Local services under threat in Acomb

Sainsbury’s

Speculation is mounting about the future of the Sainsbury’s Local store on Beckfield Lane. Sources suggest that it may close towards the end of the summer.

The rumours have been reinforced by the recent decision by the company to close its Argos stores, make redundancies at its head office and close 10 large supermarkets and 110 local branches

Sainsbury’s has performed well during the pandemic recording an increase in sales of 8.5% last year.

The Supermarket was rebuffed by regulators in an attempt to merge with Asda 2 years ago.

Sainsbury’s operates 10 stores in York. The Beckfield Lane store is their only outlet in Acomb. The next nearest Sainsbury’s Local is in Blossom Street.

Lloyds Bank closing this week

Lloyds Bank confirmed recently that it would close its Front Street branch on 11^th March (Thursday).

It was still attracting a steady stream of customers this morning.

Details of the closure and other options for customers can be found by clicking these links

Closure part one

Closure part two

Issues reported for Council attention in west York

Gale Lane carriageway breaking up. The section is only a few metres away from the area that was resurfaced a few months ago. The Council really should have resurfaced as far as the junction

Widespread damage to verges and speed humps in the Kingsway area blamed on heavy building plant. The Newbury Avenue bungalows should be finished at the end of the year so hopefully some repairs will then take place.

Dumped fridge in hedgerow at Chesney Field

& again in the little Green Lane garage area

Graffiti in Howe Street area. This will prove to be a test of the Councils new graffiti removal processes which were implemented a few weeks ago.

Still a lot of leaf fall in some streets. This is Windsor Garth. Streets now need mechanical sweeping before mulch becomes embedded.

Litter in hedgerows near Doherty Walk. The Councils street cleansing systems still aren’t working with problems on several estates and at some shopping centres.

Timetable to address York public service woes needed

Anyone expecting the York Council’s Executive to take decisive action, to address declining public service standards at their meeting yesterday, will have been disappointed.

Despite a plea from Independent Councillor Mark Warters that a team be set up to deal with outstanding complaints, the Councils leadership remained tight lipped.

Cllr Warters was echoing a similar call from a growing number of Liberal Democrat supporters in the City

Many residents may conclude that there is something seriously wrong at West Offices.

Not only is there no timetable for addressing outstanding issues, but communications with residents are poor while many local Councillors (not all) fail to roll their sleeves up and tackle issues directly in their wards.

The York Council is no longer a “can do” organisation. It’s become a “maybe things will get better next year” type authority.

That won’t do. Its the kind of complacent attitude that has prompted a rise in more extreme political ideologies elsewhere in the country and abroad. It needs to be reversed, and quickly.

Not everything is bad, of course. Some individual Council officials are making limited progress in improving our streets as we show here.

The drainage channel on Foxwood Lane has been cleared

The Field Lane cycle track has been cleared of obstructions

But for every success there is a failure. The footpath on Hull Road remains obstructed despite pedestrians being forced onto the busy highway

and weeds still haven’t been treated even on streets where Councillors actually live!

New issues are emerging each day. This footpath on Field Lane, near the Hull Road junction, is now obstructed.

Not the Councils responsibility, but there has been a build up of litter on the Teal Drive “pocket park”. Reopened 6 weeks ago, it is being well used but it does need routine cleansing (or a litter bin). Reported to JRHT.

Public services in York struggling to catch up with bad weather backlog

That was the week that was: west York in pictures

Out and about taking action during the week ending 27th August 2016

Cllr Sheena Jackson has asked for a mattress dumped in Hatfield Walk to be removed and has reported dog fouling problems on Walker Drive

BT kiodk in Kingsway West looking shabby

BT kiosk in Kingsway West looking shabby

We’ve asked for the gutters in the cul de sacs in Kingsway West to be deep cleaned

Problems with day burning lights and inoperative door entry systems have been reported

& the Acomb Market in now open!

A report earlier in the week blamed localised flooding on blocked or damaged gullies Please make sure that you report for cleaning any that you find in your local area

Blocked gully on Gale Lane recently reported by us

We report all issues using https://www.fixmystreet.com/

Action taken in Lowfields area

We’ve been out and about in the Lowfields area today. Although public services are generally better than they were a year ago there are still some issues.

