Lowfields residents update newsletter. Parking plan criticised as inadequate

The Lowfield Residents Group have criticised the Councils plan to provide only 2 alternative off street spaces to replace a parking lay-by on Tudor Road.  They are circulating a newsletter to affected residents (see below)

The existing 4 space lay-by will be lost when the Council, starts work on providing a new access road into the Lowfield site.

Part of the garden of an adjacent flat block (108 Tudor Road) is being used to provide 4 spaces but residents point out that Tudor Road, along with the adjacent Gale Lane, has on street parking restrictions.

This means that the Tudor Road bays are heavily used.  Occasionally drivers park on the garage forecourt opposite causing an obstruction.

More parking spaces are required.

At the other end of Tudor Road (low numbered) a communal housing experiment will see only 12 parking spaces provided for 19 properties. Some of the properties have 4 bedrooms. The occupants of similar properties elsewhere often have 2 or 3 cars.

All in all, we don’t think that the Council has got its transport and parking policies for the development right yet.

Ironically The Press is today running a story saying that life expectancy in the Westfield Ward is the lowest of any in the City.

We’ve pointed out to the Council that its relentless attack on open space and sports provision in the area is partly to blame.

Loss of the football pitch at Lowfields  is a major factor as is the threat to the bowling green on Front Street, the erosion of the Hob Moor playing field and the loss of the Kingsway all weather games area.

The playing field associated with Our Lady’s school has, of course, already been built on.

Windsor Garth parking lay-by location options revealed

Local Councillor Andrew Waller is consulting local residents about the new proposals to install additional parking lay-bys on Windsor Garth.

Cllr Andrew Waller

The options are the latest in a series of plans which are aimed at reducing congestion on the narrow roads in the Kingsway/Hob Moor estate.

Several other options have been discounted either for practical reasons or because they did not represent value for money.

Residents had their  say in response to a survey conducted a year ago. Subsequently a plan to provide a lay-by outside the flats on Newbury Avenue ran into delays caused by difficulties in relocating telecoms cabinets. That plan is now expected to be implemented in the spring.

The need for better parking has become even more urgent with the Council having decided to redevelop the Windsor House/Lincoln Court area on Ascot Way. The published plans for the new buildings do not include sufficient “on site” parking space according to many residents.

The Westfield Ward delegated budget includes funding to provide up to 11 additional spaces during the current financial year. Potential locations near Kempton Close and Beverley Court have now been identified. (see plan below)

Residents have a choice of implementing option 2 or 3 this year.

Option 6 will be done as well unless there are strong objections from local residents. .

It is likely that the spaces will use matrix surfacing. This allows grass to grow though the matrix providing a “natural” appearance while also allowing “soak away” drainage.

Any work must be completed before the end of March.

Parking lay-by options in Windsor Garth area January 2019

 

 

Report those potholes

Residents are urged to report any dangerous potholes on their local road or footpath before the bad weather sets in.

Potholes invariably get bigger in icy conditions.

Reports can be made “on line” 24/7 using the “report it” web site https://www.york.gov.uk/reportproblems  click

The Council have been busy today relaying the road surface at the top end of Foxwood Lane. The carriageway there had been subject to repeated problems with potholes. They posed a hazard for cyclists in particular

We’ve reported a pothole that was developing on the surface of the road in Walker Drive

City centre temporary road closures for New Year’s Eve

Seasonal city centre road closures are being planned for residents gathering to celebrate the new year alongside increased protection planned to combat the threat posed to UK cities by terrorists.

Road closures which prohibit vehicles will be in force from 22:00hrs on 31 December 2018 to 05:00hrs on 1 January 2019 on the following streets:

  • Duncombe Place
  • High Petergate (Bootham Bar to Duncombe Place)
  • Minster Yard
  • Blake Street.

The taxi rank on Duncombe Place will be temporarily relocated to Exhibition Square (St Leonards Place) from 22:00hrs on New Year’s Eve. The head of the temporary taxi rank in Exhibition Square will be at bus stop ‘ED’. The small taxi rank on the other side of St Leonards Place next to the Bar Walls, will also be closed from 22:00hrs. Signage will be in place to advise that the ranks have been moved, and to show the position of the temporary head of rank in Exhibition Square. All taxi ranks will revert to their normal locations when Duncombe Place is reopened at 05:00hrs the following morning, 1 January 2019.

In addition, no waiting or parking will be permitted on either side of Blake Street from 20:00hrs on 31 December 2018, or on Duncombe Place from 06:00hrs on 31 December 2018. The taxi rank will operate as usual.

Normal footstreet hours will resume after the Christmas markets on 26 December, and then after the new year festivities on 1 January. These prohibit vehicles in the footstreet areas from 10:30hr until 17:00hrs.

People attending the event are reminded to please behave considerately to allow everyone to enjoy the occasion. Please do not bring glass into the area and take any rubbish home.

