Bus subsidies for hospital and Community Stadium services

A government subsidy of £83,000 is to be used to support to bus service links in the City

Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride – Hospital

This service has run into financial difficulties as bus patronage fell during the pandemic. The service is used by staff and patients to access the Hospital, while avoiding congestion and parking charges, in the Wigginton Road area. The subsidy only lasts until the end of March 2021 so what happens to the service after that is unclear.

Originally it was hoped that the link would reduce car usage in and near the City centre.

Community Stadium

Tonight sees what may be the first game for York City at the Community Stadium.

It will be a behind closed doors event.

With the National League North likely to be abandoned before the end of the month, it may also prove to be the last football match there until late summer.

£63,000 has been allocated for new bus service links to the stadium. Although there would be little point in introducing such links while the ban on spectators remains, they would be a welcome addition when things return to “normal”.

Hopefully the government will extend the availability of the subsidy so it can be used during the 2021/22 financial year.

The first to benefit may be York Knights fans who hope that limited attendances might be permitted during the latter part of their campaign which starts in March.

Council to borrow over £20 million more.

The York Council will consider tomorrow adding over £20 million to its debt burden.

The cost to taxpayers of paying interest and redemption charges on the extra borrowing is put at £1.4 million a year.

The Council says that the costs of the new Knapton forest will now be met from “external sources”. It is therefore switching that expenditure into buying electric vehicles and associated charging facilities at a cost of over £5 million.

*The Knapton Forest will now be funded by third parties according to the York Council*

£100,000 will fund an “access barrier review”. This is thought to be a response to a section of the cycle lobby which is opposed to the use of safety barriers where they slow cycle movements. While an audit of infrastructure standards and repair works on the York cycle network is long overdue, concentration of limited resources on the relatively trivial barrier issue reflects poor prioritisation.

£1.1 million will be spent repairing Lendal Bridge while £1 million is reserved for the – more than slightly opaque – “COVID recovery fund”.

Probably the most controversial proposal is the plan to cut another £3.2 million from highways maintenance. This is the fund which is used to reconstruct road and path surfaces. It is a long-term investment which gives carriageways a 30 year plus lifespan. In turn this minimises the risk of frost damage. The large number of potholes which we have seen on the highway network recently suggests reconstruction should be a high priority.

*All parties promised improved highway maintenance standards at the last local elections*

. The cut in the highways maintenance budget is partly justified by officials who point to the £5 million being paid by central government for the resurfacing of Tadcaster Road (for the second time in less than a year). The resurfacing will not provide any additional benefit for road users.

Money is being transferred from highways resurfacing to fund the Council’s £2 million contribution to the Fordlands Road flood alleviation scheme. This is the scheme which should have been completed, and funded, as part of the recent improvements to the A19 in Fulford.

The report points out that there could still be further costs to be added to the budget as work on York Central, the Guildhall, Castle Gateway and dualling the outer ring road proceeds.

A copy of the proposed programme can be viewed by clicking here

FREE Online Bridge Classes for Beginners

Did you know that York Bridge Club are moving from Holgate to Acomb? They are currently building new purpose-built premises in the grounds of Acomb Sports Club. The new clubhouse is due to open in late 2021.

When the new building opens the Club aims to attract a new generation of bridge players who are interested in taking up the game. If you are interested the bridge club would like to get you started straight away with your learning.

To encourage new players to get involved York Bridge Club has launched an initiative to offer free online bridge beginner classes. This is a great way to get rid of the those “lockdown blues” by taking up a new hobby.

Online presentations will be delivered by qualified teachers. Ten weekly presentations each lasting around 45 minutes commence from 10am on Tuesday 23^rd February. They will follow up each presentation the following day by facilitating themed practice of set hands.

All learners need is access to either a desktop, laptop or I-Pad. Instructions and invitations will be provided to registered students on how to access the learning. The Club will issue zoom invitations each week. If necessary, assistance with managing the IT requirement can be provided.

