A new path leading from Ashbourne Way to the entrance to Acomb Wood is taking shape, thanks to the efforts of a team from The Conservation Volunteers.
Work on the path, which has been funded from the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward budget, started on Thursday 23 March and should be completed on the 24th.
Cllr Stephen Fenton reported to Network Rail recently two locations in the ward where graffiti ‘artists’ have been at work – at the Hob Moor underpass and on St Helens Road railway bridge – see pictures below.
We are pleased to report that Network Rail acted quickly and the graffiti was painted over on Tuesday 14 March.
We continue to press Virgin Media to take action to clean off graffiti on their cabinets on Chaloners Road, Wains Road and Lowick.
The local Lib Dem councillors embraced Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Great British Spring Clean’ weekend, with support from Dringhouses Scouts and local residents.
Litter picking took place in the Chaloners Road area, Moor Lane, Woodthorpe Green and around Askham Bar. The photos below give a flavour of what was achieved.
Chaloners Road park
Dringhouses Scouts in action
A good haul from Moor Lane
Getting ready for the Askham Bar litter pick
A record litter pick haul at Askham Bar!
Local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton is taking action in response to residents’ concerns about the damage being done to the grass verges in front of 302 Tadcaster Road, the site of the former Knavesmire Manor Hotel.
Mud bath
There is significant renovation work being done to the building, and a new property has been constructed to the rear, which is now on the market. The verges to the front of the former hotel have ben turned into a mud bath.
Stephen has asked council officers to take action that will lead to the verges being reinstated to their former state.
Network Rail has announced in a letter to residents that it plans to undertake line-side clearance of vegetation in the Dringhouses area in preparation for the upgrading of the Transpennine railway. It has organised a drop-in session for residents on Tuesday 29 November at St Edward the Confessor Church Hall from 4pm to 7pm.
Representatives from Network Rail and contractor QTS will be present to answer questions. There will also be a presentation at 5pm and 6pm.
To enable electrification of the railway, Network Rail will be removing vegetation from 6.5 meters either side of the tracks (from big trees to small bushes) to allow safe clearance for the gantries and wires.
Network Rail will also be renewing fencing along the route. Dependant on the location they will be using either stock proof fencing or green palisade fencing. Before work starts, an ecological survey will be carried out. Any protected species or nesting birds are identified and appropriate methods of working are put into place.
Cllr Stephen Fenton led a team of volunteers in a litter pick of the area around the old Askham Bar Park & Ride site on Sunday 20 November. As with previous litter picks, food and drink packaging from items bought at Tesco were strewn around the area.
24 bags of rubbish were collected
The stretch of pavement and verge on Tadcaster Road between the cemetery and the new Park & Ride site was particularly bad, and yielded three full bags of litter.
There is a growing band of volunteer litter pickers who look after their street. If you would like to join them, please call Stephen on 787988 or email cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk . All volunteers are provided with training and equipment.
Its also a good idea to know which local streets are routinely de-iced by the “gritting” lorry.
Easiest way to find out where your local services are is by accessing the above map which can be found at:
http://localview.york.gov.uk/Sites/TranStreetCare/
Click i to see where your nearest salt bin is
Then click the fourth symbol along.
This will allow you to tick a box next to “primary” and” secondary” gritting routes. The primary gritting routes include most bus routes and are salted as a precaution when weather forecasts predict icy conditions.
You can find out whether the gritters are working by “following” them on twitter @yorkgritter
We are pleased to report that the council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers have been actively pursuing issues across Dringhouses &Woodthorpe ward.
The team has received complaints about worsening litter problems in the area around York College, and in response have been patrolling the area and advising students that littering is an offence.
Previous litter picks in the area near the College have yielded a bumper haul of litter
Whilst on patrol, the team has witnessed littering offences, and have issued:
There are also plans to install a ‘No flytipping’ sign on Moor Lane.
One fixed penalty notice has been issued for cars advertised for sale on the highway.
The team has been dealing with an ongoing noise complaint for dog barking, and has successfully served a noise abatement notice on the residents.
A team of volunteers from the Food Standards Agency have joined forces with the Friends of Acomb Wood to improve the local environment.
On 18th October a team of volunteers (pictured below) planted over 550 bulbs and built a dead hedge.
And one volunteer spent a few hours with a graffiti removal kit returning the Ashbourne Way noticeboard (pictured below) to a much improved state.
We’d like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all involved.
Residents are being asked not to park on Railway View and Northfield Terrace on Wednesday 19 October between 9am and 3pm to enable a ‘deep clean’ of the street to take place.