For more information about the changes visit www.york.gov.uk/citycentreaccess

Superintendent Lindsey Robson, commander for the York and Selby area, said: “In the rare event of getting caught up in a weapons attack, we urge you to follow the Run, Hide, Tell advice. Run to a place of safety rather than surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go then hide and don’t confront. Finally, and only when it is safe to do so, tell the police by calling 999.  (more…)

6 taxi/private hire vehicles ordered off the road in York following safety checks.

Joint operation ensures taxi passengers’ safety in York

A series of checks on taxis and private hire vehicles in York has been carried out as part of a shared operation to ensure the vehicles are providing a safe service to passengers.

The multi-agency operation ran twice in November and December, and involved officers from taxi licensing partners including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Over the two operations, a total of 25 private hire vehicles and hackney carriages operating in York were stopped and checked. Vehicles licensed by York, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield were inspected.

All vehicles underwent full mechanical examinations for defects by the DVSA at the council’s MOT test centre at Hazel Court or at the roadside, to check they were driving were safe to carry customers on the roads. Checks were also made to ensure that the drivers were properly licensed and insured.

As a result, six vehicles were ordered off the road by the DVSA and had their licences suspended. Four of the six suspended taxis and private hire vehicles were licensed by City of York, three of which were suspended for a period of 4 – 8 days, with one vehicle still off the road.

The vehicles were suspended due to the following faults:

  • defective tyres
  • tyres fitted to the front axle of different sizes and no operable spare
  • defective or inoperative headlights
  • an illuminated engine warning light
  • defective coil springs.

A further twelve drivers were advised to repair minor vehicle defects and several others were also warned by enforcement officers about breaches of licensing conditions.

Anyone with concerns about the conduct of drivers or the condition of their vehicles should email public.protection@york.gov.uk so the council’s public protection team can investigate.
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Traffic signals to be upgraded on Walmgate junction

Walmgate Bar 1830 Traffic signals came later!

Ageing and outdated traffic signals at the Walmgate junction with the Inner Ring Road are set to be replaced in the New Year by City of York Council.

Works are estimated to take around six weeks to complete – between Sunday 6 January and Friday 15 February.

New, more reliable, traffic signals will be installed on the junction of Walmgate / Barbican Road / Foss Islands Road and Lawrence Street (Walmgate Bar). This junction was last refurbished in 2002.

Pedestrian crossing facilities will also be improved, by widening the islands and improving the cycle lane on Lawrence Street.  An early start signal for cyclists will also be installed, coming out of Walmgate Bar, to provide them with priority coming out of town.

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. During most of the works, except when Walmgate is closed during the weekends identified below, all routes will be kept open. However, there will be lane closures on some approaches to the junction reducing capacity. Motorists should expect significant delays and plan their journey accordingly.

To help minimise this disruption and complete the works as quickly as possible, work will be carried out from 7.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am – 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The left turn from Walmgate on to Foss Islands Road will be prohibited during the works, diversion routes will be in place. Walmgate will be closed at the Bar on Sunday 6 January to allow for preliminary site works to be undertaken. Walmgate will also be closed on the weekends of 12 / 13 and 19 / 20 January to allow the works on the approach to be undertaken safely.

During the works it is anticipated that all bus services will operate as normal, however there will be delays when travelling through the junction.

When Walmgate is fully closed at the bar buses which normally use this route will need to be diverted.  Information regarding the diverted routes will be posted at www.itravelyork.info/

Temporary crossing points will be available at all times during the works to ensure that all pedestrian crossings that are currently available are maintained.  Traffic marshals will be on site between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week to assist with pedestrians crossing the road.

The five year traffic signal asset renewal programme was given the green light by the councillor responsible for transport and planning in November 2015 at a public meeting.

The total replacement programme will cost £2.620m over six years and will be funded through the capital programme budget and the existing Local Transport Plan budget.

Residents are urged to plan ahead, allow more time for journeys on these routes and to consider alternatives and to use public transport where possible. Bus services will be operating as normal for the majority of the works but passengers are requested to visit www.itravelyork.info/ for more information.

The works for Walmgate have been coordinated alongside the works for Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement to minimise disruption and inconvenience, and at a time which the council understands is the quietest time of the year for businesses.

For information regarding the scheme during the works visit: www.york.gov.uk/walmgate

Frequently Asked Questions
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Major improvements works for Stonebow,Fossgate and Pavement to take place between January-April 2019

Old Fossgate

City of York Council is investing £1.1 million to make major improvements to Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement in York’s city centre.

The works will improve the street’s appearance and character, create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and improve access for pedestrians and cyclists, which will attract more visitors to the area.

Starting from 7 January, the scheme will be carried out in phases over 12 weeks, and are estimated to be completed by early April, weather permitting, in time for Easter.

For the first time in a generation, the council is completely reconstructing the roads and footpaths on Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement, which are in a poor condition and need to be replaced.

This will involve constructing/resurfacing and rebuilding the existing stretch of road – including excavating, which will require archaeologists to be in attendance.

The council consulted with businesses, traders and residents in September about changing the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to reverse the traffic flow on Fossgate, which have now been implemented. At the same time, the consultation also included details about this scheme too.

