Cycle path still blocked/Future of MUGA

Despite promises by Highways Yorkshire, the cycle path on the A64 slip road next to Pike Hills golf course remains obstructed, The overgrowth problem was reported in June. Shortly afterwards Highways Yorkshire (who are responsible for the path up to the junction with the A1036) tweeted to say that the whole path would be routinely freed of obstructions during July.

That has proved not to be the case.

Now the issue is set to be escalated to the local MP but this really shouldn’t be necessary. A team could clear the hazardous overgrowth (thorn branches) in just a couple of hours.

We hope that the issue is not left to volunteers to tackle. If the government is serious about encouraging sustainable transport – the the very least they should do is maintain existing paths in a useable condition.

UPDATE: Highways Yorkshire have tweeted to say that the path “is due to be cleared in the very near future”

We’ve also reported overgrowth near the cemetery and at the Tesco roundabout (York Council responsibility)

*A64 cycle path blockages and overgrowth at Tesco roundabout.*

MUGA Mugged

Separately we have queried with Councillors representing the Westfield ward what the future of the former Multi User Games Area (MUGA) site off Kingsway West is. It was used as a building compound for a couple of years but was subsequently abandoned.

The expectation was the the area would be leveled and grassed over. At present it is a weed infested eyesore.

The Council mowers studiously avoid cutting the area. They stick religiously to a route outside the line of the MUGA fence (which was removed last year).

If the area isn’t to be maintained as grassland then there is scope for more tree and wildflower planting. Neglect shouldn’t be an option.

Sadly there is still no news of the promised replacement games area. An all-weather surface, to replace what was lost, was due to be provided at the Thanet Road Sports Area, but progress has been glacial.

Hob Moor disabled access gates in working order

Claims were made in the media earlier in the week that access gates at the entrance to Hob Moor were faulty. The gates are intended to allow movement, by people with disabilities, to the path around the moor and have been in use for nearly 20 years. They can be operated using a “RADAR” key. The keys are widely available,

*One Hob Moor access point for disabled users is obstructed by nettles and thistles.*

The gates allow entry for 3 and 4 wheel specialist machines and wheelchairs although the configuration may be awkward for some types of cycle.

There is an adjacent pedestrian “kissing gate” as well as a separate lane for conventional cycles.

There are 6 gates positioned at key points around the perimeter of the moor. They were installed many years ago as part of a configuration which was aimed at preventing access by off road motorcycles. The motorcycles had become a major source of irritation to nearby residents. The motorcyclists had also caused disruption to wildlife (particularly ground nesting birds) and flora on the moor.

The design also aimed to secure the moor for cattle grazing.

Generally the arrangements achieved their objective, with much of Hob Moor now a peaceful haven for wildlife.

The gate mechanisms were all working correctly yesterday.

One gate near Hob Moor Drive was obstructed by weeds and nettles and this has been referred to a local Councillor for attention.

There is some pressure for improvements. The equipment needs to be repainted. There is a suggestion that there should be a trial removal of one of the “plinths” at a cycle access point. This would allow cyclists to move more freely through the dedicated lane without the risk of getting a bent pedal.

More ambitious is a proposal to replace the RADAR keys with an electronic version which could also involve powered gates. Such options were not available 20 years ago when the gates were designed. The proposal would be expensive to implement

There will be some who think that the top priority should be to ensure that maintenance standards on existing routes are improved. This would include an improved inspection regime, the systematic removal of overgrowth and repairs to signs/lineage.

The same could also be said of the obstructed cycle and footpaths which can be found in other parts of the City.

More confusion over cycle path improvements

Part of the planning approva,l for the provision of sports pitches on land off Tadcaster Road/Sim Balk Lane, was that improvements had to be made to the cycle track link to the Park and Ride site. Users of the pitches would use parking spaces at the P & R site and then walk to the changing rooms. Details of the improvement works had to be agreed by the Council and published before building work started. This didn’t happen but, before the pitches can be used, improvements must be implemented.

A new application was published on the Councils “Planning on Line” web site a few weeks ago. It purported to give details of the way in which condition 14 of the original application would be fulfilled. However, no details of the proposals (understood to include some resurfacing work and better lighting) were included.

The application has some additional significance as a certificate of completion for the new pitches can’t be issued until the work is completed. Completion of the pitches is a planning condition attached to the Council’s housing development at Lowfield.

The condition said that homes there couldn’t be occupied until the replacement pitches were brought into use.

Not withstanding this, the Council announced in the media yesterday that the home s at Lowfields were being occupied. No attempt seems to have been made by the Councils housing arm (Shape Homes) to discharge the condition or have the planning permission amended.

