using:
The city’s household waste centres are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s day. To check what can go in your recycling boxes, visit www.york.gov.uk/waste
Local Community Groups will again be participating in the Great British Spring Clean (GBSC) in 2018
On the weekend of the 2-4 March 2018, GBSC want you to get outdoors, get active and help clear up the rubbish that lies around us.
Another clean up day is being organised in the Foxwood area
Join the growing army of #LitterHeroes who have had enough of other people’s litter and are willing to do something about it.
Register today for the Great British Spring Clean 2018 and together we can make a difference.
Click to register
Click for details
Separately another opportunity to improve the local environment has been announced.
Grow Wild: Funding from Kew for community groups to plant wildflowers.
There is a lot of scope in the west of the City for more wildflower beds.
One volunteer hopes to d some planning in either the Foxwood or Tedder Road parks.
Let us know if you plan to do anything in your area and we will give it some publicity.
NB. Next years Foxwood garden competition is offering a special prize for the gardener who grows the best flower bed aimed at encouraging bee activity.
Sheena Jackson with trees requiring maintenance in Otterwood Lane
The Council have now published a report which could lead to improvements in tree management work in the City.
It suggests updates to the ineffective polices decided 18 months ago which have seen the number of dangerous and overgrown trees in the City multiply
The Council has a map available which it claims shows all public trees and their status. (Click). However, this concentrates on those subject to Tree Preservation Orders or which are in Conservation Areas.
The bulk of complaints about lack of proactive maintenance concern other trees and bushes.
Fungal growth threatening trees in Foxwood Hill
The Council says that it only has resources available to address “emergency storm damage, road blockages, attending as necessary to make safe. In addition “very urgent. dangerous high-risk hazards” such as predicted imminent failures including “full collapse, limbs, decay, defects” are addressed within “3 months” of being reported.
The Council currently has 42 outstanding reports of dangerous hazards such as full collapse, limbs, decay and other defects which it hopes to address “within 6 months”.
So bad has the problem become in some areas, that ward committees have agreed to use part of their delegated budgets to address problems.
No list of outstanding work has been provided in the report but in the Westfield ward, for example, major issues are known to exist in;
Nor does the report address the increasing problem of private trees and bushes overgrowing the public highway. In some cases, like Burgess Walk, street lights have been blocked by tree canopies – leaving footpaths dark and with an increased security risk
The report suggests changes to the tree management policy document. It is unlikely that these changes will go far enough to satisfy residents. The work backlog is simply too large.
The use of outside contractors may be necessary if resident’s safety concerns are to be addressed.
The report will be presented to a “decision meeting” taking place on Monday 18th December at 4:30pm. The meeting will be held in the Thornton Room at West Offices.
Residents may make personal representations to the meeting about tree issues but must register to do so before the meeting. The deadline for registering to speak is 5.00pm on Friday, 15 December 2017. Residents may also submit written representations, but these must be with the Council by 5.00 pm on Thursday, 14 December 2017.
In both cases notice must be sent by Email to: fiona.young@york.gov.uk or tel: 01904 552030
Tree map covers all of York. Interactive
Tedder Road bushes trimmed by Council
It looks like work could start in March on works aimed at reducing flood risk near Westfield (Hob Moor) beck.
The Environment Agency has today published an update report on its planned works.
The report is the latest response to flooding in late December 2015 followed an intense period of rainfall across November and December due to the impacts of Storms Desmond and Eva. Record river levels were observed in many river catchments across the north of England. More than 4000 homes and 2000 businesses flooded across Yorkshire with 453 properties and 174 businesses flooded in York.
Funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) following the floods to renew existing and provide new flood defences across the city, £17m has been allocated to the Foss Barrier improvements and £45m to the wider flood defences across the city.
The report will be discussed by the Council at a meeting taking place on 4th December
St Nicholas market popular this year
The start of “Business Week” in the City coincides with the publication of a progress report by “Make it York” (MIY). This is the QUANGO charged with developing the York economy and particularly the visitor sector and markets.
Reading the report, one might think that all was rosy in the garden.
There has been a steady stream of tourists visiting the City this year. They have partly been attracted by a series of festivals while other initiatives like the food court on the market have attracted favourable publicity.
The complementary York BID scheme has produced tangible improvements to the streetscape coupled with imaginative lighting schemes.
However, part of the success in attracting foreign visitors is down to the low value of the pound.
The MIY report is singularly short of figures.
One look around the City centre, at this the busiest shopping period of the year, reveals that key shop units are still empty several years after they become vacant. The pile of empty shipping containers on Parliament Street doesn’t help while the surface of the City’s most popular car park (Castle) is in an appalling condition. Advanced car parking space availability signs – and their “on line” counterparts – haven’t worked for over 4 years.
This all adds to a depressed feel in the “high street”.
The report – to be considered by a Council scrutiny committee on 28th November – considers progress against a limited number of targets. Some issues, like the shortage of labour and key skills, aren’t mentioned.
Nor is any attempt made to assess the impact that BREXIT will have on the City economy over the next five years or more.
We hope that Councillors, faced with a bland report, will ask questions which root out any complacency.
As we reported last week, the Council has been slow to deal with a hazard presented by an overgrown rose bush on the Tedder Road park. Its thorn branches have been overhanging a footpath at eye height for several weeks.
Cllr. Sheena Jackson has now taken direct action herself over the weekend and cut back the dangerous branches . We hope that the Council will soon trim the rest of the bush.
While in the park, Sheena took the opportunity to sweep up the leaf fall in the well used snicket which links Otterwood Lane and the Tedder Road park. The Council has been asked to clear broken glass from several locations in the area.
Residents are reminded that the current cycle is the last for emptying green bins (garden waste – including leaves) until April.
