Despite some confusion about the date and scale of of road works in the Windsor Garth area improvements should be evident this week. Resurfacing work was delayed until the Hob Stones development was completed
Signs say road will be closed on Friday
Some work has already been completed.
Work to repair speed tables is still needed
The York Council has let some substantial contracts recently. One of the most controversial is likely to be to Bramble.cc Ltd for “Parking Services back-office system monitoring of cameras and issuing of notices” for the Coppergate bus lane The companies had office is on the Embankment in London. The size of the contract – which is for one year only – suggests that fine income would have to rise considerably if taxpayers are to avoid an unexpected bill.
Less controversial may be the award of a contract for the collection of recycling materials in the City centre. The 5 year contract is valued at £1/2 million, runs for 5 years and has been awarded to the Friends of St Nicholas Field.
£60,671 will be spent on caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and £362,263 refurbishing Sycamore House mental health centre,
Other recent contract awards have included:
Most of the recent contract awards are dwarfed by those let in earlier years. The most valuable awards on the contracts register are:
| Childcare Voucher Salary Sacrifice Scheme | Fideliti Limited | 01/04/2014 | £2,400,000.00 |
| Short Breaks Service For Adults with a Learning Disability | Lifeways Community Care | £2,001,990.34 | |
| York Central Financial and Commercial Consultancy | KPMG LLP | 01/07/2016 | £2,000,000.00 |
| Older People’s Community Support Service | Age Uk York | 20/12/2016 | £1,765,000.00 |
| Provision of Marketing, tourism and Business Development services | Make it York Ltd | 02/04/2015 | £1,700,000.00 |
| ENProcure Re-Allies Materials Framework – Distribution and supply of plumbing and heating materials Lot 2 | PTS Plumbing Trade Supplies | 01/04/2016 | £1,614,282.00 |
| Management & Maintenance of Public Toilets | Healthmatic Ltd | 01/05/2014 | £1,600,000.00 |
| An Advocacy Hub | York Mind | 14/10/2016 | £1,500,000.00 |
| Building Services Subcontractors – Package 1 | Multiple award (5) | 01/11/2016 | £1,400,000.00 |
| Provision of Local Registered Bus Services | Yorkshire Coastliner Ltd | 06/01/2013 | £1,400,000.00 |
The Contracts register (most Councils) can be viewed by clicking here
City of York Council will be carrying out road maintenance and improvement works on the A19, Shipton Road from Monday 24 April.
The work is expected to take two weeks to complete, weather permitting. To minimise disruption work will take place from 9.15am – 3.45pm.
In order to carry out these works safely stop and go traffic management will be operating whilst work is taking place.
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The York Council has repaired most of the Variable Message Signs which guide drivers around the City centre. Those on Blossom Street, Bootham, Clarence Street, Lawrence Street and Heworth Green are working.
The sign on Fishergate is still faulty
All the signs have been displaying warnings about the upcoming temporary closure of Gillygate.
Unfortunately, there has been no tangible progress on reviving the car parking space availability signs or web site.
None of the parking availability signs are working.
The Council’s web site continues to list car parks that have closed and the space availability data is inaccurate.
The Council expected this issue to have been addressed before the end of March, so it is disappointing that the update was not implemented before the busy Easter holiday period began.
The York Council has announced which roads and footpaths will be resurfaced this year. The programme is the biggest for several years with, in total, £8,091,500 is due to be invested.
This represents an increase of 27% over the previous years budget
Around 100 individual roads are listed for resurfacing.
