Access to Hob Moor now impassable because of mud

Hob Moor entrance October

Six months ago we reported that work needed to be done to ensure that the access to Hob Moor (Micklegate Stray) from Holly Bank Grove was useable in wet weather.

The path (which is a non statutory right of way) has deteriorated over the years. Residents had put down some wooden boards last year but these had proved to be inadequate.

Jan 2018 Mud now blocks access

At the time we hoped that the Holgate Ward Councillors would take the hint and install a soft landscape path of the type successful constructed at access points in Acomb Wood and on Bachelor Hill.

Sadly that hasn’t happened and the footpath was effectively impassable yesterday (Sunday).

We hope that the Councillors for the Holgate ward will now get the message and ensure that – as a minimum – some wood chippings or bark is put down to soak up the water.

NB. Ward Committees have been allocated a delegated budget by the Council to deal with issues like these.

That was the year that was: Jan 2017 – Mar 2017

The year began with mixed news about the city centre economy. Visitor numbers were beginning to increase and would be sustained for most of the rest of the year. However, empty shops continued to blight key roads like Coney Street. 12 months later that problem remains.

The NHS continued to be a major concern during 2017. There were early problems when the number of delayed discharges remained stubbornly high. A & E waiting times were also a problem

The community Stadium would also be a recurring issue during the year. After several false dawns, a nominal start was made “on site” in December.

The cost to taxpayers remains high and there are continuing concerns about the viability of parts of the £44 million project.

It will be summer 2019 before it becomes clearer what the final costs will be and, critically, whether any ongoing taxpayers subsidy will be required.

The stadium itself,though, should now have a stable future with most of its cost being paid for through Section 106 monies which were  first brokered in 2010.

  As part of the stadium deal, the long term future of the Yearsley swimming pool was confirmed


Next up was a decision by the York Council to increase tax rates by 3.7%

Part of this was ring fenced to help deal with the  increased demands of an ageing population.

The Council also increased the rate at which roads and footpaths were being resurfaced – a policy which found favour with most York residents.

Rather less impressive was the Council’s performance in managing its stock of garages. An FOI in February revealed that large numbers were empty at a time when hundreds were on the waiting list for garages. 10  months later, and the list of blocks where there are vacancies has not changed. Yet there has still been little publicity aimed at securing a regular rental income.

House prices started to rise in the City. Even in the suburbs purchase of a starter home required someone to be earning over £30,000 a year

Some good news in February as work started on the Layerthorpe links road. It would open later in the year bringing relief to the Foss Islands Road and Heworth parts of the City

There was trouble on the west of the City. The Councils plans to develop the Lowfields playing field attracted major objections. As part of the project an alternative elderly persons home had been planned for the Oakhaven site on York Road. and the Council announced a contractor for the project.

The plan remains on the back burner with controversy extending to plans to relocate the Acomb Police station and demolish the adjacent Carlton Tavern.  Doubts about the future of the Tavern continue into 2018

The first in a series of revelations, about the way in which the Council appointed contractors to deliver policies, became public. It appeared that a consultant was appointed on a “results” basis contract. The result required was the delivery of the Lowfields redevelopment…. irrespective of the views of local residents.

Another long running saga started when auditors questioned the way in which the last Labour led Council had appointed consultants. Some Councillors insisted on the report being made public. This was done, but in a redacted format. Later in the year a copy was leaked to the media with the names of the people concerned included. This was to lead to a major row which even today looks like it could end the coalition agreement which has run the Council since 2015.

 

The Authorities neglected problems with vehicle speeds. The 20-mph speed limit project had failed with average speeds, on some roads with the new lower limit, having increased. Many flashing speed warning signs were found to be faulty. The North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner decided to double the number of speed vans on the streets of the county. It later transpired that they were deployed mainly on trunk roads where they were pretty much guaranteed to catch large numbers of speeders. In turn drivers were charged to attend “awareness” courses, the income from which was used to pay for the vans. The Police, in response to an FOI request, said that they didn’t monitor whether average speed levels at camera sites were reducing. Neither could they say whether the number of accidents on the same stretches of road had reduced. Meanwhile, in sub-urban areas the promised “reassurance” visits from the vans, never materialised. 

The Council was having a difficult time keeping its signs in working order. After 3 years, City centre “Variable Message Signs” were repaired but the car parking space availability signs are still not working despite faults being discovered in 2014. 

