Collapse in maintenance standards prompting direct action in York

July 4, 2023July 5, 2023 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Residents are takng action themselves to try to keep paths open which have become obstructed by over and undergrowth.

Volunteers have been working to reopen the public footpath link from Osprey Close to Foxwood Lane while cyclists have trimmed back thorn branches which were obstructing the cycle path near Askham Bryan Lane.

*Cyclists have been forced to cut back thorn branches which were obstructing some cycle tracks*

There had been hopes last year, when the York Council appointed a new cycling officer, that at least the existing path network would be kept free of obstructions.

Seems not, as standards are just as bad this summer as in previous years, with no basic maintenance schedules in place.

Not the York Councils’ responsibility, but the – now completely blocked – cycle track near the Pike Hills Golf Course, which should have been cut in June, is still obstructed.

Highways England had promised to ensure that the path remained usable.

Sadly no maintenance took place and we now have the prospect of action being taken, under the 1980 Highways Act, to get Highways England to fulfil their legal obligations to keep public highways free of obstructions!

It shouldn’t be necessary, but it may be that work has to be commissioned privately with the bill then being sent to the authorities.

Grumbles also from east York about the lamentable maintenance standards in Clarence Gardens Park.

The park was awarded green flag status a few years ago but parts of it are now badly overgrown. The Green Flag award goes to parks that are judged to be outstanding. (click to see Green Flag standards document)

One of the difficulties in judging the scale of the maintenance backlog in the City, is the fact that some people seek to muddy the waters by claiming that the neglect is a deliberate attempt to “rewild” parts of the City.

If it were, then there should have been some prior consultation with residents. Notices should be erected saying that the lack of maintenance is a deliberate policy.

In reality, the Council lost some of its gardeners at the beginnng of the spring season.They have been uanble to catch up with the backlog. The longer cutting is delayed the bigger the mowing jobs will become.

So volunteers may have to step in and ensure that key routes and facilities remain accessible.

The Council for its part should accept that they may have to sub-contract some of the work at least until its workforce is back up to strength

Most of all though the authorities need to keep residents updated about the progress it is making in tackling the issues.

The Council has a communications department. It should use it.

Blocked cycle paths – problem worsens

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

It’s not just the cycle paths in West York that are obstructed by overgrowth.

There is a similar problem on the A1079 near Dunnington where the path is also obstructed. A video has emerged of an elderly cyclist heroically trying to cut back the overgrowth to allow safe passage.

Volunteers really shouldn’t have to do this work. Specialist equipment, owned by the York Council and by Highways Yorkshire, could make short shift of removing obstructions.

Some Councillors are concerned about declining maintenance standards but sadly not, it appears, those who have executive powers to do something about the issue.

*Volunteer trying to clear obstructed path near Dunnington*

What a welcome to York & North Yorkshire!

February 12, 2023February 14, 2023 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Update 14th February 2023:

Credit to Network Rail, who initially apparently banned the Council for removing graffiti from the cycle track rail bridge near Askham Bogs, have now said that their own team will do the work on Friday

Update 13th February 2023:

A local York Councillor has been told that litter picking is being arranged over the next few nights for stretches of rhe A64 near York.

Apparently the Council is working with Highways England as they are responsible for road etc on this stretch. The Council is undertaking litter picking activities in the late night/early hours of the morning tonight through to Thursday 16th February. Highways England will be undertaking various works for which they are responsible (highway maintenance, barrier works etc).

How much of the A64 gets done – and to what standard – remains to be seen, but at least the authorities have recognised that there is an iussue. which needs to be adressed

Tourists driving along the A64 towards York from the A1 will get a very poor first impression of North Yorkshire

The verges are covered in litter, dumped tyres, and even the rusting frames of discarded traffic information boards.

None of the responsible authorities appears to have litter management plans in place. Most of the litter is in rural areas and must originate from drivers or insecure loads..

It is time for a clean up and some litter enforcement activity surely?

Perhaps the newly empowered North Yorkshire Council will rise to the challenge?

Leaf mould and detritus impedes the cycle track near the Pike Hills golf course

Sight lines cleared at Otterwood Lane junction

August 1, 2022 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Good work by the York Council who have cut overgrown grass at the junction of Otterwood Lane & Foxwood Lane.

