York Council says parking signs will be fixed by end of March

At long last the Council has responded to our questions about the failure of its parking space availability policies.

Following our article published in December, which revealed that the Council’s web site was out of date and that many street signs were faulty, we asked the Council when repair work would be completed.

On line site parking space availability click to access

The on line map was a particular concern as it had not shown parking space availability for over 4 years and some of the listed car parks had actually closed.

After some delay, the Council has now said that the on line map – in line with a new mobile app – “will be updated by the end of March”.

This will include an update to the listed tariffs.

The delays in restoring the parking space availability feature (known as the Car Park Guidance System) is put down to issues with the slow roll out of the Council’s new fibre optic network. Apparently the car parking counting devices are currently being refurbished in time for the March relaunch.

The Council also confirms that all of the Variable Message Signs which can be seen on the streets of the city were faulty.

The Council says it has

Parking space availability

“taken the novel step of working with a suppler to develop a new ‘technology package’ that can be inserted into the existing sign cases as this is a much cheaper way of renewing the VMS than simply replacing them.

The first four pre-production signs that have been used to test this approach are now operational and under test in the City, and the Heworth Green and Foss Islands Road CPGS signs are part of this group.

Work is now underway to apply this renewal technique to the five remaining City-centre ‘free text’ VMS and these will be back on street and operational by the end of March.

The remaining twenty CPGS ‘Insert’ signs (right) located in the City centre will be refurbished and brought back into use between April and August 2017″.

There are no plans to provide additional VMS signs in the City.

Finally the Council has confirmed that it is working with a number of GPS/SatNav suppliers to include real time parking space availability features on their devices.

Changes to 24 bus services to Windsor Garth

24 – Ascot Way to York – click here for a timetable

Some minor changes will be made to the Monday to Saturday timetable from Monday 9th January:

08:09 from York Rail Station to Ascot Way will now start at Piccadilly at 08:04
18:04 from York Rail Station to Ascot Way will now start at Piccadilly at 18:08 and run up to 10 minutes later throughout
18:37 from Ascot Way will leave at 18:42 and run up to 5 minutes later throughout

– See more at: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/yorkshire/updates/yorkjan/#sthash.L58f3fcJ.dpuf

Other changes to York vbus services

Service No.	Operator	Brief summary of changes
4/12/16	44	Transdev	Service will run from Acomb to city centre only.
4/1/17	627	Arriva	Morning journey to run 5 mins earlier.
8/1/17	8	First	Minor timetable change.
8/1/17	31 31X	Stephenson’s	Minor timetable change.
8/1/17	66	First	Inbound service will set down passengers at Clifford St instead of Piccadilly.
8/1/17	66A	First	New route: Merchantgate – Hull Road – University of York
8/1/17	66X	First	New route: Merchantgate – Hull Road – Grimston Bar
9/1/17	24	Arriva	Minor timetable change.
9/1/17	25	Arriva	Minor timetable change.
9/1/17	26	Arriva	Earlier (0658) start time from Fulford.
19/2/17	13	Connexions	The 0635 trip from Rail Station to Copmanthorpe will be removed.

No immediate flooding fears in York despite heavy rain

York river level guages remain within normal limits despite recent heavy rain.

You can check river levels at the following web site http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map

Click to access river level guages

Meanwhile the Environment Agency have confirmed details of the flood prevention project exhibitions that they plan for the City.

The exhibitions will take place on Friday and Saturday

floods-exhibition-25th-nov

York street cleaning maps published “on line”

Following an intervention from Cllr Andrew Waller, the Council has now published maps showing street cleaning frequencies across York.

The maps are available “on line”. Click here to access

The Council says that “in order to target our resources in the most effective and efficient way possible, we have reviewed our street cleansing schedules based on the local knowledge of front line employees. This has enabled us to identify what is actually needed rather than undertake work just because its always been done that way.

As a result of this we have commenced a trial of new street cleansing schedules in each of the wards from the beginning of August 2016 for a period of 6 months.

Although some locations may have a reduced frequency of mechanical sweeping, this means that when we do undertake mechanical sweeping we will have the time to do a more thorough job leading to improved standards of cleanliness”.

City centre footstreets

The changes do not include the city centre foot streets as this is a distinct service undertaken seven days a week, all year round, between 5.00am and 8.00pm, this service has recently been reviewed and the Council is currently working with the York Business Improvement District team on how they can work together to bring about further improvement in the city centre.

Feedback

If residents have any feedback during the 6 month trial period please email the shaping neighbourhoods team at: shapingneighbourhoods@york.gov.uk where the responses will be monitored and collated.

The Council says, “as well as giving us valuable feedback, you may wish to consider how you might be able to help with the upkeep of your local environment, this may, for example be in the way of volunteering as a snow warden or as a litter picker. See volunteering opportunities (click) page for further details and other ways to volunteer”.

Following the end of the trial, further consultation will be held followed by a report to the Executive Member for the Environments Decision Session in Spring 2017

Information event

The Council is holding an event at Hazel Court for residents on Saturday 15 October 2016 from 10.00am to 12.00pm.

The sessions will be jointly delivered between a number of council teams and external agencies.

Westfield

The schedules for the Westfield area are reproduced below. Generally, there is little change although there may be some concerns about sweeping frequencies at smaller shopping areas like Foxwood Lane.

