Road resurfacing work gets underway this week on a number of streets in the Tadcaster Road area.
Middlethorpe Grove
The Horseshoe
TalkTalk have issued an updated timetable setting out when tarmac strips in concrete driveways will be replaced with concrete.
Meanwhile local Lib Dem councillors are continuing to keep up the pressure for proper reinstatement of grass verges where damage has been caused by UFO cable laying. The dry weather has meant that very little of the grass seed put down has grown, and in some places the lack of mowing has allowed large weeds to grow.
A damaged verge on Leven Road
In response to a question about plans to reinstate verges, TalkTalk told us that “We are required to ensure that a reasonable amount of growth has happened within 12 months following being reseeded, which we will make sure is the case. At this time there are no signs of concern as the current weather may have impacted any immediate grow.”
TalkTalk has published a timetable setting out when tarmac strips across concrete driveways will be replaced with concrete, and other repairs made to footpaths and verges following the UFO cable installation work.
Dates correct as at 31 May 2018
Lib Dem councillor Andrew Waller met with representatives of TalkTalk and contractors FNS on Friday 1 June to visit locations across Westfield and Dringhouses & Woodthorpe wards where there are concerns about the reinstatement works done so far.
City of York Council has issued letters to residents on Middlethorpe Grove confirming that footpath reconstruction work will get underway on 11 June, and is expected to last for 16 weeks. The hours of work will be 8am to 3.30pm.
The scheme involves installing a pin kerb to the front of the footway, relaying the flags and replacing broken ones. Vehicle crossings will be reconstructed in concrete. Tactile crossing points will be installed across junctions. Residents within the area to be reconstructed are being offered a discounted extension or new vehicle crossing to be constructed as part of this scheme, at cost.
The map issued with the letter indicates that the footpaths on both sides of Middlethorpe Grove will be reconstructed from the junction with Hunters Way to the junction with Dringthorpe Road. This is welcome news, as it had been suggested by the council recently in a footways map accompanying an Officer Decision Report that only the even numbered side of the street would be reconstructed.
On 8 May Cllr Ann Reid joined fellow Lib Dem councillor Andrew Waller to meet with representatives of TalkTalk and council officers. The meeting followed a letter sent by Cllr Waller to TalkTalk last month expressing concerns received from residents with respect to the work being conducted as part of the Ultra Fibre Optic roll out.
A summary of residents’ issues raised were:
• Verge conditions – stones and gravel prevent grass growing or safe cutting by machines
• Tarmac on concrete driveways –uncertainty as to when tarmac will be replaced with concrete
• Cutting of other cables in the highway
• Bus routes blocked
• Pedestrians put onto the road due to closed footpath
There are concerns about the state of verges across Dringhouses
On communications, a new leaflet has been developed to encourage residents to call the Careline if there are issues and to reinforce the message that the crews will be returning to streets after the initial engineering works. There have been instances of other utilities having cables in the ground where they are not meant to be and this has resulted in some residents having telecoms cut (there is a BT Openreach worker with the teams at all times)
It was accepted that there needs to be a clearer communication of plans to residents and ward councillors in relation to:
• Replace temporary tarmac in concrete driveways with concrete (on like for like basis)
• Restoration of verges with re-soiling (replacing the rubble) and grass seed (within the timeframe when it is not too warm/dry for seed to successfully germinate)
• Step up tool box talks to gangs to reinforce customer service requirements
• Review pinch points where there are so many crews and vehicles that it starts to impact on transport in an area
• Review locations where pedestrians needed to go onto the road due to the works
There will be a new inspection regime to respond to residents’ concerns and ward councillors will be asked to check that issues raised by residents have been addressed before final sign off.
It is planned to have a web page for updates, and Frequently Asked Questions, and a summary of the position with roads which have been completed through the process.
Representatives from TalkTalk will give an update at the joint Dringhouses & Woodthorpe and Westfield Ward Committee meeting on 5 June at 6.30pm at the indoor bowls club on Thanet Road.
The Council is due to commence work to refurbish the traffic signal junction of Tadcaster Road and St Helens Road as part of the Traffic Signal Asset Renewal Programme.
The work will consist of:
Works will start on Monday 30th April for the main civils / groundworks with all work expected to be fully completed by Friday 8th June 2018.
The hours of working will be 7:30am – 5:30pm, Monday – Friday and 9:00am – 3:00pm Saturdays. In order to safely install the duct crossings over the carriageway some evening works will be required. Works will be suspended between Wednesday 16th May and Friday 18th May and on Saturday 26th May due to York Race meetings.
Three-way traffic management will be in place at the junction during the works and motorists are expected to experience severe delays while the works are underway. Controlled pedestrian crossings will be provided during construction to allow pedestrians to cross the road safely. There may be some temporary footway closures in place, however full access will be retained to all businesses properties during these works.
The southbound bus stop on Tadcaster Road will be temporarily relocated during the works. It is not anticipated that there will be any diversions or suspensions to bus stops and services during the works. For more information on please visit www.itravelyork.info
The recent wintry weather has delayed the completion of the road resurfacing works on Middlethorpe Grove.
Middlethorpe Grove
Although the resurfacing work was completed successfully before the bad spell of weather came in, the joint cutting, road marking and verge seeding did not take place due to the snow. The joint cutting was further delayed by the snow on Thursday 8 March. It is hoped that this work will now take place, along with the road marking, during the week commencing 12 March. The reinstatement of all disturbed verges will occur during the week commencing 19 March.
Talk Talk have told us that they will be unable to reinstate excavations on the following streets over the weekend due to adverse weather conditions.
TalkTalk have announced the Ultra Fibre Optic cable-laying plans for late February / early March, with the focus switching to the Dringhouses area.
Work will take place on Highmoor Road, Sandcroft Road, St James Croft, West Thorpe, Lerecroft Road, North Lane, Jervis Road, Thanet Road, Orchard Way, Moorlea Avenue, Chase Side Court, Leeside, Eason Road, Gower Road, Don Avenue, Swale Avenue, Leven Road, Chaloners Road, Wains Road, Moorlea Avenue.
A section of footpath on Old Moor Lane has been resurfaced following an allocation of £7,000 of ward Highways funds for the scheme.
The scheme was progressed following concerns being expressed about the state of the well-used footpath by a number of elderly residents from nearby Ashfield Court.