In the Westfield area, the programme includes £1/4 million for work on the following roads and footpaths
| Askham Lane (part) | Carriageway | Westfield | £59,000 |
| Morrell Court | Carriageway | Westfield | £8,000 |
| Severus Street | Carriageway | Westfield | £46,000 |
| Slessor Road | Carriageway | Westfield | £5,000 |
| Acomb Wood Drive | Footpath | Westfield | £12,000 |
| Bellhouse Way | Footpath | Westfield | £60,000 |
| Foxwood Lane (part) | Footpath | Westfield | £8,500 |
| Houndsway | Footpath | Westfield | £10,000 |
| Osprey Close | Footpath | Westfield | £3,000 |
| Pheasant Drive | Footpath | Westfield | £14,000 |
| Redcoat Way | Footpath | Westfield | £4,000 |
| Reynard Court | Footpath | Westfield | £2,000 |
| Stirrup Close | Footpath | Westfield | £18,500 |
| The Gallops | Footpath | Westfield | £31,000 |
The full programme can be viewed by clicking here
Yorkshire Water are working on Wetherby Road. York between the A1237 and Rufforth this week
Expect delays between 9:15am and 3:45pm each day until Friday.
Temporary lights will be in operation
The York Council has announced today that will be constructing an access road to the new Ebacorum Way development on Layerthorpe from Monday 27 February.
This is the final part of the, much delayed, James Street access route which will link Heworth Green to Lawrence Street. It is expected to reduce the volume of traffic using Mill Lane and nearby roads.
The work is expected to take six weeks to complete, weather permitting.
The work will also include connecting water, gas and electricity supplies to the development and replacing the traffic lights. In order to carry out the work safely, three way temporary traffic signals will be used. The signals will be operational at all times throughout the six weeks. The footway on the development side will be closed with an alternative route being provided for pedestrians.
Site staff will be on hand to offer advice about the access restrictions whilst works are ongoing. Specific access requirements can be arranged by speaking to the site manager who will co-ordinate with residents and business to help minimise any disruption.
As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption. Residents and businesses are assured that everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum, however motorists should expect some delays and plan their journey accordingly.
The contractor carrying out the work will be responsible for safety.
Todays wet weather has brought more traffic congestion to the City.
Things are paricularly busy on the A1237 northern by pass and are likely to worsen as we approach the evening rush hour.
Real time updates can be found on this web site https://roadworks.org/
click to access
The council will be carrying out essential resurfacing on several roads in York, including Huntington Road, Campleshon Road, Bad Bargain Lane, Moor Lane, Low Green and Fulfordgate from 24 October.
Work is set to take place on:
As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption. Residents are assured that everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum, however motorists should expect some delays and plan their journey accordingly.
The contractor carrying out the work will be responsible for safety and providing pedestrian access at all times.
Foxwood Lane shops
The petitions had pointed at poor maintenance standards, with weeds and litter a constant problem.
The main criticism though was about the surface of the roads and footpaths some of which are badly rutted and uneven.
A meeting on the 13th October will hear that highways officials have examined the roads and paths in both areas and have ordered that potholes be filled in on sections which are a part of the adopted public highway.
Officials say that they have limited powers to require the owners of the private shop forecourts to undertake safety work.
They report that they have “undertaken additional inspections following receipt of the petitions and have identified any areas where the condition of the footway is approaching or exceeding intervention levels, works have been programmed and delivered where these have been identified within the adopted highway. Letters requesting works from frontagers have been issued to address any similar areas within the unadopted areas”.
Front Street
Regeneration needed
The report goes on to say that any further uplift works must form part of a larger regeneration project. They recommend that this option be referred to the responsible Executive member with a further report.
However, they also say that
“further improvements will require significant works to reinvigorate the two areas, initial estimates could be in the region of £500,000 for Acomb Front Street and £125,000 for Foxwood.
Additional complications arise with both locations where an additional financial burden would fall to the frontagers who would be expected to contribute significant sums of a similar magnitude to facilitate improvements of the adopted and unadopted areas”.
While we have long believed that a major investment is needed to regenerate the large, complex and neglected Front Street area, the suggestion that £1/4 million needs to be spent resurfacing the Foxwood shops forecourts is ridiculous.
What is needed is an overlay of flexible surfacing – similar perhaps to that used by the Council in Library Square – plus repainting or renewal of street furniture such as the cycle rack and bins.
We hope that Councillors won’t be hoodwinked by this very obvious example of “shroud waving”.
