Cycle path still blocked/Future of MUGA

Despite promises by Highways Yorkshire, the cycle path on the A64 slip road next to Pike Hills golf course remains obstructed, The overgrowth problem was reported in June. Shortly afterwards Highways Yorkshire (who are responsible for the path up to the junction with the A1036) tweeted to say that the whole path would be routinely freed of obstructions during July.

That has proved not to be the case.

Now the issue is set to be escalated to the local MP but this really shouldn’t be necessary. A team could clear the hazardous overgrowth (thorn branches) in just a couple of hours.

We hope that the issue is not left to volunteers to tackle. If the government is serious about encouraging sustainable transport – the the very least they should do is maintain existing paths in a useable condition.

UPDATE: Highways Yorkshire have tweeted to say that the path “is due to be cleared in the very near future”

We’ve also reported overgrowth near the cemetery and at the Tesco roundabout (York Council responsibility)

*A64 cycle path blockages and overgrowth at Tesco roundabout.*

MUGA Mugged

Separately we have queried with Councillors representing the Westfield ward what the future of the former Multi User Games Area (MUGA) site off Kingsway West is. It was used as a building compound for a couple of years but was subsequently abandoned.

The expectation was the the area would be leveled and grassed over. At present it is a weed infested eyesore.

The Council mowers studiously avoid cutting the area. They stick religiously to a route outside the line of the MUGA fence (which was removed last year).

If the area isn’t to be maintained as grassland then there is scope for more tree and wildflower planting. Neglect shouldn’t be an option.

Sadly there is still no news of the promised replacement games area. An all-weather surface, to replace what was lost, was due to be provided at the Thanet Road Sports Area, but progress has been glacial.

Rain brings new problems for York

There has been some persistent rain in York. This has brought some issues with flooding and surface water.

*Ponding near the shops on Cornlands Road. Possible blocked gulley makes access difficult for pedestrians*

*Verges are vulnerable to vehicle over-run damage when waterlogged*

*Weather a challenge for building works in the area*

*Perhaps not surprisingly given the pressures on Council services, some autumn leaves haven’t been swept up yet*

The former play area on Kingsway West has now been grassed over but access barriers are still in place. Still no sign of progress on a replacement although the Council has made provision for the project in its budget for the next financial year.

Please take the opportunity to report any blocked drains or other issues which may be a hazard for residents. Click here

Bus shelter lets down new disabled centre

The condition of the bus shelter outside the spanking new disabled centre in Ascot Way is disgraceful.

Out of use for a year as it was taken over by a builders compound, the expectation had been that a new shelter would be erected before the Councils contractors left the site.

This hasn’t happened so it – and the nearby public noticeboard which was also damaged – remain as unfortunate reminders of poor planning

The bus shelter is rusty, panels are missing or loose, weeds cover the floor and the whole structure is filthy. Altogether a poor advert for public transport in York.

*Dirty and damaged bus shelter. Only the school sign has been renewed.*

Nearby the council have invested in some tiny “entry” and “exit” signs for the centres car park. We doubt anyone will see them. It would be more effective to paint carriageway arrows to indicate the one way system.

The playground – for the use of children at the centre – has been completed.

*One way system and new play area which is not accessible for the public.*

Meanwhile the Council has now completely demolished the all weather multi user games area (MUGA) . There is still no sign of the promised replacement which was to have been erected on the Thanet Road Sports Area.

Building site on Ascot Way being wound down

It seems that completion of work at both the new disabled centre and a remodelled Lincoln Court will shortly be competed. The builders equipment is being removed and the compound on the school land and the MUGA are almost clear.

Despite being largely clear of equipment, it seems unlikely that public use of the games area will be allowed.

This is the replacement site on Thanet Road slated to be the home of the new games area. However discussions about the project have dragged on for nearly 2 years.

Meanwhile at Lowfields work continues with several homes likely to be ready for occupation early next year.

The has been no recent update from the York Council on when they expect the communal housing, self build, health centre, older persons accommodation, public buildings and community facilities on their Lowfield development to be completed (or even in most cases started!)

Slow progress on replacement games area for Westfield

A Freedom of Information response has revealed that little progress has been made on providing a replacement multi user games area in Westfield despite a Council executive decision taken in February 2019.

