The backlog of requests for patching and resurfacing of roads in York seems to be growing.
Officials have refused to fill in potholes like these on The Gallops
Requests for potholes to be filled and uneven roads repaired are now being routinely turned down.
The risks for cyclists and pedestrians are rising.
Even when officials decide that some work is needed only rudimentary work is done to potholes. They usually require attention again within a few weeks.
Requests for resurfacing receive no satisfactory response
The very least that officials and responsible Councillors should do is explain their policies, what is possible within existing budget allocations and when residents can reasonably expect to see an improvements.
Some pretty bad mistakes seem to have been made when the allocation of basic maintenance budgets was agreed.
Councillors seem oblivious to the growing chorus of complaints.
This issue is an election loser if ever there was one
NB. The resurfacing programme for the new financial year should be published shortly
It looks like many highways defects have been left waiting for attention for so long that expensive remedial works are now needed.
Many carriageways which needed patching in the summer and autumn were ignored. Now some are worn down to the hardcore base while others have multiple surface defects. Several represent a hazard for two wheeled transport users.
We have reported the following streets (but these may just be the tip of the iceberg).
Walker Drive
Vincent Way
Gladstone Street
Hotham Avenue
Lowfields Drive
School Street
There are also some problems also with leaf and tree detritus. We’ve reported two areas
Green Lane
Kingsthorpe
Finally builders waste has been dumped in the little Green Lane garage area. We’ve asked for it to be removed.
The York Council is reviewing how the £4.8 million budget, delegated to be spent pro rata in wards across the City, is being used. Those reading the report will be little the wiser.
Even before COVID struck, there was a marked lack of transparency on the budget process while prioritisation had become an almost mystic art.
Slow progress in providing off road parking laybys
In most parts of the City, resident involvement – the principal objective of devolution – has been almost completely missing.
Originally, the money was apportioned to be spent on
Local improvements (something which has been happening in the City for over 20 years).
“Pride in York”,
Safer Communities (crime prevention),
Highways improvements, &
Council estate improvements (another long running programme which is funded from rents).
The precise division of the budget can be viewed by clicking here
Muddy paths are unusable for exercise
In the autumn the budget was top sliced to provide funding for COVID relief. A list of the schemes benefiting can be seen by clicking here. £55,000 has gone to a limited number of organisations.
As with the rest of the report, there are few numbers detailing how many residents have actually benefited and in what way.
Promised investment in snicket repairs hasn’t happened.
While responding to the pandemic will be viewed as a worthy initiative, the report fails to detail the Councils response to many other requests for help .
For example, the lockdown has meant that many more people are exercising on local off-road paths. The result is that many are now showing major signs of wear and tear.
It is a similar situation with the off-road cycle network.
“Ward spends are closely monitored and reported on, with all ward spending published as an online ‘Officer Decision Log’ and a regularly updated spreadsheet uploaded to the open data platform“
York Council report January 2021
No updates on highways, pedestrian, cycling or estate improvement schemes are provided on the Councilsopen data web site.
The format of most officer decisions is impenetrable click
All in all, the system has turned into a bureaucratic labyrinth which needs to be simplified and managed properly.
Transparency, proper performance management information and resident involvement would be good places to start.
There has been some persistent rain in York. This has brought some issues with flooding and surface water.
Ponding near the shops on Cornlands Road. Possible blocked gulley makes access difficult for pedestrians Verges are vulnerable to vehicle over-run damage when waterloggedWeather a challenge for building works in the areaPerhaps not surprisingly given the pressures on Council services, some autumn leaves haven’t been swept up yetThe former play area on Kingsway West has now been grassed over but access barriers are still in place. Still no sign of progress on a replacement although the Council has made provision for the project in its budget for the next financial year.
Please take the opportunity to report any blocked drains or other issues which may be a hazard for residents. Click here
The ice and snow has largely disappeared from York today.
In its place are a new – and not so new – crop of potholes.
Please help to make the City safer by reporting any that are a danger to road users.
Potholes on Foxwood Lane are multiplying.
The next problem we are likely to face is flooding. Three Flood Warnings are already in place for the City.
It will be two or three days before the snow melt in the Dales & Moors catchment areas reaches the City.
Progress can be viewed by clicking the image below.
Surface water drainage seems to be less of a problem at the moment.
The Knavesmire flood works seem to have reduced the standing water problem which was a feature of most winters until recently.
Impromptu village pond appearing on Little Hob Moor. Knavesmire largely clear.We’ve reported some rubbish which was revealed as the snow melted, including this black bag on Hob Moor.
The Council have told us that they won’t be clearing the fly tipping and rubbish from the rear of the Front Street shops.
Front Street
It is located on private land.
Nevertheless the Council does have a responsibility to make sure that the City is safe and tidy.
This may mean using enforcement powers.
Maybe not a top priority at the present time but this is an issue that has rumbled on for several years. It is now in the hands of local Councillors to follow up.
Cornlands park
We were also disappointed to see that fly tipping on the snicket entrance to the Cornlands Park – reported before Christmas – has still not been removed.
This despite a message from the Council saying that the matter had been closed on 30th December.
Elsewhere we have reported fly tipping and litter on the snickets which link The Reeves, Tithe Close and Tedder Road
Given the pressures on Council services at present, we would ask everyone to ensure that no litter is dropped and that all waste is kept in a secure location
The current icy spell is taking its toll on poorly maintain road and path surfaces. The Council recently agred to undertake some repairs on teb potholed – and well used – section of Foxwood Lane near the sports area. The work has yet to be completed and the potholes continue to pose a hazard particularly for users of two wheeled transport.
Foxwood Lane potholes are a safety hazard
The Council promised to repair damaged roads, paths and verges when the building works on Newbury Avenue and Ascot Way were completed. There is little sign of progress.
Kingsway West traffic cushions now breaking up Kingsway West- Newbury Avenue verge has been damaged by delivery vehicles
Footpaths on the even numbered side of Kingsway West are also in poor condition. Subsidence means that they lean at an angle, adding to problems cause by numerous reinstatements. Not for the first time, we have reported poor rubbish storage, and some fly tipping, to the rear of the Front Street shops.
Traffic lights are in operation on Askham Lane at its junction with Tedder Road. Yorkshire Water are attempting – not for the first time – to deal with a recurrent leak near the bus stop.
The lockdown restrictions mean there is little impact on traffic volumes which are very light (and most buses are running empty).
The arrival of icy weather will put additional pressures on some public services.
Snow brings problems as well as scenic relief
The recent snowfall, and subsequent icy road and footpath surfaces, means the the gritters have been out working full time.
There was even a promise from the Council this year that cycle path would be salted but so far this seems to have been sporadic. The Tadcaster Road cycle path, for example, was icy earlier this week.
Some Councillors have reported that they have been out checking local salt bins. They have found some empty, some “solid” & some contaminated with rubbish
We’re not sure that this audit has been completed everywhere though.
With Council resources stretched by the pandemic, this is an activity where residents can help by checking their local salt bin and by removing any litter.
Please let your local Councillor know if a bin needs filling.
Ice and frost will also have a major impact on poorly maintained road and footpath surfaces.
We’ve recently reported potholes on Askham Lane (near the A1237 roundabout) and on Foxwood Lane (near the Thanet Road Sports Area).
There are likely to be many more examples around the City. The sooner the potholes are filled in the less damage will occur (and the safer our roads will be).
We urge residents to use the 24/7 “report it” system (click) to highlight any concerns to the Council
