tt is 6 years since the Council demolished the multi user games area (MUGA) on Kingsway.West. A replacement facility was promised. It was to have been located. on the Thanet Road sports area. It never materialised.
The absence of off the streets attractions for teenagers has been partly to blame for the increase in anti social behaviour problems in the neighbourhood in recent years.
The former site off Kingsway near the Hob Moor school has remained derelict.
It was suggested that a local voluntary group would seek to revitalise the plot but, other than installing a hardcore footpath, nothing happened.
The land is currently an eyesore & dominated by Docks which have little environmental value.
Local Councllors could ensure that it is converted into a wildflower meadow. They have funds available in their ward committee budget..
Let us see something of value for the local community established.
……& lets get the replacement MUGA back on the agenda.
A bridge on the Knapton/Rufforth cycle track will be closed for repairs for up to 5 days from Monday 13th May.
There is no obvious alternative route although the track will be open, from both directions, up to the bridge (which is located near the shooting range).
closure noticeBridge will be closed for up to 5 days
Elsewhere on the track, work is now well advanced on providing access paths into the new woodland site. Perimeter hedges have all been cut back.
Unfortunately no work has been done to eliminate the flooding which obstructs the access to the track from Knapton in wet weather.
The entrance at Knapton is open occasionally to allow plant to enter the site. The pedestrian access remains subject to flooding
Its only early April, but already some invasive weeds have reached a metre high and are taking over local verges,
Nettles and cow parsley are among the invasive weeds that can grow very quickly given the right conditions.
We’re firmly on the side of those who want to see verges kept tidy not least for safety reasons. Sight lines at junctions can quickly become obstructed.
Another few weeks of warm/wet weather could see the situation deteriorate rapidly.
The problems are exacerbated by the decision of the Council to remove weed growth, from drainage gulleys and footpaths, on only two occasions each year.
Cow parsley is now well established on some vergesSeveral drainage gullies are already obstructed by undergrowth
Earlier 18th January 2024
York Council about to blunder on urban verge cutting plans
The York Council, is set to reduce the number cuts, on grass verges in residential areas, from 12 per year to just six. It is unclear whether small amenity spaces (which are cut at the same time as the verges) will also be abandoned.
The consequence would be extra-long grass which could block sight lines and obstruct footpaths. In addition, the long cuttings, when eventually mowed, would spread over neighbouring paths and gutters, potentially blocking vital drainage systems.
A few years ago, verges weren’t cut for several weeks (see photos). This was due to staffing issues. They rapidly became an unsightly mess with cows parsley, nettles and even thistles taking over. Large amounts of litter accumulated in the thick grass and was scattered in small pieces when finally cut. It took 2 seasons for the grass to get reestablished.
In many suburban streets, neighbouring residents – out of a sense of civic pride – cut the verge outside their homes. They achieve a higher standard than that achieved by the Councils ride-on mowers.
But even these public spirited citizens face a double whammy with the Council also now introducing a charge for green bin emptying.
Some do argue that longer grass encourages biodiversity. That may be true in some seasons if wild flowers have been sown. But in most cases it is just grass and those streets which adjoin the countryside, amenity areas or in private gardens already have an abundance of insect life.
Ironically Labour Councillors have also shelved their promise to introduce neighbourhood “caretakers”. This was promoted in their Council election manifesto as a way of improving public spaces in line with the wishes of the local community.
In some areas the local Parish Council undertakes the cutting (and are reimbursed by the York Council for the basic service). The York Central wards will be the ones to suffer most if this ill-considered plan goes ahead
NB. The central area gets a further hit with the Councils sponsored flower beds also set to be abandoned. They claim it will reduce expenditure byu £100,000
One has written to say, “The last time it was here, it impacted greatly on my quality of life because of a tannoy ststem…and lioud music playifg until late into the night”.
“Also noise from caravans camping in our car park” …with “a large marquee (was) erected over the graves. Children and dogs run round the garden of remembrance“
“Visitors could not get in to visit residents because the car park was full of campers“
The Police have advised that extra conditions should be applied if the application is approved.
