Yorkshrie Water works in te area mean that there ae two separate raod clsures within a few hundered metres on each other today.
Confusion over Gale Lane diversions
Number 4 bus service diversion from 13th June
The closure of Tudor Road for 2/3 weeks means that the number 4 bus service will be further diverted (it recently was rerouted via Ridgeway) .
We understand that the diversion will be
Sat 13th – Sun 28th Jun
Tudor Rd closed at Gale Lane end during sewer connection works for new housing development.
Suggested diversion for service 4 Gale Lane, Front Street, Green Lane both ways then to Acomb Green terminus. Inbound Ridgeway, Askham Lane, right into Gale Lane then right into Cornlands Road
More problems at Lowfield building site
Residents have complained bitterly on the “Save Lowfields Playing Field” Facebook page as contractors Wates step up their activities. The main complaints concern noise and dust although the parking of plant on public highways has also been an issue.
Promised repairs to verges have not been completed.
It appears that more disruption is in prospect as a two week closure of the Tudor Road entrance to the site is due to start on Saturday 13th June. Apparently a full closure of Tudor Road will be in place for two weeks during which time a sewer will be diverted from the school site.
From Monday 29th June for one week there will be a partial road closure with one lane closed and the road controlled by traffic lights. The closure will affect access particularly to 100-108 Tudor Road. The bus service will be diverted although First York haven’t yet confirmed their diverted route.
During this period heavy plant and deliveries will revert to using the Dijon Avenue access to the site.
The Council has let down the people of Lowfield very badly on this project. They should not be building on playing fields. Any development of the former built footprint of the school, should have been scheduled for completion over a maximum of 24 months.
Now timescales are stretching out with no progress being made on the health centre, “police station”, elderly persons accommodation, self-build, communal living plots or even in providing the promised additional off street parking spaces for Dijon Avenue residents. .
Progress is being made on providing football pitches and a luxurious clubhouse near Sim Balk Lane – mainly funded by contributions from the Lowfields development.
There seems to be no prospect of the open space and playgrounds being provided at Lowfields unless and until the whole of the development is completed.
That could be 5 years or more away.
The health crisis will affect the housing market in ways that can only be guessed at. It seems possible that the Council may end up being unable to sell the bulk of the 140 homes that it is currently building. Their decision to set up an “in house” sales team already looks suspect (and expensive)
Altogether an ill judged, poorly managed project which reflects no credit on the City of York Council
Tudor Road choked with building site trucks.
Residents posting on the Save Lowfields Playing Field Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/LowfieldsActionGroup/ ) are reporting chaotic scenes this morning as large trucks queue on Tudor Road to gain access to the site.
There have been problems with congestion as the trucks arrived as pupils were making there way to school. Tudor Road is relatively narrow and is on a bus route.
Neither the contractors nor the Council have said how many large vehicle journeys can be expected at this entrance each day and to what timescales.
One of the objections, to the planning application for the development of the site, related to safety concerns about the Gale Lane/Tudor Road junction.
The York Council claimed that the junction had the capacity to deal with extra movements but many residents remain sceptical.
Latest planning applications for the Westfield Ward
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.
Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
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189 Kingsway West York YO24 4QD
Erection of single storey extension extending 4 metres beyond rear wall of the original house, with a height to the eaves of 2.67 metres and a total height of 3.57 metres.
Ref. No: 19/01127/LHE
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4 Croftside York YO26 5LT
Single storey rear extension and rear dormer.
Ref. No: 19/00980/FUL
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Dryfix Preservation Ltd The Yard Tudor Road York YO24 3AY
Change of use from electrical storage only (Use Class B8) to unrestricted storage, open air storage and distribution (Use Class B8)
Ref. No: 19/00966/FUL
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94 Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BY
Single storey rear extension
Ref. No: 19/00867/FUL
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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received
Another police appeal this time concerning an incident on Tudor Road
The police have emailed out the following information,
“On Friday 7th JUNE 2019 at around 20:15 hours a 17 year old female had been walking towards the CLOCK HOUSE PUB on TUDOR ROAD when a black van had been driving slowly behind her. The Driver shouted out the window to the female “YOU GOING TO GET IN THE CAR”, she thought this was strange as he was driving a van. As the female looked around the male said “NO YOU”. The female then said “NO”.
The female then crossed the road to go down the alley that leads onto MIDDLETON ROAD and the male pulls the can into her path, gets out of the van. The male then pushes the females left shoulder so the female hits the male round the head with a umbrella and runs towards the pub. The male then did a U turn in his van and drove back up TUDOR ROAD towards GALE LANE
Driver was described as white, around 55 years old, around 5ft 10 and scrawny build. He had spoken with a Yorkshire accent, had a pale complexion and was wearing a clear/ silver round glasses. He had a long white beard, white receding hair line and was wearing a grey coloured t shirt, black comber rain coat, black jeans and black boots.