The Council got planning permission for its £12 million scheme to redevelop the Guildhall complex. Unfortunately it couldn’t find a commercial partner for the plan so the considerable risk for the project will fall on taxpayers. Work on the project has just started.

The Planning committee had a mixed year. It had earlier approved an ugly visitor centre at Cliffords Tower. This decision led to a judicial review with the fate of the centre still in doubt.

Nearby they gave planning permission for an Art Barge which was to be moored on the Ouse. Warnings about the wisdom of mixing alcohol and river safety were ignored. The barge was last seen moored in the Foss basin.

But perhaps the biggest planning controversy of the year concerned the shipping container village on Piccadilly.  As we will see in the next part of our review of the year, the containers arrived but the customers did not. 

In the west of the City, York High school got a poor OFSTED report. Later the head teacher was to resign and plans to turn the school into an “academy” were revealed. 

One change that did go through, with relatively few problems, were revisions to recycling collection days.

On 1st April areas which did not have wheeled bins were also added the system for the first time. 

Westfield Ward committee seeking grant applications

Perhaps surprisingly, the Westfield Ward Committee is seeking new grant applications again for 2018/19.

Surprising, because there are dozens of outstanding issues – mainly relating to street level improvements – which have yet to be addressed in the current year.

Hopefully we will see some progress shortly now. Not least, overgrown hedges and trees need to be cut back during the current winter period.  

Sparks York – Pressure mounts on York Council Leader

It looks like Sparks York – who are responsible for the shipping container village eyesore on Piccadilly – have just managed to get their April 2017 accounts in to Company House by the 18th December deadline. They should be available to view on line next week.

Coincidentally, The Press have run a story today based on the FOI findings published a few weeks ago. Although a representative of Sparks has made a statement saying that everything will be all right in the end, and that the Council will recover its £40,000 investment in the project, there has been no statement from the Council itself.

This is strange given that the storage containers were parked of the Council owned Piccadilly site for 2 months before  a” tenancy at will” was signed.

Nor has there been any explanation of the precedence of a debenture loan taken out by Sparks in July and its effect on the Councils equity financial safety-net.

The decision to expand the area to be leased to Sparks – effectively rent free until the “village” starts trading – was made by the Leader of the Council David Carr last week.

No attempt was made to ask for an updated business plan which reflected the much-reduced period of tenure that the village will have (assuming it ever opens for business) nor were any questions asked about the company’s financial position and debts.

It could be an uncomfortable couple of months for Cllr Carr with a difficult annual budget meeting in prospect and the repercussions from his impulsive decision to sack two LibDem members of his Cabinet, coming to a head.

It is now “time up” for the investigations into the allegations arising out an information “leak” from the York Council.

Cllr Carrs decision to ask for a police investigation – into something that could never have been a criminal matter – raises serious question about his judgement.

Now he is also being implicated in the emerging West Yorkshire Combined Authority/LEP financial scandal highlighted by the Yorkshire Post at the weekend.

Incredibly the Authority seems to be flirting with the long discredited estate agent’s jamboree (Le Marché International des Professionnels de l’immobilier) which takes place in Cannes each year.

Attendance at the hugely expensive jamboree was a factor in bringing down the last Labour administration in the City.

According to one source, the West Yorkshire authority (which includes York) intend to charter their own aircraft to go to Cannes this year!

Dangerous trees – meeting agenda published

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;

  • Acomb Wood (Council owned section near Osprey Close)
  • Wetherby Road
  • Little Green Lane
  • Otterwood Lane
  • Foresters Walk

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

Council revives survey into internet use

The York Council are asking residents to tell them about how communications systems could be improved.

They say that at present many residents use the most expensive (to process) channels to communicate with the Council.

They want residents to do more “on line

Given the lack of functionality – and unreliability – of the current “report it” system we think that the surveys timing is a but rich. They surely would have been wiser to implement and sustain improvements, before asking for feedback.

However, if anyone does have a view, they can express them by clicking this link.

Meanwhile we’ve tested the “Report It” system, now that it has been “fixed”, by reporting three issues.

Full litter bin on Beagle Ridge Drive

Plastic mats dumped on Walker Drive

Detritus on Bradley Drive snicket

Meanwhile Andrew Waller reports that the street light on Otterwood Lane has been repaired

Otterwood Lane street light repaired

Andrew has also reported problems with contaminated, missing or empty salt bins

Askham Lane salt bin almost empty

Front Street library salt bin missing

Grove Terrace litter in salt bin