Update on number 12 bus service

At the beginning of September some changes were made to the number 12 bus service which meant that from early evening it no longer served Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive / Bellhouse Way, but instead turned around in the layby on Moor Lane.

A further revised timetable was published recently which was due to come into effect from 29 September. This would have seen the Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive / Bellhouse Way section of the route removed altogether. It would also have seen some Monday to Friday peak time journeys operate as the service 12A, with these journeys not serving Askham Bar Tesco.

These route changes will not now go ahead, following discussions between First, local councillors and council officers and as a result of additional funding being made available via an Officer Decision.

In addition, the evening number 12 service for Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive / Bellhouse Way has been restored.

The economic viability of the Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive / Bellhouse Way part of the route will be kept under review, and local efforts will be made to encourage more residents to use the service.

A new timetable for the number 12 service will come into effect from 29 September, and it is available HERE  

The number 12 service will continue to go around the ‘Woodthorpe loop’ (Moorcroft Road / Acorn Way / Ryecroft Avenue / Grassholme) on both the outward and return journeys.

Another change coming into effect is that the 500 Sunday service between Woodthorpe and the city centre via Bishopthorpe is being re-named the 11s.

Update on Moor Lane housing appeal

Further details have been made available about the appeal against the council’s refusal of planning permission for 516 homes to be built on land off Moor Lane next to Askham Bog.

The Appellant has submitted further information for consideration by the Planning Inspector in the form of an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment, which can be viewed on the council’s website HERE

Planning officers at the council have confirmed that all of the comments and objections submitted by residents earlier this year will be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate so that they can be considered by the Inspector when determining the appeal. So there is no need for residents to resubmit the same comments previously submitted.

Any residents who want to modify or add to their earlier comments can do so online HERE before 2nd October. All representations must quote reference APP/C2741/W/19/3233973.

The Inquiry will begin on 12 November (venue to be confirmed) and is scheduled to sit for 12 days.

What’s on – Ward Committee meeting, Thursday 3 October at 6.30pm

Residents of Dringhouses & Woodthorpe and Westfield wards are invited to a joint Ward Committee meeting at 7pm on Thursday 3 October at the Indoor Bowls Club on Thanet Road.

There will be a drop-in from 6.30pm with an opportunity to chat to local councillors, ask questions of a representative from First Bus and share memories with the Foxwood Local History Group.

What’s on – Open Day at York Model Engineers on Sunday 22 September

On Sunday 22 September York Model Engineers are holding an Open Day for local residents to find out more about the organisation.

The club is located next to the East Coast Main Line and is accessed from North Lane, Dringhouses, YO24 2JE. It is set in nearly 5 acres of land with three different miniature railways landscaped in woodland ground – a real hidden gem.

For more information click on the link HERE

Number 4 bus service diversion route announced

First have announced the diversion route for the number 4 bus from Monday 9th to Sunday 20th September, when St Helens Road will be closed due to work being done by Northern Powergrid.

Heading towards the city centre, the number 4 will miss out Eason View, Thanet Road and St Helens Road. It will instead carry on along Chaloners Road before turning left onto Moor Lane and then left at the Askham Bar roundabout onto Tadcaster Road.

St Helens Road to be closed for electrical works

Notices and signs have gone up on St Helens Road announcing the closure of the road for 11 days from Monday 9 September.

A diversion route is referred to, but no more detailed information has been provided.

Local councillors received an e-mail from Northern Powergrid on 19 August which stated:

“We are investing £80,000 to reinforce our network along part of Tadcaster Road, St Helen’s Road and Eason View.  As is generally the case with works of this nature, there will be a degree of disruption, but we are working closely with the Highways department at City of York Council to minimise the impact of our work as much as we are able.

We will be activating a thorough programme of communications to keep our local stakeholders and the local community informed of what we are doing and why. As well as sharing information with MP Rachael Maskell and yourselves, we are also issuing information leaflets/customer letters and running a PR and social media campaign so that everyone is aware of exactly what we are doing, why we are doing it and how they it may impact them.”

Local councillors have heard nothing from Northern Powergrid since 19 August, and so we have asked them to provide more information that can be shared with residents and on social media.

12 and 14 bus service changes – Transdev to accept First Day tickets

Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton has secured an assurance from the council that Transdev (the new operators of the late night 14 service) will be contractually obliged to accept First Day and First Night tickets when the new service starts on 2 September.

A number of Acomb Park residents have been in touch to raise concerns about the service changes, and in particular whether this would mean them having to buy a separate ticket to get home on the late night Transdev service.

First have confirmed that their 6pm to 9.30pm 12 service will travel along the Moor Lane layby (green line below) and will stop at the bus stop on Moor Lane near to the junction with Alness Drive (circled in red below).

Timetable information is available on the iTravel York website HERE

Changes to 12 and 14 bus services from 2 September

First Bus have announced changes to the number 12 and 14 services that serve the Tadcaster Road and Woodthorpe areas.

The changes follow City of York Council undertaking a competitive tender exercise for subsidised bus services. The most significant change will see the number 14 service run by a different operator.

Here is the information that First have published regarding the number 12:

  • Changes to the early Saturday morning timetable
  • A revised service will operate in the evenings between 1900 to 2100 providing journeys between Stonebow and Woodthorpe. These will operate to Woodthorpe as normal route to Moor Lane, then via Acomb Park Old Moor Lane (layby), terminating at Woodthorpe Shops.  The last First Bus from Woodthorpe to York will leave at 2125
  • Journeys after 2100 to Woodthorpe will be undertaken by service 14 which will be undertaken by another operator under contract to City of York Council
  • The 1818 from Monks Cross will be retimed to operate at 1810, and an additional journey from Monks Cross at 1835 and will operate through to Woodthorpe

The revised number 12 timetable is available HERE

We will make available information about the new arrangements for the number 14 service as and when we have them.

Moor Lane applicant appeals against planning refusal

City of York Council has received notification from the Planning Inspectorate that the applicant for the Moor Lane planning application (18/02687/OUTM) has appealed the Council’s decision to refuse the outline permission for up to 516 residential units.

The Planning Inspectorate has notified the Council that the Inquiry will start on 12th November 2019 and it is anticipated that the Inquiry will sit for 12 days.

The Council will send notification of the appeal to any person who was notified or consulted about the application and any other interested persons who made representations.

If however the representation was part of a petition, each individual on the petition will not be notified by the Council.

Cllr Stephen Fenton at Askham Bog with YWT’s Louise Wilkinson and Alastair Fitter

Cllr Stephen Fenton commented “This is disappointing news, but not surprising. The application was refused by the Planning Committee unanimously on the basis of a very thorough report which set out clearly why the proposed development is completely inappropriate due to the impact on Askham Bog and local infrastructure.”

“The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust mounted a fantastic campaign to save Askham Bog which attracted over 7,000 signatures. The campaign will go on until the threat to this site is defeated once and for all.”

What’s on for young people – York City Knights Arena, Friday 16 August at 1.30pm on Little Hob Moor

There is free outdoor fun for young people on Little Hob Moor (off Tadcaster Road) on Friday 16th August from 1.30pm to 3pm.

The York City Knights Foundation will be running another of their popular ‘Arena’ sessions. There is no need to book, just turn up!

A recent Arena session on the Revival estate

The sessions are funded by the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committee.