Council to approve handover of facilities to local communities

Members of City of York Council’s Executive will be asked to approve proposals to lease a number of public open spaces and buildings to various local community groups and organisations at a meeting later this month (18 March).

See the source image
Chapmans Pond, Moor Lane, Proposals

If agreed, the plans, a part of the Council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy, will enable local communities to manage facilities, which will remain in the council’s ownership.

The Executive will be asked to consider the asset transfer of 10 venues or sites across the city, including community facilities, wildlife and open spaces, a park pavilion and a pond.

Amongst these is the plan to lease Rowntree Park Pavillion to Rowntree Park Sports Association, which would see the pavilion access grants to fund flood resilience and refurbishment work to create additional storage space for the park’s tennis and canoe clubs, and social space for community use.

The Poppleton Centre – a community hall, bowling green and tennis courts – could be leased to Poppleton Community Trust at a peppercorn rent for 99 years, enabling them to similarly apply for national grants and funding sources, if approved.

The proposals would also see local residents in the Rufforth and Knapton areas gain access to new allotments, if a part of a field adjacent to the B1224 is leased to the parish council.  The new provision would replace the community’s former allotments, which were reclaimed by the owners of the land at the end of 2018, following a long lease to the local authority.

Another asset being considered for lease is the new community facilities at Marjorie Waite Court, which is due for completion in July and will feature a large community hall, a full commercial kitchen and a communal dining area.

Members will be asked to approve plans to find an operator to run the community facilities, with a focus on reinvesting profits to support wider social outcomes for the local community.  

A full list of the sites

  • Mayfields North
  • Mayfields South
  • Clifton Without land (near Cricket ground)
  • Rowntree Pavilion
  • Rowntree Park Tennis Courts
  • Land at Wetherby Road, Rufforth
  • The catering, communal dining and community hall facilities at Marjorie Waite Court
  • The Poppleton Centre, Moor Lane/Ousemoor Road, Upper Poppleton
  • The upper floors of Rowntree Lodge,

Witness appeal after fatal collision in Rufforth, York

Police are appealing for witnesses after a fatal collision in Rufforth, York.

Shortly before 10pm on Tuesday 5 January 2021, officers were called to a report of a single-vehicle collision on Bradley Lane, Rufforth, which involved a black VW Passat leaving the road.

Sadly, the driver, a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision, or the vehicle involved prior to it, to contact them. Please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, and ask for Nicola Peters, or email nicola.peters@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. Please quote reference 12210004656 when passing information.

Latest waste service update from York Council

Thursday 9 July

We collected all household waste as scheduled.

We were unable to collect recycling from parts of Rufforth and Huntington due to vehicle breakdowns.

We were unable to collect recycling from parts of New Earswick, Haxby and Huntington due to vehicle breakdowns.

We’ll return for waste on the evening of Thursday 9 July. Please leave your containers out for collection.

We collected all outstanding recycling waste from Wednesday 8 July.

Latest waste service update Thursday 28 May

More bad news on refuse collection in York. There are delays in collecting recycling, emptying green bins and removing some household waste across significant parts of the City

Some recycling has been out on the streets for 3 days now.

The Council says that it will work through today and tomorrow (Saturday) to clear the backlog.

The Council has also been urged to provide an update on the capacity and use of its bulky waste removal service which was restarted last week.

Similar information about the availability of “booking slots” at household waste sites like Hazel Court might help to reduce demands on the collection service.

The Council has said,

Household waste

“We were unable to collect household waste from small areas of Haxby, Wigginton and Strensall.

This household waste will be collected on Friday 29 May. Please present your containers for collection by 7.00am.

Recycling

We were unable to collect recycling from Rufforth, Clifton and Huntington due to operational restrictions to do with Covid-19.

We’ve been unable to return for recycling collections from Tuesday 26 May and Wednesday 27 May.

All this recycling waste will be collected on Friday 29 May or Saturday 30 May. Please present your containers for collection by 7.00am.

Garden Waste

We were unable to collect garden waste from from Haxby, Earswick and Huntington due to the large amounts being collected.

This garden waste will be collected on Friday 29 May. Please present your containers for collection by 7.00am.

We’ve been unable to return to St Aldred’s Mews due to access issues and will return as soon as we are able. We’ve also been unable to return for garden waste collections from Wednesday 27 May. We’re returning for this waste in Acomb and Heworth on Thursday evening”

Cycle link under northern by pass open UPDATED

We’ve cycled the whole length of the cycle track now. Certainly a lot safer than using the B1224. Around 3 miles in length.