The muddle is now subject to a formal complaint to the Councils planning enforcement team.

Meanwhile more bad news for cyclists. The cycle path which runs adjacent to the A64 slip road near the Pike Hills golf course remains blocked. Some mowing has taken place next to the dual carriageway but the slip road area has been ,missed.

We’re not sure whether this was just an oversight or whether a “demarcation dispute” is taking place between Highways Yorkshire and the York Council?

Either way, cyclists currently need PPE to negotiate the nettles, brambles and thistles which impede the path.

*Tadcaster Road cycle path still obstructed*

Unroadworthy taxis found in York

Poorly-maintained taxis have been taken off the road as part of a joint safety operation.

Fourteen out of 16 taxi and private hire vehicles that were inspected were issued with legal notices. The drivers also had their taxi licence suspended.

Faults included tyres that were so worn the inner cords were exposed, fuel leaks and doors that wouldn’t open.

The defects were so unsafe that immediate prohibition notices were issued on seven of the 16 vehicles, meaning they must not be driven.

Issues with brakes, wheel nuts, exhausts suspension components were also found on a further seven vehicle during the vehicle inspections in York at the weekend. They were issued with delayed prohibition notices, meaning the faults must be fixed and the vehicle re-inspected.

The vehicles were from various local authority areas, including York and West Yorkshire.

They were stopped by police on roads in York and taken to a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) inspection site.

It was part of a joint road safety operation involving North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, the DVSA and licensing enforcement officers from City of York Council and local authorities in West Yorkshire.

Similar operations are planned in the near future.

Traffic Constable Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “It’s shocking that seven of the 16 vehicles we checked were so poorly maintained, we had to use immediate prohibition powers to ensure they didn’t go back onto the road.

“Proper vehicle maintenance is always important, especially for professional drivers who the public trust to transport them safely. There is simply no excuse for neglecting this.

“By working with the DVSA and local authorities, we can ensure anyone who doesn’t maintain their vehicle to the correct standard is detected and dealt with robustly.”

Waste collection and other problems mount for York residents

Anyone reading the agenda for todays City of York Council meeting may mistake it for a meeting of a University debating society. Verbose, borderline pompous, motions and amendments dominate the agenda.

As the first face to face meeting of the authority since coronavirus struck, there has been plenty of time to fashion an agenda which talks to the people of the City.

Instead we have are offered the spectacle of Council members essentially having a chat with each other.

The City’s day to day problems may as well be taking place on another planet.

https://www.york.gov.uk/WasteCollectionUpdates

The meeting is, for the first time, being held at the racecourse. Perhaps bookmakers will be on hand to offer odds on anything useful emerging as the race reaches the final furlong at 10:00pm?

Earlier in the week, the Councillor responsible for waste collection held a special meeting to discuss the pressing issue of the release of “Chinese lanterns” in the City. The opportunity to also discuss the backlog in refuse collection was missed.

Yet hundreds of unemptied green bins currently adorn our streets.

Earlier a controversial change in the playground refurbishment programme was agreed at a “behind closed doors” meeting. Emergency “delegation” powers – which allow officers to make decisions without consultation or democratic input – were exploited.

The opposition claim (with some justification) to be outraged by the decision. Have they found a way of holding those responsible to account? Apparently not, judging by tonight’s agenda.

With (rightly or wrongly) COVID restrictions being lifted from Monday, the Councils top priority should now be to end the emergency powers and introduce effective governance arrangements.

In the real world, taxpayers expect basic public standards to be maintained.

It is not just the York Council that is out of touch.

Sad to report that, as of yesterday, the promised work to remove overgrowth obstructions from the A64/Tadcaster Road cycle path had not been completed by Highways/Yorks or the Council.

*Obstructions on Tadcaster Road cycle path*

The lack of action contrasts with the panic decisions taken last spring when roads and car parks were closed in order to allow “social distancing” on paths which were already much wider than those which are currently obstructed.

Acomb Moor right of way plan to be published this week?

A report to a Council meeting* taking place next week (20/7/21) promises that the long delayed decision, which will lead to the confirmation that a public right of way (PROW) exists across Acomb Moor, will be progressed over the next 7 days.

The proposal that a PROW exists was lodged, by the local residents association, with the Council in 2018. It was supported by “evidence of use” forms supplied by many local people. The route links Foxwood Lane to Osprey Close and forms part of a popular walking and exercise route for residents. It also offers a short cut from Acomb Wood to Acomb via Askham Lane.

The meeting will consider the progress being made on several PROW applications including those in Dunnington, Heslington, Naburn, Heworth, Westfield (Acomb Moor), and three orders in Skelton. The report says “publicity for the making of these orders will be happening at the time of the decision session or shortly after”.