The expectation had been that the replacement, for the now closed facility on Kingsway West, would be in use by now. Discussions were to have been held with the Acorn Rugby Club who currently lease the alternative site which is in the Thanet Road sports area.

However, it seems that meaningful correspondence only started in July 2020 some 18 months after the Council’s Executive had made their promise. Some meetings then took place in August, but no progress report has been prepared for consideration by the Councils executive

Quite why the initiative had not been followed up sooner is unclear.

It had been thought that the most likely site would be under the existing floodlights to the side of the clubhouse. This would have minimised costs and might have been useful addition to the rugby clubs training options.

It seems that that officials, however, favour a location next the car park, while a local Councillor is keen to incorporate a n outdoor gym in the plans.

No consultation has taken place with the Foxwood Residents Association on the plans. There was a lukewarm response to plans for an outdoor gym a few years ago although objections then centred on proposals to locate the facility on Chesney’s Field.

Residents are quite clear that some informal free access must be available to the new games area. The price of access to pitches at the Energise centre are prohibitive for many local young people so a system needs to be worked out which meets the needs of both local users and the rugby club. The rugby club has a good reputation for encouraging young sports people so there should be no conflict of interests.

It is understood that serval potential users have expressed a wish to rent the facility so this should provide a basic income to cover maintenance and replacement costs.

The new facility could cost around £200,000.

The Westfield ward is statistically the poorest area in the City and has the largest proportion of obese children. The project would go some way to addressing the inequalities which have been worsened in the area in recent years as a result of the development of open spaces and sports pitches.

New games area – Council delay response

We asked 4 weeks ago what had happened to the promised replacement for the children’s games area on Kingsway West.

The area is currently being used as a building compound. The contractor was beginning tt remove storage containers from the area today although work on Lincoln Court and the new centre for the disabled won’t be completed for a few weeks at least (it is running behind schedule with COVID partly to blame according to the Council).

A response to a Freedom of Information request was due today but the Council now says that they can’t reply before 3rd Ocotober.

The enquiry resulted from a promise made on 18th March 2019 when the Council’s Executive agreed to provide a replacement for the Kingsway West Multi User Games Area (MUGA) which has been taken out of use as part of the project to extend Lincoln Court.

The minute read;
“a ii) To note that in approving Option 1 a commitment is made for alternative recreational facilities following community consultation including Sport England within Westfield Ward in mitigation for the loss of the Multi Use Games Area. The alternative facilities provided are to be agreed by Executive and will be subject to a further report and budget approval.”

18 months later and there has been no further word from the Council on how the replacement plan is going.

The contractor has started to remove storage containers from the building compound. Most external work on the new and refurbished buildings has been completed. The wire fence around the games area has been realigned.

Ascot Way building work closer to completion

It looks like work on the new Children’s Disabled centre and the renovation and extension of Lincoln Court sheltered housing could be completed by the October target date. The internal road system has been surfaced over the last few days. This is usually a sign that work is well advanced.

At a minimum it should mean that there will be less mud on local roads

Internal roads now surfaced at Disabled Centre

Neighbours will be looking forward to getting the new bus lay-by into operation following 12 months of disruption.

However there is still a lot to do. The public noticeboard was damaged by contractors needs to be replaced. What is left of the noticeboard is currently attached to a perimeter fence.

…and the long saga of providing a replacement games area for local children still seems to be stalled.

On the 18th March 2019 the Council’s Executive agreed to provide a replacement for the Kingsway West “Multi User Games Area” (MUGA) which has been closed as part of the project to extend Lincoln Court.

The minute of the meeting read;
“a ii) To note that in approving Option 1 a commitment is made for alternative recreational facilities following community consultation including Sport England within Westfield Ward in mitigation for the loss of the Multi Use Games Area. The alternative facilities provided are to be agreed by Executive and will be subject to a further report and budget approval.”

Nothing more has been heard about the plan. Residents hoped that an all weather area might be provided on Thanet Road but nothing seems to have come of this as yet.

Now a Freedom of Information request has been submitted in an attempt to find out what progress has been made.

Footnote

The Council has today announced the name of the new centre

Innonvative new facility for children with disabilities buzzes with a new name

An innovative facility for children with disabilities in York has got a new name, thanks to the young people who will use it.