It narrows on the section near Harewood Whin where it is an unmodified footpath. There is room to pass.

Only one secured gate on the route (near the A1237 junction). Rest are easy to navigate.

Ironically the roughest surface is on Milestone Avenue in Rufforth. This forms the public highway access to the cycle path. Small cafe in Rufforth provides refreshments.

Pleasant ride in summer although the nearby clay pigeon shooting range is at little noisy!

Milestone Avenue in Rufforth. Carriageway needs resurfacing

The promised new cycle link from York (Knapton) to Rufforth has been completed. The last section involved the modification of an underpass crossing the A1237 to allow for safe access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Previously the tunnel had been used mainly by cattle.

Signage has yet to be installed on the route although it is already being used extensively by pedestrians.

Entrance to cycle path from Knapton
Link from Knapton
A1237 underpass
Link to Ruforth
Location map. Entrance from Knapton (New House Road)

Rufforth off road cycle track opens

Link to A1237 incorporates bridleway friendly gates.

Gate design allows horses to step through without opening gate.

The long awaited off road cycle track link from Rufforth to the northern by pass has opened. The route finishes opposite the entrance to Main Street Knapton.

The path offers a relatively quiet link for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

The route was not entirely uncontroversial with some fearing that it might be misused by motorcyclists.

There was also a concern that cyclists would find it hazardous to cross the busy A1237 although this would have been an issue at other possible locations.

NB. One parent, on reaching the cycle path this afternoon, explained to his young son that the dip in the middle of the gate was to allow access for large animals. His son replied, “Large animals? Like horses, elephants and dinosaurs?” An unexpected new hazard for residents of Knapton perhaps!

Harewood Whin tipping to continue for another 15 years

It looks like tipping t the Harewood Whin landfill site near Rufforth could continue for another 15 years.

Entrance to Harewood Whin

Entrance to Harewood Whin

A planning application being considered next week will allow tiopping “in the eventuality that it is not possible process the anticipated volumes of waste through the approved Allerton Park Energy from Waste Plant”.

The activity has been subject to criticism n the past and the officers report makes the following observation

“The application site lies within open countryside to the north east of the village of Rufforth although a number of residential properties lie within a 500 metre radius and as a consequence of the elevated nature of the site longer distance effects are sometimes experienced in terms of noise from processing machinery.

The site is however subject to a detailed noise management plan which has proved highly effective in recent times and it is felt that there has been no material change in circumstances in respect of impacts upon residential amenity since planning permission for extension of the landfill activity was initially given in 2004”.

There have been no objections to the proposal

The report recommends that the planning committee meeting on 17th November approve the plans.

NB: Nearby a proposal to site a poultry farm on land off Bradley Lane, Rufforth is recommended for refusal

Further consultation on Minerals and Waste plan for York and North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council, the City of York Council and the North York Moors National Park Authority are producing a Minerals and Waste Joint Plan covering all three planning authority areas. 

Rufforth waste plan

 

The latest draft of the waste plan shows changes to the Harewood Whin (Rufforth) site boundary on page 36.

The three minerals and waste planning authorities have responsibility for preparing a long term plan containing land use planning policies to help take decisions about matters such as where, when and how minerals and waste developments should take place.

 Further information including the main Supplementary Sites Consultation document  is available on the Joint Plan website: www.northyorks.gov.uk/mwconsult

 

 The main purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on the additional and revised sites that are contained in this document.

The consultation period for this stage of the Joint Plan will run until Friday 13th March 2015 and all responses must be received by 5pm on that day. 

Speed limit at Rufforth extended

Cycle path to be investigated

A 40mph “buffer” speed limit on the B1224 approach to the east end of Rufforth village is to be established. The planned changes, aimed at helping cyclists,  have been opposed by the Police who describe them as “inappropriate”

An off-road cycle link between the village and the bridleway adjoining the B1224 to the east is also being investigated.

As we predicted in 2012, the Council has  failed to secure its original preferred route for part of the cycle track and cyclists currently use the busy B1224 for part of its length.

Behind closed doors logoThe decision on the cycle route  was a controversial one with an alternative (via current rights of way across part of the airfield and an established bridleway to link to Grange Lane) offering a shorter route for many journeys.

However both options failed to deal convincingly with access across the A1237 (northern by pass)

The speed limit plans were agreed at a behind closed doors decision session

A map showing the plans can be found by clicking here