What’s on in York: City Kick About
Big pothole on A64 near North Lane junction reported
It isn’t just the York Council that is struggling to keep on top of the pothole problem. A large pothole has opened up on the eastbound carriageway of the A64 trunk road near its junction with North Lane.
This has been reported to the Highways Agency via the useful “Fix My Street” web site https://www.fixmystreet.com/
Meanwhile we have been able to report some other issues via local Councillors
Missing play equipment on Chesney’s Field 
Damaged fencing in the same area
Issues reported today in west York
The end of the holidays brings with it a need to deal with some issues. Today we have reported issues with
- dog fouling,
- dumping next to the recycling banks on Acomb Wood Drive,
- leaf fall in the Greenwood Grove area
- litter in the Chesney Field area &
- more litter on the Tithe Close snicket
Hopefully they will be addressed quickly now.
Public services improving in York this week
The York Council has had a good week in providing public services. 100% refuse collection success today with the only significant missed collections, earlier in the week, down to “blocked accesses”. Their web page detailing service standards achieved can be accessed by clicking here
Elsewhere the fallen leaves that we reported on Bellhouse Way have been cleared from the paths
What’s on in York: Outdoor workout with “Move the Masses” at Chesney Field on Wednesday
Good news and some bad news
The Kingsway kickabout area (MUGA) has been repaired. It was litter and vandal free when we visited yesterday and once again could fulfil a role in getting kids “off the streets”.
The area under the trees adjacent to the MUGA has been tidied. The MUGA can now be viewed from Lincoln Court following a request from residents there to have boundary hedges cut back.
We’ve asked for the weeds to be cut back
The Askham Grove snicket is looking very tidy these days. Not always the case in the past
Andrew Waller has had some success in getting a pothole filled in on Beaconsfield Street
Fly tipping has been cleared from around the recycling bins on the Acomb car park
Unfortunately the dumped sofa has not yet been removed from the Cornlands Road playground
A litter bin has been upended on Chesneys Field
Residents reject plan to fence off Chesneys Field
Chesney’s Field development plan
A Council proposal, that part of the Chesney Field amenity area should be fenced off, was criticised at a meeting of the Foxwood Residents Association last night.
Of those attending the meeting, only Council officials spoke in favour of the plan.
Now a formal representation has been made to local Councillors in the hope that the scheme can be quickly dismissed as an option.
This would allow other aspects of the project to move forward. These may include the provision of a trim track or “outdoor gym”.
Residents urged the football club that wants to erect the fencing and a storage container, to look to an arrangement with the Acorn Ruby Club who operate on an adjacent, and secure, site already.
The matter is likely to be discussed again at a Ward Committee meeting which is taking place next Tuesday at the Bowling Club (7:00pm)
Public meeting on Wednesday about future of Chesney Field
Council officials will speak to residents in Foxwood about their plans to fence off part of the Chesney Field amenity area at a meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting is open to any resident living in the Foxwood area and will take place at the Community centre on Bellhouse Way, starting at 7:45pm
The plan has been heavily criticised, with a recent survey revealing that over 70% of affected residents oppose the plan for fencing.
Chesney Field Council decision on 19th October UPDATED
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNCIL WILL NOT NOW DISCUSS THE CHESNEY FIELD ISSUES ON 19TH OCTOBER. INSTEAD THE QUESTION OF PROVIDING FENCING AND A STORAGE CONTAINER ON THE SITE WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER MEETING WHEN THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR LEISURE WILL REVIEW THE PROPOSALS. THE MEETING WILL, OF COURSE, BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS.
EARLIER: Despite overwhelming opposition to the proposal to fence off most of the Chesney Field public open space, the York Council is set to discuss the plan at a meeting of its Executive taking place on 19th October.
The same meeting will also consider selling off land at Burnholme and plans to provide sports pitches on land at the “Askham estate” on Tadcaster Road.
However it is the proposal to erect 1 metre high railings, on the public open space on Foxwood Lane, that is likely to attract the most controversy.
Chesney’s Field Interpretation board unveiled last year
Council fencing plan
Public meeting
The Foxwood Residents Association is organising a public meeting to discuss the issue. It will take place on Wednesday 20th September starting at 7:00pm. The meeting will take place at the Foxwood Community Centre and will be attended by those Council officials who favour the railings plan.
Local Ward Councillors have now completed delivering a door to door survey to households in the Foxwood area seeking views on the Council’s plans.
Of those who have responded so far
- 124 (72%) do not want to see the amenity area fenced off
- 48 (28%) support putting railings round up to 60% of the area
These was no support for securing the whole of the site.
Most respondents said they had no objection to the current arrangements where football and rugby pitches are marked out on the area and rented on a seasonal basis by local clubs.
There was no opposition to plans to level the 2 pitches.
There was strong opposition to siting a shipping storage container on the open space, although some said they had no objection to one being located in the Thanet Road sports area (Acorn Field) behind the landscaping mounds.
Additional trees were planted on Chesney’s Field
Views about the provision of a trim track or outdoor gym were mixed. Some favoured provision of such a facility (which is not dependant on the area being fenced off) on Chesneys field although others felt the provision would be more appropriate on the Acorn field, where there is already a significant amount of sports infrastructure (and which is already secured with 2 metre high railings).
Residents were asked where provision for the local football club, which faces eviction from the Council owned pitches at Lowfields, should be made. The majority of respondents said that the Lowfields plans should be redesigned to allow the existing pitches to remain.
Others pointed to the Councils promise to provide an alternative on Tadcaster Road, while some asked if the joint use of pitches on the Acorn Rugby field was possible (given the projected cost of the project which is put at £40,000)
Foxwood residents, who have so far not completed the survey, can do so “on line” at http://tinyurl.com/Chesneyaug
Residents object to York Councils plans to build on playing field
Action Group flyer delivered in Tudor Road area
Residents have until 31st July to object to the latest plan to build on Lowfields playing fields.
The plan, published by the Council with little advance notice, was subject to a “drop in ” consultation last week. However residents can still record their views direct to the Council at the following Email address lowfield.development@york.gov.uk.
Overall the development has now increased in size to nearly 200 homes reinforcing concerns about the impact that additional traffic will have on the neighbourhood.
The plan would seen another open green space – currently used for sports – built on.
An Action Group has published a detailed critique which can be downloaded by clicking this link http://tinyurl.com/LowJulyob
It is likely that opposition will increase if the Council carries out their threat to move a football team from the Lowfields site onto Chesneys Field.
The move could mean part of the public open space lying next to Foxwood Lane being fenced off. A consultation “drop in” on the £40,000 proposals- again with very little advance notice – is taking place at Acorn Rugby Club on Tuesday between 4:00pm and 6:00pm