Transport plan for Lowfields

As reported below, a transport plan for the new Lowfields development has now been published.

Travel Plan extract and parking space layout on new development

In many ways, it is unexceptional.

A commentary on the proposals can be found on the Lowfields residents web site. https://www.facebook.com/LowfieldsActionGroup/posts/1905016099639770

One of the major issues with the development is the length of time that builders will be on the site (and adjacent roads). Residents were assured that 3 years would be the maximum.

That now looks to be very optimistic.

Nothing more has been heard of the Communal housing scheme (Yorspace). It is not even clear whether they have completed the purchase of their plot.

The Council itself is only now seeking tenders for the sheltered elderly persons accommodation. So that element is effectively 18 months behind schedule.

And, of course, there is still no word on the promised community facilities. Residents were delays rightly sceptical about whether the Health Centre and police station would ever materilise. It seems increasingly unlikely that they ever will.

It is significant that the Councils latest capital budget update report makes no direct reference to Lowfields. It simply shows that, of the total £24 million cost of building the houses, £16.5 million will be spent before then end of March 2021.

We think this is highly unlikely.

We have a plan. Lets call it a “Transport and Place Strategy”?

5 obscure HTTP methods - Twilio — We know they’ve got a plan. Must have by by now. Surely

Further details on how City of York Council is supporting businesses through a new Economic Recovery – Transport and Place Strategy – which will help accelerate rebuilding a healthy and inclusive economy, launches next month.

However the Council won’t meet to debate the plan until the end of June by which time many workers will have returned to their jobs.

As the government relaxes the restrictions for retailers from 15 June, the council is developing a strategy to build visitor, resident and stakeholder confidence that York is a safe, healthy and attractive place for everyone.

This new strategy forms part of the council’s Recovery and Renewal Strategy. The Economic Recovery – Transport and Place Strategy is in five interdependent strands that will be delivered over the next few months.

The strategy will focus on:

prioritising active travel (including cycling and walking) by investing in and improving park and cycle sites, increased cycle parking and new cycle routes

bintykins — I recently bought a cute bike and I am so happy...

The Big Idea? Park and cycle has been tried before with limited success. This is partly because of security/parking issues, partly because many people do not own or can’t ride an appropriate type of bike, or they may have physical capacity limitations and/or have concerns about cycling in poor weather.

providing a short term approach to car travel including “incentivised short stay parking” in some of the city centre car parks
maintaining confidence in and responding to the short term reduction in capacity on public transport – by working with bus and rail operators to ensure people can continue to use public transport with confidence
creating a people focussed city centre including increasing the city centre foot streets and public spaces to create an attractive environment that people can visit with confidence with space to social distance

The council says it “will deliver these measures at pace to best accelerate the recovery of the economy, allowing doors to open safely in June whilst protecting residents’ safety”.

The media release pointedly fails to recognise the barriers to walking and cycling in sub-urban and village areas where unsafe highway surfaces and obstructions are major concerns.

The Council says that residents will be able to give feedback about the plan once measures are in place by participating in the city-wide consultation “Our Big Conversation” helping to set a long-term vision for the city. This will be launched in the next couple of weeks

“Many of the transport and place measures will run for the duration of the one year period and potentially beyond. Although all measures will need to be flexible and remain under review based on government guidance, public health advice, local resident and business feedback, and ongoing assessments of the outcomes of the interventions”

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Transport for the North invites York’s views on Strategic Transport Plan

Transport for the North has commenced a thirteen-week consultation on its Strategic Transport Plan for the North, inviting people’s views at an event being held in York next week.

Senior Transport for the North representatives will be visiting York as part of a dedicated session to outline the plan’s recommendations, advise on what this could mean for York and the surrounding area and invite questions and feedback that people may have.

The drop-in consultation is open to everyone and is an opportunity for members of the public to formally submit their feedback on the plan which will be analysed and fed into the final Strategic Transport Plan before its release later in the year.

Event schedule:

4pm – 5pm: Presentation from Transport for the North representative and Q+A

5pm – 6pm: Drop-in Q+A

6pm – 7pm: Presentation from Transport for the North representative and Q+A

The event will be held at National Railway Museum from 4pm – 7pm on Monday 12 February.

The thirty-year plan, which was released in draft on Tuesday 16 January, is the first of its kind and outlines how transport connections across the North of England need to be transformed by 2050 to drive growth and close the economic gap between the North and the rest of England.

Transport for the North’s public consultation runs until 17 April 2018 with similar engagement events taking place across the North. A final version of the plan will be published later in the year and submitted to the Government for ministerial consideration.

Find out more by visiting www.transportforthenorth.com.

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