The warm and dry weather has enabled the resurfacing work on Tadcaster Road to get off to a good start.
In response to requests from ward councillors, a member of the council’s Highways team has confirmed that work will be undertaken to try to resolve long-standing issues at two specific junctions on Tadcaster Road (Calcaria Court and Middlethorpe Drive).
The ponding at Calcaria Court was due to dipped and uneven channels which will be relaid, and tree roots have been cut out which were blocking a gulley.
At the junction with Middlethorpe Drive there is blocked highway pipework which had built up over many years due to tree roots in a sewer downstream. Following a site meeting earlier this week, Yorkshire Water has undertaken to fix the problem with the sewer.
Along the full length of the roadworks the council will fully jet and CCTV all of the drains .
When road markings are reinstated following the completion of the works, we would like to see the opportunity taken to make this key route safer and more attractive for cycling.
Road maintenance work on Tadcaster Road in Dringhouses, will get underway on Wednesday 20th May for a period of four weeks (weather permitting). The site extents are as shown on the map below. The works will be carried out between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday only.
The resurfacing work follows the allocation of £633,000 from the council’s Highways budget for improvements to this stretch of road and cycle lanes.
In order to carry out the work safely, the use of phased lane closures under traffic lights will be necessary from the junction with Middlethorpe Drive to the junction with Knavesmire Road whilst works are taking place. Works will be carried out under 200 metre sections on a rolling process. This is to ensure that adequate health and safety is maintained for both local residents, the travelling public and the contractor. Site staff will be on hand to advise and assist residents about any access restrictions once the works are ongoing.
All on-street parking will be suspended for the duration of the works, but specific access requirements can be arranged by speaking to the site Traffic Management Operatives, who will coordinate with residents (and business requirements) around the ongoing work operations.
Household waste and recycling collections will take place as normal.
Whilst these works are taking place on Tadcaster Road, there will be some ‘large patching’ work done on St Helens Road. In order to carry out the work safely, the use of a full road closure from, but not including, the junction of Tadcaster Road up to, but not including, the access to Cross Keys car park will be necessary. The works at this location are likely to take no longer than one day.
Local Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed the decision made by the Government’s Planning Inspector to reject the appeal against the council’s refusal to grant planning permission to build 516 homes on land next to the Askham Bog Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The application had been refused by City of York Council’s Planning Committee in 2019 on the basis that the proposed development, on land off Moor Lane in Woodthorpe, was inappropriate due to the impact on Askham Bog and local infrastructure. The developer then appealed against that decision, which led to a public inquiry being held.
Cllr Stephen Fenton said: “I am delighted that Askham Bog has been saved – this is a real victory for our community. Local Liberal Democrat councillors have fought this development for years and I hope that we can finally put this issue to rest. The threat of development on this site has been hanging over the community ever since the then Labour-run council identified the land for housing in their draft Local Plan.
Councillors Stephen Fenton, Ashley Mason and Paula Widdowson at Askham Bog in 2019
“Today’s news will come as a huge relief for local residents who had considerable concerns about the impact that this number of homes would have had on local infrastructure such as roads and healthcare services which are already struggling.
Councillor Stephen Fenton at Askham Bog in 2018 with Louise Wilkinson and Alastair Fitter from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
“It has been an incredible community effort, with residents rallying to the cause and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust collecting over 7,000 petition signatures. I would like to thank everyone who has been part of this campaign.”
In Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, works are planned on the following roads:
Resurfacing
Tadcaster Road
Hillcrest Gardens
‘Large patching’
St Helens Road (section near the Tadcaster Road junction, already completed)
‘Micro patching’
Wains Road
Lowick
Troutbeck
Overdale Close
Glenridding
Windermere
Bramble Dene
Dringfield Close
Woodthorpe Primary School entrance
The Tadcaster Road resurfacing scheme is carried forward from 2019/20, when it was allocated £633,000. Local councillors have queried why, in the 2020/21 published programme of works, the scheme is listed as having a budget of £560,000 and the extent of the scheme seems to have shrunk from its original scope in the 2019/20 programme (The Horseshoe to St Georges Place) to Ainsty Grove to St Georges Place.
