Residents get more information on Lowfield Development

At the recent Ward Committee meeting residents from Dijon Avenue and surrounding roads were able to question council officers on the proposals for Lowfield Green. The timetable for the process including the Planning Application were given. and a commitment to hold another open public session in June on the planning application before it is submitted. That would be subject to further public consultation as happens with all planning applications.

Cllr Andrew Waller had raised residents concerns at the Council Executive meeting about the proximity of building to existing houses, loss of public open space in a part of the city where it is very limited already, and potential rat running through the new estate due to through roads (where there had been commitments to not do so). Since the scheme had been drawn up the Ministry of Defence decision has resulted in delay to the Local Plan for York as consideration needs to be made of what provision could be made from brownfield land, for housing developments, which would be released if the MoD did withdraw from York.

Ward Committee Meeting

Briefing on Lowfield Scheme 1

Briefing on Lowfield Scheme 2

Updated plans – these are subject to amendment

Lowfield Green Plans during October 2016 Public Consultation

Fence on Right of Way behind Osprey Close to be removed

Following questions raised by residents about a new fence, investigations by Cllr Andrew Waller into the erection of the fence across a right of way behind Osprey Close council officers have agreed to remove it to allow access on routes which have been used for years.

Map of Osprey Close area with rights of way shown as black lines

Newly erected fence impeding access to fields leading to Acomb Moor

 

Following the most recent experience of flooding from the field at the beginning of February Andrew had contacted council officers to resolve but it was recently confirmed that this had resulted in the fence being erected in error. The photo below shows the situation on 1st February due to the ditches not carrying away water draining from the fields next to the Outer Ring Road.

Surface Water coming from fields into Osprey Close

The questions raised other points about land ownership which have been clarified by council officers;

Ownership of land with woodland near Osprey Close

The attached map shows the areas the CYC own surrounded by a red line.  The woodland trust own the section behind the east side of Alness Drive.  The only work done on site is the 4 yearly inspections that all trees in the city have.  There is currently no management plan for the area.

If there are local residents that would be interested in setting up a group to help look after the CYC owned section of land then officers would be happy to work with them. Friends of Acomb Wood have been able to get external funding for the footpaths that have gone in there and to do some work on the trees and ground flora.  There are also some residents that help look after the CYC land between Acomb Wood Drive and Alness Drive.

At tonight’s AGM for the Friends of Acomb Wood following a request from Andrew, the Chairman agreed to visit the woodland behind Osprey Close to see what collaboration could be undertaken to help establish a management plan for the area.

The Ward Committee funded scheme to deal with the mud at the entrance from Hawkshead Close has been waiting for the land to dry out and the contractors are understood to hope to get to it in the week or two after Easter.

Entrance from Hawkshead Close

Police Appeal for information after 13 year old boy was assaulted on number 1 bus

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses and information following an assault on a 13-year-old boy on the number 1 bus travelling from York city centre in the direction of Acomb on Monday 3 April 2017.

At around 4pm the boy was sitting at the front of the bus on the top deck. The bus had just left the Blossom Street bus stop when a man described as white, aged in his 50’s of large build with a bald head and grey hair to the sides, wearing a grey round neck jumper and carrying a white carrier bag sat next to the boy. The man is believed to have assaulted the boy by grabbing his face and elbowing him in the chin, causing the boy to fall backwards. The man then left the bus at the Front Street bus stop in Acomb.
The 13-year-old victim did not suffer any serious injuries, but has been left shaken by the incident.
Police are conducting enquiries and are requesting the public’s assistance to help determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

We are appealing for information from anyone who witnessed the incident and in particular from a man who it is believed challenged the suspect following the incident.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact us on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 1742 Pauline Law. You can also email pauline.law@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12170056449.

Bins relocated to help with litter prevention

Following last year’s consultation on litter bins, besides the six new ones which have been installed, residents suggested that three were moved. We are happy to say that for two of three this has now happened – relocation from Ridgeway (which was damaged due to being knocked over) to the bench at the junction of Grange Lane/Askham Lane/Ridgeway, the litter bin at the end of the snicket of Askham Grove and Tennent Road has been relocated to the Tennent Road end of Bachelor Hill field (to complement the new one at the other end of the field). Coming soon will be the relocation from the old Green Lane Fish and Chip shop to the benches on Front Street (which sadly get lots of food wrappers left behind). As the old fibreglass bins were showing their age it was agreed to replace these with the new type of bin from Ward Committee funding. On the subject of bins the vandalised bin on Acomb Green has now been repaired – thanks to residents who reported this to us.

