Local volunteers have produced a pamphlet containing information on the fantastic green spaces around Dringhouses.
Local residents who are not familiar with some of these locations may wish to pay them a visit as part of their permitted daily exercise – whilst maintaining social distancing of course!
The leaflet was produced before the Covid-19 pandemic, so it should be noted that the Nelsons Lane children’s playground is currently closed and fishing is currently prohibited at Railway Pond and Chapman’s Pond.
City of York Council is introducing temporary changes to the recycling process in order to protect its vital frontline staff and allow for additional social distancing measures during the pandemic
Residents are still required to leave recycling boxes at the kerbside and continue to separate materials in their boxes as normal. Collection days will also remain unchanged.
Waste crews will now be working in smaller teams to ensure that they can maintain a safe distance during working hours to protect themselves from infection.
Residents should be aware of the following changes to recycling collections, which include:
recycling will be split into two vehicles
a vehicle will collect plastic, tins and glass. Some mixing on the vehicle may take place
another vehicle will collect paper and cardboard
residents may experience two separate collections of recycling on the same day as the two vehicles may not arrive at the same time
in some instances, this may take a number of hours
as some mixing on the plastic, tins and glass vehicle will take place, the council will accept mixed plastic, tins and glass, but cardboard and paper must be separated
the council encourages residents to put out their recycling as normal, for 7am.
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Our waste crews are providing a vital service during the Coronavirus pandemic to every household in York. We have to take these additional measures to protect them as much as we can. By pausing the start of garden waste collections, we now have more staff to focus on collecting recycling and household waste.
“You won’t see any changes other than your recycling may be collected at different times, with some limited mixing of glass, plastic and tin. It is important to highlight that some residents may have two separate collections of recycling on the same day and in some instances, this may take a number of hours between collections.
“Where mixing of glass, plastic and tin happens, we can assure residents that this will be separated after collection and recycled. We will seek to recover any additional costs of doing this from the government.”
The council announced last week that it would be postponing the start of garden waste collections, due to start this month, in order to ensure household waste and recycling collections were given priority.
These steps are being taken because of extraordinary pressures on frontline services during the outbreak of Coronavirus and a significantly reduced workforce. This decision has freed up more frontline crews and vehicles to focus on collecting recycling and household waste in a safe way for frontline staff.
The situation with garden waste collections will be kept under constant review, with an intention to resume garden waste collections as soon as practically possible. The council is encouraging residents to compost their garden waste at home, and to support residents in this effort, advice and tips for easy composting at home is available at www.york.gov.uk.composting
To ensure City of York Council can maintain frontline services, including household waste collections, and to protect frontline crews from unnecessary risk, immediate changes will be made to garden waste collections.
The council will be postponing the start of garden waste collections from April, in order to ensure household waste and recycling collections are given priority. These steps are being taken because of extraordinary pressures on frontline services during the outbreak of Covid-19 and a significantly reduced workforce. This decision will free up more frontline crews and vehicles to focus on collecting recycling and household waste in a safe way for frontline staff.
The situation will be kept under constant review, with a view to resuming garden waste collections as soon as practically possible.
Instead, the council is encouraging residents to compost their garden waste at home, and to support residents in this effort, advice and tips for easy composting at home is available on the council website HERE and on the Royal Horticultural Society website HERE.
Whilst collecting household waste is an essential service for public health reasons (a service provided under a public health act), collecting garden waste is not classed as such. Garden waste can be safely composted in the garden where it comes from.
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, said: “This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly and this doesn’t mean we don’t want residents to garden. In some cases, this is more important than ever to keep active – particularly when self-isolating.
“We are encouraging residents to recycle and compost where possible and to support this, we have published advice for easy composting at home. If you’re unable to compost, then we’re asking residents to store their garden waste when possible, and we will collect it at a later date.”
Bolstering frontline services:
The council has reallocated resources from other teams, so that it can continue collecting household waste (black bins) and recycling boxes. This includes redeploying staff from other services such as public realm and highways. The council is also working hard to increase its staff resource, including training a number of First and Pullman bus drivers, plus processing the applications made in response to the council’s urgent recruitment to support the refuse collection service.
Without green waste collections proceeding, additional vehicles will be made available to enable waste crews to socially distance, whilst collecting waste and recycling. Other measures are also being taken to support our waste crews, including wearing appropriate PPE based on the advice of Public Health. This also includes being issued with wipes, hand gel and new gloves every day. At this stage, face masks have not been issued, as per public health advice.
Heavy rain and strong winds made an impact on Sunday 7th February, with ditches waterlogged and at least one tree down. Thankfully there have been no reports of damage to property.
Fallen tree on Nevis WayDitch at the rear of Coeside, which thankfully did not overtopAcomb Wood, near Acomb Wood Drive entranceAcomb Wood, between Alness Drive and Acomb Wood Drive
The first of a batch of six new litter bins have been installed around Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward. The locations of the bins have been informed by suggestions made by residents.
New bin at the bus stop near Holiday Inn
Bins have been installed on Eason View, Chaloners Road and Tadcaster Road, with the remaining bins to be installed on Dringthorpe Road (entrance to Knavesmire Wood), St Helens Road (near school entrance) and Summerfield Road.
New bin on Eason View near junction with Turnmire Road
Planning applications have been submitted to the council for trees to be felled, new trees planted and flytipping to be cleared in an area of privately-owned woodland in Dringhouses.
The existence of a Tree Protection Order on the land off Nelsons Lane means that works cannot be undertaken without permission having been granted.
The woodland is circled red on the map
The applicant’s stated aims for the proposed work are to:
Maintain an attractive, safe and tidy appearance to Breary Close and adjacent footpath
Remove invasive Sycamore species within the front of the property
Remove areas of fly tipping accumulated within the woodland over the years
Create a defined boundary to the woodland
Re-establish natural boundaries to the area to the north and east
Remove overshadowing and overbearing self-sown Sycamore trees to the east adjacent to St Helens Rehabilitation Hospital
Create increase the quantum of quality native woodland cover within the area and provide a greater diversity of species.
Details of the planning applications can be found on the council website HERE and HERE.
The woodland was put up for sale in 2015 – see further information HERE