The grass was causing sight line problems for drivers leaving Otterwood Lane

NYCC highways fail on Tadcaster cycle path

March 21, 2022 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Generally, we have found the North Yorkshire County Councils Highway team more responsive than their York Council counterparts.

Potholes when reported are filled in. Carriageway surfaces are often better.

Unfortunately our confidence has been jarred by the refusal of the County Council to repair the road and cycle path near the Ford garage in Tadcaster.

The cycle path next to the A64 dual carriageway is maintained by Highways Yorkshire while the County Council takes over at the Tadcaster boundary (A659).

The contrast in maintenance standards is marked. The Tadcaster section is potholed, uneven and virtually inaccessible in places. It represents a hazard for two wheeled transport users.

The HY section is much better with the only problems relating to obstructions caused by overgrowth during the summer months.

The deteriorating condition of the cycle path was first reported in 2020. No action was taken, so a formal issue was recorded via the County Councils web site in August 2021.

Action was promised “The reported defect has been inspected and has been added to a programme of works”.

We recently checked to make sure, that 7 months later, repairs had been completed.

The answer was “they hadn’t”.

So we reported the defects again. using the Councils portal. The answer that we got this time was rather different.

Reported on Sunday (20th March) at 12:54pm, by 6:26 am the following morning we were told the “Reported defect had been inspected” but “did not meet the criteria for further action”

So it appears that in the intervening 7 months the carriageway has not only resisted the winter frosts but has also self healed to the point where repairs are no longer needed.

Because of the size of North Yorkshire we can understand that the needs of cyclists have a low profile. This may explain why the Council missed the boat when all authorities were asked by central government to bid for funding for sustainable transport schemes. Tadcaster would have been an ideal candidate.

Sadly the opportunity seems to have been lost and the “jobsworth” approach seems, for now, to have gained the upper hand,

There are elections for the new NYCC authority in May. The new “mega” Council will have many more powers. It will administer more street level services.

Newly elected Councillors will need to refresh the authorities “customer care” policies at an early stage

Some good news for cyclists

August 20, 2021August 20, 2021 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

We were pleased to see that the long running saga of blocked cycle paths may be reaching its end.

Sections of the cycle path which runs along the side of the A64 from Tadcaster to York have been obstructed for much of the summer. The section near the A1237 was effectively blocked from the beginning of the month. We were therefore pleased to see today that Highways Yorkshire had finally taken action to reopen the route.

There was a similar situation at the Tesco roundabout on Tadcaster Road. There Cllr Stephen Fenton was amongst several who made representations about obstructions. This has been a repetitive problem over the years.

Now overgrowth has been trimmed back near the entrance to the vaccination centre and on the other side of the road

We hope that the authorities will use the winter period to dig out, or at least treat, the nettles and thistles which seem to disrupt pedestrian and cyclist movement every summer.

There are also issues on the cycle path at Bishopthorpe which need to be remedied.

We’ll be checking that the blocked approach to one of the disabled access gates on Hob Moor – reported several weeks ago – has also been cleared.

Some progress on unblocking Tadcaster Road cycle track but still more to do

August 5, 2021 ~ Steve Galloway ~ 1 Comment

Part of the cycle track which runs adjacent to the A64 slip road leading into York has been cleared of overgrowth. The obstructions had been the source of complaints from cyclists and pedestrians for nearly 2 months. .

Highways Yorkshire “tweeted” over the weekend to say that maintenance work was imminent.

Some work has now taken place.

*Before and after – A64 slip road cycle track. Weeds, which are breaking up the surface of the path, have yet to be treated.*

Unfortunately the other obstructed section – located between the entrance to the Pike Hills golf course and the A1237 junction – has received no attention.

The path is effectively blocked with no room for two people to pass (socially distanced or otherwise).

It is difficult not to conclude that something has gone wrong with the maintenance programme for this cycle path.

