Fell mixed group of Sycamore, Hornbeam and Beech trees within the hedge line; dead wood, crown thin and crown lift to 4 metres 2no. Hornbeam trees – tree works in a Conservation Area
Non-material amendment to permitted application 17/00848/FUL to allow retention of internal staircase following removal of access to ground floor shop unit
These relate to the planning conditions for the York Bridge Club’s new clubhouse. Covers drainage, cycle parking, electric vehicle charging, construction management and the materials to be used.
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18 Lown Hill York YO24 3DY
Single storey side and rear extension (part retrospective)
Although group walks are banned during lockdown, there are a lot of options which can be followed on an individual basis in west York. Some are more taxing than others.
“Move the Masses“ produces a map covering three routes in the Acomb area including one that crosses Bachelor Hill (see below).
Click to enlarge
The same group also advertise routes which include Acomb Green (click) and Fishponds Wood (click)
Elsewhere the Westfield Ward Councillors have claimed on their Facebook page that the tree trunk, which currently blocks the Foxwood Lane access to Acomb Moor, will be moved “as soon as the ground dries out”.
Maybe so. But if this happens then we hope that walkers will restrict their movements to the perimeter of the field until the crop has been harvested.
One consequence of more people walking in the area is that the footpath infrastructure is deteriorating more quickly. There is a need for stiles to be repaired and for hardcore to be putdown at locations which are flooding.
Hardcore needed on some muddy sections of local footpaths
The Council has known about these pressures for some time and needs to reprioritise its leisure budgets to properly support healthy living routines.
Yesterday workers were ripping up the surface of The Mount prior to moving on down Tadcaster Road.
Initially new gas main pipes will be installed. These will be followed by the new drainage channels which should have been provided in the spring when the carriageway was last dug up.
Roadworks in Tadcaster Road area will mean 6 months of disruption and a £5.6 million cost to taxpayers.
The scheme can be contrasted with other urgently needed repairs elsewhere in west York.
School Street was reported this week for the umpteenth time only for the Council to respond saying that “no further work is required”
School Street area – a patchwork of potholes and faded white lines
A Freedom of Information response has revealed that little progress has been made on providing a replacement multi user games area in Westfield despite a Council executive decision taken in February 2019.
The expectation had been that the replacement, for the now closed facility on Kingsway West, would be in use by now. Discussions were to have been held with the Acorn Rugby Club who currently lease the alternative site which is in the Thanet Road sports area.
However, it seems that meaningful correspondence only started in July 2020 some 18 months after the Council’s Executive had made their promise. Some meetings then took place in August, but no progress report has been prepared for consideration by the Councils executive
Quite why the initiative had not been followed up sooner is unclear.
It had been thought that the most likely site would be under the existing floodlights to the side of the clubhouse. This would have minimised costs and might have been useful addition to the rugby clubs training options.
It seems that that officials, however, favour a location next the car park, while a local Councillor is keen to incorporate a n outdoor gym in the plans.
No consultation has taken place with the Foxwood Residents Association on the plans. There was a lukewarm response to plans for an outdoor gym a few years ago although objections then centred on proposals to locate the facility on Chesney’s Field.
Exiting MUGA became a building compound
Residents are quite clear that some informal free access must be available to the new games area. The price of access to pitches at the Energise centre are prohibitive for many local young people so a system needs to be worked out which meets the needs of both local users and the rugby club. The rugby club has a good reputation for encouraging young sports people so there should be no conflict of interests.
It is understood that serval potential users have expressed a wish to rent the facility so this should provide a basic income to cover maintenance and replacement costs.
The new facility could cost around £200,000.
The Westfield ward is statistically the poorest area in the City and has the largest proportion of obese children. The project would go some way to addressing the inequalities which have been worsened in the area in recent years as a result of the development of open spaces and sports pitches.