No VRM was able to be obtained from the vehicle, however van is described as a small tatty black van, looked a little like a camper van with a side door, blacked out windows and the wheels had no alloys on”.
If you have any information to assist officers please call 101 and quote incident number 12190103997 for the attention of PC 461.
Latest planning applications for the Westfield Ward
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.
Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
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Former Lowfield School Dijon Avenue York
Condition 2 – 17/02429/OUTM
Self build code for 6 plots. Specifies maximum 12 months build period
Ref. No: AOD/19/00161
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Former Lowfield School Dijon Avenue York
Conditions 10, 13 & 37 of 17/02428/FULM
Revised plans for boundary treatments, fencing, open space plan, highway works on Dijon Avenue, highway works Tudor Road and similar details.
Ref. No: AOD/19/00160
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Windsor House 22 Ascot Way York YO24 4QZ
Conditions 16,19 & 21 of 18/01467/GRG3
Relates to drainage plans. Construction traffic management plan (Access via Ascot Way for delivery lorries using a one-way system! Worker car parking at Hob Moor school, bus stop moved temporarily along Ascot Way), replacement school playing pitches (at York R I)
Ref. No: AOD/19/00159
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17 Foxwood Lane York YO24 3LH
Fell Ash tree protected by Tree Preservation Order no. 3.
Ref. No: 19/00907/TPO
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15 The Reeves York YO24 3ES
Single storey rear extension.
Ref. No: 19/00726/FUL
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56 St Stephens Road York YO24 3EQ
Change of use from dwelling (use class C3) to a House in Multiple Occupation (use class C4).
Ref. No: 19/00562/FUL |
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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received
Abandoned bus shelters – future uncertain
The future of the bus shelters on Tudor Road, which have not had a service for over 2 years, remains uncertain.
Not surprisingly the shelters are in good condition.
Bus sign does not say the stop is unused. 
Litter was cleared from near the shelter ealier in the week
There is a site, at the Gale Lane end, which could accommodate a shelter, and which does lie on the now clockwise route taken by the number 4 service.
There are no notices in the shelters (or on the bus stop signs) indicating that the bus service only serves the opposite side of the road.
Even then the alternative bus stops are a testing sprint away.
Anyone texting the bus stop identification code to the information service gets a text back saying that no service is expected within the next 4 hours.
4 years more likely.
The stop reference (e.g. 32900872) produces no useful information when keyed into the “Bus York” mobile phone app. See https://www.itravelyork.info/journey-planning/free-bus-apps/
Many people living in the Tudor Road area would prefer to see a 2-way service reintroduced.
If such a change is not imminent, the Council and bus service providers need to initiate a review of the quality of bus stop information, and shelter arrangements, that they provide in the area.
Abandoned bus shelters can be a magnet for anti-social behaviour, so some prompt action is required.
Latest planning application for the Westfield Ward
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.
Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
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Dryfix Preservation Ltd The Yard Tudor Road York YO24 3AY
Proposal Display of non-illuminated gate mounted sign measuring 1.85m by 1.75m (retrospective).
Reference 19/00761/ADV
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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received
York Council sold land to “Yorspace” without affordable homes conditions
A response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the Council DID NOT require, that the land it sold at Lowfields to the “Yorspace” commune, must be used to provide affordable housing.
The land was sold for £300,000 – approximately 50% below its open market value.
A smaller plot of land at the other end of the Lowfields school site is currently being marketed for offers over £400,000.
The discounted sale decision was taken in private by a Council official.
The Council claims that they had an independent valuation made on the site. They don’t say on what basis they discounted the value.
They did, however, depend on Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to dispose of the land at below market value. It was assumed – but not transparently recorded in the decision notice – that this was to facilitate the provision of more affordable housing.
This assumption was brought into question when a Council Housing Officer said, in response to Yorspace’s planning application to build 19 units on the 0.785 acre site, that the new homes could not be counted as “affordable”
The FOI response goes on to say, “This valuation was for a plot of land for community build housing with utility connections and a road to the edge of the site. Therefore, the price to be paid by Yorspace includes an allowance for infrastructure works. Yorspace will be paying for the construction of the car parking bays which are within their proposed red line ownership boundary”.
“Any areas of road and parking will belong to Yorspace and it will be their responsibility to maintain this. However, the public footpath in this area is likely to become adopted highway and therefore maintained by the council”.
Clearly there are “smoke and mirrors” aspects to this transaction which will require the attention of the Auditors.
Another option for the Council would have been to develop the site itself to provide 19 more Council homes. The homes could then have been let direct to those on the housing waiting list. The Council has more freedom now to borrow to fund new Council homes.
NB. Despite some new builds, “Right to Buy” applications have seen the Council housing stock in York reduce from 7728 in 2016 to 7617 two years later.