*The cycle path next to the A64 remains obstructed by nettles, thistles and thorn bushes. Weeds are also growing through the surface of the path at several locations*

The same cycle path is also obstructed near the cemetery and the Tesco roundabout. That section is the responsibility of the York Council to maintain

Cycle path still blocked/Future of MUGA

August 1, 2021August 1, 2021 ~ Steve Galloway ~ 2 Comments

Despite promises by Highways Yorkshire, the cycle path on the A64 slip road next to Pike Hills golf course remains obstructed, The overgrowth problem was reported in June. Shortly afterwards Highways Yorkshire (who are responsible for the path up to the junction with the A1036) tweeted to say that the whole path would be routinely freed of obstructions during July.

That has proved not to be the case.

Now the issue is set to be escalated to the local MP but this really shouldn’t be necessary. A team could clear the hazardous overgrowth (thorn branches) in just a couple of hours.

We hope that the issue is not left to volunteers to tackle. If the government is serious about encouraging sustainable transport – the the very least they should do is maintain existing paths in a useable condition.

UPDATE: Highways Yorkshire have tweeted to say that the path “is due to be cleared in the very near future”

We’ve also reported overgrowth near the cemetery and at the Tesco roundabout (York Council responsibility)

*A64 cycle path blockages and overgrowth at Tesco roundabout.*

MUGA Mugged

Separately we have queried with Councillors representing the Westfield ward what the future of the former Multi User Games Area (MUGA) site off Kingsway West is. It was used as a building compound for a couple of years but was subsequently abandoned.

The expectation was the the area would be leveled and grassed over. At present it is a weed infested eyesore.

The Council mowers studiously avoid cutting the area. They stick religiously to a route outside the line of the MUGA fence (which was removed last year).

If the area isn’t to be maintained as grassland then there is scope for more tree and wildflower planting. Neglect shouldn’t be an option.

Sadly there is still no news of the promised replacement games area. An all-weather surface, to replace what was lost, was due to be provided at the Thanet Road Sports Area, but progress has been glacial.

More confusion over cycle path improvements

July 22, 2021July 22, 2021 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Part of the planning approva,l for the provision of sports pitches on land off Tadcaster Road/Sim Balk Lane, was that improvements had to be made to the cycle track link to the Park and Ride site. Users of the pitches would use parking spaces at the P & R site and then walk to the changing rooms. Details of the improvement works had to be agreed by the Council and published before building work started. This didn’t happen but, before the pitches can be used, improvements must be implemented.

A new application was published on the Councils “Planning on Line” web site a few weeks ago. It purported to give details of the way in which condition 14 of the original application would be fulfilled. However, no details of the proposals (understood to include some resurfacing work and better lighting) were included.

The application has some additional significance as a certificate of completion for the new pitches can’t be issued until the work is completed. Completion of the pitches is a planning condition attached to the Council’s housing development at Lowfield.

The condition said that homes there couldn’t be occupied until the replacement pitches were brought into use.

Not withstanding this, the Council announced in the media yesterday that the home s at Lowfields were being occupied. No attempt seems to have been made by the Councils housing arm (Shape Homes) to discharge the condition or have the planning permission amended.

The muddle is now subject to a formal complaint to the Councils planning enforcement team.

Meanwhile more bad news for cyclists. The cycle path which runs adjacent to the A64 slip road near the Pike Hills golf course remains blocked. Some mowing has taken place next to the dual carriageway but the slip road area has been ,missed.

We’re not sure whether this was just an oversight or whether a “demarcation dispute” is taking place between Highways Yorkshire and the York Council?

Either way, cyclists currently need PPE to negotiate the nettles, brambles and thistles which impede the path.

*Tadcaster Road cycle path still obstructed*

Cycle paths still obstructed

July 11, 2021July 11, 2021 ~ Steve Galloway ~ Leave a comment

Mixed news about getting local paths cleared of overgrowth

*The SUSTRANs cycle track near Riccall has now been cut back. Unfortunately the section of track in Bishopthorpe (near Coggan Way) is still overgrown with nettles in places*

Meanwhile the York Council is now claiming that they are not responsible for keeping the cycle track, which is located next to the slip road from the A64, clear of obstructions. The Council did actually cleared similar problems this time last year.

We will be very disappointed if this turns out to be a jurisdiction stand off between the York Council and Highway Yorkshire. The latter is responsible for maintaining the cycle path along the side of the trunk road.