Lidl longer opening hours set for approval

Officials are recommending that Lidl on Thanet Road be permitted to open for longer hours.

Lidl Thanet RoadThe proposed hours – to be discussed at a planning committee meeting taking place on 3rd December – will be

  • Monday to Saturday: 07.00 to 22.00 hours
  • Sundays and Bank Holidays: 10.00 to 19.00.

Originally the store had asked to open between 07:00 and 2200 every day but this has now been reduced for Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Currently Sunday trading laws allow a large retail unit to open no earlier than 10.00 and ending no later than 18.00 for a continuous period of 6 hours. Granting planning permission for the proposed hours does not override Sunday Trading Legislation. The stores agent has confirmed that the proposed Sunday opening hours are speculative and is in response to the Government announcing (July 2015 Budget) potential revisions to Sunday trading hours.

Only one objection to the plan was received.

Beckfield Lane housing development

Officials are also recommending approval of an application to build 9 dwellings on Lland lying between Beckfield Lane and Runswick Avenue. The report can be read by clicking here

Beckfield Lane/Runswick Avenue click to access

Beckfield Lane/Runswick Avenue click to access

The proposed development contains a mix of house types consisting of four houses which are two storeys in height and contain three bedrooms, two houses containing three bedrooms which are two and a half storey in height (rooms in the roof space), two bungalows containing two bedrooms, and one bungalow containing three bedrooms. All dwellings proposed are semi-detached with the exception of the three bedroom bungalow which is detached. The majority of dwellings contain two car parking spaces and one visitor space is provided.

This application attracted 28 letters of objection (and three of support)

Other plans

Other applications being considered at the same meeting include (click to access):

Discussion starts on grant funding of Community Centres in York

 

The report on how part of the grants for local Community Centres could be reinstated has been published.
Sanderson House community centre

Sanderson House community centre

The centres affected are located in Foxwood, Chapelfields, Bell Farm and Heworth.

A fifth – the Burton Stone Centre – was to have been sold off to a third party operator but this has fallen through. It continues – at least for the moment – to be run by Council employees, but without a volunteer user committee.

The Community Centres running cost grants (which totalled £140,000 in 2013) were stopped last year by the then Labour run Council.

It had been hoped that the new Council, having made £70,000 available to support the centres when it met in July, would allow for the reinstatement of some caretaker roles.

In turn this would have allowed the centres – which otherwise depend entirely on volunteers –  to increase their opening hours.

A report to a meeting taking place next week offers three choices for the use of the funding.  They are:

  1. The Council could retain the £70k budget with no direct grant funding to the voluntary management committees. The budget would be used to maintain the condition of the five premises enabling funds to be directed to those buildings which have the greatest identified repair and maintenance requirements.
  2. The Council could split the £70k equally across the five centres, offering them a £14k direct grant each.
  3. A combination of options A and B to provide some direct grants, whilst retaining some of the budget for the Council to contribute to the repair and maintenance liabilities. A sinking fund would also be established to allow a planned approach to asset replacement.

Option (c) would reinstate only a £4000 a year grant to each of the five centres. See below for details

Foxwood Community Centre propsed grants

The rest would be syphoned off to pay for maintenance work at the buildings which are still owned by the Council.  As landlord the Council would be responsible for these repairs anyway.

There is a suggestion that an “apprentice” be appointed   – at a cost of £10,000 – to monitor the project.

Some people already feel that there has been too much interfering by Council officials in the work of the voluntary committees which work tirelessly to run the centres. Officials seem to want to weigh volunteers down with “service level agreements” and commitments which are simply too onerous for spare time volunteers to feel comfortable with.

We hope that “no strings” grants of at least £20,000 a year can be agreed for each centre. To allow for forward planning they should be guaranteed for the duration of at least the present Council (i.e. until 2019)

A decision on the grants will be taken at a meeting on Thursday, 3rd December, 2015 4.30 pm at West Offices. Residents may make written representations to the meeting and/or may register to attend in person and speak. (Telephone – (01904) 552062 Email laura.bootland@york.gov.uk)

Cornlands Park entrance to be gated as process to close Bachelor Hill snickets is considered

One of the entrances to the Cornlands Road park is recommended for closure in a report to be presented to a meeting next week (see plan).

Cornlands park gate Nov 2015There have been few objections to the plan which will use new Public Space Protection Order legislation. The legislation allows access to be restricted to areas which have a poor crime record.

Last year the Cornlands Park was the centre of increased anti-social behaviour in the area and Police hope that restricting the number of access points to the park will make enforcement easier.

Many residents though would like to see the whole of the park secured after dark.

Bachelor Hill

The same meeting will consider a petition presented by local Councillor Sue Hunter to the last Council meeting.

It requesting the alleyways between 30-38 Gale Lane,1-9 Bachelor Hill and to the rear of 11-15 Bachelor Hill be gated for reasons of security.

Back snicket closures Bachelor Hill

A report by officials to the meeting claims that there have been no reports of anti-social behaviour in the area during the last 12 months and that therefore the Public Space Protection Order legislation cannot be invoked in this case.

Not with standing recent statistics, over the years’ rowdy behaviour has been a recurrent issue in the area.

The snickets concerned are not short cuts. They are only used – legitimately – to access the rear of the terraced properties.

The Council should agree to consult with residents about the options for installing lockable gates

The snickets, which are both on Council Housing Department owned land, could still be closed but funding would be needed from either the estate improvement budget or the Ward committee.

