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Oakhaven sale misses deadline
The Oakhaven elderly persons home on York Road has remained largely unused for over 5 years.
The closure of the home was controversial with the relatives of those resident there told that the site was needed for immediate redevelopment.
That proved not to be the case,
The Council finally agreed in November 2020 to a recommendation which said
“That approval be given to dispose of Oakhaven for the consideration set out in Annex 1 to the report in an off market sale with a backstop date for completion of 12 weeks and, should this backstop date not be achieved, to bring a further report back to Executive”.
As no further report was forthcoming it was assumed that the sale had gone through?
Apparently that isn’t the case.
We are led to understand that discussions with the prospective purchaser (Burlington Care Limited) are still continuing. A legal sale contract has been drawn up but completion could be delayed further pending a determination of a planning application for the redevelopment the site.
There are several outstanding questions..
- When can residents expect to see work on site start?
- When will it be completed?
- Will there be a sale condition which requires development within a specified timeframe?
York taxpayers will be keen to see this saga brought to a conclusion. Any income from the sale can be used to reduce the Councils huge mountain of debt.
Those seeking a new home will reflect that, had the site been put on the market 3 or 4 years ago, then a development could have been completed by now.
Cycle path still blocked/Future of MUGA
Despite promises by Highways Yorkshire, the cycle path on the A64 slip road next to Pike Hills golf course remains obstructed, The overgrowth problem was reported in June. Shortly afterwards Highways Yorkshire (who are responsible for the path up to the junction with the A1036) tweeted to say that the whole path would be routinely freed of obstructions during July.
That has proved not to be the case.
Now the issue is set to be escalated to the local MP but this really shouldn’t be necessary. A team could clear the hazardous overgrowth (thorn branches) in just a couple of hours.
We hope that the issue is not left to volunteers to tackle. If the government is serious about encouraging sustainable transport – the the very least they should do is maintain existing paths in a useable condition.
UPDATE: Highways Yorkshire have tweeted to say that the path “is due to be cleared in the very near future”
We’ve also reported overgrowth near the cemetery and at the Tesco roundabout (York Council responsibility)
MUGA Mugged
Separately we have queried with Councillors representing the Westfield ward what the future of the former Multi User Games Area (MUGA) site off Kingsway West is. It was used as a building compound for a couple of years but was subsequently abandoned.
The expectation was the the area would be leveled and grassed over. At present it is a weed infested eyesore.
The Council mowers studiously avoid cutting the area. They stick religiously to a route outside the line of the MUGA fence (which was removed last year).
If the area isn’t to be maintained as grassland then there is scope for more tree and wildflower planting. Neglect shouldn’t be an option.
Sadly there is still no news of the promised replacement games area. An all-weather surface, to replace what was lost, was due to be provided at the Thanet Road Sports Area, but progress has been glacial.
Hob Moor disabled access gates in working order
Claims were made in the media earlier in the week that access gates at the entrance to Hob Moor were faulty. The gates are intended to allow movement, by people with disabilities, to the path around the moor and have been in use for nearly 20 years. They can be operated using a “RADAR” key. The keys are widely available,
The gates allow entry for 3 and 4 wheel specialist machines and wheelchairs although the configuration may be awkward for some types of cycle.
There is an adjacent pedestrian “kissing gate” as well as a separate lane for conventional cycles.
There are 6 gates positioned at key points around the perimeter of the moor. They were installed many years ago as part of a configuration which was aimed at preventing access by off road motorcycles. The motorcycles had become a major source of irritation to nearby residents. The motorcyclists had also caused disruption to wildlife (particularly ground nesting birds) and flora on the moor.
The design also aimed to secure the moor for cattle grazing.
Generally the arrangements achieved their objective, with much of Hob Moor now a peaceful haven for wildlife.
The gate mechanisms were all working correctly yesterday.
One gate near Hob Moor Drive was obstructed by weeds and nettles and this has been referred to a local Councillor for attention.
There is some pressure for improvements. The equipment needs to be repainted. There is a suggestion that there should be a trial removal of one of the “plinths” at a cycle access point. This would allow cyclists to move more freely through the dedicated lane without the risk of getting a bent pedal.
More ambitious is a proposal to replace the RADAR keys with an electronic version which could also involve powered gates. Such options were not available 20 years ago when the gates were designed. The proposal would be expensive to implement
There will be some who think that the top priority should be to ensure that maintenance standards on existing routes are improved. This would include an improved inspection regime, the systematic removal of overgrowth and repairs to signs/lineage.
The same could also be said of the obstructed cycle and footpaths which can be found in other parts of the City.
