Quick start for new car parking in Doherty Walk

Doherty Walk area to be protected

Doherty Walk area to be protected

The York Council has said that it will begin to install matrix surfacing on the grassed area on Doherty Walk on Monday 7th Dec).

This is very prompt as the decision to go ahead with the scheme – which will see the area protected and therefore available for parking throughout the whole of the year – was only taken last week.

Residents are being asked not to park in the area until the work is competed in about 2 weeks time (subject to weather) 

The funding for the project is coming form estate improvement budgets which are funded from Council tenants rent payments.

Westfield action round up – Some of he issues that we have reported for action this week

Uneven carriageway on Windsor Garth - Longest outstanding issue and may not now be repaired until "Hob Stones" development completed late next year.

Uneven carriageway on Windsor Garth – Longest outstanding issue and may not now be repaired until “Hob Stones” development completed late next year.

Possibly unstable tree on Herman Walk reported for inspection

Possibly unstable tree on Herman Walk reported for inspection

External lights n during day on some Windsor Garth flats (timing clocks need re-setting)

External lights on during day on some Windsor Garth flats (timing clocks need re-setting)

Dumping reported on Dijon Avenue (and similar on little Green Lane) garage areas still not cleared up.

Dumping reported on Dijon Avenue (and similar on little Green Lane) garage areas still not cleared up.

 

Drainage channels need sweeping on Gale Lane

Drainage channels need sweeping on Gale Lane

https://www.fixmystreet.com/

Cornlands Park entrance to be gated as process to close Bachelor Hill snickets is considered

One of the entrances to the Cornlands Road park is recommended for closure in a report to be presented to a meeting next week (see plan).

Cornlands park gate Nov 2015There have been few objections to the plan which will use new Public Space Protection Order legislation. The legislation allows access to be restricted to areas which have a poor crime record.

Last year the Cornlands Park was the centre of increased anti-social behaviour in the area and Police hope that restricting the number of access points to the park will make enforcement easier.

Many residents though would like to see the whole of the park secured after dark.

Bachelor Hill

The same meeting will consider a petition presented by local Councillor Sue Hunter to the last Council meeting.

It requesting the alleyways between 30-38 Gale Lane,1-9 Bachelor Hill and to the rear of 11-15 Bachelor Hill be gated for reasons of security.

Back snicket closures Bachelor Hill

A report by officials to the meeting claims that there have been no reports of anti-social behaviour in the area during the last 12 months and that therefore the Public Space Protection Order legislation cannot be invoked in this case.

Not with standing recent statistics, over the years’ rowdy behaviour has been a recurrent issue in the area.

The snickets concerned are not short cuts. They are only used – legitimately – to access the rear of the terraced properties.

The Council should agree to consult with residents about the options for installing lockable gates

The snickets, which are both on Council Housing Department owned land, could still be closed but funding would be needed from either the estate improvement budget or the Ward committee.

Time to check out your nearest salt bin

Salt bin locations west York 22nd Nov 2015

 

The York Council has a useful – but little publicised – map available “on line”. Go to http://localview.york.gov.uk/Sites/TranStreetCare/#

It shows the location of many local services including individual street lighting columns (with their I/D number and type) plus litter bins and poop scoop bins. It also shows which roads and footpaths have been adopted for maintenance purposes.

At this time of year the map can be used to locate salt bins while also displaying the route that the gritting lorries follow.

You can get daily updates on twitter from the gritting teams https://twitter.com/yorkgritter

The map indicates how many volunteer “snow wardens” there are in the area. There are seven in the Westfield ward

Volunteer snow wardens are residents who give up some of their time to clear snow during bad weather. There are 211 registered volunteers across York. The Council provides volunteers with:

  • training
  • high-visibility vests
  • snow-clearing kits
  • insurance
  • grit

We know that some of the local salt bins have been filled with litter.

If one needs attention please report it at https://www.fixmystreet.com/

 

 

Still no performance stats on basic York Council services

The latest performance report to the Councils Executive taking place on  26th November  , pointedly fails to provide any data on core public service standards.

The nearest insight a taxpayer could expect to get to day to day service standards is a statement about the number of bins which the Council failed to empty first time round during the last quarter (535)!

