Footpath resurfacing work gets underway

Footpath resurfacing work at Woodthorpe Green got underway on 15 February. The badly-rutted path that links Summerfield Road and Glenridding is being reconstructed.

The work is being funded by the ward budget and is part of a wider package of investment in measures to promote walking and cycling.

The work has however had an impact on access to the playground. It is unfortunate that the work has coincided with half-term, when the playground would be particularly busy. Local councillors are usually informed in advance of carriageway work starting so that they can inform residents, but on this occasion that did not happen. If it had, we could have asked about playground access arrangements.

Thankfully, good progress has been made which meant that access to the playground had been restored by lunchtime on Tuesday 16 February.

Covid testing on 15 & 16 February

Symptom-free Covid testing is available again at the Acorn Rugby Club car park on Thanet Road on Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th February, 9am to 3pm.

You will be able to book a test from the evening of Sunday 14th February at www.nhs.uk/Coronavirus and selecting the option that you were asked to attend by your local council.

The infection rates are now down to 96.3 cases per 100,000 in Woodthorpe & Acomb Park and 38.5 cases per 100,000 in Dringhouses & South Bank.

You can view the interactive map at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

New bench hit with graffiti

One of the new benches installed along the footpath beyond the southern end of the Revival estate in Dringhouses has been attacked by a graffiti ‘artist.’

Thankfully the painted metal construction of the benches makes it relatively easy to remove the graffiti, using paint-removing wipes. On his daily exercise, Cllr Stephen Fenton took the opportunity to get some more exercise by scrubbing off the graffiti.

January 2022 – updated grit bin map published

Local councillors have produced an updated map of the grit bins around Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward.

The map that is available on the council website does not include grit bins managed by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, those on the Revival estate that have been ‘adopted’ by the ward or those that have recently been installed following requests from residents.

If residents spot any grit bins that need re-filling, please let us know by e-mailing DandW@yorklibdems.org.uk

Woodthorpe & Acomb Park

Woodthorpe & Acomb Park grit bin location
1 Alness Drive – opposite no. 53
2Deveron Way – outside no. 12
3Alness Drive – junction with Carron Crescent
4Nevis Way – near no. 14
5Eden Close – junction with Orrin Close
6Grassholme – opposite no. 7
7Lowick – opposite no. 7
8Summerfield Road – entrance to primary school
9Summerfield Road – outside no. 33
10Wordsworth Crescent – path across the Green towards the shops
11Silverdale Court – near car ports
12Bramble Dene – opposite no. 84
13Sherringham Drive – outside no. 14
14Sandmartin Court – outside no. 16
41Silverdale Court – garage area at the rear of no. 5

Dringhouses West

Dringhouses West grit bin location
15Wains Road – near 24 Lovel House
16Wains Grove – junction with Chaloners Crescent
17Herdsman Road – Honeysuckle House car park
18Ganton Place – outside flats
19Don Avenue – outside no. 60
20Don Avenue – outside no. 34
21Leeside – outside no. 7
22West Thorpe – near no. 5
23St James’ Place – near no. 10
24North Lane – opposite no. 93
25North Lane – junction with Moorlea Avenue
26North Lane – junction with Orchard Way
27Orchard Way – junction with Orchard Close
28Southfield Crescent – opposite no. 8
42Wains Road – outside no. 28

Dringhouses North

 Dringhouses North grit bin location
29Tadcaster Road – outside Cross Keys pub
30Aintree Court – by steps leading down to Railway Pond
32Nelsons Lane – opposite playground
33Hillcrest Gardens – at junction with Hob Moor Terrace
34Tadcaster Road – junction with Pulleyn Drive
43On the path to Little Hob Moor, next to the litter bin
44At the entrance to the underpass from Little Hob Moor

Dringhouses South

 Dringhouses South grit bin location
35Middlethorpe Grove – junction with The Spinney
36Middlethorpe Grove – outside shops
37Academy Drive – outside no. 47
38Principal Rise – outside no. 1
39Principal Rise – outside no. 54
40College Court – outside no. 33

Winter weather impacts on road surfaces

The winter weather has taken its toll on a number of local roads, where potholes and deteriorating road surfaces present a hazard to all road users.

