We’ve been out and about checking on public service standards in west York in the wake of the recent storms. These are some of this weeks reports
Road repairs needed on Huntsmans Walk
Verges damaged in Thoresby Road
Broken play equipment
Uneven path in St Stephens Road
Dumping on St Josephs Court – Cornlands Rd snicket
Dumping next to Cornlands Park
The Council have promised a thorough review of the snickets in the area. The residents association is currently conducting an audit of standards. In several there are problems with worn paths, weeds, litter, dumping and damaged boundary fencing. During the summer months, anti social behaviour is an issue in some while other s are obstructed by trees and hedges.
Hopefully these issues will all be addressed later it the year.
This application has not formally been publicised yet, but details are on the Councils planning web site.
If approved it would see the York Bridge Club move from their premises in Holgate into Westfield. As such it would be the first new leisure facility that the area would gain after a decade which has seen the closure of several local amenities including the bowling club, football pitches at Lowfields, the multi user games area etc.
The single storey building itself is unlikely to be controversial but the site selected is currently allocated, in planning documents, as open sports space. It was last used as tennis courts some 20 years ago.
If the Bridge Clubs current premises in Holgate Road were to be converted into residential accommodation, then it is likely that this would weigh in the balance.
A planning decision is likely in the spring.
Existing Club and proposed new siteProposed layout
The latest crime figures taken from the nation policing web site (click) show a stable picture in York.
A lot of effort has gone into making the City centre safer and this shows with a slight downward trend in crime reports during the last 12 months. The number of reports each month varies between 450 and 550. The largest number of incidents were reported in December 2018 so all eyes will be on the figures for last month when they become available.
Crime stats for York
Anti-social behaviour accounts for 34% of the reports. This is in line with the popular conception
that the City centre can be a rowdy environment at times.
Looking at the area outside the centre, which includes a large rural neighbourhood, crime reports have averaged around 1300 a month over the last year.
Anti social behaviour again is the most frequent report (31%) but is closely followed by “violence and sexual offences” (26%). The latter is mainly domestic disagreements.
A lot of historic information is available at a more local level.
Crime stats for the Westfield ward
In the Westfield Ward crime reports average around 150 a
month. Reports peak in the summer months.
Anti social behaviour (33%) and violence (28%) are the
biggest issues. 10% of reports concern criminal
damage (vandalism, graffiti etc) and arson.
Westfield crime reports in 2014/15
A graph of crime reports in Westfield (left), prepared 5 years ago, shows a very similar volume of issues.
The Police are currently recruiting additional officers and PCSOs in North Yorkshire.
Gale Lane carriageway breaking up. The section is only a few metres away from the area that was resurfaced a few months ago. The Council really should have resurfaced as far as the junctionWidespread damage to verges and speed humps in the Kingsway area blamed on heavy building plant. The Newbury Avenue bungalows should be finished at the end of the year so hopefully some repairs will then take place. Dumped fridge in hedgerow at Chesney FieldMore dumping in back Foxwood Lane& again in the little Green Lane garage areaGraffiti in Howe Street area. This will prove to be a test of the Councils new graffiti removal processes which were implemented a few weeks ago. Still a lot of leaf fall in some streets. This is Windsor Garth. Streets now need mechanical sweeping before mulch becomes embedded.Litter in hedgerows near Doherty Walk. The Councils street cleansing systems still aren’t working with problems on several estates and at some shopping centres.More litter!
The planning application states, “The proposed replacement plant is to facilitate ongoing sustainability initiatives within the Co-op Group providing smaller, quieter, and more efficient plant across local convenience stores. The shop front redecoration work is to facilitate ongoing sustainability initiatives within the Co-op group providing maintenance, upkeep and branding requirements across the local stores.
The new replacement plant will have minimal visual impact on site as it is to be installed within the existing fenced compound at the existing location to the rear service yard. The shop front redecoration will improve the visual impact on site providing freshness to the existing deteriorating and discolouring paintwork to the façade, window and door frames”.
Plans for improvements to Coop on Beagle Ridge Drive
NB. Condition 34 of planning permission ref 17/02428/FULM reads
“34 Prior to the commencement of the development hereby authorised above foundation level a scheme for the provision of affordable housing units within the development shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
The development shall thenceforth be undertaken in strict accordance with the details thereby approved prior to the first residential unit being occupied”.
Strangely the papers published for this specific application on the Councils planning web site do not include a listing of the affordable housing units or their distribution on the site, although these details are available elsewhere.
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Lincoln Court Ascot Way York YO24 4RA
Variation of condition 2 of permitted application 19/00083/FULM to provide additional windows and alter fire exit arrangements within the north eastern elevation and stairwell and external air conditioning unit at first floor level on eastern elevation.
