Builders have closed Ascot Way forcing a bus diversion. The road has been closed by builders working on the Lincoln Court/Windsor House site.
A pedestrian route has been maintained but vehicles including buses and cyclists face a detour.
Ascot Way closed
The Council had previously claimed that the Centre for the Disabled, being built on the site of the former Windsor House home, would be completed in June. Work on this project, and the adjacent upgrade of the Lincoln Court apartments , looks to be some way from completion.
The Kingsway area has had more than its fair share of disruption in recent years. There is only one access road open and it has born the brunt of heavy vehicle operations. First there was the Hob Stone development – which dragged on for three years, then the Council development in Newbury Avenue to be quickly followed by the work now going on in Ascot Way.
Local residents are looking forward to the end of the disruption, the restoration of lost amenities plus urgently needed repairs to roads.
The Yorkshire Water’s work on Tudor Road, which is intended to provide services to the Lowfields development, continues to make slow progress.
Tudor Road site entrance has been blocked for 2 months
Tudor Road and the public footpath were blocked for a couple of weeks from 15th June. Work on the main carriageway continued until early July. It was expected that delivery lorries to the Lowfields development site – which had been using Dijon Avenue – would then return to using the authorised Tudor Road entrance.
The Dijon Avenue site entrance is being heavily used
That hasn’t proved to be the case with lorries still trundling down Dijon Avenue each day. It seems the 2 month duration will pass before there is any relief.
Little Tudor Road communal housing site is now covered by a spoil heap
Meanwhile the section of the site reserved for the Yorspace communal housing scheme has been taken over by Wates builders. They have established a spoil heap there and are also storing other materials on the site. Apparently the cooperative still haven’t actually completed the purchase of the land and it remains unclear whether the promised homes will ever actually get built.
Communal housing site – foreground – remains derelict
The Council is set to abolish the short car parking discount introduced almost 20 yeas ago. The discount was introduced in order to encourage residents to use smaller cars.
In turn, this freed up more kerb space for other drivers in areas where space is usually at a premium.
If the change is agree, users of cars like the Smart (2.7 mtrs long) will pay the same charge as could be levied on Bentley (5.5 mtrs) or mini bus drivers.
There will be a low emission discount although the Council continues to ignore the problems faced by electric vehicle owners who have limited charging options.
As is now usual with the current Council, there has been no consultation on the proposed changes.
There are some less controversial plans which form part of the “Parking Services digital improvements”. These include the introduction of virtual permits and car park cashless payment systems.
Virtual permits which can be managed by resident via an online portal, with alternative options for customers without internet access;
Cashless trial at Marygate car park alongside introduction of the new pay on exit system;
Extension of operating hours at Piccadilly car park (until 8pm)in line with the longer opening hours of the footstreets;
Renaming of Piccadilly car park to Coppergate Centre car park to provide a better and unique identity to this key Council asset;
Update to Traffic Regulation Order for some permits to better represent customer requirements, such as introducing parking permits solutions for guest houses, AirBnBs and other holiday lets;
Update Parking discount criteria to make this consistent with other Council Services;
Residents paying for parking permits at the council’s Customer Centre will no longer be able to use cash to support the prevention of COVID-19 contamination. The same will apply for Penalty Charge Notices once a solution has been put in place
Proposed changes, if accepted, will go live at the end of the year
The York Civic Trust was reported in the media today as backing a “go slow” by cyclists in the City centre. They were apparently highlighting the need to remove cars from roads to allow for safer cycling.
Any such plans need to be subject to detailed consultation. The Civic Trust could make a start by re-engaging with its own members.
We have already seen on half baked scheme – on Bishopthorpe Road – impact adversely on both shoppers and traders. Nearby roads became clogged at peak times increasing pollution levels.
A similar situation arose at Marygate car park where 40 spaces are currently coned off to provide a (largely unused) route for cyclists. Many cyclists choose to use the internal service road. Meanwhile pressure on parking spaces means shoppers are discouraged and prosperity in the City centre is put under more pressure.
The City does’t benefit from impulsive, uninformed, decision making.
If cyclists – with or without the support of the Civic Trust which really should have other concerns – choose to “go slow” then they will only be replicating life of many riders who try to use existing, suburban, off road cycle paths.
Moor Lane shared cycle/footpath obstructed by overgrown hedge
Too many of these are obstructed by hedges and weeds. Surfaces are damaged, signage faded and lines obscured by age. There are no regular maintenance inspections. Even local Councillors seem unaware of the problems or are indifferent to them.