Some publicly maintainable footpath links ( Chesneys Field, Kingsway West, The Green) are shown on the maps as “private”. These will need to be cleaned regularly as will housing department communal and garage areas.

But overall the plans seem to us to be worth a trial especially given the decision of the previous Labour administration to substantially reduce the street cleansing budget

Manual street celaning

Mechanical street cleaning

North Yorkshire Police launch Community Messaging service

North Yorkshire Community Messaging is a free community messaging system that allows residents to register to receive the latest crime notifications and community news happening in their local neighbourhood.

North Yorkshire Community Messaging allows residents to decide when and how they are kept informed about the issues that matter to them:

Choose your interests: Crime and Other Police Incidents, Rural Policing, Anti-Social Behaviour, Road Safety, Neighbourhood News and Events
Choose how to receive your alerts: Phone, email, text message or mobile app (launching soon)!
By area(s): School, home, places of work, elderly relatives

Registering for North Yorkshire Community Messaging is Safe, Secure and Easy – Just click ‘Join‘ and follow the step by step instructions.

The North Yorkshire Police have been under fire for failing to keep their social media channels updated during recent months.

This seems to us to be a worthwhile initiative which we hope will improve communications with residents

York Council consultations near closure date

“Improving public engagement” survey available but still not publicised

Improving Public Engagement

Engagement survey

Our Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee is reviewing the potential for improving public engagement, the take up of services through digital means and our ability to respond. We welcome your views and experiences of engaging with us via our Improving Public Engagement survey.

Consultation closes 31 December 2015

Public Protection review

Our Public Protection service is under review. We would welcome views and comments from businesses about our proposals and how we can make best use of resources including a variety of environmental health, trading standards, licensing and regulatory functions. Have your say in our Public Protection survey.

Consultation closes 31 December 2015

Designer Outlet Park and Ride Bus Service

The Designer Outlet Park and Ride bus service currently calls at all stops along Fulford Main Street, Fulford Road and Fishergate. It is proposed that, from the start date of the new Park & Ride contract in 2017, the number of intermediate stops is reduced.

We would like to hear from Fulford and Fishergate residents and other users of the Designer Outlet P&R service to understand their views on the proposed changes.

Consultation closes 6 January 2016

Minerals and Waste Joint Plan

City of York Council is working with North Yorkshire County Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority to produce a Minerals and Waste Joint Plan covering all three planning authority areas. When finalised the new plan will help us take decisions on planning applications for minerals and waste developments over the next 15 years. Find out more about the latest draft and have your say in the preferred options consultation on North Yorkshire’s consultation website.

Consultation closes 15 January 2016

Budget Consultation 2016-17

City of York Council’s Executive is facing some tough decisions in 2016-17. To help shape the 2016-17 Budget proposals, the council is inviting residents to have their say:

Via our online Budget Consultation survey

By post to: FREEPOST RTEG-TYYU-KLTZ Budget consultation City of York Council West Offices Station Rise York YO1 6GA
By hand at West Offices or libraries/Explore Centres

Consultation closes 20 January 2016

York has lower than average employment levels – official

The York Central constituency falls below the rest of the country on several measures revealed by the Office of National Statistics today.

click to access

The proportion of the population in employment (different from the statistics on the numbers claiming Job Seekers Allowance which are normally quoted) is 70%.

This is slightly below the national average.

Other stats include:

84% of residents are in “good health” well above the national average
It has fewer people(13%) aged over 65 than the average ranking at 531 out of a total of 632 parliamentary constituencies nationwide.
14% are claiming state pension compared to nearly 19% across the UK
The number of business enterprises per 10,000 residents is 267 units well below the national average
7.3% of the population is “non white” which is again below the national average

Click the graphic to access an information map covering the whole country.

Real time maps of York – weather and traffic congestion

Residents can now access a radar map showing current weather conditions across the county. Click map for access. http://preview.wunderground.com/wundermap

click to access

And a reminder that a real time map is also available showing congestion levels, current and planned road works http://roadworks.org/

click to access

Latest updates on “improve our neighbourhood” campaign

More and more residents are following our advice that they should be intolerant of poor public service standards.

Here are some of the issues reported over the weekend.

Residents should click here to access the My Council reporting tool

Thoresby Road – litter

Litter – Cornlands Road

St Stephens Road – Poor street sweeping standards

The Wandle – detritus

Chapelfields – Grass growing THROUGH footpath surfaces

Chapelfields – Damaged verges

Foxwood – Graffiti

1 abandoned dog per month is destroyed in York

A dog is for life not just Christmas

Several families will be giving or receiving dogs this Christmas.

New figures published by the York Council – together with the alarming dog attack in Leeds – should provide food for thought.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Council has revealed that over the last 12 months it has collected on average 1 dog per day Monday to Friday (there is no weekend service).

Over 50 % of dogs are returned to the owners.

In the period January to September 2013 on average 1 dog a month was destroyed 2 because of very old age / ill health meaning that it could not be re-homed.

7 were of a breed (Staffy / Staffy cross) that no carer was prepared to take.

Kenneling stray dogs costs about £30,000 a year in York

Those dogs who are re-homed go to a mix of national charities or specialist breed rescue centres for further re-homing or long term care, or to individuals / families for permanent adoption.

Many charities are looking for good homes for dogs and cats that they receive during the festive period.

Click below for links.