In addition to this, the council hosted a drop-in meeting on 11 December, offering an open invite to talk to traders, businesses and residents about how the council can work with them to help minimise disruption and promote “open as usual” messages.

It’s likely that the work will cause significant disruption to traffic as these are major works. The council is aiming to keep this to a minimum by:

  • Allowing one way access from Colliergate, turning right only, onto Pavement towards Piccadilly at certain time.
  • Deliveries will be permitted on Fossgate and Stonebow during certain times but will be managed by traffic marshals.
  • Full overnight road closures will be required for surfacing works at the end of the scheme (in April). Further details will be provided nearer the time.

For more information, please read the FAQs [below] at www.york.gov.uk/FossgateStonebow  or for more travel information visit www.itravelyork.info/roadworks

The works for Stonebow, Fossgate and Pavement have been coordinated alongside the works for Walmgate to minimise disruption and inconvenience, and at a time which the council understands is the quietest time of the year for businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions  (more…)

“Clay sir?” That’ll be £50,000 please

York Council claims it has no money to repair speed warning signs or lop trees on Wetherby Road

Work on the Wetherby Road roundabout is almost completed with no further road closures expected.

It has been revealed that the costs of managing the night time closure of the junction were over £39,000.

The Council recently also awarded a contract for the supply of clay for the project. The contract for the clay was valued at £50,000 (!)

Provision of a street lighting “passively safety scheme” at the junction cost £220,000.

These sums can be compared to the potential cost of a few thousand pounds to lop trees on Wetherby Road which are currently obstructing vehicle and pedestrian movements. The Council says that it does not have the budget to compete necessary tree work or reinstate the speed warning sign which has been missing for over 12 months.

Some landscaping work is expected to take place in 2019 at the Wetherby Road/A1237 junction before contractors move on to upgrade the next roundabout.

York Councillors asked to approve funding for York outer ring road dualling

Councillors will be asked to approve match funding for the dualling of the York outer ring road from the A19 Shipton Road through to Little Hopgrove (Malton Road), when they meet at Executive on Thursday 20 December.

The plans don’t include improvements to the Ouse river crossing, one of the main pressure points on the existing network. Nor are there plans to introduce split level intersections  raising concerns that the existing junctions, even with larger roundabouts, will continue to be pinch pints on the network.

A Council report asks the Executive to recommend  that £2.8m match funding, approximately 10 percent of the estimated £28m cost of the dualling element of the overall upgrade scheme, is provided in the Council’s Capital Programme.

The opportunity for funding of the scheme using the new Major Road Network Fund was announced by the Secretary for State earlier this year.

This follows on from the outer ring road roundabout upgrade scheme which will see seven roundabouts upgraded ready for dualling as part of a West Yorkshire plus Transport Fund scheme.

Work is nearly complete at Wetherby Road roundabout after starting earlier this year. Monks Cross is the next in line with ground clearance works set to take place early in 2019. It is proposed to join the dualling and roundabout schemes together as early as possible to reduce overall costs and disruption.

Subject to the decision on the match funding proposal at this Executive meeting a formal Outline Business Case (OBC) would be submitted to the DfT this month.  This is the first stage of the DfT’s approval process. Dependent on a positive assessment of the OBC and Ministerial approval it is anticipated that Programme Entry status would be granted for the scheme by March 2019.

Increasing the capacity of the ring road leading to the redistribution of trips will complement the city’s transport policies and help to enable more sustainable travel options to be delivered in the urban area of the city.

The York Outer Ring Road improvements programme is being funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

For more information about the York outer ring road roundabout upgrades visit www.york.gov.uk/yorr

Executive takes place on Thursday 20 December from 5.30pm and is open to members of the public or is available to watch live online from: www.york.gov.uk/webcasts

To find out more about the report, or to attend, visit: https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=10475&Ver=4

York to trial electric waste vehicle

City of York Council are set to trial a new state of the art, zero emission, electric refuse collection vehicle this week.

The vehicle is the first of its kind, using electric to both power the vehicle and compact waste, meaning there are zero emissions.

The three day trial will give the council time to see how the truck performs. The 27-tonne truck runs on lithium-ion batteries and is designed for urban environments with short routes and can complete a full ten hour shift on one charge.

Deputy leader of the council and executive member for the environment, Cllr Andrew Waller, said: “As a council we’re always looking at ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint and emissions to improve air quality. Electric vehicle technology has progressed at an extremely quick rate over the past years, allowing larger vehicles to travel longer in between charges.

“We’re keen to see expanding our electric vehicle fleet with electric waste vehicles is a way in which we can look to reduce our carbon footprint without affecting the serve residents receive.”

Russell Markstein, Electra’s Commercial Director commented: “The City of York is the conclusion of six months of trials of the Electra in both urban and rural locations. York is the perfect environment for the Electra to operate, with zero emissions and near silent operation, the residents and businesses in the City will visibly see the Council’s efforts in reducing its carbon footprint”

The trial has been offered to the council for free from Electra Commercial Vehicles.