RISE (Reducing Inequalities, Supporting Employment) is a support programme that offers one-to-one advice and employability support, empowering those involved to overcome both personal and professional challenges.
These include:
unemployment
mental health issues
physical health challenges
autism and neurodivergence
financial struggles
domestic abuse
housing instability
basic skills and training needs
inclusion and diversity concerns
support for self-employment and carers and people in care
Funded by City of York Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, so far this programme has helped 65 people from various backgrounds boost their confidence so they can go to work.
RISE is one of 25 projects taking place in the city, using UK Shared Prosperity Fund money. City of York Council has invested 98% of its UKSPF allocation so far (£1.8 million) to fund initiatives that range from business support, supporting the voluntary sector to helping boost skills and help people into work as well as invest in our high streets.
The average amount of time each individual gets support for is 11 weeks, with every person giving the programme 5 out of 5. The project has proven so successful that the council, using UK Shared Prosperity Funding has agreed to extend the programme for another year.
63% of those the programme has supported so far disclosed themselves as a disabled person or had a work-limiting condition. 54% lived in jobless households and 23% had dependents at home.
The programme combines emotional support with practical employability guidance. The programme has successfully helped participants like Michael, a 30-year-old who, prior to joining RISE, struggled with social anxiety and unemployment:
I was scared to go outside and even look at people.
With 67% of participants disclosing a mental health condition, RISE’s success in addressing such challenges and fostering emotional well-being is evident in Michael’s story.
Ben, Michael’s mentor, played a pivotal role in building trust and fostering Michael’s emotional well-being. Michael highlights:
Ben was warm, kind, and understanding – that made it really easy to be open and reveal my honest thoughts, struggles, and history. After establishing that trust, my emotional well-being was on the rise, which made the prospect of work/employment very attainable.
“Ben has taught me to think in a way that when I do fall in a hole, I have the knowledge and tools to get back up.”
In addition to emotional support, RISE provides much needed employment support, helping individuals set short-term and long-term career goals, as well as creating effective CVs that enhance employment prospects. Michael reflects on his progress:
Having these goals and something to aim for really puts weight and meaning to the centre of my life and has acted as a springboard to my mental wellbeing.
Another person to benefit from the programme is Kate who reached out to RISE after deciding to become a dental health nurse. Her mentor has been helping her get the necessary functional skills as well as providing CV feedback.
The York Councii says that it has received over 900 responses to its consultation on remiodeling plans for Front Street. If these are all from local people, then that is a good response rate. Only 1300 responded to a similar exercise which asked about transport policy across the whole City.
Too often these exercises are hijacked by single interest pressure groups.
Even the toffs from the York Civic Trust stuck their oar in on the subject a couple of days ago.
The Council has declined to reveal the results of the consultation. Not even the top level result of the question on the controversial future of the pedestrian protection bollards is revealed.
The Council will say only that it”will now analyse the feedback and it will shape design proposals. These will be shared with the community and taken to an Executive meeting in the coming months”.
NB. There are elections for the newly created post of North Yorkshire Mayor in early May. It is highly likely that the York Council – and its Labour leadership – will avoid making any controversial decisions over the next few weeks.
Earlier 26th February 2024
Front Street questionnaire is now available on line
The York Council is now consulting on plans which could see £40,000 spent on removing the pedestrian safety bollards from Front Street.
The bollards were installed less than a year ago.
An on-line survey gives residents the opportunity to vote against this waste of taxpayers money. (click) However, the phraseology of the introduction suggests that the Council has already made up its mind.
There are a range of other choices for spending the budget of £570,000 provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). This is taxpayers money.
Its fair to say that the choices are very limited and mostly fail to address the underlying needs of the Front Street shopping area. You cannot, for example, vote to reopen Front Street to traffic even for a single day.
There is no opportunity to comment on arrangements for cyclists (even the obvious limitations of the Cross Street route are glossed over).