The Council last considered the issue in November 2019 at which point they determined to make an order.

Nothing has happened since, with the Council blaming inadequate staff resources for the delay. In the interim – for the first time in over 30 years – the field on Foxwood Lane was put to crop.

An attempt was also made to block the access to the moor. This followed years of neglect of the stile structure. A tree truck was used to obstruct an access which had been in use for over 40 years.

With the pandemic making outside exercise an even more important aspect of daily life, informal access arrangements sprang up at several points along the field boundary. The path around the field (but not across it) continued to be well used.

However, access for the less ambient and disabled became impossible.

The Council failed to take any enforcement action against the owners.

The Council will now make the order and there will be a period of 6 weeks during which objections can be lodged. If any are unresolved, the matter would be referred to the Secretary of State for a final decision.

All in all, the Councils effectiveness in dealing with this issue has been less than impressive. Lets hope that some progress can be made quickly now and that access arrangements to the moor can be regularised.

*The meeting is open to the public. Representations can be made by Email to the responsible executive Councillor (cllr.adagorne@york.gov.uk) or in person (to register, contact Robert Flintoft Telephone – (01904) 555704 Email – robert.flintoft@york.gov.uk).

Cycle paths still obstructed

Mixed news about getting local paths cleared of overgrowth

*The SUSTRANs cycle track near Riccall has now been cut back. Unfortunately the section of track in Bishopthorpe (near Coggan Way) is still overgrown with nettles in places*

Meanwhile the York Council is now claiming that they are not responsible for keeping the cycle track, which is located next to the slip road from the A64, clear of obstructions. The Council did actually cleared similar problems this time last year.

We will be very disappointed if this turns out to be a jurisdiction stand off between the York Council and Highway Yorkshire. The latter is responsible for maintaining the cycle path along the side of the trunk road.

Some progress on cycle path blockages

Following on from our story yesterday, there has been some progress with getting cycle paths cleared of overgrowth

Workers were out on the SUSTRANS York – Riccall path today. They had cleared vegetation blockages from about 50% of the track by mid afternoon. They hadn’t reached the path near Riccall whichsuffers the worst obstructions

*York – Riccall cycle path near Escrick sidings (being cut) and Riccall (still obstructed)*

Meanwhile Highways England have tweeted (left) to say that the section of cycle path next to the A64 will be cleared later this month

The York Council responded today to say that the section of cycle track on Tadcaster Road next to the golf course had been cleared. Sadly, on checking today, we found that it hadn’t been touched.

It is remans obstructed by nettles and thistles

*Tadcaster Road cycle path is still obstructed.*

Too many blocked cycle paths

It happens each year, but we are still waiting for improvements to maintenance standards on local cycle routes.

The media were asking earlier in the week why people are put off cycling?

One reason is poor infrastructure maintenance.

Cycle paths are particualrly vulnerable to overgrowth causing obstructions. It the growth is nettles or thorn bushes then some may simply tur back.

These are some current examples of obstructions

*The cycle track between the golf club and the A1036 Tadcaster Road is now effectively blocked for many users.*

*The A64 cycle oath near Bilbrough is also obstructed by nettles and brambles*

*Even the generally well maintained SUSTRANs cycle path near Riccall is overgrown. No sign yet of the badly damaged path surface being repaired.*

Time to end secrecy of “all party” transport group”

Councillors from all parties represented on the York Council have apparently been holding meetings to discuss future transport policies. It is likely that the deliberations will influence the fourth edition of the upcoming “Local Transport Plan”

There have been tensions between the main groups represented on the Council since Labour “bounced” an anti-car motion though the Council shortly after the last local elections.

The motion sought to ban “inessential journeys” within the “City Walls”. No traffic impact modelling was commissioned before the motion was passed. They have subsequently made no attempt to define what an “inessential journey” is or how any such definition could be enforced.

The motion would mean the reintroduced of restrictions/tolls on the use of Lendal Bridge as well as Ouse Bridge.

Labour’s defeat at the last local elections owed much to their traffic ban on Lendal bridge, with its chief architect – Dave Merrett – losing his Council seat.

Now “behind closed doors” meetings have apparently been taking place in an attempt to find a consensus.

There are concerns that Councillors are being bullied into accepting an extreme transport plan fronted by a small number of members from the York Civic Trust. They have used the cover of a retired University transport lecturer to give their plans credibility.

Liberal Democrat Councillors would be wise to abandon this secretive approach to policy formulation. Something more inclusive is needed.

If history tell us anything, then it is that the residents of York will not tolerate a “we know what’s best for you” attitude from its elected representatives.