Recycling centres to reopen?

Speculation is mounting that the government will ask local Councils to reopen civic amenity (recycling) sites where they have been closed. York’s Hazel Court facility has been closed for several weeks now – something which has been a particular issue since green waste bin emptying was also suspended. There are problems with fly tipping in some neighbourhoods.

Several local authorities have kept their amenity sites open and have also continued green waste collections.

Elsewhere some other public services such as street cleaning have generally been improved since the lockdown with hand sweeping being reintroduced on some estates.

We’ve reported several issues for attention

The carcass of a dead badger has been left on the A64 road margin for about a week now. Cleansing responsibilities on trunk roads are shared between local authorities and Highways England but no one has so far sorted out what may become a health issue.
Nearby there is a lot of tree detritus on the A64 cycle path. Makes “social distancing” more difficult. Highways England claims that the York Council is responsible for cleansing this and other similar paths.
We’re still awaiting the first sustained rainfall of this spring. When it comes you can expect hedges to grow quickly. This one near London Bridge on Tadcaster Road is already impeding the path. It has been reportsd to the York Council.
Not just hedges, This tree on Thanet Road is obstructing the cycle path.

NB. We have been told that the York Council will be publishing its highway programme for the current year “in the near future”.

Street cleansing problems highlighted at meeting

Litter problems on areas like the Foxwood shops were discussed at a residents meeting yesterday. The residents were told that the street cleansing service was having difficulty in recruiting staff. Local Councillor Simon Daubeney reported that a new litter bin would be provided opposite the shops at the end of Hatfield Walk.
We’ve asked for new springs to be provided on the gates to the football pitch area on Foxwood Park. The old ones are broken allowing the gates to swing open. In turn this allows unsupervised access for dogs. Dog fouling on nearby footpaths is a continuing issue.
It’s reached the time of year when tree detritus and ripe fruit can fall in significant quantities onto some foot and cycle paths. This is potentially hazardous. We’ve reported problems on the Bellhouse Way path between Acomb Wood Drive and the Foxwood Park.
The path is also obstructed by overhanging tree branches

More blocked cycle and footpaths in York

We urge residents to report what appears to be an increasing number of instances of paths being obstructed by hedges in the City

The cycle path on Field Lane in the Hull Road ward is now completely blocked. Hasn’t happened overnight!

The public footpath on Hull Road outside The Elms is now completely obstructed. Potentially dangerous on what is a busy road. Pedestrians are being forced onto the carriageway.
Not a hazard (yet) but gutters in Maple Grove are choked with weeds. Verges an eclectic mix of weeds and wildflowers

The Thanet Road cycle track on the other side of the City has its share of obstructions but the main issue here continues to be litter.