No mention is made of the problems with anti social behaviour and crime in the area. Designing out crime should be a principal objective of any remodelling scheme.
Still there is room to “write in” comments. Perhaps they will listen.
Background information on the Councils views can be viewed here
The Council says that there are multiple ways to take part in the consultation :
Paper survey– These are available at Acomb Explore and can be returned by freepost to: Front Street Acomb Regeneration Freepost RTEG-TYYU-KLTZ City of York Council, West Offices, Station Rise, York YO1 6GA
Engagement events– Attend one of the following events:
Wednesday 28 February 6:30pm-8:30pm- Joint Acomb, Westfield, Holgate Ward Committee, Gateway Centre
Thursday 29 February 3pm-6pm- Drop-in, Gateway Centre
Thursday 7 March 10am-1pm- Drop-in, Acomb Explore
Saturday 16 March 1pm-4pm – Drop-in, Gateway Centre
The feedback received will help inform detailed designs to be presented for consideration and approval by the council’s Executive in Summer 2024, and will support future funding bids to make further changes in the area.
The survey is open from 26th February and will close on 24 March 2024.
£250,000 was cut from ward committee highways maintenance budgets in the summer. Labour Counclllors claimed that it would be used to “Increase efficiency and prolong the life of roads by increasing the number of structural repairs to our road surfaces”.
A response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the £1/4 million has been spent on patching up just seven roads across the City.
It is unclear how the decisions on priorities were made but poorer areas like Westfield have missed out under the new system. .
No funding for urgent repairs
We have advocated switching funds from pothole filling to larger patching works in the past. That required a rebalancing of the internal highways budget.
The ward budget could and should, have been spent on full width resurfacing schemes – providing a long term life for worn out road surfaces, with a marked improvement in safety standards.
NB. There is an estimated £10 million backlog in urgent highway repairs work in York. £350,000, provided to the Coucnil for road repairs by central government in November of last year, has still not been spent
Earlier 1st August 2023
Revised ward budgets approved by York Council at a “behind closed doors” meeting
Major 30% cut to funding
The York Council is dramatically cutting the amount of funding which will be available to spend on nighbourhood problems.
A much-reduced base budget has been made available following an officer decision taken at a private meeting. There has been no consultation with residents’ associations or Parish Councils on the proposals
The Council claims that the allocation process has been tweaked to try to direct resources to the less well off neighbourhoods but, in effect, this makes little difference.
Overall, there will be a 30% cut in funding and that before highways and estate improvement budgets are considered.
2023/24 budget allocations
The most deprived ward (Westfield), which had £40,000 a year to invest until recently, will see that fall to £24,646 a year.
It means there will be little opportunity to tackle crime prevention issues while the community pride programme – which aimed to keep neighbourhoods clean and tidy – has also been jettisoned.
2020/21 ward allocations
The cuts actually run deeper. The locally determined road repairs budget has been cut completely with doubt about whether even schemes which were in the pipeline – and funded from last years budget – will actually happen
Four year local highways repair budget implemented by the last Council. Now abandonedby the new Labour administration
The future of the housing estate improvement programme (HEIP) budgets – funded from Council tenants rents and allocated by local residents – is also in doubt.
The funding has been used in the past to improve local communal areas for the benefit of all tenants
HEIP previous allocations. Now scrapped
While few would argue that previous attempts, to give local residents more say over how their communities are maintained, have been an overwhelming success, cutting budgets and taking decisions behind closed doors in West Offices, represents a return to the worst type of civic paternalism.
It is a major error of judgement by the new Labour controlled Council.
According to the I news stream potholes are costing drivers billions of pounds in repairs. Recent wet weather threatens to worsen the country’s pothole epidemic.
Most potholes are caused by water seeping into cracks in the road.
There are an estimated one million potholes blighting Britain’s roads. Last year the AA received 632,000 callouts to vehicles damaged by road defects – an increase of 16 per cent.
Research by Halfords found that a quarter of motorists say their vehicle has been damaged by a pothole in the previous 12 months, causing an estimated £7.5bn in damage.
