With icy weather likely to continue for a few more days, just a reminder that there are self help salt bins located around the city.
Click on the graphic below to see a location map.
If any bins are empty – or damaged – please report them to either the Council via this link or to your local Councillor
The same map provides details of approved gritting routes.
Although rain and snow falls are forecast to die out today, freezing temperatures may return tomorrow morning.
It is possible that the slush will then turn to ice.
So it may be a good time to check that your local salt bin is full?
For bin locations and details of gritting routes click here.
Then tick “street care” and the tags for salt bins, primary and secondary gritting routes.
The arrival of icy weather will put additional pressures on some public services.
The recent snowfall, and subsequent icy road and footpath surfaces, means the the gritters have been out working full time.
There was even a promise from the Council this year that cycle path would be salted but so far this seems to have been sporadic. The Tadcaster Road cycle path, for example, was icy earlier this week.
Some Councillors have reported that they have been out checking local salt bins. They have found some empty, some “solid” & some contaminated with rubbish
We’re not sure that this audit has been completed everywhere though.
With Council resources stretched by the pandemic, this is an activity where residents can help by checking their local salt bin and by removing any litter.
Please let your local Councillor know if a bin needs filling.
Ice and frost will also have a major impact on poorly maintained road and footpath surfaces.
We’ve recently reported potholes on Askham Lane (near the A1237 roundabout) and on Foxwood Lane (near the Thanet Road Sports Area).
There are likely to be many more examples around the City. The sooner the potholes are filled in the less damage will occur (and the safer our roads will be).
We urge residents to use the 24/7 “report it” system (click) to highlight any concerns to the Council
As we wait for the inevitable icy weather residents are being urged to check that their local salt bins are full and free of litter.
Salt bin locations are plotted on the Street View services map Click here to access. Look under “street care” then “salt bins funded by CYC”. Councillors should have completed their pre-winter checks by now, but some may have been missed.
Another recurrent problem that will arise, as wetter weather becomes more frequent, is damage to grass verges. This is sometimes caused by poor parking but also is prevalent on street corners where large vehicles leave the carriageway.
Some wards make use of a delegated budget to provide off street “eco grid” style parking lay-bys.
Others use the option of hardening vulnerable areas like road junctions. Again matrix surfacing conserves green space and good drainage while protecting verges from damage.
The York Council provides an “on line” map which shows public service locations. These include the primary and secondary road gritting (salting) routes which are mainly the major bus routes. click here to view (then click “street car”e on the map index and then pick the service you want to see)
The Council also provides an update service on Twitter @yorkgritter
In addition the map shows the location of self help salt bins and the areas covered by VOLUNTEER snow wardens. The latter do their best to keep local paths open but not all neighbourhoods are covered..
Salt bins do not fill themselves so, if you see an empty one, then please report it to the Council on York 551550 or “on line https://www.york.gov.uk/reportproblems
A lot of footpaths in the city are icy today.
If your local salt bin is not full please ask your local Councillor to arrange for it to be refilled. Alternatively report “on line“
Salt bin locations can be found by clicking here
The lid missing from the salt bin in Woodford Place is to be repaired by the York Council
Recently Westfield Councillor Andrew Waller asked for bins to be refilled at the following locations
A quick check of the salt bins in the Westfield area yesterday revealed that most have salt in them. In some cases this has been left over from previous years – last winter was particularly mild.
Most had been used as litter bins and several had been vandalised with the lid hinges broken in many cases.
The Council promised to complete a review of it’s salt bins in September but nothing seems to have come of this. No attempt was made during the summer to recover the bins for maintenance. We hope the new Council will order that the bins be refurbished in the spring.
In the meantime – before we get the inevitable snow – the litter needs to be removed and the bins topped up where necessary.
Empty and damaged salt bin on Dijon Avenue still not relocated away from former school entrance
Salt bin on Tennent Road empty
Kingsway West salt bin empty
Hinges broken on Askham Grove bin
Rubbish in salt bin in Kingsthorpe
Spindle Close – full of rubbish
Dumping on the Cornlands Road park has been reported
City of York Council’s winter maintenance team is inviting residents to find out more about how the council tackles winter weather during a special open event at the council’s depot on James Street.
On Saturday 31 October between 10am to 12pm, visitors will get the chance to have a close-up look of the fleet of gritters, snow ploughs and salt spreaders, as well as see the salt barn which is home to over 3,000 tonnes of salt
The open day will provide residents with the opportunity to prepare for the winter months ahead, where frontline teams will be on-hand to offer winter advice.
It also falls on the first ‘dry run’ weekend of the year, where crews will be carrying out gritting test runs in York ahead of the start of the winter season.
The last Labour led Council chose to scrap many of these self help bins while others have been left out all year round.
Cllr Sue Hunter on a steep footpath on Front Street where acces to a salt bin is essential for safety
Many have been damaged while others are still full of rubbish.
The Liberal Democrats pledged at the recent election to improve the network of bins so an early announcement of changes was expected.
Throughout the gritting season, between November and March, crews are on-hand to work 24/7 to help keep York’s roads open. Last year, crews used 3,927 tonnes of salt over 72 separate ‘grit runs’ , travelling 43,054 km to treat 71,460km of highway.
Cllr Ian Gillies, Executive Member for Transport and Planning, said: “Our open day will enable residents to hear from the frontline team direct about how the council tackles winter weather to help to keep our roads open 24/7 over the gritting season. We encourage everyone to join us during the open event to help them prepare for the winter months ahead.”
. For more information about the winter services in York visit www.york.gov.uk/gritting .Or, follow @YorkGritter on Twitter for regular updates.
Fly tipping on Council garage areas
Leaves blocking drains in Green Lane
With the York Council seemingly preoccupied with internal political discussions, service standards continue to decline.
There is a lack of preparedness for winter. Salt bins have no lids and the contents are leeching onto the streets and adding to the problems with blocked gullies.
Some bus routes – including the number 26 which provides a lifeline service for elderly people living in the Windsor Garth and St Stephens Road areas – are still excluded from the de-icing schedules with little chance of a review before the worst of the winter weather hits the City.
Bus stop waiting areas over grown
Salt bins left without lids. This one is in Woodford Place
Perhaps the worst examples of neglect can be found on some of the City’s Council estates. Areas without an active residents association fare particularly badly with many communal areas, garage forecourts and verges all in a desperate condition
Salt bins filled with rubbish
Following our story of a few days ago, the Council has said that it is checking all salt bins.
Where necessary they are being repaired before being filled with salt.
Hopefully they will also remove the accumulated rubbish and update the salt bin map displayed on their web site.
Andrew Waller is actively pressing for some of the salt bins in the Westfield area – axed 2 years ago by Labour – to be reinstated,.
