Pressing for improvments in Chapelfields

Westfield Ward Councillors have been pressing for improvements to the area on behalf of  residents. One of the longest campaigns has been to tackle the broken fencing along the snicket between Grange Lane and Parker Avenue/Walton Place. Finally progress is being made with the replacement of broken fencing which collected litter, and had been regularly vandalised.

Broken fencing BEFORE

Snicket fencing being installed September 2018

 

New Dog bin Grange Lane

Old dog bin Grange Lane

New dog bin Bramham Road

 

But there are other areas  that need attention. Andrew has written again to  Virgin to ask them to  take responsibility for their cable box on Bramham Road – and surely making it more  secure would save them  money in the long run !

 

Virgin cable box broken again !

 

Cllr Sue Hunter asked at the York Full  Council  meeting on 19th July why the flat on Bramham Road (behind the bus stop) had  been boarded up for so long (first reported by councillors in January as needing to be tackled). The response from the council was that the contractors who repaired properties ‘needing extensive work’ were unable to cope with the demand, however, a completion date of mid August was given. We have asked again and we are now told that a new tenant has picked up the keys and the boards will be removed shortly . Residents had been asking why it was not  being used for all this time and so the team will continue to  press for homes to be brought back into  use as quickly as possible.

 

Flat boarded up for many months

£1.7 million Lincoln Court Council Housing Investment

On 15th March the Council will be asked to approve a £1.7 million investment to modernise and expand the council run Sheltered Housing (soon to be called Independent Living) scheme on Ascot Way (off Kingsway West). This follows the decision on Windsor House. The deferred modernisation of Lincoln Court can now take place, and the Executive is being recommended to approve funding to expand the provision to give it new life. Westfield Ward Liberal Democrat Councillors have been pressing for this work to be done in response to concerns from residents about the state of the building, in particular the windows.

£1.4 million expansion to Lincoln Court –

• 8 new one bed apartments which will be dementia friendly
• Upgrading 4 bedsits into one bed apartments
• Improving the entrance lobby, communal facilities including a community lounge, assisted bathing, buggy store, offices for care and other staff, improve gardens and parking
• new room for communal boiler and plant

In addition the set aside £361,500 of housing modernisation work (excluding the boiler room work which will be covered in the £1.4 million) which had been put on hold can be released. Constructed in 1966 Lincoln Court was last modernised in 1991 and it was showing a need for maintenance.


This aspect of the work will include; modernisation of individual flats, new kitchen, bathroom, heating and wiring, new front doors, windows, a new entry system, roof works, external and internal decoration.

There will be a review of energy efficiency and renewable energy linked to the new centre for Disabled Children which will be built on the site of Windsor House as part of the council’s commitment to One Planet York.

Residents living in Lincoln Court have had some initial consultation and there will be a planning application in May 2018 to which residents will be able to see the plans and the Ward Councillors will ensure that information is shared.

Subject to planning consent being given work would start on site in Winter 2018 to be completed in Autumn 2019.

The full report is available via http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=10189&Ver=4

Below are photos of the boiler room in Windsor House which flooded in the Boxing Day Floods in 2015, new boilers were installed with pumps to transfer the water which comes in from Hob Moor. This had been an inherent weakness for both buildings and will be addressed with the new Centre of Excellence for Disabled Children and improved Lincoln Court.

Boilers

Boiler room in Windsor House is below ground level leading to ingress of surface water.

Pumps