York Council taxpayers face £600,000 bill for “emergency” transport changes

It looks like the government’s announcement in November of a £600,000 grant for cycling and walking in York has strings attached. A “matching” amount is required from local taxpayers.

The York Council had bid for a share of what was termed an “Emergency Active Travel Fund”.

Controversial road closure

It was originally designed to promote social distancing and reduce pressure on public transport. Early examples if the kind of scheme supported by the York Council included the controversial Bishopthorpe Road one way system (since abandoned) and The Groves Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme. Several foot streets were also extended.

Now the government (rightly) says greater weight should be given to consultation, with Local Authorities required to publish a consultation plan for their programmes by 11th December 2020. Details of York’s Active Travel Fund Tranche 2 application and the Consultation Plan are available as downloads at: https://www.york.gov.uk/lets-york/active-travel-bid/1

The costs of the individual schemes have now been revealed.

The most expensive is the proposal to construct a cycle path from Wheldrake village to Heslington.

This comes in at an eye watering £550,000.

There has still not been any attempt made to estimate the likely use of such a path although the Councils origin and destination surveys make a cost/benefit analysis relatively easy to produce.

Existing infrastructure is neglected

Ironically, this project does not even appear in the list of cycling schemes that the Council has built up over the years. This is reproduced in a report being considered later this week. (click).

At least that list attempts to assess what impact the investment would have on transport choices. The top-rated improvement locations are

  1. University Road / Field Lane
  2. University of York – Heslington East Campus links
  3. High Petergate, Deangate, Aldwark, Hungate, Navigation Rd, Walmgate (or Low Petergate, Colliergate, Fossgate, Walmgate)
  4. St Leonards Place / Museum Street / Lendal Bridge / Station Road
  5. Micklegate / Bridge Street / Nessgate / Coppergate / Pavement / Stonebow / Peasholme Green
  6. Improvements to Station Road / Station Avenue gyratory
  7. Route through former British Sugar site
  8. Castle Gateway Foss Bridge
  9. York Central – link from Chancery Rise
  10. Bar Lane / Toft Green / Tanner Row
Footpaths have been blocked

The Council is being urged to develop a new “walking and cycling strategy”. Certainly, those who walk will feel somewhat neglected by current York Council policies. Even more so when they see the lack of progress being made on determining 19 outstanding Public Right of Way applications. Some have been outstanding for over 20 years.

The main issue remains a lack of investment in maintaining the existing transport network.

The endless pressure to borrow more money simply sucks resources from the Councils maintenance budget. The results are deteriorating cycle and footpath surfaces coupled with potholed highway margins.

 This neglect poses an increasing hazard for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.

Government announce funding for York transport schemes

City of York Council has been allocated £658,350 to support more active travel across York and the many residents who are choosing to walk and cycle more throughout the city’s COVID recovery.

No new bridge for cyclists crossing the river Ouse on the A1237 (not enough money) but the Council says it can widen the existing cycle path (!)

The Government’s Active Travel Fund is designed to support walking and cycling as a long-term method for commuting. To receive any allocation from the fund, the council must carry out wide reaching engagement on a variety of proposed schemes to inform designs for people-centred transport infrastructure and more active travel opportunities for residents.

There is likely to be some scepticism about the Council choice of schemes (see below). It’s plan for a cycle path from Wheldrake (pop 2000) to the City centre for example doesn’t appear to have been based on any sort of cost benefit analysis.

Other villages such as Dunnington (pop 3300) are closer, so cycling is likely to be a much more attractive option for commuters living in that area.

The Council has computer modelling facilities available which would allow it to prioritise, what are very scarce, resources on initiatives which will give the maximum “bang per buck”. We’ve had too many impulsive decisions in the recent past ..and too many vanity projects. Decisions need to be made with clear base line figures, milestones, quantifiable targets and proper outturn appraisals.

No plans have been announced to improve the lamentable state of the existing cycle network. Parts of the York Selby cycle path – which is not too far away from Wheldrake – is currently unusable because of surface damage

Cycle lanes are planned for Acomb Road in Holgate

According to the Council, “the consultation, which will launch later this year, will provide residents the opportunity to shape future plans and ensure that they are designed to meet the needs of local communities.  By using the consultation to develop high quality cycle routes, we can encourage more people to walk and cycle as part of their everyday travel in the city”.

This funding is the second phase of funding, following on from an initial £193,000 received in summer this year.

The Council claims that, “This second phase of funding will allow the city to build upon action taken so far this year through temporary changes to road layout and improving cycle safety, and enable the council to design and implement more permanent and wider reaching schemes to support residents with active travel opportunities across the city”.

The measures proposed to be consulted upon and delivered include:

  • Measures on Shipton Road (north of Clifton Green), linking with ongoing improvements to cycling infrastructure on Bootham;
  • Cycle lanes along Acomb Road;
  • Some city centre measures, for example a pedestrian/ cyclists crossing of Tower Street near St George’s Field;
  • Improvements to the cycle lane on the A1237 bridges over the Ouse and East Coast Main Line;
  • Cycle improvements between Wheldrake and Heslington.

Consultation will be carried out in the coming months and feedback collected from this will be reported at an Executive Member for Transport Decision Session in early 2021.

This work will be carried out in coordination with the implementation of the council’s Economic Recovery Strategy. The strategy focuses on prioritising active travel, working with bus and rail operators to ensure people can continue to use public transport with confidence and creating a more people-focussed city centre.

The council’s iTravel team will be supporting engagement across local communities and schools to better understand barriers to active travel and how this funding can improve this across the city.

Latest waste service update from York Council

Tuesday 16th June

All scheduled household waste collections have been made.

We were unable to collect all recycling waste from all properties in the following areas due to operating under COVID-19 restrictions:

  • Dunnington
  • Huntington
  • Osbaldwick
  • Wheldrake

This will be collected on Wednesday 17 June. Please present your containers for collection by 7.00am.

We were unable to collect all garden waste from some properties in Woodthorpe and Dunnington due to capacity issues: We’ll attempt to collect missed garden waste on the evening of Tuesday 16 June, but may not be able to revisit until later in the week. Please leave your green bin out and we’ll get to you as soon as we can.

We have collected all outstanding missed household waste, recycling and garden waste from Monday 15 June.

Missed bin collections a problem again this week

After catching up with the backlog of full bins on Saturday, vehicle failures meant that garden waste collections were missed in Dringhouses, Woodthorpe, Wheldrake and Copmanthorpe yesterday (Monday). The Council has promised to try to empty the bins today.

The Council web site also reports isolated cases of roads being missed because of poor parking and road works

There is still no word from the Council on when new, more reliable, vehicles will be rolled out.

Bid to give more protection to pubs, shops, woods etc.

The York Council is to consider several requests to have local amenities added to the list of  “assets of community value”

The applications concern;

  • The Wenlock Arms Public House,

    Jubilee pub

    Jubilee Hotel

  • White Rose House,
  • Costcutter Shop, Wheldrake,
  • Wheldrake Woods.
  • The Minster Inn Public House (Guildhall) &
  • The Jubilee Hotel (Holgate)

If added to the list, the designation would mean that the local community would have an opportunity to raise the necessary funding to purchase, should the assets come onto the open market.

A decision on the listing is expected to be made on 11th July