Hyper Hub recharging point plan for York

City of York Council’s Executive will be asked to agree to progress plans to develop rapid charging points – known as Hyper Hubs – for electric vehicles at two locations in the city.

A report that will be considered at a meeting on Monday 18 March explains that the council’s bid for a European Regional Development Fund grant towards the cost of the project has been successful, and also seeks agreement for the initial consultation phase of the project to begin in May.

If the go-ahead is given, Hyper Hubs will be developed adjacent to the Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar Park & Ride sites. The Hyper Hubs will combine solar energy harvesting and storage with electric vehicle charging points, reducing the reliance of electric vehicles on the UK electricity grid and, at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A solar canopy would be erected over approximately 100 car parking spaces, with an energy storage facility located nearby. There would be a number of rapid charging points for use by private car owners, taxi drivers and business users. Depending on the vehicle, a charge could take as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

If approved, the £1.5 million cost of the project will be met using £800,000 of Go Ultra Low funding from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles and £700,000 of European Regional Development Funding. The council is also working to deliver a Hyper Hub with York Hospital.

To find out more about the report, or to attend the Executive meeting, visit: https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=733

Free recycling boxes offered for kerbside collections as part of a six month pilot

In a bid to encourage even more residents to recycle, householders in York will be offered up to three free replacement recycling boxes for their kerbside collections from next week.

City of York Council originally outlined plans to introduce a pilot scheme back in November, when the proposals were taken to a meeting for approval here

As well as providing an update on the York Community Recycling Fund and initiatives to reduce fly-tipping, approval was also given to undertake a pilot of the recycling boxes, using the £20k already allocated.

The pilot will start on Monday 11 March for up to six months and will offer up to three replacement recycle boxes to households in York.

To find out more information or to order the boxes visit: www.york.gov.uk/ReplacementBins

Garden waste collections will also start again from April, following a break during the winter season.

To find out when collections are due to take place visit: www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup

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Foxwood project gets off to good start

Work has started on tidying up the edges of green areas in Foxwood. Contractors employed by the Residents Association have started work edging paths on the Thanet Road sports area (public section).

The Dickson Park paths were edged earlier in the year.

The contractors will work their way on through the area over the next few days.

Backing for the project has come from the Jewson “Building Better Communities” Fund with a top up from the Westfield Ward committee.

We have asked the Councils highway department to see if they can edge the verges in Foxwood Lane and Bellhouse Way.

We hope that all residents will make a point of trimming back hedges from public footpaths before the bird nesting season starts.

Next up will be our “Spring Clean” programme. Tomorrow (Saturday 9th March) a skip and recycling truck will be located near the Rogers Court parking area. Please note that the facilities are for the use of residents only and that the vehicles will leave as soon as they’re full.

Later in the month we will be joining in the “Great British Spring Clean” programme.

  • Saturday 30 March  – 10.30am – noon meet at Foxwood Lane/Beagle Ridge Drive shops to tidy this area
  • Sunday 7 April – 2pm – 4pm – meet at pumping station on Foxwood Lane to clear Chesney Fields
  • Sunday 14 April – 2pm – 4pm – meet at junction of Herman Walk with Sherringham Drive
  • Monday 15 April – 10.30am – noon – meet at Acomb Wood shops

Edging Herman Walk

Edging pumping station

Edging Thanet Road sports area

 

More off street parking being provided but litter is still a problem

New off street parking being provided in Bachelor Hill

Good to see some progress on providing more off street parking spaces. Matrix (eco grid) surfacing being provided in Bachelor Hill. Follows on fromt the completion of two additional spaces in Spurr Court.

Unfortunately we still have problems with litter. We’ve reported more issues today (see below)

Litter at Cornlands park entrance

Litter on Thoresby Road snicket

City of York Council launches local Armed Forces Covenant chapter

City of York Council has committed to help serving and former members of the Armed Forces by launching the York chapter of the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and get the help they need and are entitled to.

Working together with local partners, City of York Council has launched a consultation survey aimed at those currently serving, their families and veterans.

The Armed Forces Community is made up of regular serving personnel, volunteers and reservists, ex-forces; family members of regular, reservists and ex-forces and the Bereaved.

The consultation survey, which closes 31 March 2019, is designed to capture something of the membership, size and characteristics of the Armed Forces Community who live among the wider York community.

This will make it easier for City of York Council and partners to commission and target local services, and will also assist Local Authorities, businesses and service providers in being Armed Forces-friendly.

Over 2,000 businesses in the United Kingdom have already pledged support for the Armed Forces Covenant by signing the AFC, including private, public and voluntary sector organisations of all sizes.

To complete the online survey, please visit:www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/armedforcescommunity

For a paper copy of the survey, please contact ian.cartwright@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 553964.

Printed copies are also available in the spring edition of Our City.

For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant and local services can be found on the City of York Council website: www.york.gov.uk/ArmedForcesCovenant

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LiveWellYork web site to launch

Community groups and residents are invited to celebrate the launch of www.livewellyork.co.uk, a city-wide source of high-quality information and advice, at venues around the city on Thursday 14 March.

