Pupils who travel to Tadcaster Grammar school for their education are set to lose their entitlement to free bus travel;. The York Council is aiming to save £184,000 from its transport subsidy budget.
Parents of affected children will still be able to opt to send their children to Tadcaster but they will have to bear the travel costs. An annual pass currently costs £550 per pupil.
In the current academic year, 225 children take advantage of the free travel offer with a £183,6745 a year contract let to York Pullman Ltd.
In the main the proposal, which is subject to consultation, will affect pupils living in Bishopthorpe. Acaster Malbis, Copmanthorpe, Askham Bryan and Askham Richard.
Any change would be phased in so would not affect existing secondary school pupils.
Parents of children leaving primary school would be offered a secondary school place at their nearest school. These are likely to be Fulford, Millthorpe or York High.
One issue to be addressed is the current lack of spaces at some of these schools.
The impact on Tadcaster Grammar School, if it loses significant numbers of pupils, will fall to the North Yorkshire Council to manage.
Several roads will be closed as surface dressing works take place over the next few weeks in west York. The roads affected are:
Wetherby Road near Rufforth 05/07/23-06/07/23- 4am to 7am
Holtby Lane 06/07/23-07/07/23- 9am-4pm
Main St Askham Bryan 05/07/13- 06/07/23- 9am-4pm
Askham Bryan Lane South 05/07/13- 06/07/23- 9am-4pm
Askham Lane 05/07/13- 06/07/23- 9am-4pm
The required road closures will be effective between 9am and 4pm at all locations, with the exception of the Wetherby Road, Rufforth closure, which will be in operation between 4am and 7am.
Road stud removals / pothole filling and patching work will take place at all locations on Wednesday 5th July, and for Holtby Lane on Thursday 6th July.
The surface dressing operations moving on a rolling programme through all site locations are scheduled for Thursday 6th July (weather permitting).
The reinstatement of all road markings and road studs will follow on approximately two to three weeks afterwards, which will also require road closures.
Our thanks to the Councillor who forwarded the details to us.
UPDATE 17/2/23The York Council has written to say that the black bags in the field entrance on Askham Lane have been cleared and the case closed. Sadly that is not the case. We suspect that the Council are trying to pass the responsibility on to the farmer for the removal. If so, our sympathies are with the farmer. There is really no reason why he should have to clear up other people’s junk.
Also no progress yet on removing litter and dumping from the A64 between York and Tadcaster. We were told that work would take place near York earlier in the week. Current high winds won’t help, of course.
Black bags still in field on Askham Lane 17/2/23
UPDATE 15/2/23: The sofa dumped on Askham Fields Lane has been removed. The fly-tippers now seem to have moved on to Catterton Lane where builders’ waste has been dumped.
Fly tipping on Catterton Lane
The carpets, which were fly-tippeda few days ago on a layby on Askham Lane, have been removed.
Council officials visited the area yesterday and are pursuing the issue of the “green” waste which was dumped in black bags further up the lane. They are also arranging for the damaged no-tipping sign to be reinstated.
The problems have also been pursued by Dringhouses Councillor Stephen Fenton.
Unfortunately further out of the City on Askham Fields Lane a sofa has now been dumped on the verge. We’ll ask for it to be removed
Sofa dumped on Askham Fields Lane near Askham Bryan
Elsewhere we have asked for leaf detritus to be cleared from the cycle tracks near the Tesco store on Tadcaster Raod. The detritus makes the surface of the path slippery in wet and icy weather.
UPDATE 1st August: We understand that the obstructions are due to be dealt with this week.
We were promised a month ago by Highways Yorkshire that obstructions on the path that links York to Tadcaster – along the side of the A64 – would be cleared.
Unfortunately the overgrowth has since got worse and the path near the golf club (A1037) is now inaccessible for wheelchair users. it is difficult for cyclists.
Basically this happens every summer with routine maintenance virtually non existent.
It is a shame because the path is more likely to be used during periods of good weather at this time of year.
Obstructions near golf clubBlockage near The Old Street junction Litter near laybyOvergrowth on cycle trackSight lines obstructed at junction
Date; Tue 18 Aug Time: 10.20am Venue: Hallcroft Lane bus stop, Copmanthorpe Cost: Free
Join in and enjoy a led walk through Bilbrough, Askham Richard and Askham Bryan. You will be taking in a Roman road and surprising views of the Pennines along the way. Length 7 miles. Allow 3-3.5 hours.
Suggested bus travel: Coastliner 843.
Depart: York Rail Station at 9.49am
Arrive: Copmanthorpe 10.05am
Depart: Copmanthorpe 3.31pm
Arrive: York Rail Station 3.53pm
Additional information:
Simply turn up on the day and bring a packed lunch. Children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Please check bus times prior to departure and arrive 15 minutes before the walk start time.
Route incorporates stiles and uneven ground which may not be considered to be wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
Contact information:
Gillian Chefrad, Active Living Officer, Sport and Active Leisure, City of York Council, West Offices,Station Rise, YORK, YO1 6GA
The York Council has released more details of the assessments that it has made of requests by landowners for particular sites to be considered for development.
They include assessments for some sites, which were rejected, and are not being considered at its meetings on the 17th April and 23rd April 2014
They are relevant though in so far as they provide an indication of the landowner’s development aspirations. They are likely to reappear at the Public Inquiry later in the year when owners will try to have additional development land added to the Plan.
Lowfields school playing fields threat click to enlarge
39 sites, including one off Askham Lane, were rejected because they failed to respect the natural environment; two were rejected because they were on open space, while 21 had poor transport links and/or access to services
The proposals included the land (site ref 220) on Wetherby Road – near Knapton – originally suggested as a “Showman’s Yard” site. Now the owners want to build housing there. Worryingly the reason given by the Council officials for opposing development is the “lack of public transport”. No mention is made of its green belt credentials.
26 sites failed a “technical evaluation”. These included land to the west of Chapelfields (ref 778) which was rejected on grounds of landscape value and potential archaeology.
Land near Chapelfields under threat of development. click to enlarge
There is a similar list of sites rejected for Employment/Retail use.
Askham Bryan freight depot click to enlarge
Council officials have reviewed development boundaries at several sites put forward last year.
Notably a plan by the Council itself to build on the playing fields of Lowfields School (as well as on the previously developed footprint of the school buildings) has been rejected.
Officials point out that the field enjoys a lot of informal recreational use.
They do, however, rather ominously claim that the playing fields may in future be “taken over” by a private sports club!
Officials also rule out the development of even more of the open space between Woodthorpe, Foxwood, Chapelfields and the ring roads (site 791) and the rest of Acomb Moor (site 792) although the partial development of the moor still remains part of the draft Plan.
Approved proposals include a “freight transhipment” and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) site on land between the A1237 and Askham Bryan. Although currently well screened by trees this is an elevated site which would be visible from several miles.
York News Focus 