Last year the Council agreed to provide external lockers for the flats on Cornlands Road. The flats have limited internal storage and the lockers would provide an opportunity to safely leave bicycles etc.
Initially it had been expected that the lockers would be located to the side or rear of the properties.
Hard-standing has now been provided to the front of the flats but it remains unclear when the lockers will be fitted.
In the meantime the hard-surfacing is being used to accommodate wheelie bins at some blocks
UPDATE: WE HAVE HEARD FROM FIRST THAT THEY INTEND TO REVIEW THE WORKING OF THE NEW ROUTE IN SEPTEMBER.
Everyone knows that usage of bus services has reduced since the start of the pandemic. Some services are recovering passenger numbers more quickly than others.
Earlier in the week the York Council decided to continue its subsidy payments for concessionary travel (elderly and disabled passes) at historic levels despite the drop off in use.
That is the right decision if public transport is ever to become the first choice travel option for York residents
First York need to make their strategic intensions clear.
About 2 months ago they changed the route of the number 4 service on the Acomb village loop. For some time the service had used Gale Lane , Front Street, Green Lane and Tudor Road on a one way basis.
This is the route still currently shown on the First York web site timetable map (click)
First York web site map 29th Augst 2020
The alternative loop involves providing a two way service on Tudor Road/Green Lane. This is what is still in operation today. This route misses out the top section of Gale Lane.
However the flags at the bus stops in Tudor Road (east bound) do not show the number 4 stopping there. We think that is just an omission,.
Generally the return of a two way service in the Tudor Road area has been welcomed by local residents.
First should now confirm that the change will be permanent and that timetables, maps and bus stop signage will be amended accordingly.
The was some surprise a few days ago when a scheduled report on homeless problems in the City was pulled.
The Council failed to explain why the report was abandoned and it remains unclear what the report contained.
It may be that the Council is embarrassed by the seeming increase in the number of empty homes that it owns.
Two on Foxwood Lane have been empty for over 6 months (i.e. from before the pandemic caused delays) . Both properties are bungalows which are always popular with “downsizers”, so finding new tenants shouldn’t have been a problem.
On the basis of the last published stats, there were 22 homeless households with dependent children in living in temporary accommodation in York.
According to the Councils own figures, the average number of days to re-let empty properties has risen from 27 days to 37 days during the last couple of years.
There are 1597 people registered on the York housing waiting list.
The local residents association have added their weight to calls for access to Acomb Moor to be made safer.
Access to Acomb Moor still blocked
They have written to local Councillors making the following points.
The tree trunk blocking the access needs to be moved by about 1 foot to allow pedestrian access. We understand that Andrew has this in hand. If the field tenants won’t do it then 2 or 3 fit people should be able to roll the log. The stile then needs to be reinstated
The route across the field could then be re-established. Pragmatically a line down the side of the field – parallel to Foxwood Lane – could be established to link with the desire line path which is now clearly marked at the bottom of the field. (It will be for the owners to apply for a formal PROW diversion order if they wish to discourage people for walking through, what will presumably by the spring be, a cropped field). Obviously the current practice of people climbing over a 1.5 metre high metal gate is potentially hazardous and precludes some less ambient residents (who ironically are perhaps those most needing access to informal walking options) from using the paths.
The stile at the bottom corner needs to be repaired and hardcore put on the approaches.
Neither of the access points to the Council owned section of the path near Osprey Close have had the promised hardcore put down. Both these paths are narrow and on a gradient, They will become increasingly slippery in poor winter weather. So some action needs to be taken now.
Further along the path near and in Acomb Wood there are sections which are subject to flooding and which would also benefit from having hardcore put down.
Stile needs repairs and hardcore underneathAccess points from Osprey Close are hazardous in wet weather.
Residents have won their battle to prevent a huge 5G phone mast being erected on Bellhouse Way.
The 20 metre high mast would have been located next to the Foxwood Community Centre.
The proposal from Hutchinson/Clarke Telecom was heavily criticised by the residents association, ward Councillors and neighbours. They were concerned that the mast would dominate the residential streetscape, affect footpath widths, impede sight lines and could have facilitated criminals to use the cabinets to gain access to nearby properties.
The Council gives the impact on visual amenity as its main reason for refusing the application. The full decision notice can be read by clicking here
While the Telecoms Company could appeal against the decision we hope that they will now stand back and reflect.
A more obvious location for their mast would be on Foxwood Lane next to the Thanet Road sports area.This is well away from the nearest dwelling.