This opportunity is “not too good to be true”. It really is completely free of charge. The Bridge Club just hope learners find bridge compulsive and have an appetite for more when the free 10 weeks programme has ended. Eventually the Club hope you come and join them when their new clubhouse opens.

For more information and to register your interest, please email Mark Dunkley at secretary@theyorkbridgeclub.com.

Anger as York Council plans to reduce expenditure on fixing potholes

Hopes were raised last year when the York Council established a second pothole filling team in the City. It was hoped that the initiative would at least slow the rapidly deteriorating condition of highways in the City.

Expectations were further raised when the Department of Transport allocated part of its “Pothole challenge fund” to the City.

Sadly, the hoped-for improvements have not materialised.

Many highways are breaking up under the impact of ice and frost. A well-maintained surface is less vulnerable to frost damage but lack of urgency in patching roads in the summer and autumn, means that large stretches are now unsafe for users.

The Council has been criticised this week for failing to embrace new maintenance technologies.

Now hidden within a large report, being considered by the Council later this week, is a proposal which would see less spent on resurfacing.

£600,000 will be taken from pothole filling/resurfacing and instead used to partly fund new schemes like the cycle path link from Wheldrake to Fulford.

Even the most extreme pro cycling campaigners are now realising that maintaining existing paths should be the Councils priority when funds are limited.

The existing cycle and highway networks are in poor condition. Why not fix them first before building more paths?

Sadly, one of the reasons seems to be that highway resurfacing activity is not very glamourous.

There will be no official naming of the pothole that Andy filled in.

On the other hand, a new path may – for a while – attract favourable publicity for its sponsors, at least until it too needs to be resurfaced.

Separately, the same report says that

the second resurfacing of Tadcaster Road is being delayed until the summer. Gas main works are currently taking place there.
promised repairs on National Cycle Network 65 will now not be completed until 2021/22.
£877,000, which was to have been spent this year on Highways Ward Committees schemes, will also be delayed until next year.

Council heading for £3 million budget deficit. £800,000 cost of keeping sports facilities closed.

With only a few weeks to go until the end of the financial year, the York Council says it will overspend by £3.7 million. Any deficit would be a charge on the Council’s reserves (which currently stand at £7 million)

Most of the deficit is blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic. Details can be found here

Council income has dropped with car parking revenue severely affected.

There are major overspends on children’s social work services including safeguarding vulnerable children with 93 local children currently subject to proceedings.

Adult social care could also overspend by £2.7 million.

There are also major pressures to bail out the indoor sports centres which are managed by GLL.

The council continues to have discussions with GLL over the cost of managing the centres during the year. The council has been required to fund the net cost of the facilities whist closed and GLL have suffered from reduced revenues when the facilities have been open during the year. The likely additional cost to the council is currently forecast to be c.£800k but the council and GLL are seeking Government / Sport England funding to mitigate this cost.

The main problems with Council housing relate to a repairs backlog and the lengthening time to relet empty properties.

The report contains a highly selective report on public service quality standards. It talks about the – entirely unsurprising – drop in bus usage.

It pointedly fails to mention the appalling decline in the standard of highway surfaces. Despite being reported long before the icy weather – and lockdown – commenced, potholes were only given cursory attention. The result now is that many carriageways are dangerous particularly for users of two wheeled transport.

*Potholes on Askham Lane near the A1237 roundabout and others on Foxwood Lane*

& maybe part of the solution

Railway station transformation gets go ahead

Work can begin this Autumn to create a fitting gateway to York after plans to transform the railway station entrance planning committee approved.

The plans to modernise the arrival to the station include removing Queen Street bridge, which hasn’t been needed since trains stopped passing under it in the 1960s. Removing the bridge will create space for vastly improved access for all modes of transport while revealing hidden sections of the city’s historic walls.

The scheme has been developed by the Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail and LNER.

