Council help for bees

The City of York Council says that it is taking action to make York more pollinator friendly.

Roundabout on Hull Road last summer showed what could be achieved

There are over 4,000 species of insects in the UK that carry out pollination of our native wild plants and food crops, but they are under threat and in decline due to habitat loss and excessive pesticide use.

The council wants to introduce a new Pollinator Strategy so that it can ensure local residents, businesses and landowners are provided with information to help protect and increase pollinators.

Insects like bumblebees, butterflies and beetles all provide a vital part in pollination of our native wild plants and our food crops, ensuring the protection of our city’s biodiversity.

The new strategy aims to protect, increase and enhance the amount of pollinator habitats on council owned or managed land, and help to improve the status of any locally threatened species.

The most significant factors leading to these declines in pollinator numbers includes habitat loss (food, shelter and nesting), pesticides which have harmful effects on honeybees, wild bees and butterflies and climate change, which has long term effects.

A copy of the strategy can be read by clicking here

The Council’s initiative is welcomed. In particular, the the commitment to neighbourhood input into initiatives.

“Bee hotels” like this one in Foxwood have been established by some residents groups.

What is lacking in the the document is a recognition that much of the solution to the lack of pollinator attractive plants can only be addressed by the more thoughtful use of privately owned land.

In particular, more can be done in peoples gardens.

A ready source of advice, and a proactive approach to publicity, is needed from the York Council.

If approved, the council will adopt the new Pollinator Strategy and ensure the needs of pollinators are represented in local plans, policy and guidance – to help us all protect and increase pollinators.

The strategy will be taken to an Executive meeting for approval on Thursday 18 March from 5.30pm and will be available to watch online afterwards.

Local services under threat in Acomb

Sainsbury’s

Speculation is mounting about the future of the Sainsbury’s Local store on Beckfield Lane. Sources suggest that it may close towards the end of the summer.

The rumours have been reinforced by the recent decision by the company to close its Argos stores, make redundancies at its head office and close 10 large supermarkets and 110 local branches

Sainsbury’s has performed well during the pandemic recording an increase in sales of 8.5% last year.

The Supermarket was rebuffed by regulators in an attempt to merge with Asda 2 years ago.

Sainsbury’s operates 10 stores in York. The Beckfield Lane store is their only outlet in Acomb. The next nearest Sainsbury’s Local is in Blossom Street.

Lloyds Bank closing this week

Lloyds Bank confirmed recently that it would close its Front Street branch  on 11th March (Thursday).

 It was still attracting a steady stream of customers this morning.

Details of the closure and other options for customers can be found by clicking these links

Closure part one

Closure part two

Almost £300k awarded to reduce emissions in York

City of York Council have been awarded £297,237 by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

See the source image

The funding will enable to council to carry out a feasibility study and subsequent pilot scheme to reduce emissions relating to deliveries travelling in to and out of York.

29 local authorities across England have been granted more than £5 million from the government’s Air Quality Grant to deliver innovative projects to improve air quality and reduce the impact of dirty air on people’s health.

The project will focus on how to reduce the number of deliveries made to the city centre and around York by LGVS and HGVs (such as small vans or larger heavy goods vehicles). A study will identify suitable sustainable alternatives which may include a delivery ‘hub’ allowing the last or first mile of the journey to be made by low emission modes, including e-cargo bikes. The project will aim to reduce both the overall number of vehicles undertaking deliveries and emissions from the remaining fleet. The council will be engaging with businesses, including delivery companies, on the study and pilot scheme. 

See the source image

There are five key areas for air quality improvement around York’s inner ring road which are included in York’s Air Quality Management Area  (AQMA). This project has the potential to reduce NOx emissions in all these areas and across the wider district. The new project will also reduce emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) which is known to be the pollutant of greatest harm to human health.  As well as improving local air quality the project will also help to reduce CO2 emissions to help achieve our Net-Zero targets.

The project will assist in delivering the following action points in York’s current Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP3): 5 (reducing emissions from freight); 11 (Local incentives for low emission vehicles and alternative fuel use); 12 (Attracting low emission industries, business and jobs to York).

The project’s benefits could be realised further afield than the city centre. Depending on the final location of the pilot project, the scheme may also help to address LGV and HGV emissions to neighbouring districts.

