What’s on in York: Recycling wagons start visits in Chapelfields and Foxwood on Saturday
Switched On event planned for “iTravel Savvy” month
A variety of electric cars and bikes will be showcased at a Switched On event being staged by City of York Council’s iTravel team as part of a month-long programme of activities aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of sustainable forms of transport.
Switched On will take place at Monks Cross Shopping Centre on Saturday 14 September, from 10am to 4pm. Everyone is welcome to go along for free, independent advice and information.
The council’s Executive Member for Transport, Cllr Andy D’Agorne, said: “There will be a wide a selection of plug-in cars and electric bicycles on display, as well as free, independent advice on all things electric vehicle-related, courtesy of the iTravel team.
“If you like the idea of switching to electric and would like to find out more, do go along and chat to the team and take a look at some of the cars and bikes on display.
The Switched On event is just one of a series of activities planned for September as part of the team’s latest iTravel Savvy campaign. They will also be visiting workplaces across York with their sustainable travel message, asking commuters ‘are you travelling savvy’, as well as organising a series of volunteer-led, clean-up events to tidy up the city’s key walking and cycling routes.
This year, the iTravel team has linked up with the online platform Love To Ride and is encouraging York cyclists to register at www.lovetoride.net for the chance to win lots of great prizes. Those who do register can log details of their cycling journeys around the city, set goals for themselves, and encourage friends and family members to get involved, as well as further cementing York’s proud reputation as a cycling city by contributing to the number of miles clocked up by the city’s cyclists compared with those in other areas of the country.
In mid-August, 16 workplaces from across the city were represented at a free networking breakfast event at City Screen, where they were able to access information and advice on promoting sustainable travel to and from the workplace. A number of guest speakers shared their own inspiring ideas and examples of how employees can be encouraged to ditch their cars in favour of sustainable forms of transport, such as buses, bicycles and walking.
Among the guest speakers was Sarah Murdoch, senior environmental consultant at TSP Projects Ltd, a York-based business that has been particularly proactive in promoting sustainable travel to its workforce.
Sarah explained: “There’s so much free help, support and advice available through the council’s iTravel team; I’d definitely encourage other employers to make full use of it.
“Here at TSP Projects, we are lucky that our office location is just around the corner from the train station and numerous bus stops. We actively encourage staff to cycle where possible and over 40 staff already do this on a regular basis. We are currently working on a business travel plan to explore new ways in which we can introduce sustainable travel. It’s an initiative that is under constant review as new opportunities arise.”
iTravel Savvy month aims to highlight the many benefits to the individual of adopting sustainable forms of transport, which include saving money and improving their health and well-being, as well as the benefits to the wider community and the environment, which include reducing congestion and improving air quality.
For more information about iTravel Savvy, visit www.itravelyork.info or email itravel@york.gov.uk.
Ombudsman complaints
The York Council came 103rd out of 325 local authorities in the Country for the number of Ombudman’s complaints made against it during the last financial year.
11 complaints were upheld
In total 60 complaints had been received.
The full figures for all local authorities can be found by clicking this link
Now goal posts disappear from Westfield
A set of goal posts have disappeared from the playing field to the rear of Westfield Place.
The removal follows a series of actions by the York Council which has seen sports facilities eroded in what is York’s poorest neighbourhood. The sports field at Lowfields has been built on, the multi user games area closed and a (private) bowling green sold for housing.
No consultation took place before the set of goalpost were removed.
One set remains. The ward committee had been expected to arrange for the posts to be repainted, and the pitch remarked, before the start of the football season.
No profits for Spark?
The Council has confirmed that it has not received any payments from the Spark container village as part of the “profit sharing” arrangements agreed nearly three years ago.
The payments were expected to help offset the £40,000 of taxpayers money spent in providing electricity and other services to the site.
The first payment was due in April
The company also haven’t yet provided the cladding required by a planning condition dating back nearly 2 years. The Councils planning department is coming under increasing pressure to take enforcement action.
The Spark owners were recently quoted in the local newspaper as wanting to continue to use the site when their current lease expires in June!
Vandals put lives at risk
The York Forest
With many eyes on the forest fires in the Amazon basin, it is perhaps a good time to review the health and extent of tree cover in and around the City of York.
York lies within the boundaries of the proposed new “Northern Forest”
By removing carbon dioxide, trees help mitigate climate change. The shade provided by urban tree canopies can also help minimize the urban heat island effect.
In addition, trees intercept stormwater, which can reduce flooding and improve water quality, and reduce air pollution, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. Reductions in air pollution has proven benefits to human health
Not surprisingly in 2019, there is a suite of computer models available which give use a greater insight into tree cover in particular areas.
Many feel that the key priority – after the proper maintenance of existing tree stocks – is to maximise the planting of mature trees which will grow to provide an enhanced canopy.
The models have helped local authorities like Leeds and Wrexham to map their existing tree cover and draw up future planting strategies.
In turn, the work suggest that open spaces – rather than verges – should be the first place to look for new planting sites
York has had a voluntary group “Treemendous” which has supported tree planting in public spaces for nearly 10 years.
Some work is already going on at neighbourhood level. The Foxwood Residents Association having already obtained a grant to plant trees on part of the Thanet Road sports area.
Update on anti flooding strategy in York
A Council meeting today will consider an update report on the work being undertaken to avoid flooding problems in the City.
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.
Funding has been awarded to City of York Council by the Environment Agency to lead and develop a property flood resilience pathfinder project to enable better uptake of resilience measures across Yorkshire. Details of the pathfinder project can be viewed by clicking here
A copy of the full report can be read by clicking here
Not just west York suffering from neglect
Residents from the Huntington and Heworth areas have added their voices to the criticisms of the Council’s performance in keeping local streets clean and tidy. Although, like Woodthorpe on the west of the City, some streets in Huntington appear to have been well swept, they are outnumbered by those where even basic weed clearance has not taken place this summer.
One again it is the main entry roads into the City which are most neglected. It presents a poor image for visitors
More trees and wild flowers
How not to do it
The new York Council has rightly decided to plant more trees and expand the areas devoted to wildflowers with good propagation features.
More trees will help , in a modest way, to offset the losses both locally and internationally which have occurred over recent years.
The plight of bees robbed of propagating flowers in urban environments, because of increased hard surfacing and use of herbicides, is well documented.
The Council does however need to understand that such a policy is not a cheap alternative . The authority will need to plant the right species of trees to match the needs of specific locations. Too many well intended “plant a tree in 83” type schemes resulted in the wrong type of tree being planted in the wrong location.
This is particularly true in the case of highway trees (those in verges) where lack of regular maintenance has meant that many have grown the point that they interfere with passing vehicles, overhead plant or neighbouring properties. The only pruning that they get is from high sided vehicles which sooner or later impact on branches often sending them crashing down onto the highway.
High winds can have a similar effect.
The problem can be traced to an inadequate maintenance budget. This was given a modest boost in the Council most recent review.
Before planting more trees – there are plenty of spaces where new mini forests could be created in and around the City – the Council should first sort out its existing stock
For some people wildflowers are synonymous with pervasive weed growth. We have seen the neglect of highways over the summer although some lobbyists have argued that the weed growth will at least be “good for nature”.
We doubt that, with damage to paths and drains likely to pose an expensive hazard.
But there are locations where the Council could proactively plant low maintenance flowers which would greatly increase propagation opportunities.
The authority will need a proactive programme which will need to include a commitment to the long term maintenance of any planted areas.