The plans will change and improve the entrance to the railway station in order to:

keep vehicles and pedestrians apart
make it easier to change between modes of transport
create new public spaces and a more pedestrian-friendly experience
create an improved setting for the City Walls and other heritage buildings in the area

(more…)

Police Commissioner poll to go ahead in May

The government has said that elections for regional Police and Crime Commissioners WILL take place in May. The elections were cancelled last year as a result of the pandemic.

Locally Commissioner Julia Mulligan continued in office for another year. She had already been de-selected as a candidate by the Conservative Party.

Details of the governments plan can be read here. They indicate how processes will change in order to avoid the spread of infections.

Although electors can still vote in person, most are expected to take advantage of the option of using a postal vote. There will also be a last minute option for anyone to appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf if they are tested positive for COVID-19.

There is a requirement for everyone participating in the process to wear a face mask.

The government has controversially instructed candidates and their supporters not to leaflet or canvass for support. They will be able to use “on line” publicity and – paid for – deliveries using approved suppliers such as Royal Mail. Whether candidates will be able to afford to use that option is another matter.

Only 1 in 5 electors actually voted when PCCs last went to the polls in 2016.

The post may be abolished anyway within the next 2 years if the government presses ahead with its plan to replace them with “elected mayors”.

Some are betting that this poll will attract a record low turnout!

Crichton Avenue and Wigginton Road junction -roadworks start next week

Ageing and outdated traffic signals at the Crichton Avenue and Wigginton Road junction are set to be replaced from next week, by City of York Council.

Works are estimated to take around six weeks to complete and will start on Monday 8 February. Works were initially due to start in January, but were postponed due to the impact of lockdown.

New, more reliable, traffic signals will be installed on the junction of Crichton Avenue and Wigginton Road. Layout changes are being made to make the junction work more efficiently, this will include introducing new pedestrian crossings, extended double yellow lines on the ‘access road’, kerb line changes and removing the small pedestrian island on Crichton Avenue.

The new traffic signals will be cheaper to run and more reliable. It will also enable the new systems to link direct to the council’s Traffic and Control Centre, so that the Network Monitoring Officers can manage the flow of traffic better in busy periods by adjusting traffic lights to best suit traffic conditions.

To help minimise disruption work will be carried out from 9am to 4.30pm during the week and also will take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 4pm. Temporary signals replicating, as closely as possible, the current operation of the junction will be in place throughout the works.

During the works it is anticipated that there will be significant delays when travelling through the junction.
Those using the junction are urged to plan ahead, allow more time for journeys on these routes and to consider alternatives and to use public transport where possible. Bus services will be operating as normal for the majority of the works but passengers are advised to visit the iTravel website for more information.

Some temporary footway closures will be in place to allow works to be undertaken, however, full access will be retained to all businesses and properties during construction and pedestrian and cyclist routes through the works will be clearly signed. Access to and from the Foss Islands foot/cycleway will be maintained at all times throughout the works.

To find out more about the scheme visit this website.

Roadworks to take place in February and March

Hamilton Drive East affected from Monday

Two men wearing bright orange safety clothing stand behind a road maintenance truck, smiling at the camera

City of York Council will be carrying out essential roadworks on key roads in York including Hamilton Drive East, Huntington Road and Haxby Road throughout February and March.

The following works are being undertaken:

Hamilton Drive East:

Works will take place overnight on Monday 8 February (weather permitting) between 7.30pm to midnight.

In order to carry out the work safely, the road will need to be closed for the duration of the works from, but not including, the junction of Holgate Road up to, but not including, the junction of Barbara Grove. The road will be fully open outside of works times.

Huntington Road:

Works will start from Monday 8 March for a period of two weeks (weather permitting) between 7.30pm to 5am.

The works have been split in to two phases to minimise disruption:

Phase 1 – Road closed from, but not including, the junction of Ramsey Close up to, but not including, the junction of Fossway / Haley’s Terrace. This work is scheduled Monday 8 March until Friday 12 March.

During phase 1 Bus Service 14 will divert via Heworth Green, Dodsworth Avenue and Fossway in both directions.

Phase 2 – Complete closure of the junction of Huntington Rd / Haley’s Terrace and Fossway. Somerset Road will also be closed. This work is scheduled Monday 15 March until Friday 19 March.