It appears that the Council is not routinely cleaning cul do sacs and difficult to access areas like garage forecourts.

Below are some issues that we have reported using @fixmystreet

Detritus on carriageway in Harold Court. We have also reported the faded street sign

The rear entrance to the former Lowfields school on Tudor Road needs weeds clearing and detritus sweeping up. The cul de sac is much improved since the paths were resurfaced last year

The area around the entrance to the Lowfields School site on Dijon Avenue needs a good clean up.

The Dijon Avenue garage area has been untidy for over a year. There have been problems with dumping while potentially hazardous thorn hedges are overgrowing the area.

York Council makes better progress in addessing local problems

Less litter on Cornlands Park

New Doherty Walk parking area completed


Leaves swept from little Green Lane

: New floor covering on Merton Court

: New salt bin on Askham Grove

: Salt bin filled on Dijon Ave

Salt bin filled on Tennent Road

Action taken in Westfield: Roundup

Although attention in the City has – rightly – been concentrated on the floods and their aftermath, other areas have also suffered during the recent wet weather.

We have taken up several issues using the Fix My Street web site which we recommend to residents wanting to ask for repairs and improvements.

Several faulty street lights have been reported by Cllr Sheena Jackson over the last few days. These include number 3 in Bellhouse Way. If you report a streetlight please remember to quote the number which is displayed on the lamppost as well as the street name.

A pothole on Foxwood Lane has also been reported by Sheena

Sheena has asked for black bags dumped in the Foxwood Lane hedge to eb removed

Sheena has asked for black bags dumped in the Foxwood Lane hedge to be removed

The wet weather means that more verges like this in Windsor Garth have been churned up

Good news with the salt bin at the junction of Kingsway West and Danesfort Avenue now having been filled

Litter accumuataion on the Titeh Close snicket has been reported

Litter accumulation on the Tithe Close snicket has been reported

Rubbish bad dumped in Teal Drive salt bin

Rubbish bag dumped in Teal Drive salt bin

The little Green Lane garage area continues to deteriorate. The lack of action – the problems were reported 4 months ago – will now be referred to the Ombudsman

More damaged verges this time in St Stephens Road

and again in Kingsway West

Still no sign of repair to the carriageway in Windsor Garth

Good news in Ascot Way where an overgrown hedge has been cut back

York Council slow to deal with safety reports

Just a few weeks after we reported that the York Council seemed to be getting on top of a backlog of complaints, further issues have arisen.

Nettles overgrowing footpaths, broken glass, full poop scoop bins, graffiti and litter in back lanes have all been reported but are still awaiting Council attention two weeks later. A confirmation of receipt of the complaints had been sent by the Council on 8th September when the issues were sent on to the responsible department for action.

The problems had been reported through “Fix my Street“. This web site allows progress to be publicly recorded. Some issues logged two weeks ago have been addressed – an abandoned bike on York Road has been removed and a clothes recycling bank emptied – but several remain outstanding.

Local Councillors have been asked to escalate the outstanding issues.

Nettles overgrowing Bellhouse Way – first reported on 6th September and a hazard for passing children

Broken glass on School Street back lane – outstanding for two weeks

Litter in Gladstone Street/Beaconsfield Street area back lanes

Poop scoop bin full on Dijon Avenue . First reported 6th September -may have been emptied but is now full again (and very smelly!)

Clothes bank has been emptied in Acomb car park but rubbish now being piled on top of can bank

Frontline services threatened by membership of Leeds super council

Liberal Democrats have raised fresh concerns over York’s membership of a new super council after it was revealed that money could be cut from frontline survices to fund the City’s contribution.

Labour run City of York Council has decided to join with Leeds, Bradford and other West Yorkshire metropolitan authorities in a new super council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, from April 2014. York will be expected to contribute around £4million-a-year to the authority, which will have a range of roles including deciding major local transport schemes and overseeing economic development.

At last week’s Full Council meeting, in response to a question from Lib Dem Councillor Keith Orrell, Labour confirmed that they did not know where the £4million-a-year would come from but they would consider taking it from York’s revenue budget – which funds frontline services.
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