Good work by York Council in tacking blocked paths

It looks like the York Council may be getting the message over problems with obstructed cycle and footpaths.

Last year Millfield Lane near Poppleton was overgrown with vegetation making social distancing unnecessarily difficult.

Today workers were out cutting the obstructions back.

We hope that an audit of similar problem locations will result in action to prevent a reoccurrence of the problems this summer.

York Council contract list

An updated list of the contracts that the York Council has awarded is available on line (click)

The awards range from £7000 for a “weed control consultant” (£58,000 is also being spent hiring a weed control contractor) to £4.5 million for the provision of electric vehicle changing points.

Over £28,000 was spent on “homeworking laptops” in February.

£13,000 will be spent on a “Review of the Covid-19 Micro Grants Scheme”

Yesterdays road surfacing works on Wetherby Road/The Green cost £8,729.

TitleAwarded supplierValue (est.)
Highway Weed Control ConsultantPeter Corbett Consulting£7,000
B1224 Wetherby Road Patching WorksThomas Bow Limited£8,729
NYCC Framework – Lot 2 – City of York Council – Huntington RoadHanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd T/A Hanson Contracting£130,000
Oracle Database Enterprise Edition RenewalTrustmarque Solutions Limited£6,444
CCTV Drainage Survey for Castle & Eye of York and Castle MillsSubscan UDS Limited£14,225
Hungate CCTV GPRSMalcolm Hughes Land Surveyors Ltd£5,000
Additional ‘Homeworking’ laptopsKingsfield Computer Products Ltd£28,650
Collection of Covid Lateral Flow Test Centre WasteHonley Environmental Services Ltd£5,000
Consultancy Review of Covid-19 Micro Grants SchemeBlueberry Marketing£13,000
Provision of Quantity Surveying ServicesTurner & Townsend£284,063
Creation and Distribution of ‘Our City’ NewsletterYour Creative Sauce£61,000
Provision of Four Towed Water PumpsEuroflo Fluid Handling Ltd£98,110
Provision of 2 Hire MinibusesLondon Hire£11,000
Independent Connections Provider (ICP)E.ON Energy Solutions Limited£1,750,000
Printing Contract for 2021 Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Elections and possible Neighbourhood Planning ReferendumsStephen Austin and Sons Ltd£32,000
Fire RemedialCLC Contractors Ltd£289,000
Land Surveyor Services for the Phase 1 York Outer Ring Road Dualling SchemeAvison Young (UK) Ltd£250,000
York Blue Badge Case Management SystemNORTHGATE PUBLIC SERVICES (UK) LIMITED£4,000
CIPFA Asset Management SystemCIPFA Business£18,994
2217-21 Highways Labour and Street Lighting Services and WorksMultiple award (9)£11,000,000
Lord Deramore’s Primary School Provision of Cleaning ServicesCivic Enterprise Leeds£30,000
The Provision of a Staff Salary Sacrifice Scheme for CarsNHS Fleet Solutions£200,000
3 Urban Gritting John Deere TractorsAdamsons Turf Machinery£32,240
Yorkshire Flood Resilience Marketing CampaignPMA Outdoor Media Ltd£10,000
West Offices Washroom ServicesMultiple award (2)£30,000
Supply, Installation & Maintenance of Vehicle LiftsStertil UK Ltd£55,000
City of York Employment and Skills Strategy ConsultancyAnnabel Jelley Consultants£15,000
Logic Monitor LicencesANS Group Limited£29,110
Provision of Staff Salary Scheme – Technology ProductsHawk Incentives Ltd.£10,000
Highway Weed Control 2021Munro Weed Control£58,000
Engineering Consultancy for Tadcaster RoadAECOM£249,861
Adoption Support ServiceTherapy in Praxis Limited£5,000
Supply of Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Bread & Morning GoodsDooleys Wholesale£6,000
Provision of Systemic Practice TrainingThe Institute of Family Therapy£75,000
Blue Badge Eligibility Assessments ServiceMultiple award (2)£103,000
Recycled rubber speed cushionsRediweld Rubber & Plastics Ltd£45,000
Management of 10 rural meadow sites within YorkThe Conservation Volunteers£30,000
City of York EV Charging NetworkChargemaster Limited£2,500,000
Hyper Hubs – Creating a network of ultra-low carbon transport refuelling hubs across YorkEvoEnergy Ltd£1,950,000
Website Accessibility AuditSitemorse Limited£7,500
Hazel Court Electric Vehicle Fleet infrastructure- Mobile Bin Wagons DC node4 chargerVital EV Solutions Ltd£20,000
Winter Maintenance Support 2020 – 2021Dunning Plant Hire£50,000
The Supply and Fit of TyresB A Bush & Son Ltd£240,000
The Provision of Computer Products and Software ServicesEurolink Technology Ltd.£25,000
Brain in Hand Trial *Brain in Hand£27,220
City of York Council E-Scooter TrialsTIER Operations Limited£0
Property Flood Resilience Pathfinder ProjectUniversity of Leeds£126,319
Neighbourhood Homecare Key Provider ServiceMultiple award (2)£267,200
Kofax Power PDF 4 Advanced LicencesTrustmarque Solutions Limited£11,200
MapInfo Professional Annual MaintenancePhoenix Software Ltd£10,868
The Supply, Installation & Maintenance of Pay on Exit EquipmentOrbility£246,000
Provision of Citrix Nutanix NodesCDW Limited£87,000
Supply of GrittersGo plant Fleet Services Limited£36,740
Aids and Adaptations for City of YorkMultiple award (4)£2,100,000
Vodafone PSN ConnectVodafone Limited£6,680
What’s On Listings and Culture ArticlesYork Mix Media£10,000
Wellbeing for school returnYork Mind£22,850
Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription RenewalTrustmarque Solutions Limited£12,276
Servelec Synergy SuiteServelec Education Ltd£500,000
Time to Change Organic HubYork CVS£29,709
Click contract title for more information

