The local residents association have added their weight to calls for access to Acomb Moor to be made safer.
Access to Acomb Moor still blocked
They have written to local Councillors making the following points.
The tree trunk blocking the access needs to be moved by about 1 foot to allow pedestrian access. We understand that Andrew has this in hand. If the field tenants won’t do it then 2 or 3 fit people should be able to roll the log. The stile then needs to be reinstated
The route across the field could then be re-established. Pragmatically a line down the side of the field – parallel to Foxwood Lane – could be established to link with the desire line path which is now clearly marked at the bottom of the field. (It will be for the owners to apply for a formal PROW diversion order if they wish to discourage people for walking through, what will presumably by the spring be, a cropped field). Obviously the current practice of people climbing over a 1.5 metre high metal gate is potentially hazardous and precludes some less ambient residents (who ironically are perhaps those most needing access to informal walking options) from using the paths.
The stile at the bottom corner needs to be repaired and hardcore put on the approaches.
Neither of the access points to the Council owned section of the path near Osprey Close have had the promised hardcore put down. Both these paths are narrow and on a gradient, They will become increasingly slippery in poor winter weather. So some action needs to be taken now.
Further along the path near and in Acomb Wood there are sections which are subject to flooding and which would also benefit from having hardcore put down.
Stile needs repairs and hardcore underneathAccess points from Osprey Close are hazardous in wet weather.
THREE more positive test results announced today bring the cumulative total to 959.
The 6 cases reported on 16th August have now dropped off the government’s distribution map. This had shown that at least 3 of the cases reported on 16th August were in the Woodthorpe/Acomb Park/Foxwood area.
The latest map (covering 17th August to 23rd August) suggests that there is not a concentration of new cases in any particular neighbourhood.
The number of tests completed each day is still not being revealed by the authorities. This makes it difficult to judge whether trends are getting worse or staying stable.
Residents have won their battle to prevent a huge 5G phone mast being erected on Bellhouse Way.
The 20 metre high mast would have been located next to the Foxwood Community Centre.
The proposal from Hutchinson/Clarke Telecom was heavily criticised by the residents association, ward Councillors and neighbours. They were concerned that the mast would dominate the residential streetscape, affect footpath widths, impede sight lines and could have facilitated criminals to use the cabinets to gain access to nearby properties.
The Council gives the impact on visual amenity as its main reason for refusing the application. The full decision notice can be read by clicking here
While the Telecoms Company could appeal against the decision we hope that they will now stand back and reflect.
A more obvious location for their mast would be on Foxwood Lane next to the Thanet Road sports area.This is well away from the nearest dwelling.
The existing mast cabinets could be moved there as could those which are currently located at the entrance to the Rugby Club car park (which also cause sight line problems for drivers).
Still, at least in this case, the Council seems to have heeded the views of the local community.
Two thousand children and young people across York are receiving a holiday activity pack to help support them, and their parents and carers.
City of York Council teamed up with REACH – York’s cultural education partnership – and York St John University, to produce the ‘Creative Doodle Books’.
Each book is full of creative drawing and writing ideas for the young people to do in their own time. One pack is aimed at KS2 children,7-11 olds; the other at those in KS3, 12-14 year olds.
The packs have been distributed to children and young people who are currently working with the council’s social care teams, and those receiving free school meals.
The York Council, has announced today that road closures in The Groves area will start on 2nd September. The opening coincides with the start of the new school term – traditionally very busy week on the roads.
Although plans to reduce traffic in the area were widely welcomed, last minute changes to the proposals mean that there are elements of controversy. Not least among these are concerns about safety for cyclists on some of the contra flow lanes.
Some traders have also warned that there busiesses may be affected by the loss of passing trade and difficulties for delivery drivers.
The project does however have the support of the Green and Labour party Councillors who represent the area. It is to be hoped that the scheme has been better thought through than the recent closure of a traffic lane on Bishopthorpe Road.
Very low traffic levels on Penley’s Grove Street in recent months
Traffic level on the short cut routes through The Groves have, in any event, been very low since the lock-down period.
A council media release says,
City of York Council is introducing the planned trial road closures within The Groves on Wednesday 2 September.
This forms part of a local regeneration project and those who usually drive through the area are encouraged to plan an alternative route or where possible cycle or walk for local journeys. A leaflet and map of the changes is being circulated to residents and businesses in the area.
The work is part of a two-year regeneration project with residents to make the area an even better place to live. Local people have said they want better air quality, less traffic and the chance to build on the existing community spirit.
These aims support the council’s priorities of promoting sustainable travel. They also help with the need to maintain social distancing during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
All through routes in the Groves area between Haxby Rd/Clarence Street and Huntington Rd/Monkgate will be closed to traffic. Alternative routes are via the main roads surrounding the estate including Lord Mayors Walk.
The works that will be carried out are:
The existing closure point at Neville Terrace will be removed to allow more direct access to Haxby Road from that side of The Groves.