If the Council has funding available then that is where they should make the first investments.
Average house prices in Dijon Avenue – next to the new “Lowfields Green development – are around £191,000. A 3 bedroomed semi is estimated to be worth between £188,000 and £208,000 according to the Zoopla web site. Prices are similar in nearby Lowfields Drive.
The announcement that the new “Clover” three bed, 94 sq. mtr, semi would cost £295,000 raised many eyebrows. With average salaries of £26,000 a year in York, that means a working couple would be able to borrow a maximum of £234,000 with repayments set at £1109 per month. They would also need a deposit of £60,000.
So we can safely say that the houses aren’t aimed at first time buyers.
Shape homes are offering a “shared ownership” option on some smaller properties. Two 2-bedroomed semi-detached houses (The Burdock) are for sale for between 25%-75% of the whole sale price of £225,000 (for example, a 30% share would cost £67,500). The Council have already completed deals elsewhere in the City for about 30 shared ownership homes. In most of those cases the prospective occupant identified a propriety that was available on the open market and asked the Council to buy half. The occupiers then pay part mortgage and part rent.
Finally seven “social rent” properties will be available. Two are 2-bedroomed semi-detached houses and there are five2-bedroomed semi-detached bungalows. Rent levels for the properties have not been revealed, although they will be much less than the £800 pm commercial rents being asked for similar properties in the area. Applicants will need to be on the housing waiting list although it is possible that preference will be given to Council tenants seeking to downsize from larger properties (freeing them, in turn, for family occupation).
Old Bowling Green semi
By way of comparison, a new 3 bed semion the prestigious Old Bowling Green site on Front Street is listed for sale at £310,000 It has 90 sq. metres of floorspace and is arguably better located than the houses at “Lowfields Green”. Building work on the site will also conclude shortly.
Quite how the £295,000 price for the Lowfields semi has been arrived at was not made clear in the business case figures published by the Council.
It can only serve to stoke house price inflation at a time when many are feeling the pressures arising from the health crisis.
Some cross subsidy of the rented units was expected across the whole site.But that doesn’t explain the £50,000 premium apparently now being sought.
The Council may also point to high standards of thermal efficiency, but it would take over 100 years to repay the extra “up-front” costs through energy bill savings.
A lot more visitors to York City centre today. Most of the car parks used by shoppers were full.
Never been a more important time for the Council to get its car park space availability advance signs working again. Same for variable message signs.Nunnery Lane car park fullHalf a dozen unoccupied disabled spaces at Nunnery LaneReason why some people don’t cycle into York? Bike -or most of it – may have gone by the time you returnCastle car park – York’s most popular with shoppers – full today. This is the car park that some Councillors wish to close. Peel Street car park full. This is the privately owned car park which is offering free parking in conjunction with some City centre traders. Seems to be very successfulCollege Street attractions proving to be popular. Possible scope for something similar in the Duncombe Place/Deans Park area? More people in Parliament Street but the space is still underused.Improving footfall on Fossgate with a coupe of restaurants serving from outside tables. Goodramgate foot street also well used today People even queuing to get into Spark! Council may be hoping for a rent payment?Monk Bar general spaces 95% occupied. Unfortunately, once again, only four of the 40 spaces reserved for blue badge holders were in use. Needs an early policy review.Most embarrassing gaff by the Council is the – largely unused – cycling lane in the Marygate car park. The rest of the car park was full today. The car park is popular with shoppers and uses the “pay on exit” system. The parking spaces could be reinstated and cyclists could choose to use the service road if they wish.The Esplanade short stay car park was at 80% of its capacity today.Lots of space at the railway station car park. Suspect that LNER may have missed an opportunity here.?
The Council will start the sale of homes at Lowfields on Monday.
They say that the first phase is of “30 high quality, low energy, spacious homes” which will be ready for their new residents to move in “early in 2021”.
Of this phase, 18 are available for outright sale at market rates and six of the homes are for sale through a shared ownership scheme.
With the Council continuing to face significant financial challenges, City of York Council has stepped up its regional and national lobbying efforts.
The lobbying will urge the Government to seize the opportunities that are unique to York and make the city an ‘exemplar’ of driving recovery.
Since the pandemic was declared, the Council has seen demand for services increase, whilst at the same time, income has considerably fallen. Early indications suggest that the Council is facing a £23 million* shortfall in its budget. Over recent months, in addition to Government support, the Council has prioritised resources to support the most vulnerable in the city, as well as invested over £2 million to create local emergency funds to support the city’s businesses and residents facing financial hardship.