Latest planning application for the Westfield Ward

Green Lane Fish and Chip shop to be converted into flat

27th June 10 Green Lane fish shop

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

None

————–

Westfield

The former Fish and Chip shop on Green Lane may be converted into a flat. The Fish and Chip business, which has already closed, was a source of complaint from some nearby residents who were inconvenienced by illegal parking connected with the take-away. A return to residential use is likely to be welcomed by many.

Location:       Green Lane Fish And Chips 6 Green Lane Acomb York YO24 3DB

Proposal:       Conversion of hot food takeaway (use class A5) to 1no. flat (use class C3)

Ref No: 15/02553/FUL

Applicant:      Mrs Jean Richardson     Contact Ged Hardgrave   Consultation Expiry Date        14 December 2015Case Officer:   Elizabeth Potter        Expected Decision Level DEL

 ——–

 Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received

Foxwood Residents Association to discuss lockers, parking etc on Wednesday

The Foxwood Residents Association meets on Wednesday (7:00pm, Community Centre) and will discuss the new lockers which are being provided for flats in the area.
The meeting – which is open to all residents living in the Foxwood area – will also hear how plans to provide matrix protection, for the grassed parking area in Doherty Walk, are progressing.
Design of lockers planned for Foxwood flats

Design of lockers planned for Foxwood flats

Matrix surface protection planned for this grassed area

Matrix surface protection planned for this grassed area

Terraced homes in Westfield may get wheeled bins

Hope that a new re-use centre will reduce landfill tax costs
Streets in the Westfield area being considered for wheeled bins click for full list

Streets in the Westfield area being considered for wheeled bins click for full list

A report being discussed by the Council later in the month suggests that an additional 5,564 properties across York may get wheeled bins to replace residual waste sacks. Wheeled bins are preferred by the Council as they are more secure (from vandals and rodents), are easier and safer to handle and reduce emptying time.

However, in the past assembling bins at a central collection point has been unpopular with some residents.

A complete list of streets which are likely to be considered for the introduction of wheeled bins can be found by clicking here

The report also reviews the decision of the last Labour Council not to establish a re-use facility in the City.  In 2011 the then Council leadership abandoned the re-use and salvage centre planned for a site at Harewood Whin. Together with the closure of the recycling centre on Beckfield Lane the decision was partly to blame for a subsequent increase in the volume of waste going to landfill.

The new Council are looking at the successful re-use centre in Leeds which generates a surplus for the Council by reusing furniture.

Re-use centre

Re-use centre

There is thought to be a similar opportunity in York where many re-usable electrical items are scrapped. The report says “Reuse remains a key opportunity when it comes to reducing the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill and the associated costs. Reusing an item, rather than throwing it away, can prolong its useful life, reduce the need for finite valuable resources and potentially create work opportunities in terms of repair and maintenance”.

Currently the City depends on a varied range of voluntary groups such as Freecycle York, Bike Rescue and the community furniture store to promote the reuse of serviceable goods.

Other proposals being considered include:

  • Improving recycling in flats
  • Collecting mixed plastics (not recommended at present for cost reasons)
  • Extending garden waste collections to properties currently not covered (those that have green waste)
  • Imposing more restrictions on the number of permits available for the use of Household Waste sites by people using vans
  • Rationalising the number of sub-urban recycling bin sites (more consultation is promised before any are removed)
  • Co-mingling of recycling (not recommended for cost reasons)
  • The type of new collection vehicles to be purchased (leased) for use in narrow streets.

Wetherby Road speeding issues; Where now?

Wetherby Road VAS

Wetherby Road VAS

The minutes of last week’s transport meeting suggest that the Council will not trial the use of signs which display the actual speed that vehicles are travelling.

We think that this is a missed opportunity. The signs have  had some success when used elsewhere in the country.

On Wetherby Road the  Council will consider further whether to reduce the speed limit, between the A1237 and the start of the built up area, to 40 mph.

We doubt this will have much effect.

It was tried on Askham Lane with the intention of slowing traffic before it reached the 30 mph signs. On Askham Lane  vehicles entering the City also faced a mini roundabout and then speed cushions, but still some vehicles travel too fast for safety.

The simple fact is that most people driving in a rural unlit environment believe that the national speed limit is in operation.

The Council still plans to install cycle lanes on Wetherby Road. It is claimed that these will “focus” drivers attention on the road and make them more aware of speed.

We doubt that the lanes will have any effect on habitual speeders.

One suggested change, which could prove very dangerous, is a plan to remove the centre line from the road. Centre lines, and cats eyes, are an important point of reference for drivers particularly during periods of heavy rain or in foggy conditions.

We hope that this aspect  of the Councils plan – at least – will be quietly dropped.

The proposals are now subject to public consultation .

NB. We expect the Council now to replace the faulty speed warning sign which was located on the outward lane of the road

 

 

Police in York are seeking the owners of recovered bicycles – likely to be from Foxwood area

North Yorkshire Police is seeking the owners of several bicycles recovered by police in West York on Sunday 1 November 2015.
Police tape1

On Sunday 1 November 2015 police recovered several bicycles from an address on Thoresby Road in West York. The bicycles are believed to have been stolen earlier that day, most likely in the Foxwood area of York. However, so far, only one of these bicycles has been reported stolen.

We are conducting enquiries in respect of these bicycles. In particular, we are seeking to identify their owners so that their bicycles may be returned to them.

If you have had a bike stolen recently please contact us on 101, select option 2, and ask for Alastair Foy. You may also email alastair.foy@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12150194770.