Local councillors are lobbying the council’s Highways team to fill in the multiple potholes that have appeared on Alness Drive after an initial response stated ‘no action required.’ Some potholes have since been marked for repair, but others have not.

Alness Drive potholes

It is a similar story on Moor Lane between Cairnborrow and Eden Close, where there has been a dramatic deterioration in the road surface over recent months. As well as potholes, large sections of the highway previously ‘surface dressed’ have crumbled, leading to a thick layer of debris accumulating by the kerbside. This poses a particular hazard for cyclists.

Moor Lane potholes and crumbling road surfaces

Councillors will continue to undertake regular inspections of roads and footpaths and report repairs where they are needed. We would encourage residents to notify us of any we may have missed.

Covid testing on 8th & 9th February

Covid testing for local residents who are free of any symptoms will be available at the Acorn Rugby Club car park on Thanet Road on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th February from 9am to 3pm.

You will be able to book a test from the evening of Sunday 7th February at www.nhs.uk/Coronavirus and selecting the option that you were asked to attend by your local council.

Covid testing on 1st & 2nd February

Covid testing for local residents who are free of any symptoms will be available at the Acorn Rugby Club car park on Thanet Road on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd February from 9am to 3pm.

You will be able to book a test from the evening of Sunday 31 January at www.nhs.uk/Coronavirus and selecting the option that you were asked to attend by your local council.

New benches installed

Three new benches have been installed around Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, in response to requests from residents for more places to stop for a rest whilst out for a walk.

Two benches have been installed beside the path that links the Revival estate with the Green Lane cycle / footpath. The route has become increasingly popular with walkers since the first lockdown.

And one bench has been installed on Little Hob Moor, further down the hill from the location of an existing bench.

Meanwhile the Woodthorpe Community Group is progressing plans to install benches at locations including outside the shops on Moorcroft Road and outside the playground on Woodthorpe Green.

Have your say on playground funding bid

Local councillors are asking Dringhouses residents for their views on a possible funding bid to deliver improvements to the playgound on Leeside.

In December 2020 the council announced a £100,000 fund for play area improvements, through which communities can bid for up to £10,000 to be spent on replacing outdated equipment and refreshing play ideas with new kit. Any successful bid would need a 15% contribution from other sources, such as ward funding.

Cllr Paula Widdowson at the Leeside playground

In Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, the council playgrounds at Nelsons Lane and Woodthorpe Green have benefited from significant investment in recent years, but the play area on Leeside (which is also owned and managed by the council) has not seen any investment. In winter months it is very boggy due to poor drainage on the site – councillors have tried to address this, but Yorkshire Water have refused to allow a drainage channel to be installed to flow into their pipes.

Ward councillors are now asking local residents for their views on whether and how the Leeside play area could be improved. Feedback will help to shape an application for funding, if residents feel that the play area would benefit from some investment.

These are the questions on which we would welcome feedback:

  1. Do you think that the Leeside play area would benefit from some investment?
  2. The play area is very boggy in the winter, making it difficult to use. Would you like to see astroturf (or a similar surface) laid on the kickabout area to make it more useable during wet weather?
  3. Are there any pieces of equipment currently in the play area which need updating? If so, please tell us which ones.
  4. Are there new pieces of kit which could be added? If so, please tell us what you would like to see installed.
  5. Do you have any other ideas or suggestions to improve the play area?

Residents are asked to send their feedback by e-mail to cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk by the end of January, to allow time for the feedback to be collated and for a funding bid to be potentially submitted by the end of February.

Changes to Askham Bar Park & Ride service

First York has announced changes to some aspects of the operation of the number 3 Askham Bar Park & Ride service from Sunday 17 January.

The changes have been prompted by the use of part of the Park & Ride site to support the operation of the COVID vaccination centre located at the former Park & Ride site.

Buses will no longer leave the Park & Ride site via the bus-only road but will instead enter and leave via the Askham Bar entrance/exit towards Tadcaster Road (see the red line on the map). This will not affect where you board the bus from. On journeys towards Askham Bar, services will stop at the Moor Lane Car Park (red ‘X’ near the top of the map) instead of the Tesco Car Park.