Road closure points will be introduced at the junction of Lowther Street/Brownlow Street, and on St Johns Crescent, Penleys Grove Street, Neville Terrace and Earle Street.
Brownlow Street and March Street will become one-way streets except for cyclists, whilst Penleys Grove Street will be two-way to allow traffic to exit onto Monkgate from this part of The Groves.
Cycle routes in all directions throughout The Groves will continue and will benefit from less traffic.
A small number of parking spaces will be removed or relocated to make room for turning points at the closures, and the existing resident parking zones will merge so that local people can park more flexibly.
Planters will be placed at the majority of the closure points and residents will be invited to help plant them up.
The measures will be introduced over two days (1st and 2nd September). The work to introduce the measure will be undertaken under minimal traffic management.
Staff on site during the installation will be operating under social distancing guidance wherever possible due to the current restrictions with permission from the local authority to undertake this essential work at this time.
Household waste and recycling collections will take place as normal.
As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience to the public while the closures are put in place. The contractor will at all times try to keep any disruption to a minimum. Once the measures have been introduced, they will be monitored and kept under review and can continue as experimental for up to 18 months.
During this time, the scheme may be adjusted in response to residents’ experience and feedback. The scheme can be made permanent (subject to consideration of comments received) at any point as long as it has been in place, unchanged, for at least six months.
Residents will be able to observe the measures and reflect on how they are working, and pass on their comments to the council for review by email thegrovestrial@york.gov.uk
There will be a public Executive Member for Transport decision meeting on the outcome of the trial after at least 6 months prior to confirming any permanent changes.
It looks like work on the new Children’s Disabled centre and the renovation and extension of Lincoln Court sheltered housing could be completed by the October target date. The internal road system has been surfaced over the last few days. This is usually a sign that work is well advanced.
At a minimum it should mean that there will be less mud on local roads
Internal roads now surfaced at Disabled Centre
Neighbours will be looking forward to getting the new bus lay-by into operation following 12 months of disruption.
However there is still a lot to do. The public noticeboard was damaged by contractors needs to be replaced. What is left of the noticeboard is currently attached to a perimeter fence.
…and the long saga of providing a replacement games area for local children still seems to be stalled.
MUGA – now a builders compound
On the 18th March 2019 the Council’s Executive agreed to provide a replacement for the Kingsway West “Multi User Games Area” (MUGA) which has been closed as part of the project to extend Lincoln Court.
The minute of the meeting read; “a ii) To note that in approving Option 1 a commitment is made for alternative recreational facilities following community consultation including Sport England within Westfield Ward in mitigation for the loss of the Multi Use Games Area. The alternative facilities provided are to be agreed by Executive and will be subject to a further report and budget approval.”
Nothing more has been heard about the plan. Residents hoped that an all weather area might be provided on Thanet Road but nothing seems to have come of this as yet.
The Council has today announced the name of the new centre
Innonvative new facility for children with disabilities buzzes with a new name
An innovative facility for children with disabilities in York has got a new name, thanks to the young people who will use it.
‘The Beehive’, as the Centre of Excellence for disabled children will now be known, will provide short overnight breaks for children with complex disabilities in the city. Young people and their families will be able to receive specialist support from a wide range of professionals, including clinical psychologists, all in one building for the first time.
The ‘bee theme’ will flow throughout the new facility, including bee-friendly names for the bedroom areas and honeycomb-like hexagons incorporated into the decorative features. Children and young people using the facility will also be given a fluffy bee toy to take home with them as a visual reminder of their ‘home away from home’.
It’s hoped that this attention to detail will help the children settle into the new building more easily, something which is particularly important for young people with learning disabilities or autism.
Thought to be one of the first facilities of its kind in the country, the innovative building is a partnership between City of York Council and NHS England.
The new centre is due to open this year and includes:
spacious bedrooms with state of the art hoist and bathing facilities for children who have complex health needs and wheelchair users
a larger, open-spaced area and bedrooms for children with learning disabilities or autism
quieter self-contained areas that can be used for children who may struggle in a more open, busier environment and where their parents can accompany them so that their needs can be fully assessed
an activity area, sensory room and quiet rooms
a large outdoor play space with a variety of equipment suitable for children of all abilities
The decision by the planning committee last week to allow the replacement of the old tax office (Swinson House) on Piccadilly with a modern hotel, has prompted a debate about the boundaries of the central York Conservation area.
Central York Conservation Area
Some say that the loss of the 30’s building – together with other developments on the street not least the ugly Spark container village – means that the street now has little conservation merit.
They have a point.
The current Conservation Area appraisal for the historic core – which can be read by clicking here – lumps Piccadilly in with the Castle as a character area.
Piccadilly is rather a barren street, lacking trees or visible greenery and dominated by large buildings. The Foss is very much hidden behind buildings which back directly onto it, a legacy from its industrial past. This means there is almost no public access to the river; the exception is the Travelodge by Castle Mills Bridge. The large buildings and their positioning also block views to the Castle, only a glimpse of which is possible from Piccadilly Bridge.