*The Brain in Hand tool is a new way of monitoring and managing feelings of stress and anxiety and is designed to help keep the day on track. It has been designed specifically for people with Autism Spectrum Conditions. It is an application for use on a smart phone or other device that is designed to help monitor feelings and help manage stress and anxiety.

Pollution levels still low in York

Air quality remains good, and pollution levels very low, on Gillygate and at other monitoring sites in the City.

Traffic levels are, however, higher than were recorded during lockdown 1 last spring. They are likely to increase further from Monday when there will be a general return to school.

It will be April before shops and offices reopen.

Council plans to reduce road capacity at the Gillygate/St Leonard’s Place/ Bootham junction seem ill timed and insufficiently thought through.

The plans could increase congestion by 30%. That would delay bus services including the vital park and ride links.

In the meantime, residents can monitor hour by hour pollution levels by clicking this link

Meanwhile we understand that the Council will delay its assessment of the effects of road closures in The Groves area.

A review was due in the spring.

They are right to delay as traffic volumes and movements have been untypical during the Lockdown period.

However, it does mean that a reassessment of some of the more questionable aspects of the scheme – such as contraflow cycle routes – will remain in place as traffic volumes and safety hazards increase.

There have been no queues involving deer or cattle in The Groves during recent months

Micklegate Bar still closed

UPDATE: Northern Gas Networks say that reinstatement work in the Blossom Street area will be completed before Monday 15th March. Micklegate Bar will then reopen to users.

A week after the gas works at Micklegate Bar were supposed to end, the Bar remains closed to traffic (and cyclists moving west to east)

Public notice confirmed work should have been completed on 26th February. (notice removal date is obviously an error)

No  explanation for the delay, or new completion date, has been publicised by Northern Gas Networks or the City of York Council.

The similar works, taking place on Blossom Street, are due to be completed next Friday (and appear to be on schedule)

Traffic levels are likely to increase as schools return to normal on Monday. The Micklegate Bar work should have been completed before then.

Appeal following suspected Arson at York library

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses and information about an incident of suspected Arson at Tang Hall Explore Library.

The incident happened some time between 3pm on Saturday 27 February  and 8.30am on Monday 1 March  and involved an area outside of the building being damaged by fire

We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

In particular, we are appealing for information about anyone who was seen in the area or who saw the fire.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Nicola Russell.

You can also email Nicola.Russell@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210069072.

Foxwood

There have also been problems with theft and vandalism on the other side of the City in Foxwood recently. There have been thefts from the community centre garden, fencing has been damaged and windows broken. One empty council bungalow has been a particular target.

CCTV footage suggests teenagers are responsible.

Police are asking anyone who sees any crimes being committed to ring 999 immediately