We have received clarification from officers that the total budget available for the Tadcaster Road scheme in 2020/21 remains at £633,000 and the extent of the works will be as per the 2019/20 programme.
No footpath resurfacing works are planned for Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, other than those to be funded from the ward capital budget – these are a section of the Little Hob Moor cycle path and the path across Woodthorpe Green linking Summerfield Road and Glenridding.
How does the council decide which roads and paths get resurfaced?
In order to produce the programme of highway works for each year, council officers draw information from a number of sources:
Inspectors undertake an annual visual proactive condition survey of all roads and footways, this in addition to their monthly inspections for reactive maintenance
Digital camera capture condition survey of all roads and footways (GAIST)
United Kingdom Pavement Management System (UKPMS) visual and machine surveys (SCANNER) which records skid resistance.
All of this inspection data is collated by GAIST to produce five condition categories for sections of public highway, being grade 1 (very good), grade 2 (good), grade 3 (fair), grade 4 (poor) and grade 5 (very poor).
The results of the condition survey are available via the council website
Each road and footway is assessed and given a ranking (score) based on a range of criteria, all metrics of the network were collated and a treatment solution determined.
In order to develop a set of schemes in accordance with the best practice promoted by the Department for Transport the council additionally considers criteria such as accident data, traffic levels, footfall, bus frequency, proximity to schools, shopping centres etc. This produces a list of schemes that can be delivered within the budget.
Councillors set the budget, but officers devise the list of schemes (other than ward-funded schemes).
City of York Council has released a video giving residents an insight into the work of recycling waste crews during the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic. The video is available on YouTube HERE
The Hazel Court Household Waste Recycling Centre will re-open on Monday 11 May. In anticipation of high demand, there is a booking system in place, which can be accessed on the council website HERE
The booking system matches the registration number to the vehicle, if they do not match you will be turned away from the site. Social distancing measures will be in place at the tip, which means that staff will not be able to assist residents unload waste from their vehicles, so please ensure you are able to do so.
Government guidance advises that journeys to tips must only be undertaken if your waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means.
City of York Council has announced that Household Waste Recycling Centres will re-open on Monday 11 May (with a booking system in operation) and garden waste collections will get underway from Monday 18 May.
In a statement issued on Tuesday 5 May, Cllr Paula Widdowson outlined the plans:
“Today we have agreed changes which mean:
– Household Waste and Recycling Centres will reopen from 11 May by appointment only to residents and commercial waste customers for essential use. – Bulky waste collections will restart on 11 May – Garden waste collections will start on 18 May.
“The decision we took back in April wasn’t one we took lightly, however it was crucial we were able to keep residents and staff safe. I would like to thank residents for their understanding and also our incredible staff who have continued to collect household waste and recycling in these challenging times.
“The wellbeing of residents and our staff has been our number one priority and following resident feedback, we explored options to restart all waste collection services, including garden waste collections. In addition, these services can now be opened safely as staff absences have stabilised and we have developed new ways of working.
“Following my letter to the Secretary of State seeking further support and guidance to resume our services as soon as possible, the government released updated guidance today. The guidance advises that journeys to tips must only be undertaken if your waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means.
“The household waste and recycling centres will also have social distancing measures in place in addition to our booking system. We will announce further details of the changes, including the booking system tomorrow (Wednesday 6 May).”
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.
Many elderly people are self-isolating at the moment and can’t get to the Post Office to collect their state pension.
If you are in this position and need to access your pension payments, you can nominate someone you trust to become a ‘Permanent Agent’ on your account. This person will be given their own card and PIN to collect cash on your behalf.
To nominate a Permanent Agent, you will need to complete the ‘Permanent Agent access form’ (P6163), which is available from most Post Office branches. You can ask someone to pick up a form for you and hand it in at the Post Office on your behalf as long as the form is complete and has been signed by yourself.
