Lincoln Court update

The Councils Executive discussed the planned extension of the Lincoln Court independent living building yesterday. They agreed to progress the scheme and included a requirement for an alternative all weather games area to be provided in the ward.

It will be up to the planning committee at its meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) to include a condition requiring that the new facility is provided before the existing MUGA is demolished.

Windsor House is already being vandalised

It emerged at the meeting that 14 of the remaining 19 tenants have now accepted offers of alternative accommodation. When the remaining 5 will be offered, and accept, a suitable alternative remains in doubt. The adjacent Windsor House building, which is empty, is already suffering vandalism and there is a concern that the whole site could become a magnet for anti social behaviour.

Large delivery lorries are ruining roads in Lowfields. Similar concerns about Ascot Way

The Council is negotiating with the school to allow builders plant to access the site from the school side. There have been major problems getting large items of plant into the Lowfields site where roads are of a similar width to Ascot Way.

It has yet to be confirmed whether an (pedestrian) access will be retained from the school site when the redevelopment has been completed. This is considered to be essential to provide overflow parking capacity given that only 16 spaces are being provided on the Ascot Way frontage.

Large plant on Lowfields site. Working hours planning condition being breached?

Sadly members of the executive failed to probe why the new apartments have been described, in successive Planning Committee reports, as “extra care” units.

No doubt residents will get more clarification tomorrow

Criminal record checks on York taxi drivers

Council releases latest figures

The York Council is reporting that 917 (93.2%) of York Taxi drivers have successfully completed their Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks. The checks were introduced to reassure passengers that drivers were “fit and proper” to hold a licence. A committee report goes on to say;

  • “There are 14 (1.4%) drivers with checks in progress with the DBS.
  • There are 22 (2.2%) drivers with whom we are checking ‘positive’ results. Please note that the DBS process flags all previous convictions and other matters which we may already be aware of.
  • Some 18 (1.8%) of drivers have indicated their intention to surrender their licence as they are no longer driving.
  • There are ten (1.0%) drivers who we have been unable to contact or begin the process for good reason (for example because they have a long-term illness) &
  •  three (0.3%) drivers are refusing to co-operate”.

A report to the same meeting – which is taking place tomorrow (Monday) attempts to deal with the issue of UBER drivers operating in York. Last year the Council refused to grant a licence to UBER to operate locally. The issue now concerns UBER drivers, with licences are issued by other authorities,
are still serving the City .

UBER

The report says that the Council is satisfied that having regard to the independent Legal Opinion, the settled legal position remains as follows:

“Provided the three licences required in relation to a private hire vehicle (operator, vehicle and driver) have all been issued by the same authority, then the private hire vehicle (PHV) can undertake journeys anywhere in England and Wales. That is irrespective of where the journey commences, areas through which the journey passes and, ultimately, the area where the journey ends”.

An alternative legal opinion has been provided by local taxi operators.

Pretty much a “BREXIT” style stand off then which only leads to confuse potential customers.

York Central moves another step closer with £37.32m funding decision

York Central has moved a step closer as £37.32m of external funding was promised to deliver the new generation of homes and higher paid jobs York needs and to improve the railway station.

The funding was confirmed yesterday (Wednesday 13 March) from the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund and Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The funding will contribute to a new western access road, bridge and spine road into York Central, a fully accessible western entry into the railway station and the station frontage scheme which will bring a transformation of transport interchange facilities, enhanced accessibility and new public realm at the front of York station.

The scheme will support the delivery of up to 2,500 new homes and over 6,000 new jobs.

£23.5m of this funding will contribute to the £155m infrastructure funding package for York Central with a further £11.7m towards the costs of transforming the front of the station.  Together the two schemes will open up the 72 hectare York Central site which is surrounded by railway lines, and create vibrant and distinctive residential neighbourhoods, cultural spaces, and a high-quality commercial quarter at the heart of York.

The plans for the front of the station will demolish Queen St Bridge, improve the public spaces and improve the transport interchange to create a greatly improved fitting gateway to the city.  This funding is conditional upon the award of Housing Infrastructure Funding later this month and on the award of Planning permission.

The West Yorkshire Transport Fund money follows the £35m budget agreed by City of York Council in December. This will then be repaid using retained business rates from the York Central Enterprise Zone. The council’s £77m bid for the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund is at an advanced stage, with a decision expected soon.

The outline planning application for the site will be considered by the council’s planning committee on Monday 25 March 2019.

York awarded £300k to improve links between Scarborough Bridge,York railway station and city centre

York has been awarded £300k to make further improvements to cycle and walkways between Scarborough Bridge, York railway station and the city centre.

Today’s announcement follows a successful bid by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and City of York Council through the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

These improvements will include:

  • An enhanced crossing of Bootham linking into the cycle route through to the district hospital.
  • Improving the riverside cycle route on the Esplanade side of the river.
  • Replacing the steps from St Mary’s to Marygate Lane with a ramp.

The funding will support the £4m upgrade of Scarborough Bridge, which is nearing completion. Works are being carried out by Network Rail to replace the footbridge attached to Scarborough (rail) Bridge on behalf of the council.

