Ouse Bridge York June 2014
The Labour Leadership of the York Council has come under attack from visitors and residents alike for neglecting the appearance of the City.
In the City centre, tourists have pointed to Ouse Bridge where weeds are now overgrowing the parapet.
The bridge stonework has deteriorated while failure to control algae and moss growth could lead to major repair costs in a few months time.
No historical evidence of horticulture on Ouse Bridge
The bridge is one of the most used by pedestrians in the City with many visitors photographing the river and banks from it.
Nor is the situation better in the sub-urban areas with some side streets in Acomb covered in foot high weeds.
The Council revealed recently in a response to a Freedom of Information enquiry that it gives a contractor £70,000 a year to control weed growth on local highways and footpaths
The York Council is employing contractors to treat weed growth on highways in the City.
The cost of the contract is around £70,000 a year
Weeds in Beaconsfield Street in Acomb June 2014