The tax office is not identified as a building of merit. The Red Lion pub is as was the, now long gone Airspeed/Trolleybus shed on the site of which Spark now park their shipping containers.
Council decision sparked criticism
One of the suggestions in the assessment, which have been largely ignored over the last 10 years, was the need for more tree planting on the street.
Whether the time is right to take Piccadilly out of the Conservation Area is a matter of opinion.
There will be those who think that Council resources could be better deployed at this difficult time. Planning permissions which have been granted – and not implemented – can be superseded by new proposals. There must, for example, be a limit on how many modern hotels the City can sustain.
Perhaps the Conservation area status gives greater weight to those who seek a quality approach to the regeneration of the Piccadilly area.
Certainly at present it is little more than a blot on the streetscape.
Each week the York Council updates a list of upcoming “decisions”that it intends to make. It is known as the forward programme and covers a four month period. It lists issue areas and gives the date that a decision meeting will take place on.
The intention is to give back bench councillors and members of the public advance notice that changes may be proposed.
York Council meeting – archive photo!
The system has always been slightly opaque with some quite obscure descriptions covering potentially radical change. Nevertheless, the system works after a fashion and was sustained during the peak of the COVID crisis.
During that time decisions were delegated to officials on the basis that they needed to act promptly to address health concerns.
The York Council has been slow to get back to a fully transparent and democratic decision-making process, with meetings still taking place “online”.
Many may think that this is not a bad thing as far as what are termed “executive member decision meetings” are concerned. Essentially this involves one person siting in a room solemnly declaring agreement with often mundane officer recommendations. Provided that written representations are allowed and recorded, remote meetings of this sort have the advantage of avoiding unnecessary travel (and can be viewed live on video by interested parties).
Meeting to consider community stadium shelves
The Councils planning and scrutiny processes are rather different.
There some real debate and probing is necessary to ensure that all options are fully understood and considered. Other Councils have returned to “live” meetings. York should follow suit.
It could start by scheduling its first full Council meeting for 6 months.
The latest “forward plan” suggests that a backlog of work is building up. No fewer than 7 items which have been included on the plan – in some cases for over 6 months – are now shelved.
There is no indication when, or even if, decisions will be made.
They include a review of Homelessness, the agenda for which was published last week and then hastily withdrawn without explanation.
Another report was intended to provide an update on the commercial arrangements at the new Community Stadium complex. There is no clue given as to when a report will be ready despite the start of the new football season being imminent.
Make it York targets deferred
Several of the deferred items relate to housing issues. A new Head of Housing has recently been appointed. He will need to get to grips quickly with the backlog.
In the meantime the Council should either schedule the shelved meetings or withdraw them for the list
The deferred items include
25. Homeless Review 2019-20 Decision maker: Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods Decision due: ; The original meeting this item was scheduled to be considered at has been cancelled, therefore this item has been postponed until a new meeting date has been identified. Originally due: 25/08/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 28/07/2020
26. Make it York Service Level Agreement Decision maker: Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities Decision due: ; In consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning Originally due: 14/04/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 24/02/2020
27. Project Executive Fee Level Decision maker: Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education Originally due: 21/04/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 02/03/2020
28. NSLC Commercial proposals (Community Stadium) Decision maker: Executive Decision due: ; This item has been deferred to enable a more detailed report to be prepared. Originally due: 13/02/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 13/01/2020
29. Organisational Development (OD) Plan Decision maker: Executive Originally due: 23/04/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 16/03/2020
30. Garden Assistance for CYC Tenants Decision maker: Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods Originally due: 30/04/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 03/02/2020
31. Communal Areas Policy (Housing Owned Land) Decision maker: Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods Originally due: 14/05/20 Notice of proposed decision first published: 03/02/2020
The papers contain one surprise as an additional leg (B – D) has been added to the route covered by the application. It now also includes a path located to the rear of existing houses in the area.
A meeting later today will consider the next steps in replacing the York Councils Chief Executive. The last post holder was made redundant earlier in the year, following an extended period of sick leave.
Interim arrangements have applied in the interim.
The Council will feel that the arrangements worked reasonably well during the COVID crisis although the authority was criticised for poor communications as well as secrecy on several matters of public interest.
There is never a good time for major structural change although the current post pandemic period – with the threat of further major change being driven by the “devolution” debate – means that stability is the most urgent requirement. An independent Local Government Association analysis of he plans comes to the same conclusions
It seems that the Council will opt to appoint a “Chief Operating Officer” (COO) who would have a less strategic and ambassadorial role that the last post holder. Officials concentrating on service delivery would be a welcome step forward although the implication that the strategic role would fall on senior Councillors might be less welcome in the light of recent controversial investment decisions.
One thing we are clear about is that the suggestion that the COO should have NINE direct reports is ridiculous .