The existing mast cabinets could be moved there as could those which are currently located at the entrance to the Rugby Club car park (which also cause sight line problems for drivers).
Still, at least in this case, the Council seems to have heeded the views of the local community.
Local residents have asked the Council to deal with maintenance issues at the Grange Lane park.
Complaints have been raised about littering but some of the equipment is unusable as a result of vandalism, graffiti, muddy entrances and missing safety surfaces under the swings.
Safety surfaces have sunkSigns have been vandalisedPlay equipment needs cleaningLitter reported earlier in the week
The Council also promised to put hardcore down on parts of the footpath link from Grange Lane to Westfield Place where it is subject to flooding. This work hasn’t been done yet. It needs to be completed before the wetter winter months arrive.
The path is now being used occasionally by cyclists as a short cut. Some arrangements for them could be made at relatively little cost.
Use by walkers has also increased since lock-down started.
Park footpath needs hardcore in some places to prevent flooding
As we have said before, these It seems that both utility companies and volunteers have given up on removing graffiti from utility boxes around the City. Several instances have been reported over the last couple of months without a response.
Often local volunteers and Councillors would make cleaning up graffiti a top priority. Environmental crimes like these as it can damage the image of a local neighbourhood. There has been little evidence of that recently.
The real key though is for the authorities to identify and take action against those who are responsible. That also isn’t happening.
The graffiti removal service launched last year – which cleans publicly owned street furniture – has been much more successful.
The annual – pandemic delayed – Great British Spring Clean starts on 11th September. We hope that the Council will include “tag” removal from these utility boxes as part of that campaign.
It looks like work on the new Children’s Disabled centre and the renovation and extension of Lincoln Court sheltered housing could be completed by the October target date. The internal road system has been surfaced over the last few days. This is usually a sign that work is well advanced.
At a minimum it should mean that there will be less mud on local roads
Internal roads now surfaced at Disabled Centre
Neighbours will be looking forward to getting the new bus lay-by into operation following 12 months of disruption.
However there is still a lot to do. The public noticeboard was damaged by contractors needs to be replaced. What is left of the noticeboard is currently attached to a perimeter fence.
…and the long saga of providing a replacement games area for local children still seems to be stalled.
MUGA – now a builders compound
On the 18th March 2019 the Council’s Executive agreed to provide a replacement for the Kingsway West “Multi User Games Area” (MUGA) which has been closed as part of the project to extend Lincoln Court.
The minute of the meeting read; “a ii) To note that in approving Option 1 a commitment is made for alternative recreational facilities following community consultation including Sport England within Westfield Ward in mitigation for the loss of the Multi Use Games Area. The alternative facilities provided are to be agreed by Executive and will be subject to a further report and budget approval.”
Nothing more has been heard about the plan. Residents hoped that an all weather area might be provided on Thanet Road but nothing seems to have come of this as yet.
The Council has today announced the name of the new centre
Innonvative new facility for children with disabilities buzzes with a new name
An innovative facility for children with disabilities in York has got a new name, thanks to the young people who will use it.
‘The Beehive’, as the Centre of Excellence for disabled children will now be known, will provide short overnight breaks for children with complex disabilities in the city. Young people and their families will be able to receive specialist support from a wide range of professionals, including clinical psychologists, all in one building for the first time.
The ‘bee theme’ will flow throughout the new facility, including bee-friendly names for the bedroom areas and honeycomb-like hexagons incorporated into the decorative features. Children and young people using the facility will also be given a fluffy bee toy to take home with them as a visual reminder of their ‘home away from home’.
It’s hoped that this attention to detail will help the children settle into the new building more easily, something which is particularly important for young people with learning disabilities or autism.
Thought to be one of the first facilities of its kind in the country, the innovative building is a partnership between City of York Council and NHS England.
The new centre is due to open this year and includes:
spacious bedrooms with state of the art hoist and bathing facilities for children who have complex health needs and wheelchair users
a larger, open-spaced area and bedrooms for children with learning disabilities or autism
quieter self-contained areas that can be used for children who may struggle in a more open, busier environment and where their parents can accompany them so that their needs can be fully assessed
an activity area, sensory room and quiet rooms
a large outdoor play space with a variety of equipment suitable for children of all abilities
The papers contain one surprise as an additional leg (B – D) has been added to the route covered by the application. It now also includes a path located to the rear of existing houses in the area.
