Thanks to a new injection of funding, City of York Council will be running additional ‘noise patrols’ this autumn to establish acceptable noise levels.

Additional funding from the Safer York Partnership is enabling the council’s environmental protection unit to carry out extra noise patrols at the start of the new academic year and during the autumn festivals of Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night.

These additional patrols will operate during Freshers’ Week and enable the Council to provide advice to students on how to control noise and assistance to those affected by noise. Patrols will operate from 10pm-1am in the weeks of 17-20 September for York St John’s University and 8-11 October at the University of York.

It is also planned that extra noise patrols will operate along similar lines and similar hours on Halloween and Bonfire Night to advise on and give support to people enjoying the festivities.

The Noise Patrol’s normal operating hours are from 9pm-3am, on Friday and Saturday nights and can be contacted on (01904) 551555.

Deangate works starting

Work has stared on a scheme which will see Deangate paved and the entrance to the south transept of the Minster improved.

The work forms part of the Minster Revealed project which has attracted financial support from both the National Lottery and the York Council.

During the works, access to Deangate will be limited and it is likely that cyclists will have to dismount and walk for a distance of about 25 metres.

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The area is to be paved with a gradual ramp making access to the Minster south door much easier for those with walking problems.

The Minster will also unveil a new “Orb” next month.

This is described on their web site (http://www.yorkminster.org/home.html) as “an elliptical treasure-house, showcasing some of world’s most important stained-glass, medieval art”.

The event starts on 31st October as part of the Illuminating York project

It is a precursor to the opening of an exciting new permanent exhibition in the Minster Undercroft next May which will tell – using modern technology – the story of York’s most famous building.

York Council's preferred cycle path route. Click to enlarge

The Council is advertising its preferred route for the Rufforth to Knapton cycle path.

Effectively it is trying to use existing rights of way to establish a Bridleway. This would allow cycles to use the route. The route passes to the north of the Harewood Whin waste disposal site.

However the route suggested, as well as being likely to attract objections from landowners, is approximately twice the length of a more direct, and flatter, route which could be established alongside the B1224.

The latter is the route which would have been facilitated by the land acquisition required to establish a salvage centre at Harewood Whin.

Another alternative, which would be quicker for cyclists wanting to access Acomb Front Street & York City Centre, would have been to use the Grange Lane/Airfield bridleway which was reopened a couple of years ago.

Moor Lane Knapton A1237 crossing point

In all cases the main problem involves cyclists crossing the A1237 safely. The Councils preferred line uses the existing crossing point at Moor Lane (Knapton) which is less than perfect.

Whichever route is preferred, there is a strong case for installing a foot/cycle bridge (or underpass) to minimise risks at the northern by pass intersection.

Full details of the Council’s plans can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Rufforth-cycle-path

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Changes to the Ouseacres junction with Boroughbridge Road will go ahead although the final details of the plans are not being consulted on.

A private meeting took place on 11th September and considered objections to a new layout which is being funded by the developers of a nearby site.

The proposed works include –

• Widen the road on the outbound side of A59 Boroughbridge Road, opposite the Ouseacres junction, and amend the existing road markings to facilitate the introduction of a right turn lane at the junction.

• Extend the off-road cycle path by approximately 16m to allow cyclists to access the off-road facilities in advance of the junction.

• The alterations to the kerb line on the south side necessitate the relocation of one lighting column and a traffic signal duct, and alterations to three vehicular crossings.

Improvements to the off-road cycle facilities –

• Rationalisation of the existing arrangements to bring them in line with current standards, and to create a more easily understood and safer arrangement. The work comprises alterations to the tactile paving and resurfacing of the path, and improvements to the signing and markings.

One of the problems with the new secrecy culture surrounding the Guildhall is that only very limited consultation takes place.

In this case the 2 Acomb Labour Councillors failed to respond to requests for their views while other experienced Councillors were excluded from the process altogether.

Planning permission was granted at last nights Planning Committee meeting (20th Sept) for a range of developments in York. They included:

• An athletics track and a closed road racing cycle circuit – with ancillary parking, lighting and fencing – at the Sports Village on Hull Road

• The Water End Flood Alleviation Scheme which will provide additional protection for the Leeman Road area

• A reserved matters application for the Monks Cross 2 development covering appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the retail and restaurant part of the previously approved outline application site.

• Substitution of apartments for some of the housing units on the Hungate site and an extension of time before the development has to be completed

In addition minor changes were agreed for the Poppleton Park and Ride site and the “go ahead” was given for an extension to the “Creepy Crawlies” child care business at Clifton Gate Business Park.

Details of all the applications considered can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/York-Planning-20th-Sept-12

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Today’s Press (20th September) is reporting that Hull Road Labour Councillor Neil Barnes had no adverse comments about proposed access arrangements for the Derwenthorpe development.

A row broke out following a public meeting held on 13th September which was to have discussed the plans which affected Temple Avenue, Ingleborough Avenue, and Lang Avenue.

The meeting was told that Labour Councillor Dave Merrett had taken a decision on changes to the road layout 2 days previously, despite over a dozen objections from residents to the Councils plans.

He was supported by local Councillor Barnes who, in closing ranks, claimed “had received no objections to the traffic proposals and they would “improve the safety of residents in the area” and be “considerate to the environment”.

Strange that as when the decision was taken a week earlier officials reported that no representations had been made by Cllr Barnes either in favour or against the plans.

