British Sugar residential development plans take a step forward – Methane risk revealed

The planned residential development on the former British Sugar site off Plantation Drive has taken a step forward.

click for full report

click for full report

The owners have submitted a scoping document which will lead to the production of an environmental impact assessment which is an essential precursor to an outline planning application.

The latter is now expected to be lodged in early 2014.

The new development is expected to be a predominately residential led scheme, of up to 1300 homes comprising family housing at a medium density together with

• A retail centre comprising Class Al/A2/A3/A4/A5;

• A multi-use community hub (with potential for uses such as a health centre, crèche, public hall, primary school, changing facilities associated with any intensive sports uses on the site);

• Provision of open space/green infrastructure;

• Access via a new link road through Former Manor School site, Plantation Drive and Millfield Lane; and

• Demolition of the Former Manor School buildings as necessary.

The report warns of potentially harmful levels of methane and carbon dioxide on the site.

However no signs of protected wildlife species, such as Great Crested Newts, have been discovered. A “bee bank” is under threat.

The report also describes how transportation, landscape, noise, air quality and other impacts will be assessed.

Friday 13th – Looking unlucky for York Council as problems with traffic congestion and un-emptied waste bins grow.

The Council’s web site crashed for a short time as problems with traffic congestion and un-emptied waste bins mount.

Click to update

Click to update

A combination of the Lendal Bridge closure, poor weather and high traffic volumes is causing mounting delays on the northern by pass and the inner ring road.

Further congestion is expected tomorrow as the City hosts the “skyride”.

Meanwhile the backlog in emptying waste bins shows little sign of subsiding. There is talk of working on Saturday to address the backlog but how residents will be made aware of such a decision remains a mystery.

The local media have been strangely reluctant to report the scale of the problem pausing only to remind residents to put their bin out by 0700 hours – pretty much futile if the bins aren’t cleared for over 24 hours.

The Council is now saying “ on Friday 13th September some properties in the following streets did not have their garden waste collected as scheduled:

Poppleton – Streets and all streets off

• Station Road
• Longridge Lane
• Black Dykes Lane
• Main Street
• Ebor Way
• Montague Road
• Millfield Lane
• Beech Grove
• Westfield Close
• Willow Croft
• Hodgeson Lane
• The Green

Clifton – Streets and all streets off• Shipton Road
• Malton Way
• Brompton Road
• Rawcliffe Lane (part)
• Surray Way
• Filingsdale Road
• Eastholme Drive
• Northolme Drive
• Southolme Drive
• Westholme Drive
• Grasmere Grove
• Borrowdale Drive
• Westmore Drive
• Alwyne Drive
• Alwyne Grove
• Westholme Drive
• Potterdale Drive

Rawcliffe – Streets and all streets off• Bowness Drive
• Furness Drive
• Howard Drive
• Troutsdale Avenue
• Stainsdale Close
• St Marks Grove
• Bilsdale Close
• Manor Park Road
• Manor Way
• Rawcliffe Croft
• Eva Avenue
• Manor Lane
• Cobham Way
• Armstrong Way
• Conningham Avenue
• Village Street

We will return to these properties to make collections on Saturday 14th September. Please ensure that your bin is out by 7am as the crews will be returning early in the morning.

Road (Pavement) closed between Stonebow and Coppergate from Sunday

From Sunday 15 September the connecting road between Stonebow and Coppergate, will be closed for four weeks, to enable Northern Gas Networks to carry out important upgrades in the area.

Pavement will be closed to all vehicular traffic until 13 October 2013, which will mean that bus routes serving Stonebow will also be diverted and revised timetables will be in place.

Bus routes that are not diverted may still experience delays so passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey.

At the same time bus stops at Stonebow with be upgraded as part of the £3.5 million Better Bus Area Fund, awarded by the Department of Transport in 2012.

Please check http://www.itravelyork.info/ for details of the bus diversions.

For further information, please contact BusInfo on 01904 551400 or visit the Bus Point located in the Travel Centre at York Rail Station.

Road closures for tomorrow’s (Saturday) Sky Ride York

On September 14 Sky Ride York will take to the historic streets of York. Due to the size and scale of the event there will be some temporary traffic and transport changes to ensure the safety of everyone taking part.

click for more details

click for more details

Residents and visitors are urged to make use of the city’s extensive Park and Ride network on the day, particularly by using the Park and Pedal facilities at the Designer Outlet, Grimston Bar, Rawcliffe Bar and Monks Cross.

If people are unsure on which route to take to join the Sky Ride there are two Sky Ride social rides leading into the city centre setting off from Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride and The York Sport Village (behind Grimston Bar P&R) at 9am and 9.30am respectively. These rides will be lead by trained Sky Ride local ride leaders. For more info on the rides go to: http://www.goskyride.com/Search/
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Lendal Bridge – the unanswered questions

The Council claim to have published on their web site a complete list of answers given to question raised during their “twitter” Q & A session last week.

Problem is – they haven’t!

Amongst those still not answered are:

Did the Council answer the key Lendal Bridge questions? – UPDATE “answers will go onto Council web site!”

Not even close.

They just ignored the controversial ones.

They were right in principle to try a “twitter” Q & A but the results will be inaccessible, and largely incomprehensible, to many.

Not surprisingly Councils Labour Leaders seem to have taken to the hills.

LATEST – Council say they WILL add twitter Q & As to their web site.

Will the Council answer the key Lendal Bridge questions. Why are no Labour Councillors being held to account?

Potentially the biggest test this teatime for the Lendal Bridge closure.

The schools are back and we have heavy rain.

Poor weather usually adds around 10% to traffic levels in the City.

click to update

click to update

Public reaction to Lendal Bridge closure. Council Q and A tomorrow (Friday)!!