Of customer satisfaction levels or speed of response on roads, footpaths, street lighting repairs, weeds, litter etc. there is silence.

York river safety improvements announced

The York Council is to fund a further £50,000 of work to improve safety near the rivers that flow through the City.

river safety

A range of river safety measures were recommended by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents  last year

Phase one of the work programme includes the introduction of new life buoys, post and chain fencing along the River Foss and improvements to river side tow paths.

Phase two of the work will see new ladders and chains installed to aid exit from the river and replacement post and chain fencing at Wellington Row and Kings Staith.

Action Taken

Good to report that the graffiti has been removed from the North Street flood gates
Graffiti now removed from second set of flood gates on North Street

Graffiti now removed from second set of flood gates on North Street

All the flood gates have been closed as a precaution today
Flood barriers closed 1130 Tanners moat 1130 10th Nov 2015 Ouse breaks banks 1130 10th Nov 2015
Unfortunately weed growth on Ouse Bridge is still there as is a similar problem on the Riverside Walk
Pose Bridge

Pose Bridge

Riverside Walk

Riverside Walk

Riverside walk

Riverside walk

and some graffiti blights also blights the Riverside Walk

Graffiti Riverside walk 1130 10th Nov 2015

and a final bit of good news, the Council has agreed to repaint the cycle barriers on the Teal Drive to Carrfield snicket
Cycle barriers Teal Drive Carrfield snicket

Cycle barriers Teal Drive Carrfield snicket

Woodthorpe school gets this one wrong

Walking bus

Walking bus

The media are reporting that Woodthorpe school is trying to charge parents whose children use the “walking bus”  to get to and from the school.

Given the amount of money being spent to encourage children to walk (rather than be driven on the “school run) this seems a shortsighted policy.

Walking is healthier and minimises the, sometimes chaotic, parking problems which occur around many school entrances. 

If the school can’t bear the organisational costs of the project then the York Council would be wise to intervene.

The Council is spending a lot of money on low profile videos and surveys aimed at encouraging walking and cycling. The money might be better spent supporting initiatives like the walking bus.

The Councils advice on setting up and running a walking bus can be downloaded by clicking here

Salt mines introduce overtime working as York Council claims it is among the UK’s top social landlords

Appaling neglect on York Council estates

Appaling neglect on York Council estates

The City of York Council has issued a media release saying that it will “shortly publish and share its annual report for 2014/15 revealing that it is among the UK’s top-performing social landlords”.

All tenants and leaseholders will receive a copy.

The report is noticeably silent on complaints about the poor maintenance on garage and communal areas, lack of parking provision and insensitive housing management practices which even Councillors are unable to break through.
Salt pile for use by York Council Housing management

Salt pile for use by York Council Housing management officials

The report, apparently produced by the “Tenant Scrutiny Panel” of six council tenants, looks at how the council has performed in the previous 12 months and shows that York is one of the best-performing local authority landlords in the country in a number of areas*.

The claims include scores “revealing that just under nine out of 10 tenants responding to the Tenant Satisfaction Survey were satisfied with the overall service we provide, and that 81% were satisfied with their repairs and maintenance service. Just over eight out of ten were satisfied with the overall appearance of their neighbourhood”.

“One highlight of the past year has been the work on Le Tour Way, off Beckfield Lane which completed in 2015, and which is the second development of new homes built as part of the council’s house building programme. It is a mixed development of nine apartments for tenants aged 55 and over, a further nine council houses and nine more houses for market sale”.

“Developing ‘Community Hub’ services to tenants have progressed with a new community facility opening at ‘Space 217’ on Lindsey Avenue. It offers sessions for tenants to meet estate managers and open-door events with money and employment advisors”.

“12 council homes had loft conversions built for growing families, 665 families were given advice that prevented them becoming homeless, 40 flats were sound-proofed and we evicted 33 tenants who did not pay their rent”.

The future holds a number of challenges for the service which will be addressed alongside considering how to improve service delivery in the coming year.

The claims contrast with our experience of Council housing management in the City over the last few months.
The department now seems to take little pride in local neighbourhoods and regularly turns a blind eye to issues.
The result is that many estates are deteriorating
(more…)