This has emerged now that the minutes of the behind closed doors meeting have been published on the Councils web site http://tinyurl.com/Derwenthorpe-access.

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Additional flood prevention works in the Leeman Road area are recommended for approval at today’s Planning Committee meeting.

The Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve the level of flood protection to 393 residential and commercial properties in the vicinity of Water End.

The works include:

(a) Installing a 15m-wide and up to 1.2m-high demountable flood barrier across Landing Lane at the junction with Water End;

(b) Constructing a 300m-long and up to 1m-high flood wall on the riverward side of Water End road embankment;

(c) Raising a 150m-long section of the existing Leeman Road embankment by 1.1m. A ramp and timber steps would be provided to enable the public to cross the embankment from Lincoln Street to the river.

d) Constructing a new 400m-long flood embankment around St Barnabas’ School to connect with the raised Leeman Road embankment. The embankment would be 2m above ground level where it joins the existing embankment and 1.2m above ground level where it meets Cinder Lane;

(e) Raising ground levels (by up to 0.5m) and flood walls along the western-most section of Cinder Lane at its junction with Jubilee Terrace to tie-in with the new embankment;

(f) Provision of a kick-about pitch in the area of open space to the north of the raised section of Leeman Road embankment.

(g) Temporary use of the former bowling green off Salisbury Road as a construction compound and reinstatement after construction.

Some additional minor works would be carried out under the Environment Agency’s permitted development rights, in particular the provision of three storage cabinets within the Holgate Beck Pumping Station compound at Landing Lane.

Nationally, there has been an increase of over 30% in the number of over 85’s between the 2001 and 2011 census data.

With life expectancy continuing to grow there has rightly been a new focus on ways of meeting the escalating bill for the care of the elderly.

As a result the York Council recently decided controversially to remove care facilities from 184 elderly local residents who were judged only to have “moderate” needs http://stevegalloway.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/08/10/bid-to-save-care-services-for-184-elderly-people-in-york/ .

Residential care costs

Now the fees paid to private sector care homes are set to be increased for the second time in a year.

A recent report examining the UK market for long term care of the elderly stated that despite an increasingly ageing population and a growing demand for care services, the residential care and nursing home sector had been significantly affected by the economic downturn. Between 2006 and 2010, the long term care market for elderly and physically disabled people grew by 14.9% to nearly £14bn. The sector continues to be dominated by private providers which accounted for 84.6% of the total provision in 2010.

Over the same period the number of long term care places provided by the public sector declined from 58,700 to 46,200.

Following a 1% increase in fees in April the amounts paid by the York Council to providers each week are:
• EMI Nursing £540.44
• Nursing Care £524.92
• EMI Residential Care £391.02
• Residential Care £375.50

An additional 1% increase would add £122,000 a year to the taxpayer’s bill. A more fundamental review of fee levels is proposed for next year.

The Council is right to undertake (in conjunction with the North Yorkshire council) such a review. Residents of all ages need to understand the true costs of elderly care.

Homecare – the unanswered questions (more…)

The Council as revealed that it is tracking the movements of people between the station city centre gateway and areas at Monks Cross during September “to help get a better idea of pedestrian and cycle movements in York”.

A Council report admits, “As this is a free trial the number of devices are limited but this will show how effective (or not) tracking people through their bluetooth enabled mobile phones is”.

No consultation took place before the trial started.

The Council has also implemented a new web site which is apparently aimed at explaining travel choices in York. www.itravelyork.info

It offers a travel planner which compares the time taken to complete a journey using different types of transport. Given the compact size of the City, and the differing factors which can influence how long – say – a bus can take to complete a journey, many will be sceptical about the benefits of such a site.

One example plugged into the journey planner revealed that the Foxwood Lane to York University bus trip should take “37 minutes” compared to 20 minutes by car. (In August the actual bus journey time for this trip peaked at 90 minutes).

The site fails to indentify the time taken to walk (about an hour), to cycle (about 35 minutes) or by moped (15 minutes), although this may be a module that is added at a later date.

In most tests done in the City battery powered bikes turned out to be the quickest way of getting from A to B for most journey types.

But it all depends on how much you are carrying and how many destinations you have to visit before you return home or to the workplace.

Real time information provided via the web to mobile phones and displays at sub-urban bus stops would be higher priority for many travellers.

York is currently benefiting from high levels of government transport grant. These include
• Local sustainable transport grant of £4 million
• Better bus fund £3 million

Little of this funding is scheduled to be invested in the Westfield/Acomb side of the City.

Labour are, however, still threatening to go ahead with their 20 mph speed limit covering the whole of the area despite recent accident statistics for City’s like Portsmouth which showed that –following the introduction of wide area 20 mph limits – the numbers of people killed or seriously injured increased significantly.

The Council should rethink this policy

City of York has won gold in this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom competition!

The results were announced at York Racecourse and confirmed the city was a gold award winner in the city category together with five other individual entrants.

Gold awards were also won by individual entries from across the city and the winners were:

Dunnington in the small town category;

Middlethorpe Hall and Spa in the large hotel category;

Homestead Park in the parks and gardens category;

Naburn Lock Caravan Park in the camping and chalet parks category; and

Rosevale Care Home in Wigginton.

York’s other top category performer was Earswick Scented Garden which in the It’s Your Neighbourhood Award, secured an Outstanding judgement.