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.

New parking restrictions at Woodthorpe shops

Signage has been installed in the car park behind the shops on Moorcroft Road with the aim of limiting the amount of time that vehicles can be parked there.

Car park signage

Residents using the shops and other local services can park for up to two hours, with no return within three hours. We understand that staff working in the local shops have been issued with permits allowing them to park for longer than two hours.

We believe that these restrictions have been introduced in response to concerns that some residents were using the car park as a ‘park & ride’ facility, parking up in the morning and getting the bus into town. This makes it more difficult for people using local services to find somewhere to park.

The car park is private land, and therefore the council has no role in establishing or enforcing parking restrictions on this land.

UPDATED – Concern over future of Woodthorpe Post Office

Local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton is pressing Post Office Ltd for answers on the future of Woodthorpe Post Office, after it became known locally that the branch is to cease operating on 13th May.

Woodthorpe Post Office on Moorcroft Road

There have been concerns about the branch for some time. In November 2018 it was closed suddenly, and subsequently re-opened on 7 December. Then in April 2019 opening hours were reduced, with the counter closed on Friday afternoons and all day Saturday.

Stephen contacted Post Office Ltd on 3 April to raise concerns about the reduced opening times and was told in a response sent on 17 April that
“I cannot see any planned changes for the branch that are upcoming and as such I have notified the Area Management Team for the branch so they can investigate further and speak with the Postmaster.” 

Stephen contacted Post Office Ltd again on 26 April when it became known that the branch was to close, asking to speak with someone from the Area Management Team as a matter of urgency. No response has been received to date.

Stephen has called on Post Office Ltd to provide information to the local community, and engage with local councillors.

It would appear that Post Office Ltd is not adhering to its own Code of Practice in this situation. The Code applies to ‘the handling of the localised changes that can and do happen across such a large network for all sorts of reasons. When these changes do happen, whether they are planned or whether they occur without warning, we will always ensure that the minimum access criteria outlined by the Government are met and that the needs of customers are taken into account as much as is possible.’

UPDATE – a handwritten note has been sellotaped to the Post Office window announcing that the counter will close on Monday 13th May. Post Office Ltd tweeted on 7th May that “we’re currently awaiting further updates on this from the Area Management Team for the branch.”


Thank you!

We’d like to thank everyone who supported us in the local elections on 2nd May. We will continue to work hard for all residents of Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward and be a strong voice for our area on City of York Council.

Councillors Ashley Mason, Paula Widdowson & Stephen Fenton

Across the city the Liberal Democrats gained nine seats, making us the largest party with 21 seats. Labour has 17 councillors, the Greens four, the Independents three and the Conservatives two.

Change from 2015 to 2019

Parking boost for Dringfield Close residents

The installation of seven new parking bays for residents on Dringfield Close, off Chaloners Road, has been completed. The bays are constructed from ‘EcoGrid’ with gravel filling and have helped to address a chronic lack of parking provision in this narrow cul de sac.

The scheme was funded by the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committee budget and the Housing Environmental Improvement Programme.

Woodthorpe residents hit by reduction in Post Office hours

Woodthorpe Post Office on Moorcroft Road has announced a reduction in its opening hours with effect from 16th April.

The Post Office counter will close on Friday afternoons at 1pm and will remain shut on Saturdays and Sundays. The shop will be open on Friday afternoons, but it will be closed all weekend.

The news comes as a blow to residents who work during the week and rely on being able to access Post Office services at the weekend. The weekend closure of the shop will hit residents who have newspapers delivered, and will particularly affect elderly residents who are less mobile.

Whilst the nearby McColls store sells newspapers, they do not offer a delivery service.

This latest setback comes after the Post Office closed without warning in November 2018. It subsequently re-opened in early December. Cllr Stephen Fenton has written to Post Office Ltd to request an explanation as to what is happening with the Post Office, highlighting the concerns being felt locally by the deterioration in the service.

TalkTalk online ‘Hub’ to provide updates on UFO installation

As the installation of Ultra Fibre Optic cable gathers pace along Tadcaster Road, TalkTalk has established a new ‘Hub’ web page where residents can register for email updates and read the latest UFO news.

The Hub includes a ‘planned build works’ button to find out about the network build and a Frequently Asked Questions section. The Hub will be updated every Tuesday afternoon.

The TalkTalk Care Line team continues to operate, and they can be contacted on 0800 542 8073 or ufo-help@talktalkplc.com

Meanwhile Cllr Stephen Fenton is following up complaints raised by residents on Pulleyn Drive about the quality of the grass verge reinstatement. The soil put down contains a lot of rubble, and as yet grass seed has not been sown.

What’s on – York Open Studios Fri 5 to Sun 7 April

As part of this weekend’s York Open Studios event, two locations in Dringhouses will be throwing open their doors to welcome art and craft enthusiasts.

The locations are Walnut Cottage on Tadcaster Road (over the road from the Knavesmire petrol station) and 3 St Edwards Close (just around the corner from Walnut Cottage).