York Council must be ‘ready for winter’

Cllr Andrew Waller with one of the salt bins that he has asked to be refurbished and refilled

Liberal Democrat councillors are urging Labour run City of York Council to be properly prepared for winter and not to gamble on continuing mild weather.

The warning comes amid growing concerns that York will not be able to cope with snowy and icy weather following cuts to the winter maintenance budget.

Since 2011 Labour has cut the council’s winter budget every year and last year took 30 miles of road off the priority gritting list and stopped funding two-thirds of salt bins. Whilst Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners worked with parish councils and residents groups to save some salt bins, many were still lost.

Council budget cuts meant that despite last year’s mild weather, York still overspent its winter budget by around £100,000 leading to fears how it will cope with bad weather this year.

Now Lib Dem councillors have written to the Labour Cabinet Member responsible calling on the council to make sure it is ‘ready for winter’ and to work with local residents to identify gaps in provision.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environmental Services, commented:

“Despite the recent mild weather I have spoken to many residents in recent weeks who are asking for salt bins to be replaced and roads to be put back on gritting routes as we approach winter. Residents have also raised concerns about salt bins which have been left to rot and are now without lids or full of rubbish.

“Last year the council was fortunate to have a particularly mild winter, but it must make sure it is ready for winter this year and able to cope if more seasonal weather comes in the next few months. It needs to work with local residents and community groups to identify and tackle gaps in provision. These frontline services need to be the priority rather than Labour’s vanity projects in the city-centre.

“While I am pleased to see that the snow warden service is restarting – now in its fourth season having been brought in by the previous Lib Dem administration – this team of volunteers needs proper support from the council, and officers who work hard to keep the city running need support from the top.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have sent the following letter to the Labour Cabinet Member responsible:

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Mildest winter on record but Labour overspend ice clearance budget in York!

New figures reveal that Labour run York Council overspent this year’s winter maintenance budget despite it being one of the mildest winters on record.

The council’s 2013/14 winter budget, which funds gritting and salt bins, was £107,000 in the red despite the city seeing no significant snowfall or prolonged frosts this winter. This has led to concerns that recent cuts by Labour have left the budget dangerously low and if next winter sees more typical weather there will be major disruption in York.

Labour has cut the winter maintenance budget every year since coming to power in 2011, and last year took 30 miles of road off the priority gritting list while cutting two-thirds of the city’s salt bins.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environmental Services, commented:

“It is extraordinary that despite it being the fifth mildest winter since national records began the Labour Council has still overspent its budget.

“Cuts by Labour have reduced gritting routes and salt bins across York and therefore reduced the city’s capacity to cope with bad weather. If we have a more typical winter next year then the budget is just not there to ensure roads and paths are gritted and residents are kept safe.

“Liberal Democrat budget plans called for an extra £30,000 to be put into winter services and an extra £500,000 to be given to communities for local priorities such as extra salt bins or gritting. This would ensure that the resource was there to cope with bad weather.

“Labour got lucky this winter. However, the policy of spending money on city-centre vanity projects like Kings Square instead of on frontline services like gritting roads will catch-up with them.”

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Residents launch petition to retain Green Lane (Acomb) on de-icing schedule

The York Council is planning to remove little Green Lane from its winter gritting schedules.

The section of road affected leads from the roundabout to the entrance to Hob Moor School. It is extensively used by specialist buses taking special needs children to the school.

Although on the schedule, gritters struggled to keep the access open during the severe weather conditions encountered in 2010.

Now local residents are collecting a petition aimed at restoring the street to the de –icing schedules. They also hope to persuade the Council not to reduce the number of salt bins in the area.

2 years ago the Council moved to prevent local ward committees from establishing and maintaining local salt bin networks.

Elsewhere in the local neighbourhood, residents are also planning protests about the virtual elimination of local roads from the de-icing rota. The whole of the Kingsway West and Stuart Road estates will not be on the primary salting routes in future despite many of the roads being bus routes.

Click for larger map

Residents point to the £75,000 a year being spent on advertising the City at Leeds Bradford airport as one source of funding for what most regard as a basic safety requirement.

Residents have until next Monday (16th) to complete a Council on line survey although this does not include a status quo option.

A decision on the gritting routes is likely to be made at a meeting taking place on 9th October at which residents hope to hand in their petition.

NB. In the same area problems with litter drift near the shops have been reported to the Council. The Council has also been asked to intervene to ensure that the owners fill in a large pothole on the (private) shops forecourt which represents a hazard for pedestrians.

Litter near Green Lane shops

Pothole on shops forecourt

Salt bin removal and new gritting routes – Council forced to extend consultation period

City of York Council has been forced to extend its “on line only” winter maintenance consultation for a further two weeks. It will now close on Sunday 15 September.

The Council was heavily criticised for holding the consultation during the main school holidays.

click to access larger interactive map

This was compounded a few days ago when the maps of the new gritting routes were unavailable on the Council’s web site.

In some areas it is proposed to remove around 80% of the salt bins from local streets.

Abandoned salt bin

Several major bus routes will no longer be routinely salted (e.g. Bellhouse way, Acomb Wood Drive, Ryecroft Avenue plus dozens of other streets)

However the survey questions are heavily “loaded” with little opportunity for residents to tell the Council to look elsewhere for economies.

Residents are being advised to write in “safety comes first, no cuts to de-icing services”

The survey can be found by clicking here

Alternatively the Council now says that residents can visit their “reception at West offices, Station Rise, York where the maps will be available on display boards with facilities available for you to complete the survey from Monday 2nd September.

Those groups who cannot meet this timescale can send their comments to Stephen Moulds by 30 September 2013 and we will endeavour to consider those comments when making a final decision on 9th October 2013”.

Gritting route map gone!

The Council have taken down the proposed winter maintenance gritting maps from their web site. Too controversial? http://t.co/gAzB1ZWQuh

— York Central LibDems (@LibDemsYork) August 22, 2013

Ice and snow clearance cuts – Only 10 days left to record objections

click to access larger interactive map

The Council’s “consultation” on its plans for the future of its network of salt bins concludes on 1st September.

Click to see a list of existing bin sites across the City.

Most of the existing salt bins are scheduled to be scrapped.

In the Foxwood area of the 11 bins currently on the streets, only 4 will remain.

Overall in Westfield the number of bins will be reduced from 40 to 21. Only one bin will be provided on Front Street despite the high volume of use by elderly people.

Roads on a gradient like The Green/St Stephens Mews will lose their bins altogether while St Stephens Road and Thoresby road will also have no bins.

Many roads face a crisis as they are being cut from the routine gritting list.

These include bus routes like St Stephens Road and the whole of the Windsor Garth, Ascot Way and Danesfort Avenue area.

Part of Bramham Road will also not be gritted routinely.

The Council’s “survey” is full of loaded questions. Click here.

Many residents are simply writing on the form that cuts in ice clearance are unacceptable and will jeopardise safety.

Instead the Council should abandon some of its costly vanity projects such as the £600,000 plan to introduce a 20 mph speed limit.

Winter maintenance (snow and ice clearance) consultation – more cuts expected

Damaged salt bin Cornlands Road

The Council is asking residents whether it should cut even further the number of salt bins available in the City. They also plan to reduce the number of roads that are gritted (salted).

From Monday 12 August until Sunday 1 September, residents and businesses are invited to complete a three-week consultation on the criteria which is used to help determine how and where the council provides winter maintenance across the city.

To take part in the survey or view the criteria and gritting maps please visit: http://www.york.gov.uk/info/200262/gritting/402/winter_maintenance_services (from Monday 12 August).
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