Grass verge reinstatement – residents and visitors asked to park responsibly

Residents and visitors on the Middlethorpe estate, off Tadcaster Road, are being asked to park responsibly to give grass verges chance to recover after Ultra Fibre Optic cable laying.

Contractors have been praised by many residents for their helpful and tidy approach, and where verges have been dug up they have been filled and grass seed has been put down.

A minority of residents and visitors however are parking on the verge directly on top of re-laid sections. There are particular issues on Lycett Road (pictured below after a visitor to a nearby house chose to park on freshly laid grass seed).

Damaged verge on Lycett Road

Some residents have suggested that the verges could be protected by either plastic bollards or home-made bamboo-and-string. It is to be hoped that if residents do put in place temporary measures to protect the verge they are not subject to enforcement action by the council!

Construction work impact hits Dringhouses residents

A number of residents have been in touch to express concerns about the disturbance being caused by construction work on the former site of 26 Tadcaster Road.

Planning permission was granted in 2018, despite overwhelming local opposition, for eleven homes to be shoehorned into a thin strip of land that sits between St Helens Road and Mayfield Grove.

Complaints raised include properties shaking, falling masonry and surface damage being caused by pile-driving operations. Additionally, the work is causing disruption to pupils at nearby Dringhouses Primary School who are currently preparing for their SATS exams.

Cllr Stephen Fenton has raised these concerns with the council’s Planning Enforcement and Public Protection teams. He has also queried whether the enormous advertising hoarding erected at the entrance to the site (pictured below) has, or requires, planning permission.

The council’s Public Protection team has contacted the construction firm and has been told that the piling for 9 of the 11 houses will be completed on 8 May.

Trees planted around Dringhouses & Woodthorpe

Thanks to funding from the Ward Committee budget, trees have been planted around the area. Some replace trees that have been felled and others are new.

Hunters Way

Moor Lane

Tadcaster Road

Silverdale Court

We are hopeful of being able to plant more trees provided that issues relating to utilities beneath verges can be resolved.

Councillors submit objection to Moor Lane housing proposals

Councillors Ann Reid, Ashley Mason and Stephen Fenton have submitted a formal objection to the plans by developers to build 516 homes on land off Moor Lane. You can read our submission HERE

Stephen, Ann and Ashley at the proposed development site

As the local ward councillors we continue to support the very many people who have objected to this unnecessary development, which would have a devastating effect on Askham Bog and a major impact on the lives of the residents.

Big turnout for residents’ meeting on Moor Lane plans

55 local residents attended the meeting convened by Ward councillors and the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Planning Panel at West Thorpe Methodist Church on 22 January to air their views about the planning application to build 516 homes on land off Moor Lane.

The crowd begins to gather

The overwhelming mood of the meeting was that the application was unwelcome and should be strongly opposed. In addition to concerns about the impact on Askham Bog, other issues raised by residents included:

  • Impact on the Green Belt
  • Impact on wildlife, such as deer
  • Impact of putting even more traffic onto Moor Lane, which is regularly gridlocked at busy times
  • Impact on air quality of more stationary traffic
  • Impact on local health services and schools

The red line marks the boundary of the proposed development site

Lib Dem councillors Ann Reid, Ashley Mason and Stephen Fenton reiterated their opposition to the plans.

Dringhouses Scouts clean up Acomb Wood!

On Sunday 20th January a team of over 40 young people (and parents) from Dringhouses Scouts led a big clean-up in Acomb Wood.

The hard paths have been thoroughly swept, litter has been picked from the Wood and Meadow, and vegetation cut back from around the entrance into the wood from Bellwood Drive.

Cllr Stephen Fenton awaiting the Scouts’ arrival

Paths transformed!

Lots of litter collected

Housebuilder challenges Mayfield Grove access planning condition

In March 2018, despite strong local opposition, permission was granted for 11 homes to be built on the thin strip of land between Mayfield Grove and St Helens Road. Approval was granted subject to a number of conditions being met. This included getting approval for the types of boundary fencing to be installed, and adhering to a condition that the narrow track onto the site from Mayfield Grove is not used for vehicular traffic.

In recent weeks the developers, Arncliffe Homes, have submitted applications to the council to explain how they propose to implement these conditions. The first batch of applications can be viewed on the council website HERE

The applications for conditions 4 and 9 describe the type of boundary fencing being proposed (condition 4) and tree protection arrangements (condition 9). Any residents who wish to comment on any of these applications can do so by going to the above link and clicking on ‘comments.’ Alternatively, comments can be submitted by e-mail to planning.comments@york.gov.uk (quote ref 15/02726/FULM).

In the second batch of applications, Arncliffe Homes are challenging condition 27. This condition states:

“The existing access between the site and Mayfield Grove shall not be used by vehicular traffic…. the approved bollards shall be erected prior to the commencement of development….in the interests of highway safety and residential amenity as the access is considered to be substandard in terms of its width and junction design for use by vehicular traffic.”

By way of justification, Arncliffe Homes say:

“It will not be feasible to carry out this work prior to commencement of demolition and construction as suggested in condition 27. Access for machinery is required during construction to enable foul and surface water connections into the site, from Mayfield Grove. We will ensure the bollards are installed prior to first occupation on the development. During construction the strip of land will be blocked off at both ends by Harris-style fencing and “No Vehicle Access” signs will be fitted to the fencing.”

Traffic and parking is already problematic on Mayfield Grove, and so the proposal by Arncliffe Homes to use the narrow track for machinery access is unlikely to help matters.

Residents who wish to view and comment on the proposal that condition 27 be overturned can do so by visiting the council website HERE and clicking on ‘comments’. Alternatively, comments can be submitted by e-mail to planning.comments@york.gov.uk (quote ref 15/02726/FULM).

UPDATED – Developers submit plans to bulldoze Green Belt land off Moor Lane

As expected, developers have formally submitted an application to build 516 homes on Green Belt land adjacent to Askham Bog off Moor Lane in Woodthorpe.

The red line marks the boundary of the proposed development site

The plans are overwhelmingly opposed by local residents, and by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust which manages Askham Bog.

Local Lib Dem councillors have consistently opposed the plans, and we urge residents to lodge objections with the council. The planning application can be viewed on the council website HERE. To submit an objection, go to this website and click on ‘Comments’ and follow the instructions.

***UPDATE*** The council website had initially shown a deadline of 9th January for residents to submit comments and objections. This was incorrect, and we are now told that the closing date will be at the end of January or beginning of February.