There are opportunities unique to York that if taken will help kick-start the economic recovery of the region. Recently it was agreed that the Council, with its partners, would develop a 10-year City Plan to enable York and the region to build back better by drawing on the city’s strengths; from utilising the biotech industry in the city, to seizing the once in a lifetime regeneration opportunity in York Central. It is clear that, with further funding, York can go far in driving the recovery of our city and region.
That is why to truly build back better, City of York Council is urging the Government to make York an exemplar of how to lead ‘recovery’ in the North of England and the funding needed to unlock York’s potential and build on the work already taking place in the city. With additional funding, City of York Council could:
Make £25 million available to further support local businesses in adapting to the crisis;
Enhance York’s world-renowned culture, creativity and heritage by making extra funding available to support local museums, libraries, arts and more;
Scale up the support on offer to residents facing financial hardship, particularly through the use of the York Financial Assistance Scheme;
Provide much needed funding for small charities and voluntary sector organisations who do not have the resources to fundraise themselves;
Speed up the delivery of critical regeneration projects and citywide infrastructure schemes, from York Central, to the dualling of York Outer Ring Road.
The campaign will support and link up with the work of other organisations and Councils who are lobbying for further funding for local authorities, including the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, IPPR North, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and more. As part of the campaign, City of York Council will also be producing a submission to the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, outlining the financial challenges for the Council, and highlighting the opportunities to invest in the city in partnership with the Government.
*The Council has not updated its budget forecast. Most of the speculative income loss relates to lower Council Tax and Business Rate income, although car parking income is down (and likely to remain so as long as parts of popular car parks remain bollarded off). The Council still intends to borrow increasing amounts of money and has made no announcements regarding any savings strategy.
The York Council has revealed a whole raft of decisions taken on Wednesday at “behind closed doors” meetings. Although the Council could have chosen to publish the agendas and supporting papers (such as they are) before the meeting took place, it chose not to.
Even those sympathetic to the current administration are now losing confidence in the leadership and its aversion to transparency.
This is likely to weigh against the status quo when the future of the unitary authority is considered during the next few months.
The Business and Planning Act 2020 came into force w/c 20th July and has immediate operational impacts associated to the Covid 19 emergency requiring officers to take actions on behalf of the Council in order to comply with new legal obligations. This therefore requires officers to have appropriate delegations to implement this new legislation.
NB. This legislation provides for
A new “Pavement Licence” regime, to be administered by local authorities, designed to make it easier for premises in England serving food and drink such as bars, restaurants and pubs to seat and serve customers outdoors through temporary changes to planning procedures and alcohol licensing.
Alcohol licensing changes that will allow operators with existing alcohol on-sales licences to also serve alcohol for consumption off the premises and to make deliveries.
So with the Alcohol Restriction Zone/PSPOs policy still up in the air, we seem likely to have nameless officials nodding though even more alcohol consumption on the streets of central York.
The fee for an annual café licence has been set at £100/application, with the option to apply for a shorter, 3 month licence, for a £25 fee “to enable shorter term trials by business who have previously not operated licences and who need to accommodate Covid distancing measures to re open”
To approve a Temporary TRO to change existing access restrictions on Castlegate, implementing the following: a. No vehicular access between 10:30 and 20:00 seven days a week (no exemptions for cyclists or Blue Badge holders, extended hours in line with extended footstreet hours) – between number 12 and number 28 Castlegate; b. Loading ban between 10:30 and 20:00 for the whole length of Castlegate; and c. Enable two way traffic between number 28 Castlegate and the junction with Tower Street 24h/day.
This was the decision publicised on Wednesday. Turns out that the meeting did not receive any statistical analysis or impact assessment. The background is restricted to 13 lines of hand wringing.
Having reviewed the current impacts of the TTRO on Bishopthorpe Road, it is evident as the economy reopens there is increased traffic in the area, in particular there is a negative impact on queue lengths on the inner ring road and the level of traffic on adjacent residential streets e.g. St Benedict’s Road. There will also be additional traffic diversions operating in the area when the Micklegate Bar is closed on 10th August due to gasworks which have already commenced on 24 July. Having considered the latest public health advice and traffic impacts, I confirm the decision to not extend TTRO. This location will be kept under review in light of prevailing Covid 19 advice and further considerations of sustainable traffic interventions at this location will be considered as part of the Local Transport plan development. The feedback collected on the scheme will be reviewed and presented in a future decision session.
The announcement that the new 
City of York Council will be carrying out essential roadworks on key roads in York including,