Roadworks on Fishergate and Wigginton Road to start next week

 

City of York Council will be carrying out resurfacing works from next week at Fishergate (starting 17 February) and Wigginton Road (starting 9 March).

The Fishergate works start on Monday 17 February and will take around seven nights to complete (weather permitting), working between 7.30pm till 5am, Monday to Friday only (weekend excluded).

In order to carry out these works safely the use of a temporary road closure from the junction of Kilburn Road up to, but not including, the junction of Fewster Way will be put in place.

Fulford Road and the junction of Cemetery Road will also be closed as part of the works. A clearly signed diversion route will be set out for through traffic.

Buses will be diverted during working hours as follows:

Phase 1 – Junction of Cemetery Rd & Fishergate – Services 7 and 415 – Inbound via Heslington Lane, University Rd, Heslington Rd, Kent St. Outbound via Kent Street, Heslington Rd, University Rd, Heslington Lane.

Phase 2 – Fishergate closed between Cemetery Rd and Fawcett St – Services 7 and 415 – Inbound via Cemetery Rd, Kent Street, Fawcett St. Outbound via Paragon St, Fawcett St, Kent St, Cemetery Rd.

Phase 3 – Fawcett Street closed between Kent Street and Fishergate – Services 7 and 415- normal route inbound. Outbound via Kent Street, Cemetery Rd. Services 66/N66 – inbound via Cemetery Rd, Fishergate. Outbound via normal route.

The Wigginton Road works will start Monday 9 March and will take around two weeks to complete (weather permitting), working between 8pm till 5am, Monday to Friday.

In order to carry out these works safely the use of a temporary road closure from the roundabout at A1237 to the traffic light junction at Mill Lane will be necessary. A clearly signed diversion route will be set out for through traffic.

During both schemes, site staff will be on hand to advise and assist residents about the access restrictions once the works are ongoing.

Any specific access requirements maybe arranged by speaking to the Site Traffic Management Operatives or the Engineer who will co-ordinate with residents and business requirements around ongoing construction operations.

Emergency services will be permitted at all times. Cyclists will have to dismount and use the footways.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience to the public, however the contractor will try at all times to keep any disruption to a minimum.

To keep up-to-date with the latest road works in York visit www.york.gov.uk/roadworks or follow @York_Travel on social media.

Residents can contact Murtaza Khaliq, site supervisor, on 07880 505375, if they have any concerns during the works, particularly if this is related to noise issues.

So who will win the York Council elections?

Dringhouses and Fishergate wards reviewed

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe

The Dringhouses ward  is home to 11,639 residents. Average incomes are lower than the City average. 80% of residents own their home. There are 360 Council homes in the area 1.6% are out of work. Crime levels are below average.  86.5% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (York average 88.6%). 40% believe that they can influence decisions in their local area (City average 26.2). Source

Elections

The Dringhouses Ward has traditionally been a LibDem stronghold. The only break in their domination came in 2011 when Labour took two of the seats.  Normal service was resumed in 2015 when the LibDems scored a clean sweep with a substantial swing.  Ann Reid, who retires this year, secured record breaking support, for a local election, when polling 3104 votes.

The poll is remarkable this year as 7 of the 14 candidates declined to give their address on their nomination forms. One has subsequently confirmed that he lives in the ward. However that means that there are only 3 candidates who have confirm a local home. A rare UKIP candidate makes an appearance and another disillusioned Tory is seeking election as an Independent. .

Development of green spaces is a major issue in the ward and already the Labour candidates seem to have blundered by highlighting the threat to Askham Bog. It was the last Labour controlled Council who, in 2013, first included Moor Lane in their “Big City” Local Plan development proposals. Fortunately that threat has now receded as a revised Local Plan which preserves the Green Belt has been agreed  by the coalition.

With Tory support haemorrhaging, it is difficult to see any other result than another LibDem clean sweep in in this ward.

Prediction

3 LibDem seats

Fishergate

The Fishergate ward  is home to 10,123 residents.  Average incomes are lower than the City average. 48% of residents own their home. 39% are private renters and 10% are social tenants. There are 148 Council homes in the area.  2.3% are out of work. Crime levels are slightly above average.  94.7% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (York average 88.6%). 35% believe that they can influence decisions in their local area (City average 26.2). Source

Elections

Fishergate is now the Green Party’s York stronghold They have held the seats there for over 16 years.

The Tories did poll well in the area 25 years ago but have been in decline in the ward  in recent years, reaching the point in 2011 where they didn’t even put forward any candidates.

Labour support has been stable but well behind the Greens

There are a lot of young student voters in the ward as highlighted by the high proportion of privately rented property.

The Green Councillors have struggled not to become part of the political establishment but recently they took the City’s Lord Mayoralty for the first time and have led campaigns to have ResPark charges reduced! 

Labour have nominated a retiring Councillor, and recent Lord Mayor (Barbara Boyce), as a candidate albeit one who represented the Heworth Ward . She and the other non Green candidates look set to be “also ran’s”.

Prediction

2 Green seats