Winter Gritting

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With the temperature forcast to drop tonight the council has ensured that the gritters will begin patrolling the streets of Dringhouses and Woodthorpe. And, as the winter nights are drawing in, we’ve put together a list of the locations of your local salt bins. The bins are free for all residents to use on footpaths and driveways throughout the winter months. They are inspected regularly, but if you find that your bin needs refilling, please phone (01904) 551551.

Alness Drive, opposite number 53
Annan Close, next to number 9
Daveron Way, outside number 14
Don Avenue, outside number 34
Don Avenue, at the junction with Swale Avenue
Eden Close, at the junction with Moor Lane
Ganton Place
Herdsman Road, in the car park
Hillcrest Garden, near the junction with Hob Moor Terrace
Leeside, outside number 7
Lindale, opposite number 15
Lowick, opposite number 7
Middlethorpe Grove, outside number 32
Middlethorpe Grove, at the junction with The Spinney
Moor Lane, at the junction with Moorcroft Road
Moorlea Avenue, opposite number 14
Nairn Close, in between the bollards at the end
Nevis way, near number 14
North Lane, near junction with Orchard lane
North Lane, on the corner
Orchard Way, near the junction with Orchard Close
Orrin Close, outside number 29
Royal Chase, opposite number 6
Silverdale Court
Slingsby Grove, at the junction with Tadcaster Road
Southfield Crescent, on the bend
Spey Bank, at the junction with Annan Close
At the entrance to Dringhouses Primary School, St Helens Road
St James Place, near number 10
At Woodthorpe County Primary School, Summerfield Road
Summerfield Road, near number 33
The Horseshoe, outside number 40
Wains Grove, outside the shops
West Thorpe, near number 5
Wordsworth Crescent, at the path across the green

Wear It Pink

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Your Liberal Democrat Focus team are supporting the ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign, and we will be ‘Wearing Pink’ on October 29th. If you would like to be involved follow this link or click on the banner below.

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Why take part in wear it pink?
When you wear it pink you’re part of something amazing – finding a cure for breast cancer, by funding some of the world’s most promising and innovative research projects. The money you have raised in the past has helped to fund projects like Dr Ingunn Holen’s award-winning research, which found that if two drugs were given in a particular order at specific intervals, breast tumours were almost completely destroyed. This discovery could ultimately lead to improved chances of survival for thousands of women undergoing treatment.

Why is Breast Cancer Campaign’s work important?
Breast cancer research has made considerable progress over the past two decades and vital work is still underway. Past research has resulted in improvements in quality of life and survival. However, one woman in nine in the UK will be diagnosed during her lifetime. Each research project funded by the charity brings us a step closer to beating breast cancer.

Where does my wear it pink donation go?
Breast Cancer Campaign uses all wear it pink donations to fund innovative, world-class research throughout the UK and Ireland to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.The charity currently supports around 106 projects worth £16.3 million in 38 centres across the UK and Ireland.

Historic Local Landmark Set For Facelift Thanks To Ward Committee

The Tyburn, the site which hosted executions in York for more than 400 years is to get a facelift after local Councillors agreed to fund improvements from the local Ward Committee budgets.

The Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward Committee has allocated £1500 of funding to pay for the area to be cleaned up and the bench repaired. The area will also be replanted in the Spring with new flowers to brighten up the area.

If funding allows it is hoped that an extra new bench could be installed at the site along with a new information board to explain the history of the site to visitors.

Executions at the Tyburn took place until 1801 when the events were moved to the castle. Possibly the most famous execution at the Tyburn took place in 1739 when notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was executed for horse theft.

The site is currently marked by a small paved area and a plaque.

The Tyburn is an important part of local history so I am pleased that the Ward Committee is able to fund these improvements.

The site has a fascinating, if gruesome, history so I am pleased that the improvements look set to include a new information board to explain that history to residents and visitors.

Dringhouses has a rich history and is a key gateway to the city so it is important that we invest in restoring the site and promote pride in the area.

You can see The Press coverage of the story here.

Survey Results – Speeding On Tadcaster Road

As part of our ongoing survey around the ward we have been asking residents about problems with speeding on Tadcaster Road and seeking their views on potential measures that could be taken to reduce the problem. The results are below:

Install a Vehicle Activated Sign
Yes 81%
No 19%

Increase the number of Police checks
Yes 49%
No 51%

Install traffic calming measures
Yes 15%
No 85%

Concerns Over Proposed Development Near Aldersyde Court

Plans to build a house on land near the junction of Tadcaster Road and Old Moor Lane have drawn objections from residents in nearby Aldersyde Court.

Following discussions with residents about their concerns, I have written to City of York Council to formally object to the plans.

