Leaf problems reported

We’re reporting leaf fall issues when they represent a safety issue. No one expects the Council to clear all leaves immediately but footpaths do need some priority.

We reported the self seeded Sycamore tree on Balfour Street several months ago and were promised that it would receive attention. The tree has damaged the adjacent railings and made the adjacent path uneven. The tree needs to be replaced, with an appropriate species, on the ample adjacent site.

In the meantime Balfour Street is covered in tree detritus and needs to be cleared

Balfour Street

Council estate issues in central part of York

Generally public service standards on Council housing estates in the centre of the City have been better than those experienced in the suburbs.

This is probably because core services (highway maintenance, street cleansing, grass cutting, graffiti removal etc) are more in the public eye. Consequently issues are more likely to be reported.

However there are exceptions. There is emerging evidence that service level agreement standards are not being met.

The Hope Street/Long Close Lane area has its fair share of issues. Principal among them is of course the long term empty Willow House building. Lack of progress by the Council in selling the building – which could provide housing for dozens of people – is shameful

As well as Wlllow House, damaged street signs, graffiti and weed growth are issues in the Hope Street area.

Elsewhere the Groves area also has its fair share of problems

Graffiti on Groves Lane
Litter near the shops on Lowther Street
Graffiti on garage door in St Thomas’ Place
A lot of potholes are emerging. They are particularity hazardous for cyclists. This one is on March Street (and has been reported)

York compares well on vehicle charging point availability

An interactive map published this weekend by the government indicates that York is in the top 20% of areas providing vehicle charging points.

Map showing charging point availability

It is similarly placed in a table showing rapid charger availability.

The figures are slightly less good for the number of charges per 1000 head of population

No information has been published on charger reliability or the average waiting times that motorists face when they need to charge their vehicles.

Click here to access the map

Council action plan on graffiti

The York Council has published a report indicating how it will respond to reports of graffiti in future.

Domestic properties, hit by graffiti, will be offered a free removal service. Householders will have to give written permission for the Council to undertake the work. We think this initiative  is right. Simply living next to a public footpath should not involve the inconvenience and cost of having to remove unwanted graffiti from house walls.  

Owners of commercial premises will be offered the same service but will have to pay for it (£52 per sq. meter).

For the first time for over 5 years the Council has republished the current service level agreement for dealing with issues on Council estates. These were sometime called “customer contracts” in the past and were last reviewed in May 2013.  It confirms that target times for the removal of graffiti.  The Council will remove racist or offensive graffiti on council property within 24 hours. They will remove all other graffiti from council property within 5 working days.

The Council report is weak in two respects.

Money spent – almost £90,000 in a full year on removing graffiti – is a cost of failure. It simply shouldn’t happen. Yet the report fails to review what enforcement measures are being taken. There are no details given of prosecutions over the last few years.

Subjectively it does seem that the authorities have given criminal damage cases in general, and graffiti in particular, a low enforcement priority. Given the damage given to the City’s image by this crime, that approach needs to change in the future.

Secondly the new process doesn’t provide for preventative measures to be taken when graffiti is removed. There are anti-graffiti coatings available which repel paint and allows graffiti to be removed more easily.

This is a welcome step forward by a Council which has been severely criticised for failings in street level public service standards over the summer period.

Hopefully other issues will now get similar attention.

Appeal following collision in York

Police in York are appealing for witnesses and information about a road traffic collision on Boroughbridge Road.

Appeal following collision in York

It happened at 9.45pm on Thursday 31 October 2019 at the junction of Boroughbridge Road onto Beckfield Lane.

It involved two vehicles, a Nissan Quashqai and a Suzuki Ignis.

Immediately after the collision, the driver and occupants of the Suzuki Ignis left the scene.

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

In particular, we are appealing for information about who was driving the Suzuki or any one who saw the driver leave the scene

The four occupants from the Nissan were all taken to Hospital with slight injuries but later discharged

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC41 Ellison. You can also email david.ellison@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 12190201298

Complaints about York Council up by 20%

1622 complaints were made against the York Council in the 12 months to April 2019. The figures are revealed in a  report published today. They represent an increase from the 1353 recorded in the previous year.  

The vast majority of the complaints related to lack of action with other relating to “inappropriate action” 45% of the complaints were either fully or partially upheld.  397 cases reach a second complaint stage. 58% of these were at least partially upheld.

156 complaints were escalated to the final local stage with 6 at least partially upheld.

60 cases were sent on to the Ombudsman who upheld 11 of them. A summary of the Ombudsman’s finding in each case is included at the end of the report In some case modest financial compensation has been paid.

The figures show an increase in complaints about social care.

236 “compliments” were also recorded about the Council and its staff

What’s on in York: Business week.

