Residents say they want a ResPark scheme on Albemarle Road according to areport being considered by the York Council next week. The move comes in the wake of a move to open up a Multi User Games Area (MUGA) for public use at the nearby Millthorpe School.
Part of the planned restrictions which also affect Philadelphia Terrace and Ovington Terrace
The proposal includes the extension of parking restrictions in the area. As we reported some weeks ago, there is already an issue with the narrow highway being obstructed as a result of parking. It is thought that ResPark would reduce the pressures on the street.
Officials say that they cannot complete the ResPark processes before the MUGA opens in the summer bringing the prospect of increased disruption for at least a limited period of time.
Bishopthorpe Road parking restrictions
The meeting will also hear about representations made regarding the installation of a pedestrian refuge in the Bishopthorpe Road area.
Planned parking Restrictions on Bishopthorpe Road
The original proposals attracted a large number of objections.
The plans include the creation of a “clearway” from the racecourse to Bishopthorpe Village.
Pay by phone transactions at the York Councils, off street, car parks now account for 27% of the income received.
Drivers mostly use cards to pay for the rest.
Parking App
The York Council is now planning to extend Phone/App payments to “on street” spaces. We think this is a move in the right direction.
A review of parking arrangements will also lead to:
Streamline process of extension of existing residents parking zones including recruiting extra staff
Pay monthly options for Respark with screen badges scrapped referred to as paperless virtual parking (like the new VED system)
the procurement of a new parking system that will introduce online self-service for customers to become the principle channel for online application and payment for parking permits, visitor vouchers, same day online payment for parking tickets, and to automate the requirement for evidence. Cash will no longer be accepted in council offices for parking permits and all penalty charge notice (PCN)
Provide a cashless system in Marygate car park, given most people now use card. This will be subject to the integration of permits (e.g. Minster Badge and Season tickets) into the Pay on Exit technology. Piccadilly car park may also become “pay on exit”
Marygate car park
Huge amounts of money have been spent by the Council equipment and barriers at Marygate in recent years to provide a “pay on exit” option. The equipment – for several years – provided to be unreliable although has improved since the provision of ANPR monitoring.
The report is silent on emerging issues like the provision of
on street charging facilities for the growing number of electric vehicles. Some
policing of off-street charging points may also be required.
The Council report claims that the move to online service only
will save substantial amounts of council staff time. The report says that 50%
of visits to West Offices relate to parking issues.
Nevertheless, the absence of a proper business case (including investment and revenue assumptions) , together with achievable implementation milestones, may cause concerns for some taxpayers.
It has emerged that, when the operators of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre on Castle car park went into administration, they owed the York Council over £40,000 in rent payments. The information is contained in an response to a Freedom of Information request published today.
Reconstructed Rose Theatre
It seems unlikely that the Lunchbox group will have sufficient assets to repay this amount. In total the group had agreed to pay £113,076 to the Council to compensate for the loss of parking income. The Castle car park is the best used in the City.
The pop-up theatre attracted only 47,000 visitors in York this year, compared to 78,000 visitors last year
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Limited was placed into administration by the directors “to protect its business and assets” on October 9, 2019
Thor’s Bars Limited and Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, which are currently operating in the City, are “unaffected” by either the liquidation of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre or the administration of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions.
As we wait for the inevitable icy weather residents are being urged to check that their local salt bins are full and free of litter.
Salt bin locations on “Local View” web site
Salt bin locations are plotted on the Street View services map Click here to access. Look under “street care” then “salt bins funded by CYC”. Councillors should have completed their pre-winter checks by now, but some may have been missed.
Another recurrent problem that will arise, as wetter weather becomes more frequent, is damage to grass verges. This is sometimes caused by poor parking but also is prevalent on street corners where large vehicles leave the carriageway.
Some wards make use of a delegated budget to provide off street “eco grid” style parking lay-bys.
Others use the option of hardening vulnerable areas like road junctions. Again matrix surfacing conserves green space and good drainage while protecting verges from damage.
Large scale building works have made verges in the Kingsway West area particularly vulnerable to vehicle run over damage this year
Earlier in the week some parked cars on Albemarle Road were broken into. It seems that handbrakes were also released and vehicles allowed to crash into a wall.
Solid parking along the whole length of Almemarle Road. Yellow lines almost worn away.
Parking and traffic issues on the road are not new. Some at least arises out of he lack of parking controls (it is not yet a ResPark area). Today a delivery wagon had to reverse for nearly 1/4 mile to avoid on coming traffic. A dangerous manoeuvre. With some of the parking down to commuters, the introduction of ResPark – coupled to the provision of additional “passing places” – would seem to be in everyone’s interests.
The area is also blighted by graffiti Back lanes in the area are covered in weed and leaf fall with some also overgrown by hedges Another area where Council bus shelters are showing their age. This one on Queen Victoria Street has a loose electrical connection.
It seems that through traffic will be banned from The Groves area following a meeting next week.
High traffic levels in The Groves
A reportrecommends road closures on Lowther Street and Penleys Grove Street in the wake of complaints about safety and emission issues.