Green bin hokey cokey
The Council is now advising residents in the Foxwood area to take back in green bins that weren’t emptied on 13th July.
Previously their web site had said leave them out so that the gangs could do a “catch up”.
We would expect that residents will understand the double pressures faced by the Council as a result of staff vacancies and the “coronavirus pindemic” which must make maintaining public service standards difficult.
However the Council needs to improve its communications. Few customers are likely to browse its bin collection web site on a regular basis (Click below for link)
Waste collection updates – City of York Council
The next scheduled collections, from affected streets, are next Tuesday (27th)
Police in York increase patrols as schools break up for summer
Officers from York’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams are increasing patrols across the city as school’s finish for the summer break tomorrow (Friday 23 July 2021).
Police are issuing a request for young people to be respectful to both the local community and each other at a time of year when antisocial behaviour often reaches high levels.
Inspector Lee Pointon said:
“We don’t want to stop anyone enjoying themselves and relaxing after what has been an incredibly difficult year, we’re just asking people to take responsibility for their behaviour and look out for others.
“Please clear up after yourself if you’re enjoying the warm weather outdoors, put your rubbish in the bin or take it home and please be mindful of playing music near residential properties. We want everyone to be able to make the most of our city’s beautiful green spaces so we must all take responsibility for keeping those spaces clean and free from antisocial behaviour.
“We’ll be out and about patrolling over the next few days and look forward to seeing our local communities enjoying the sun and many outdoor spaces York has to offer.”
Music-making kit seized to silence noise nuisance in Thoresby Road area
Equipment used to play overly loud music day and night has been seized following complaints, repeated warnings and formal notices to the owners.
Complaints about two separate households in two blocks of apartments in the Westfield Ward included the volume and frequency of music. People found their sleep was being affected by the noise, and working from home was made more difficult.
Following advice, warnings and formal notices being issued to the people playing the music, City of York Council applied for warrants from York Magistrates Court. Visiting the flats last week, officers from City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police seized stereos, speakers, TVs and other items ahead of ASB Awareness Week (19-23July).
Working with the victims, council officers gathered evidence of the nuisance they suffered. Officers were told that the noise was so loud they were disturbed night and day unable to work from home during the pandemic, or watch TV in the evening or even sleep in their beds at night.
Noise recording equipment installed over five days provided evidence of nine incidents of serious noise nuisance going on for hours at a time, with the perpetrator listening to TV music channels at full blast.
Really about time the York Council told residents more about its bin emptying problems.
Below is the latest update on waste collection taken from the Councils web site. Waste collection updates – City of York Council
Some green bins have been out on the streets for emptying for a full week in the Foxwood area. They were supposed to be emptied during a “catch up” last Thursday but nothing happened.
It seems that even local Councillors don’t know what is going to happen and when.
While residents will understand if an absence of HGV drivers, or crews being “pinged” by the NHS app, is to blame, they deserve to be told what to do with their bins.
Currently it is the equivalent of a green bin “hokey cokey”.
The Council spends a lot of money on its communications team.
In this case communication systems simply aren’t working.
What’s on in York: Operation Hummingbird
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Unroadworthy taxis found in York
Poorly-maintained taxis have been taken off the road as part of a joint safety operation.
Fourteen out of 16 taxi and private hire vehicles that were inspected were issued with legal notices. The drivers also had their taxi licence suspended.
Faults included tyres that were so worn the inner cords were exposed, fuel leaks and doors that wouldn’t open.
The defects were so unsafe that immediate prohibition notices were issued on seven of the 16 vehicles, meaning they must not be driven.
Issues with brakes, wheel nuts, exhausts suspension components were also found on a further seven vehicle during the vehicle inspections in York at the weekend. They were issued with delayed prohibition notices, meaning the faults must be fixed and the vehicle re-inspected.
The vehicles were from various local authority areas, including York and West Yorkshire.
They were stopped by police on roads in York and taken to a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) inspection site.
It was part of a joint road safety operation involving North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, the DVSA and licensing enforcement officers from City of York Council and local authorities in West Yorkshire.
Similar operations are planned in the near future.
Traffic Constable Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “It’s shocking that seven of the 16 vehicles we checked were so poorly maintained, we had to use immediate prohibition powers to ensure they didn’t go back onto the road.
“Proper vehicle maintenance is always important, especially for professional drivers who the public trust to transport them safely. There is simply no excuse for neglecting this.
“By working with the DVSA and local authorities, we can ensure anyone who doesn’t maintain their vehicle to the correct standard is detected and dealt with robustly.”