York Business Week is a yearly event that allows businesses, however small or big, to showcase their talents and celebrate their achievements. Now in its eight year, the weeklong event – organised by Make it York – features a wide range of business-focused seminars, informative events, networking opportunities and award ceremonies.

The week opens with an all-day business conference taking place at York Racecourse.

Register: https://place_and_property.eventbrite.co.uk

To check out the full list of events, take a look at the York Business Week website: www.yorkbusinessweek.co.uk/

Gale Lane resurfacing works from 18th November with road closure. Bus services affected

Foss Bank affected next week

City of York Council will be carrying out resurfacing works on:

  • Foss Bank from Monday 4 November between 7.30pm till 5am working Monday to Friday
  • Gale Lane from on Monday 18 November between 9.15am till 5pm working Monday to Friday

Foss Bank: In order to carry out these works safely the use of a temporary road closure from the roundabout at Heworth Green to just past Sainsbury’s entrance will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

A clearly signed diversion route will be set out for through traffic. Buses will be diverted during working hours. The diversion for bus service 14 will be Heworth Green, Eboracum Way and Layerthorpe.

Site staff will be on hand to advise and assist residents about the access restrictions once the works are ongoing.

Any specific access requirements may be arranged by speaking to the onsite staff who will co-ordinate with residents and business requirements around ongoing construction operations.

There will be no access to Sainsbury’s from Foss Bank during the works period. However, customers will be able to access Sainsbury’s from Jewbury.

Gale Lane: A temporary road closure from the mini-roundabout at Cornlands Road to, and including, the junction of St Stephen’s Road will be necessary whilst works are taking place.

Buses will be diverted during working hours. This includes a diversion for bus service 4 – at southern end of Green Lane, turn around roundabout and return through Acomb via Green Lane, Front St, Gale Lane, resuming normal route at Cornlands Rd.

Service 24 – from Ascot Way terminus via Kingsway West, Danesford Ave, Stuart Rd, Tudor Rd, Green Lane, Front St, Gale Lane, Cornlands Rd resuming normal route halfway along Cornlands Rd.

Emergency services will be permitted through at all times. Cyclists will have to dismount and use the footways.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience to the public, however everything will be done to keep any disruption to a minimum.

For more information on roadworks in York, visit www.york.gov.uk/roadworks

For travel information and advice visit www.itravelyork.info

Demand for additional housing reducing

According to sources within the York Council, the the Office for National Statistics new population projections published yesterday, may have major implications for York Local Plan assumptions.

. The new projections have substantially reduced population growth expectations.

The 2018-based population projections show growth over the next 10 years (2019-2029) is expected to be 31% lower than predicted four years ago in the 2014-based projections.

This equates to 1,270,000 persons and would have serious implications on housing need across the country.

Although of course the government decided to ignore this evidence last time around, and may do so again once these are translated into household projections.

The majority of growth (57%) over the next ten years is expected to in those aged over 75. This is an increase from 50% in the 2014-based projections. This will have implications on the type of housing being planned for as well a potential labour force deficit in the longer term.

The draft York Local Plan claims that nearly 1000 new homes a year would be needed over the next 20 years.

The figure is an exaggeration.

It increasingly looks like the figures agreed for the 2011 draft of the Local Plan (575 additional homes a year) were spot on.

In the meantime green spaces are being developed unnecessarily. There is plenty of brownfield land available to satisfy demand

Shocking that the Council hasn’t realised that its house building programme should concentrate on providing flats and bungalows aimed at older people.

Lowfields playing field has been wrecked

In turn this would have freed up larger homes for families.

Sadly its probably too late now to be of any help on sites like Lowfields which is an ideal site for older residents being within walking distance of good local amenities. .

The new figures may also explain why some sites that are ready for development – for example the land adjacent to the Barbican – continue to be derelict.

The public examination of the draft York Plan starts in a few days time.

More delays at Lowfield as “Yorspace” scheme struggles to find investors

Looks like there will be more delays on the Lowfield project as the communal housing section of the scheme has failed to attract sufficient investors.

It could mean the project will take even longer to complete.

It is not clear whether the Council and Yorspace have exchanged contracts for the sale (at a discount value) of the land in question.

The Councils track record on asset use is being increasingly criticised on social media with a deals for the sale of Willow House and 29 Castlegate (both empty for over 3 years) still not concluded

The Oakhaven building in Acomb is also still unused.

Given the claims made by Council leaders about addressing housing need urgently, the dithering on these projects is difficult to justify.

The Council is providing little useful update information on their Lowfields overall development timetable.

. Westfield Ward Councillors have been asked to “call in” the proposal which would see the perimeter railings removed. The local Lowfields Action Group say they have had no response to their enquiries about the plan.