Unfortunately, Council officials have apparently asked for signage advertising Saturday’s market and Christmas lights switch on to be removed.
If true, we find that quite extraordinary.
It is only a month since the same officials said that dozens of fly posters, adverting a visiting circus, could remain for up to 4 weeks.
Now a locally organised event is targeted for enforcement action.
Christmas Tree in Front Street
Over £6,485 has been raised by the appeal which was organised by Acomb Alive, the independent traders group.
It is expected that the lights will be put up shortly and a “switch on” is planned for Saturday at 4:00pm
click for details
Plans for a garage conversion on Front St have been withdrawn
There were no new planning applications submitted for the Westfield area last week
The planning application to construct a new home on the lane to the side of Ali Barbers on Front Street has been withdrawn.
—–
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
Sanderson House faces rates hike
Further detail has emerged of the new Business Rates that will be payable in Acomb and elsewhere in the City.
Generally, valuations have increased by around 10% although there are very wide variations.
This means that most shopkeepers in the area will pay more than they currently do when the valuations are introduced next year.
Examples of valuations – which can be found on the government web site by clicking here – are shown in the table below.
The figures quoted do not indicate the actual amount which is paid. A multiplier – which changes each year – is applied get the actual amount to be paid.
Still there are some shockers on the list not least the huge hikes in rates for the Community Centres in Chapelfields (+50%) and Foxwood (+17%). Charities do get relief on their rate payments but the changes are difficult to understand against a background where some businesses, like Ladbrokes bookmakers, will enjoy reductions of around 7%.
Elsewhere Liberal Democrat Councillor Sue Hunter has backed the idea of a new investment scheme for Front Street and called on the council “to give Acomb the support it deserves”.
A recommendation for a “wider renewal and reinvigoration scheme” was agreed by York’s Executive Member for Transport & Planning at a meeting yesterday in response to petitions presented by Lib Dem councillors in Acomb and Foxwood.
Over the summer, Cllr Sue Hunter organised a petition signed by over 800 residents calling for action to fix pavements in Front Street to help those who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and support the local shopping area. Meanwhile, Cllr Sheena Jackson organised a petition calling for improvements to the pavements around Foxwood Shops.
In response to the petitions, it was agreed that standard repairs will continue and that further work is carried out to appraise the possibilities for a wider renewal and reinvigoration scheme for both locations and a report prepared for the Executive Member for Economic Development and Community Engagement. (more…)
Foxwood Lane shops
The petitions had pointed at poor maintenance standards, with weeds and litter a constant problem.
The main criticism though was about the surface of the roads and footpaths some of which are badly rutted and uneven.
A meeting on the 13th October will hear that highways officials have examined the roads and paths in both areas and have ordered that potholes be filled in on sections which are a part of the adopted public highway.
Officials say that they have limited powers to require the owners of the private shop forecourts to undertake safety work.
They report that they have “undertaken additional inspections following receipt of the petitions and have identified any areas where the condition of the footway is approaching or exceeding intervention levels, works have been programmed and delivered where these have been identified within the adopted highway. Letters requesting works from frontagers have been issued to address any similar areas within the unadopted areas”.
Front Street
Regeneration needed
The report goes on to say that any further uplift works must form part of a larger regeneration project. They recommend that this option be referred to the responsible Executive member with a further report.
However, they also say that
“further improvements will require significant works to reinvigorate the two areas, initial estimates could be in the region of £500,000 for Acomb Front Street and £125,000 for Foxwood.
Additional complications arise with both locations where an additional financial burden would fall to the frontagers who would be expected to contribute significant sums of a similar magnitude to facilitate improvements of the adopted and unadopted areas”.
While we have long believed that a major investment is needed to regenerate the large, complex and neglected Front Street area, the suggestion that £1/4 million needs to be spent resurfacing the Foxwood shops forecourts is ridiculous.
What is needed is an overlay of flexible surfacing – similar perhaps to that used by the Council in Library Square – plus repainting or renewal of street furniture such as the cycle rack and bins.
We hope that Councillors won’t be hoodwinked by this very obvious example of “shroud waving”.
1982 petition collected by Liberal Councillor Bill Fairclough
It’s 34 years since a campaign was launched to improve shopping facilities in the Acomb Front Street area.
A new supermarket came many years ago but it was not until the independent Acomb Alive traders group arrived that a street market actually took off.
The market is open until 3:00pm today (Saturday)
Work started on resurfacing Front Street. The road will be closed again tomorrow (Sunday) to permit the completion of the work
Cllr Sheena Jackson has started a survey aimed at finding out what improved leisure facilities youngsters in the Foxwood area would like to see.
Cllr Sheena Jackson has been meeting with the Local Police Community Support Officers to discuss anti social behaviour issues in the area
& a quick litter pick by Sheena in the Tedder Road park
Lack of parking space on Windsor Garth is now a major issue. No sign yet of much needed matrix protection
Developers will take down a section of the railings around part of the Hob Stones development in the autumn. It is being replaced with an (ugly) close boarded fence (which is 4 metres high on the north side)
Unfortunately the Council has not updated the notices displayed on public noticeboards in the Kingsway area. There is a lot going on so this is a missed opportunity.
Road works starting on Windsor Garth link road upgrade on 30th August. Plan shows that speed tables will be repaired.
Deep clean needed on Windsor Garth
Recurrence of litter problems on Kingsway West/Green Lane snicket & kick about area
Bus stop paving on Hamilton Drive West disappearing under verge. Litter reported by Cllr Sue Hunter.
Damaged Gully cover Danesfort Ave to be re-aligned to avoid flooding
Weeds and detritus reported on Gale Lane lay-by. We’ve asked for road markings on the adjacent Stuart Road hammerhead to be repainted
Cllr Andrew Waller has reported an overhanging tree Thanet Road
Litter and detritus on Chesney’s Field snicket
Front Street will be closed again in Sunday to allow the rest of the carriageway to be resurfaced.
The closure is expected to last from 8:00am to 6:00pm weather permitting.
Bus services will be diverted but pedestrian access to shops, churches etc will be maintained.