This is a revised plan for this development as a previous application was rejected earlier this year. Many residents objected to the original application and their concerns haven’t been addressed by this new application.

My main concern is about the impact the development will have on the residents of ground floor flats in Aldersyde Court.

The proximity of the proposed development to Aldersyde Court means that many of the people in the ground floor flats see a great deal of their light blocked out by development.

The layout of the flats means that the living areas are largely to the side of the building where the new development is proposed and so residents would be losing their light and view from rooms in which they spend a great deal of their time. I believe this would have a disproportionately large effect on the lives of the residents of those flats.

There are also some concerns about the impact this development will have on the drainage of the area, as well as issues regarding access. Overall, I think these proposal will have too much of a negative impact on local residents and should therefore be refused.

Survey Results

Over the past few weeks we have been out surveying areas of the ward and asking residents for their views on issues affecting their streets, as well as issues affecting the whole city. Some of the initial results from the surveys can be found below.

We will be continuing to survey around the ward throughout the summer so keep an eye out for us in your area.

Parking on Middlethorpe Drive

24 hour parking ban on Middlethorpe Drive (from Tadcaster Rd to Lycett Rd) 
Yes 25%
No 75%

Parking restriction 8:00am—6:00pm,  Monday to Friday Middlethorpe Drive (from Tadcaster Rd to Lycett Rd) 
Yes 73%
No 27%

Extend the double yellow lines at the Tadcaster Rd junction.  
Yes 55%
No 45%

Install double yellow lines at the junction with Lycett Rd.
Yes 37%
No 63%

Extend the restrictions into Lycett Rd. 
Yes 48%
No 52%

Leave things as they are. 
Yes 40%
No 60%

Moor Lane Snicket

I have suffered from anti-social behaviour /damage because of the snicket  
Yes 17%
No 83%

I support the permanent closure of this snicket 
Yes 38%
No 62%

I support the closure of snicket between 6pm and 6am 
Yes 74%
No 26%

Leave things as they are  
Yes 67%
No 33%

Parking on Whin, Spinney & Middlethorpe Grove

Whin, Spinney, Middlethorpe Grove 24 hour parking ban 
Yes 14%
No 86%

Whin, Spinney, Middlethorpe Grove No parking  8:00am—6:00pm,  Monday to Friday 
Yes 24%
No 76%

Whin, Spinney, Middlethorpe Grove Extend the double yellow lines at road junctions.
Yes 62%
No 38%

Whin, Spinney, Middlethorpe Grove Waiting limited to 60 minutes, 8:00am—6:00pm,  Monday to Friday 
Yes 16%
No 84%

Whin, Spinney, Middlethorpe Grove Leave things as they are. 
Yes 73%
No 27%

New Recycling Boxes On The Way

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Over the coming 5 months, City of York Council will be delivering new kerbside recycling boxes to 66,650 homes across the city.

You will receive two new boxes to go alongside your existing green box. One new box will be used for glass and the other new box will be for paper and cardboard. Your existing green box is to be used for plastic bottles and cans.

In order to cut down on the problem of paper blowing across the streets on windy days that many of you have contacted us about the new boxes come will complete with lids. You will also receive a net to use on your existing recycling box.

Having recycling sorted into three boxes will make collection quicker and easier for our crews and the efficiency savings this will generate will allow us to roll out kerbside recycling to those areas of the city that currently don’t have a collection.

York’s recycling rate has increased from 12% in 2003 to more than 45% in 2009, saving the city millions of pounds in landfill taxes and reducing the impact on the environment.

Delivery of the new boxes will be in two phases, phase one begins later this month and runs until the end of July. The second phase runs through September and October. No new boxes will be delivered during the school summer holidays to avoid any problems with people being on holiday and boxes being left out.

If you are in the first phase of the delivery, which includes the majority of Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, stickers will be placed on your grey bin to tell you when to expect your new boxes. You can also check the delivery date for your street on the City of York Council website here.

The assisted service for those who have difficulty carrying their boxes to the front of the property will continue.

If you have any questions about the new boxes you can read a list of frequently asked questions here or call York Customer Contact Centre on 01904 551551

Ward Committee Meeting 21st April 2010

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The next Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday 21st April from 7pm at Dringhouses Primary School.

Prior to the meeting from 6.15 pm there will be a drop in surgery where you will be able to come along and talk to us as your Ward Councillors, the local Street Environment Officer, the Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Neighbourhood Management Officer about any issue that you want to raise.

At the main meeting itself there will be updates from the Safer Neighbourhood Team and local Trading Standards, who will be talking about the cold calling zones in the ward.

There will also be presentations on the York in Bloom initiative and the local planning panel, along with information about how you can get involvled in both projects.

I hope to see you at the meeting.