The Live Well York website promotes opportunities for residents to enjoy healthy, active and independent lives and supports our commitment to early help and prevention, and to help people live independently and well.

Having been in development for a year, Live Well York is being used by over 1,000 people every month and is now launching formally. It offers residents:

  • some 800 community activities
  • an events calendar with around 70 events posted each month
  • over 100 volunteering opportunities
  • a Service and Products directory with over 80 services listed
  • 750 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5.

Developed by a partnership of City of York Council, York CVS, Explore York, Age UK York, Healthwatch York and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, the website offers links to good quality information and advice on topics from travel, housing, caring, money and legal matters.

To prevent information being duplicated, the website navigates people to other sites such as Healthwatch York’s Mental Health directory, the Young Person’s Survival Guide, a map of the council’s community hubs and AccessAble’s accessibility information.

Future and further improvements to Live Well York include:

  • a sports and active leisure directory
  • improved accessibility with Easy Read pages
  • training and work experience opportunities
  • including information for care homes on how to set up activities
  • growing the number of partners to ensure a joined-up approach to providing good quality information and advice.

Find out more about what the website can offer you, or how you can contribute to it at  https://www.livewellyork.co.uk/

Traffic Speed on Wetherby Road

Speed sign on Wetheby Road which needs replacing

A meeting next week will consider a Council officials response to residents’ concerns about speeding traffic on Wetherby Road. The report follows the collection of a petition which asked for

  • the reinstatement and modernisation of both flashing speed warning signs on the road
  • the police to site their speed camera van in the built-up area on Wetherby Road on an occasional basis.

One of the flashing signs (on the odd numbered, Acomb Ward, side of the road) has been missing for over 2 years. It was faulty and the expectations were that it would be repaired and returned to its site.

Now officials say that speeds are lower on Wetherby Road and that, if a sign is too be provided, then it will have to be funded through the delegated budget held by Acomb Ward Councillors.  They go on to say that they approached the Councillors for the Acomb Ward (Cllrs Keith Myers and Stuart Barnes) in 2017 asking them to fund a replacement, but received no response. A new ward budget will be available from 1st April 2019 so the request could be renewed.

The report claims that vehicle speeds on the built-up section of Wetherby Road have reduced since the buffer 40 mph limit was introduced on the “rural” section 2 years ago.

Before and after speeds were recorded and are reproduced in a table (below).

Speed check results

As might be expected they show a small reduction in the speed of vehicles in the urban area (Eastbound), although speeds on the rural stretch actually increased.

The “after” figures were, however, taken in August 2017 before work on enlarging the ring road roundabout had been completed. One of the main reasons why residents collected the petition was a concern that the easier access across and from the A1237 would lead to increased speeds.

We think that the Acomb Ward Councillors should agree to fund a replacement speed sign.

new style speed signs

Elsewhere, at the same meeting, officials are recommending that the newer type of speed sign, which shows the actual speed of an approaching vehicle, should be trialled in the City. Unfortunately the sites identified, for the trial introduction of the signs, are all in eastern York. This type of sign is in common use elsewhere in Yorkshire and beyond.

The Council should agree to add Wetherby Road to the trial locations.

In additional they should support residents calls for the occasional “deterrent” siting of the camera van on the urban section of Wetherby Road

Empty Chapelfields garage to be brought back into use after 12 month delay

Bramham Road empty garage

It looks like the long term empty garage in Bramham Road may finally be brought back into use.

It was reported as being empty and in need of repair over 12 months ago. Following a complaint about delays, repairs to the roof and stonework were completed.

The Council says that an order was placed with a local contractor to replace the door but the work was never completed.

It seems that no one followed this up until we reported the garage again a few months ago.

We’re now told that a new order for the door has been given to a contractor. It is expected to be repaired shortly and brought back into use in April.

There is a long waiting list of tenants in Chapelfields wanting to rent Council garages.

Nearby streets are sometimes choked with parked cars and there have also been ongoing delays in the provision of additional parking laybys on the estate.

Jobs and wages in York

Figures published by ONS last month on wage levels in the city caused a panic with some commentators.

The figures suggested that median wage levels in the City had fallen by 9.4% compared to the previous year.

But had they?

According to ONS gross wages were £384.10. The previous year – on the back of an unlikely 5.6% increase – the median wage had been £423.80?

So had workers really seen a £40 a week drop in earnings?

If so, what went wrong?

Most people seem to have forgotten that the published figures are provisional. The final figures will not be available until later in the year. The figures are based on a sample of returns from employers. The sample size changes. ONS advised caution in using short term figures to demonstrate a trend.

As well as the reduction in wages, the ONS figures also say that the City also saw a drop of 3000 in the number of jobs.  Against the background of a record high (and stable) number in employment in the York, that alone suggests a sampling error.

Looking beyond gross pay, a further breakdown indicates that the fall had mainly been down to a reduction in overtime payments. Given the uncertainty in the market as a result of BREXIT, it would not be surprising if there was a slowing down in economic activity. Less overtime would be an obvious symptom of a more cautious approach to investment

However, the most likely explanation for the blip, is that the figures are just plain wrong!

Source ONS