Reconstruction of section of Gale Lane set for November

Central section of Gale Lane set to be reconstructed between junctions with Tudor Road and Danesfort Avenue

Council officers have indicated that the £200,000 programme for part of Gale Lane to be reconstructed will take place in November. It is currently programmed to take place on 18th Nov – 22nd Nov 2019 working 9.15am – 5.00pm under a full road closure with diversions in place. Civil engineering and drainage works will take place the week prior and will be carried out under local traffic management with the road being open to traffic. Councillors are continuing to press for the whole road to be ultimately reconstructed as it is in poor condition across the whole length.

We are also seeking confirmation that the council will take this opportunity to reinstate the pedestrian crossing island at the end of Tudor Road at the junction with Gale Lane as this is a very wide road to cross which will become busier once the new housing on Lowfield is constructed. This was the subject of a petition from local residents which Cllr Andrew Waller handed in at the March Full Council meeting.

Talk Talk UFO works come back

Talk Talk UFO have written to the ward councillors to say that they are coming back to some roads in Chapelfields and Foxwood ; Barkston Road, Bramham Avenue, Eaton Court and Walker Drive. We have asked the question why they did not do these roads at the same time as the rest of the area ?

Last week Andrew pressed officers again on the timetable for the spending of the £100,000 that has been set aside by the council for putting right outstanding works that need to be done on the footpaths and verges. Some earlier utilities work has sunk and needs to be tackled in order to overcome trip hazards.

Thanet Road safety concerns

Andrew has taken up the concerns from members of Acorn Rugby Club about the cable boxes on Thanet Road which block the view of traffic on Thanet Road of vehicles emerging from the car park. This is already an issue, but O2 have started to erect another box. He visited the site on Wednesday and asked the site supervisor what work was being done, and whilst two boxes are supposed to be coming out a new one will be added to the end of the row. The mast is due to be replaced on Monday (although this is supposed to be a similar size). Andrew has raised the issue with Highways Officers and presented the petition at the meeting of the Executive Member for Planning and Transport on Thursday. He has been assured that he will get a rapid response from officers which will be posted on here when it is received.

The shorter box and pale green box are going to be removed according to O2

A new box is being built which will extend the length of the interrupted vision from the car park

Tudor Road parking concerns and petition

Westfield Liberal Democrat Councillors have been pressing council officers to ensure that Tudor Road residents do not lose out any more than they need to when the council builds a link road to access the Lowfield Playing Fields Housing Estate.

A planning application has been lodged by the council for the new junction which will lead to the loss of the current three car parking bay. The application will create two parking areas behind 108 and 110 Tudor Road. However, councillors have pressed the council to ensure that there is no net loss as Tudor Road is a clearway and has no on-street parking options.

Details of planning application

Proposed junction

Cllr Sue Hunter at the current parking bay

In response to the pressure from councillors council officers have today announced that they are looking to create three new single bay parking areas further along Tudor Road. These are dependent upon finding locations away from trees, utilities and other restrictions. So far other departments within the council have not objected but there have been instances of long delays on other parking bays in the ward and so councillors are being vigilant.

Proposed replacement parking (salmon coloured sections)

Residents will have the opportunity to see these plans at a Drop In Session which has been arranged following requests from Ward Councillors. This will take place at the Gateway Centre, Front Street on 5th March between 4pm and 7pm.

Councillors have launched a petition following requests from residents that there are improvements to the Tudor Road area and in particular the junction with Gale Lane where crossing is already difficult and will be made more so with the increased traffic from the new estate.

Focus on roads in Westfield

The FOCUS team have written to the Director responsible for road repairs to highlight ongoing issues within the ward with road surfaces now breaking up on a number of roads. These are most keenly felt on those roads which have the heaviest traffic; Gale Lane, Askham Lane, Foxwood Lane and whilst there has been resurfacing of the part of Askham Lane (between Grange Lane and Askham Grove) and large patching has happened across sections of Foxwood Lane this has put into stark relief the condition of surrounding sections of road and there are potholes opening up all the time. The Liberal Democrat councillor team constantly report potholes as they emerge but we are pressing for a comprehensive response to the overall condition of roads in our part of the city.