The report fails to provide any accident information either
for the streets affected or the “alternative” routes (Lord Mayors Walk,
Dodsworth Avenue etc.) which will see increases in traffic volumes.
Nor are any “before” or
target “after” air pollution figures provided
Without these it will be impossible to judge whether any
change could be judged a success.
The area is already covered by a 20-mph speed limit (one of the
oldest in York).
What can be said is that the “short cutting” traffic is
intrusive, noisy and can cause vibrations particularly in streets with traffic
calming road humps. Residents living on
the affected streets would certainly enjoy an improved quality of life.
The quid pro quo of course is that the road closures
would also increase journey length and durations for many car trips from and to
The Groves.
The traffic impact figures – assessed using the Councils sophisticated computer model – are expressed in very cautious terms. It is almost as if officials had discovered that the peak hour impact on congestion was potentially calamitous.
There is no origin and destination data provided. We don’t
know how the changes will affect, for example, ambulance journey times to the nearby
hospital. It is information that must be provided before an informed decision could
be made.
It is also surprising – given the apparent concerns about
pollution levels -that no consideration has been given to declaring the area a low
emission zone. The new coalition Council has been very slow to reverse the Tory
led campaign to have ResPark low emission vehicle discount charges abolished.
The decision took effect at the beginning of the year.
The declaration of an ultra-low emission zone (basically
allowing access only to electric vehicles) will of course have to wait until the
Council solves the “on street” charging issue.
The plans involve the whole of The Groves area becoming a single ResPark zone. The zone will include the Monk Bar car park and the St Johns Campus.
NB. The same meeting will hearabout plans to redesign the Monk Bar/Lord Mayors Walk junction. New traffic lights will be provided at the same time.
Temporary measures introduced to protect York’s busiest city centre spaces from terrorist attacks could be made permanent by City of York Council next week.
Phase 1 of the vehicle exclusion zone
The Council’s Executive will consider the results of a trial restricting vehicle access to the busiest city centre streets during footstreet hours (10:30-17:00) at its meeting next Thursday (29 August)
The Councils consultation revealed major conflicts with the wishes of groups representing disabled people
More disabled parking is planned for Piccadilly
It has been criticised by a former Tory Councillor who said on social media “Almost everyone wants to pedestrianise our city centre. It should be about improving it and supporting business growth in difficult times…not terrorism”
Changes were introduced last November following police counter terrorism advice for long-term measures to combat the ongoing threat of ‘vehicle as weapon attacks’ like those seen recently in Toronto, London and Nice.
If approved, a sliding bollard system would restrict access to Parliament Street, St Sampson’s Square, High Ousegate and Spurriergate, Coney Street, Davygate, Finkle Street, Church Street and Jubbergate during footstreet hours (10:30-17:00).
“Sliding” bollards are planned for the entrances to several streets.
The Executive introduced the measures on a temporary basis to allow for work to understand the impact of restricted access on key groups, including disabled people and others with limited mobility within a core part of the city centre.
The council commissioned studies of how blue badge parking changed throughout the period, alongside a series of workshops with individuals and groups representing disabled people in York.
In addition to the available parking on the streets next to the restricted area, the executive will consider mitigation proposals including:
• continued access to St Sampson’s Square for Dial and Ride services
• creating blue badge parking on the traffic-restricted section of Piccadilly, and converting the taxi rank to blue badge parking during the day time (10:00-18:00)
• extending the parking time restrictions outside Explore on Museum Street from 2 to 3 hours
• supporting marketing efforts for alternative services like Shopmobility and Dial and Ride
*If approved, the Piccadilly changes would be subject to a traffic regulation order change. The proposed changes would be advertised for up a three week period to allow for objections before a decision can be made.
Experiments with rising bollards in the past in York have encountered reliability issues. Reliability and maintenance costs are not considered in trhe Council report.
City centre future
The same meeting will consider launching a consultation exerciseon the future of the City centre retail area. The area has change a lot in recent years with several shops being replaced by pubs and restaurants.
Problems with drunken behaviour have increased.
If approved, an engagement exercise “following the principles of early and ongoing public involvement, pioneered on the Castle Gateway regeneration scheme”, would begin in the new year.
This would deliver a “strategic vision for the city centre to guide future development, regeneration and investment decisions”.
The proposal has the support of the York BID and “Make it York”.
The Council report fails to address the needs of sub-urban high streets like Front Street
Residents are hoping that some solutions, to the problems caused by widespread building works in the Westfield area, will emerge from last nights public meeting.
There are acute congestion, parking and noise problems at and near sevral sites.
Contractors have been digging up Hob Moor as they proceed wit the Newbury Avnue development. To do so they have cut two gaps in the perimeter hedge (although its is still the bird nesting season)Parking problems are increasing on Ascot Way. The Lincoln House forecourt parking has gone and the Council have not provided even a temporary facility near the gable end of the building (where there is adequate space). The area is currently fenced off. The parking crisis in the estate has been exacerbated by the demolition of the |Newbury Avenue garages.