 

New bin at Askham Lane bench (relocated from along Ridgeway) following success of bin at Gale Lane/Front Street

 

New litter bin Tennent Road end of Bachelor Hill Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Front Street benches to be joined by new litter bin

Vandalised litter bin

Restored bin

ESH come back to complete road works

In the ongoing saga of the Hobstone development off Windsor Garth your Westfield Ward councillors have been pressing for a completion of the roadworks, and for the council to come up with a definite plan to improve parking in the area. Just before the Easter holidays a manager from ESH replied to Cllr Waller’s request for a plan of work following the inspection of roads in the area by representatives from City of York Council highways team and ESH contractors on 24th January.  The plan is for works to be done in the area in stages from 24th April to 12th May and we have asked for more detailed plans to let residents know exactly what will happen.

 

Plan for works from 24th April

This follows some remedial repairs which your local Lib Dem councillor team have been pressing to have sorted out – the situation had become so bad that Cllr Waller had utilised a cycle around the ward with the Council’s Chief Executive on 17th March to show the dangerous state of the roads. There is unfinished business with the development having made the local parking situation worse than previously experienced and councillors are pressing for a plan to improve this situation before the situation gets further out of hand. No real explanation has been given why extra parking could not have been built into the programme whilst so much upheaval was going on. Suggestions from councillors that the area where the yellow seacontainer had been located as a site office could have been made into a parking bay with the plastic matrix were ignored by Yorkshire Housing the developer on the site.

Windsor Garth and Ashford Place junction before

Junction Woodford Place and Windsor Garth before

 

Repairs Ashford junction

Speed table with remedial repairs – but looking very sad

Speed table before

Woodford Place junction afterwards

 

 

Council budget: Lib Dems protecting frontline services

road-investment-2017

Liberal Democrat budget plans announced today will help protect local frontline services in the face of huge government cuts.

Key proposals include:

  • Doubling long-term investment in roads and footpaths to £20million
  • More money for gulley cleaning, gritting and litter bins
  • Supporting renewable energy to make York the Greenest City in the North
  • More support for mental health services and care for the elderly
  • Keeping your council tax one of the lowest in the country

The proposals will see investment in roads and footpaths doubled to £20million over the next 5 years alongside new litter bins, extra gulley cleaning and gritting. The plans will mean extra investment in mental health services, libraries, and funding for renewable energy to help York become the Greenest City in the North. The proposals also include a new local-area approach to tackling poverty.

The budget comes in the face of unprecedented cuts by the Conservative Government. York’s grant will be slashed by over 50% (£6.3million) next year, and between 2016 and 2020 £21.7million of savings are being made. This comes at the same time as growing cost pressures due to an ageing population and the national financial crisis in social care and the NHS.

The Council will therefore use the Government’s 3% social care precept to fund services to elderly and vulnerable people in York. Added to this will be a 0.7% increase in general Council Tax.

This balance will help us to protect the frontline services that matter to you whilst ensuring York continues to have one of the lowest council tax rates in the country.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Group Leader and Deputy Leader of City of York Council, commented:

“Liberal Democrat councillors, as part of the joint executive, are working hard to protect and invest in crucial frontline services across York. Next year we are putting additional money into areas such as road repairs and pothole prevention, gulley cleaning, litter bins and protecting areas such as local community ward budgets and services to vulnerable children and adults.

“This effort comes despite unprecedented national cuts, which will see the central grant given to York all but wiped out by 2020. The Conservative Government is starving local councils of funding. However, by making savings in areas such as senior management costs and taking a balanced approach to Council Tax we are working to protect the frontline services that matter most in your area.”

Full details of the budget will be published here: http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=9310

The full budget report will be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 9 February. Full Council will debate the budget and have final approval on 23 Feb.

Latest Planning Applications for Westfield

Westfield

Applications which are current are available via https://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications// for residents to comment upon

Ref No:      17/00039/FUL

Location:   7 Kir Crescent York YO24 3DF

Proposal:   Single storey front, side and rear extensions

Applicant:  Mr John Langley

Contact      Mr Andy Sykes

Consultation Expiry Date     13 February 2017

Case Officer:      Elizabeth Potter  Expected Decision Level     Delegated to Officer

Ref No:      17/00050/GRG3

Location:   Westfield Primary School  Askham Lane York YO24 3HP

Proposal:   Erection of cycle shelter

Applicant:  Mr Richard Corner

Contact      Property Services

Consultation Expiry Date     20 February 2017

Case Officer:      Sharon Jackson Expected Decision Level     Delegated to officer

 

 

York Carers Centre Family Fun Day at Foxwood Community Centre

andrew-and-rosie-lead-officer-for-young-carersThere was a great Family Fun Day with the York Carers Centre at Foxwood Community Centre on Saturday. Hundreds of people came to find out more, and help them to fundraise to support their work with young carers. It was good to meet Emily, Rosie, Rebecca and the team. The Bus Stop Charity & Emily Finch provided great games in their bus in the car park (with the Ward Committee we will be doing more with this charity to help provide more activities for young people). More information on the work of the York Carers Centre is available via their website http://www.yorkcarerscentre.co.uk/young-carers/andrew-and-emily
bus-stop-at-foxwoodemily-finch-bus-stop

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