Example on Gale Lane near shop

Askham Lane between Tedder Road and Cornlands Road junctions – this has recently been filled in

Foxwood Lane near junction with Otterwood Lane

School Street as an example of the nearby terraced streets which have many potholes. Severus Street has recently been entirely resurfaced.

Below is the text of the letter submitted to Director Neil Ferris, to which an initial response has been received stating that there will be a decision in early March for the next financial year’s programme which is dependent upon the Council Budget set on 28th February. We will update residents when we have more information.

Sort out Front Street Crossing !

The Westfield Liberal Democrat team have demanded that the council sorts out a long lasting improvement to the pedestrian crossing on Front Street next to Vyner House. In recent weeks it has been out of action on at least 7 different occasions and was out again earlier today. It is difficult enough at busy traffic times for residents to cross the road, and for the large number of elderly residents who cross at this point it is very concerning. We will update residents on the response that we get from the council.

Cllr Sue Hunter at the crossing on Front Street

Inside the box at the pedestrian crossing

Cable Concerns taken up by councillors

The work by Talk Talk as UFO (Ultra Fibre Optic) has been spreading over Westfield Ward in recent months as part of the citywide effort to improve very fast broadband connection. However, an increasing number of complaints have been received by Westfield Ward Lib Dem Councillors from residents and we have now called for a meeting with the company to establish how these will be rectified before moving onto new areas. Previously problems had been quickly rectified with residents personally contacted and apologies given, but this does not seem to be the experience, with residents in Danesfort Avenue flagging down a councillor to complain about what they had experienced trying to get out on the school run.

Stuart Road Feb 2018

Stuart Road April 2018

Specific concerns range from verges being dug up and left in a poor condition over winter, and tarmac being used to fill in gaps on concrete driveways. At the Ward Committee meeting on 14th March representatives from Talk Talk gave an update and detailed that there were regular meetings with the Council’s Highways Department to sort out how streets would be put back into order. Stuart Road had been identified in February by residents. However, more verges have been dug up (often digging up bulbs which volunteers had planted) and left with a strip of rubble (or the whole width). A letter requesting a meeting has been sent to the management of Talk Talk before the situation gets out of hand. It is not clear what the plan is to restore our verges, and there is a danger to grass cutting (and nearby pedestrians) due to the stones at the surface.

Kingsway West close to junction with Danesfort Avenue

Foxwood Lane close to Chesney’s Field

Dijon Avenue – residents raising issues about chanels cut across concrete driveways

Last week the council team were called upon to help residents in Ascot Way and Windsor Garth get the number 24 bus back into operation as the sheer volume of UFO vans had blocked the route which is depended upon by many elderly residents in the estate. In response council officers contacted Arriva and Talk Talk to resolve the issues and get the bus back on track. This week Chapelfields saw the number 1 bus route diverted from the estate, running along Ridgeway instead, however, residents did get some warning of this.

Lorries in Ascot Way

Ascot Way by bus stop

Askham Lane close to Foxwood Lane roundabout

Council consults on changes to pedestrian crossing and bus stop

The council is consulting on changes to the layout of the pedestrian crossing and relocating a bus stop on Acomb Green/Wetherby Road close to the junction with Danebury Drive. Councillors have been notified of a letter going to nearby residents but are clarifying how wide the distribution is, and so are publicising this issue so that more residents are aware.

Comments back are needed to Martyn King by 16th February via martyn.king@york.gov.uk or by letter.

Location for changes

Existing layout

Proposed layout

Letter to residents ;

Pothole Checks

The recent freezing weather has taken its toll on the roads recently and the Liberal Democrat Councillor team has been busy reporting potholes and checking that they have been dealt with. These have been in roads all around the ward with a few selected here below. Others have been reported and most have received attention but we are following up some in Cornlands Road and Fir Health Close where officers are of the view that they are not at “intervention depth”.

BEFORE Severe pothole (particularly hazardous for cyclists) Ref 103517311 Reported 18 Dec 2017

AFTER Repaired section of road Foxwood Lane (photo 11 Jan 2018)

BEFORE Askham Lane between Vesper Drive and Ridgeway Roundabout Ref 103523942

AFTER Repairs to fill in deep holes Askham Lane photo 11 Jan 2018

BEFORE Section of Foxwood Lane with small pull in road Ref 103511714 reported 4th December 2017

AFTER : Repaired Section Foxwood Lane

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