The new bridge will greatly improve this crossing and connect cycle/walkways directly to York Railway Station as well as providing access for wheelchair users. This additional funding will be used to improve further links between the bridge and the city centre, the hospital and York Central.

For more information about cycling or walking in York visit: www.itravelyork.info/ 

Hyper Hub recharging point plan for York

City of York Council’s Executive will be asked to agree to progress plans to develop rapid charging points – known as Hyper Hubs – for electric vehicles at two locations in the city.

A report that will be considered at a meeting on Monday 18 March explains that the council’s bid for a European Regional Development Fund grant towards the cost of the project has been successful, and also seeks agreement for the initial consultation phase of the project to begin in May.

If the go-ahead is given, Hyper Hubs will be developed adjacent to the Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar Park & Ride sites. The Hyper Hubs will combine solar energy harvesting and storage with electric vehicle charging points, reducing the reliance of electric vehicles on the UK electricity grid and, at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A solar canopy would be erected over approximately 100 car parking spaces, with an energy storage facility located nearby. There would be a number of rapid charging points for use by private car owners, taxi drivers and business users. Depending on the vehicle, a charge could take as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

If approved, the £1.5 million cost of the project will be met using £800,000 of Go Ultra Low funding from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles and £700,000 of European Regional Development Funding. The council is also working to deliver a Hyper Hub with York Hospital.

To find out more about the report, or to attend the Executive meeting, visit: https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=733

Traffic Speed on Wetherby Road

Speed sign on Wetheby Road which needs replacing

A meeting next week will consider a Council officials response to residents’ concerns about speeding traffic on Wetherby Road. The report follows the collection of a petition which asked for

  • the reinstatement and modernisation of both flashing speed warning signs on the road
  • the police to site their speed camera van in the built-up area on Wetherby Road on an occasional basis.

One of the flashing signs (on the odd numbered, Acomb Ward, side of the road) has been missing for over 2 years. It was faulty and the expectations were that it would be repaired and returned to its site.

Now officials say that speeds are lower on Wetherby Road and that, if a sign is too be provided, then it will have to be funded through the delegated budget held by Acomb Ward Councillors.  They go on to say that they approached the Councillors for the Acomb Ward (Cllrs Keith Myers and Stuart Barnes) in 2017 asking them to fund a replacement, but received no response. A new ward budget will be available from 1st April 2019 so the request could be renewed.

The report claims that vehicle speeds on the built-up section of Wetherby Road have reduced since the buffer 40 mph limit was introduced on the “rural” section 2 years ago.

Before and after speeds were recorded and are reproduced in a table (below).

Speed check results

As might be expected they show a small reduction in the speed of vehicles in the urban area (Eastbound), although speeds on the rural stretch actually increased.

The “after” figures were, however, taken in August 2017 before work on enlarging the ring road roundabout had been completed. One of the main reasons why residents collected the petition was a concern that the easier access across and from the A1237 would lead to increased speeds.

We think that the Acomb Ward Councillors should agree to fund a replacement speed sign.

new style speed signs

Elsewhere, at the same meeting, officials are recommending that the newer type of speed sign, which shows the actual speed of an approaching vehicle, should be trialled in the City. Unfortunately the sites identified, for the trial introduction of the signs, are all in eastern York. This type of sign is in common use elsewhere in Yorkshire and beyond.

The Council should agree to add Wetherby Road to the trial locations.

In additional they should support residents calls for the occasional “deterrent” siting of the camera van on the urban section of Wetherby Road

York – Selby cycle track: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!

A lot of work is taking place on the Sustrans York – Selby cycle path

Trees and bushes are being cut back from the cycle track

The cycle track surface has been relayed but is still uneven in places.

Trees felled next to Yorkshire Water sewage works,. Providing an uninterrupted view of the filtration units! There is a lot of flooding in that area so more, rather then fewer, trees are needed.

Graffiti still scars the Tadcaster Road entrance to the track

We’ve reported the detritus on the Tadcaster Road cycle track near Tesco.

Planning updates – Lincoln Court and Lowfields

  • MUGA

    We understand that the Foxwood Residents Association have formally objected to the Councils plans to “replace” the children’s all-weather games area on Kingsway. The objection stems from the Councils proposal to build “fitness equipment” on Chesneys Field during the summer. The Association points out that no consultation has taken place over this proposal which could intensify the use of what is Public Open Space. When a similar idea was mooted 2 years ago, the preferred site for a fitness track was judged to be the Thanet Road Sports Area. The Association have suggested that the Council seek a partnership with the Acorn Rugby Club which could see a new 3G games area provided. Sport England have also objected to the Council’s plans

  • The Yorspace proposals for the Lowfields site have been criticised by the local Drainage Board. They are asking for further details of how surface water runoff will be handled. They point out the fact that – for the whole site –  water run off is likely to be more severe than occurs from the existing greenfield use. There are already some problems with flooding in the gardens of some properties in the Green Lane and Tudor Road area.
  • Separately the Lowfields Residents Group has objected to plans which would see the number of off street parking spaces reduced near 108 Tudor Road. They are also concerned about the traffic implications of building a new access road onto the Lowfields site

NB. The contract for “enabling works” at Lowfields was awarded to NMCN. It is valued at £260,000. The end date for the contract is 19th April 2019.