The average cost of repairs was £718, with common problems including punctures, distorted wheels, damaged shock absorbers and broken suspensions.
Cash-strapped councils have been accused of ignoring the issue. But central government spending on local road maintenance fell from £4bn in 2006 to £2bn in 2019, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
I news
In York, the Council has yet to invest the extra funding made available by the government last November. According to a leading Labour Councillor the road network is in a state of “managed decline”
The Council point blank refuses to deal with some hazards. Recently a badly damaged footpath in Huntsmans Walk was categoried as “no further action” needed.
It was a simular story on Foxwood Lane where potholes around 6 inches deep have now filled with water presenting an even more unexpected hazard for cyclists.
Its time that local Councillors got a grip of the problem.
The Council is having another go at deciding how to allocate part of its budget to support poorer neighbourhoods.
Several choices are on offer and will be discussed at a meeting next week. Each ward committee will get a basic allowance based on population. The budget for this is £105,000.
A firther £145,000 is available to be allcated on the basis of need. The Council tried – unconvincingly – last year to allocate this based on an “index of multiple deprivation” which was calculated at ward level.
This approach produced several anomolies.
Opinions are divided on whether this would have a greater impact than the old distribution system which was simply based on ward populations.
No mention is made in the latest report of the cuts to ward budgets.
Both the community safety and highway maintainance delegated budgets have been scrapped in recent years.
The remaining budget, when divided across the whole city, buys very little at ward level.
One obvious option – not currently being considered by the Council – is sumply to forget about ward boundaries and allocate the needs budget to (say) the five worst off neighbourhoods in the City. These are known from census data and are calculated at what are labeled “Lower Super Output Areas”
These each comprise of around 650 households.
If focussed at that level, the available budget might actually make a difference.
Earlier 13th October 2023
York Council finally admits how it calculated local poverty scores.
The York Council has finally revealed how it has allocated its £145,000 anti poverty budget to wards.
A freedom of information response has been published (click)
The raw input figures haven’t been published but the authority appears to have fallen foul of the effect that averaging scores can have (exemplifed here in a government paper)
The data is assembled at what is called Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA). LSOA were designed to have roughly the same populations (around 1600 residents).
Only one York LSOA was in the 10% most deprived across the whole country. That is York 018B. This is essentially the Kingsway West area. There, 64.3% of resients were found to be “deprived” in at least one way
Kingsway West. York’s poorest neighbourhood – census analysis
Click the graphic for an explanation of how “deprivation” is calculated
There are 115 LSOAs in York
People may be considered to be living in poverty if they lack the financial resources to meet their needs, whereas people can be regarded as deprived if they lack any kind of resources, not just income.
There is more information on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) here (click)
What is clear is that allocating resources at a ward level and then expecting local Councillors to “buy in” services and facilites which will ease poverty, is a flawed concept.
If additional resources are available to combat poverty then they should be targeted at an LSOA level.
In the Westfield ward, in which Kingsway West is located, the funding is being allocated across the whole ward with groups being invited to “bid” for grants of up to £500.
Some of those same groups have already seen their support grants cut.; in some cases by more than £500.
There is no evidence that voluntary groups are equiped to provide services which would make any difference to IMD scores.
Even if the whole of the £145,000 budget were spent in the most deprived neighbourhood, it would make little difference to the IMD “score”.
Something more sophisticated is needed if the causes of deprivation are to be tackled effectively.
As reported earlier in the week, vegetation has been removed from around the spiral cycle path access at London Bridge (Tadcaster Road). This is apparently in preparation for the, much delayed, work on upgrading the cycle path
Unfortunately this has served to highlight just how untidy and uninviting this entrance to the City actually is.
Litter and graffiti dominate the views.
Bins are overflowing.
When the cycle track improvements have been completed, we hope that a much improved maintenance regime will be put in place by the authorities.
This section of the cycle track is owned and maintained by the City of York Council.
York News Focus 