‘The Beehive’, as the Centre of Excellence for disabled children will now be known, will provide short overnight breaks for children with complex disabilities in the city. Young people and their families will be able to receive specialist support from a wide range of professionals, including clinical psychologists, all in one building for the first time.

The ‘bee theme’ will flow throughout the new facility, including bee-friendly names for the bedroom areas and honeycomb-like hexagons incorporated into the decorative features. Children and young people using the facility will also be given a fluffy bee toy to take home with them as a visual reminder of their ‘home away from home’.

It’s hoped that this attention to detail will help the children settle into the new building more easily, something which is particularly important for young people with learning disabilities or autism.

Thought to be one of the first facilities of its kind in the country, the innovative building is a partnership between City of York Council and NHS England.

The new centre is due to open this year and includes:

spacious bedrooms with state of the art hoist and bathing facilities for children who have complex health needs and wheelchair users
a larger, open-spaced area and bedrooms for children with learning disabilities or autism
quieter self-contained areas that can be used for children who may struggle in a more open, busier environment and where their parents can accompany them so that their needs can be fully assessed
an activity area, sensory room and quiet rooms
a large outdoor play space with a variety of equipment suitable for children of all abilities

Mixed picture on public services standards in York but some impressive progress

The lower tree branches that were impeding the cycle path on Thanet Road were trimmed back yesterday. Less than 24 hours from a report being made to action being taken. Impressive.

Grassed area opposite Foxwood shops clear of litter for the first time in over a year. Partly down to dedicated cleansing operative who is doing a sound job in this area.

Extension to Lincoln Court independent living flats completed. Suggests that much missed children’s play area could be reinstated when builders leave?

Slower progress on the Centre of Excellence for disabled children on Ascot Way. The project was never likely to meet its June target completion date even before the health crisis intervened.

Weeds are already overgrowing the little Green Lane garage area. This was problem last year. We expected that the garage owned site would be added to this years treatment list although there is no sign of “die back” yet. A builders skip has also appeared on the site.

We’ve reported the potholes that have appeared ion Windsor Garth

Latest poverty figures hide York shame

There has been some smug comments from some politicians fallowing the release of the latest government figures on poverty levels. Known as the index of multiple deprivation, the figures give a clue to which are the most well off neighbourhoods and which the worst.

Overall York has fared well over the last couple of years. The York Outer constituency is now ranked 530 out of 533; the same as it was 4 years ago.

York Central has improved its relative position from 339 to 364. (High number is good). This largely reflects the “gentrification” of parts of the City and relatively high employment rates..

However, the overall figures disguise the level of poverty that is concentrated in some parts of the City.

The worst ranked neighbourhood (LSOA E01013443) is the Kingsway West area which includes Windsor Garth.

Kingsway neighbourhood. Officially the most deprived in York

It is the only York neighbourhood to rank in the bottom 20% in the country.

It fares particularly badly on health, employment and income indicators.

This neighbourhood is in the Westfield ward which itself is rated as the most deprived in the City.

The revelation should come as no surprise to the York Council. Campaigners have been pointing out for the last three or four years that the area was not only being neglected but that key services were being run down.

Kingsway ranks poorly on 8 individual indices and is the worst overall. Scores are out of 10 with low being poor.

The local multi user games area (MUGA) was recently closed down and a promised replacement has not materialised. Nearby the Lowfield’s playing field is also being built on while a bowling green has also been lost. The residents association folded a few years ago following complaints that its views were ignored by Councillors.

The neighbourhood does have a disproportionately high number of older people. This can drive down average income levels. It is also true to say that residents are mostly philosophical about their neighbourhood which still retains a good sense of community pride

However, it high time that the authorities – both local and national – made an commitment to regenerate public services for Kingsway residents.

Piling on the grief at Hob Moor school

Contractors at the new centre for disabled children on Ascot Way were piling yesterday. The site is only a few metres from the school so it is unfortunate that the nosiest work couldn’t be completed before the new school term started.

The residents association at their meeting on Wednesday are likely to be demanding answers to questions about why work on the replacement off street games facilities for young people haven’t been started yet.

Residents were promised 6 months ago that an all weather surface would be provided at Thanet Road together with an outdoor gym.

Neither has appeared although the Kingsway MUGA was closed some 3 months ago