During phase 2 Bus Services 5/5A will divert via Haxby Road and Link Rd in both directions (not serving Haley’s Terrace or Huntington Rd). Bus Service 14 will divert via Heworth Green, Malton Rd, Elmfield Ave, Monkton Rd and Byland Ave in both directions (not serving Huntington Rd between Monkgate roundabout and Byland Ave junction).

In addition to the above, kerbing and drainage works will take place on Monday 1 March for a period of five days working 9.15am – 4pm. These works will be carried out under local traffic management, will not affect access/egress and the road will be open as normal. Parking will be suspended in sections to enable us to carry out the works.

Haxby Road:

Works will start from Monday 22 March for a period of five nights (weather permitting) between 7.30pm – 5am.

In order to carry out the work safely, the use of a full road closure from, but not including, the junction of Walpole Street up to, and including, the junction of Rose Street will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

The bollards at Fountayne Street and Vyner Street will be removed during the hours of works to allow residents access and egress via Wigginton Road.

Bus Services 1, 5 and 5A will divert via Lord Mayor’s Walk, Monkgate and Huntington Road.

In addition to the above, kerbing and drainage works will take place from 15 February for a period of five days working 9.15am – 4pm.

During all of the above schemes, road closures may be necessary to ensure that adequate health and safety is maintained for both local residents, the travelling public and the contractor. Site staff will be on hand to advise and assist residents about any access restrictions once the works are ongoing.

If on-street parking is suspended residents have been notified in advance. Parking may be suspected during the hours of the works for the full duration, but specific access requirements can be arranged by speaking to the site Traffic Management Operatives, who will coordinate with residents (and business requirements) around the ongoing work operations.

The contractor will be operating under social distancing guidance wherever possible due to the current Covid-19 restrictions.

Emergency services will be permitted through the works at all times. However, please note that cyclists will be required to dismount and push their bikes along the footways.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience to the public. However, the contractor will at all times try to keep any disruption to a minimum.

For more info about current roadworks in York visit our website.

Time to Talk Day 2021

A small conversation about mental health has the power to make a big difference, say city emotional wellbeing experts ahead of Time to Talk Day on 4 February 2021.

Research shows that the more conversations people have, the more myths can be bust and the more barriers can broken down, helping to end the isolation and shame and that too many people feel about mental health problems.

Time to Talk Day is when we’re all being encouraged to talk about mental health. This year’s event might look a little different, but at times like this open conversations about mental health are more important than ever.

This year’s focus is on the power of small, because however you have a conversation about mental health – whether it’s a quick text to a friend, a virtual coffee morning with colleagues, or a socially distanced walk and talk with your family – it has the power to make a big difference.

Here are some tips on how to start a conversation and help someone simply by listening and acknowledging what they’re going through.

An open ear reduces fear

Listening is often more important than talking. You don’t have to have all the answers – just listening can make a big difference. Show you’re taking on board what they’re saying. You can do this saying something simple like “that sounds really difficult”.

2. Be a friend, don’t mend

You don’t have to fix it, just being there will mean a lot. It can be difficult to open, especially if you think the person you’re with won’t understand. Remember what they’re going through is real to them, so be the supportive friend you’ve always been.

3. It’s easy to say “that sounds tough”

Show you care and take on board what they’re saying. It’s OK to ask questions like “What kind of thoughts are you having?”, “How can I help?” Just try not to minimise what someone’s going through.

Emma Williams from Time to Change York, said: “We need your help to start the conversation this Time to Talk Day – together we can end mental health stigma. Find out more at www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/time-talk-day.”

Cl(opens in a new tab)lr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said: “I’m delighted to see this campaign which builds on Time To Change’s ‘Ask Twice’ campaign. Simply reaching out to someone and asking how they are – how they really are – and listening to them, can make people feel so much better.

There is a range of tips and resources for better emotional wellbeing at www.livewellyork.co.uk/feelrealyork .

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