Dringhouses Sports And Social Club Open Their New Accessible Toilet in Style

Cllr Stephen Fenton at the Dringhouses Sports and Social Club’s weekly musical afternoon

On 20th July the Dringhouses Sports and Social Club held a ‘grand opening’ for their new accessible toilet at the weekly musical afternoon.

These weekly sessions are well-loved by the local community, particularly older people living alone, with the room packed full. The sessions used to take place at the nearby Cross Keys pub but moved into the larger venue of the Dringhouses Sports and Social Club which can accommodate more attendees.

Some residents with a disability were unable to attend these sessions due to there being no accessible toilet. So a fundraising campaign was launched, and with the help of a grant from the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committee, the local building firm Kitson Builders constructed the new facility.

Before the toilet was officially opened, the Vintage Rhythms Dance Band serenaded the audience with pitch-perfect trombones and trumpets playing songs of yesteryear.

During the interval – and to the audience’s surprise – a toilet seat covered with paper was brought out onto the stage. It was held aloft by Cllr Stephen Fenton and music session organiser and key fundraiser Ken Waller. After a 5 second countdown, a trombone was thrust through the toilet seat and let out a triumphant toot of success as the audience applauded.

Click here to watch the exciting moment for yourself!

– Cllr Stephen Fenton and Ken Waller hold the ceremonial toilet seat

The new accessible toilet

Cllr Stephen Fenton said “It’s fantastic that ward funding has been able to help deliver this new facility which makes this community venue more accessible. The weekly music sessions provide a great opportunity for people who are lonely or isolated to get out and interact and form new friendship groups. I’d like to thank the volunteers who organise these sessions and have led the fundraising efforts which have enabled these improvements to happen.

“My pleasure at this achievement is tempered by the uncertainty that hangs over the future of ward funding, after the new Labour council administration announced that they would be making changes to how ward funding works. No details have been provided as yet, and it would be a real shame if similar schemes could not be supported in future.”

Many thanks to Kitson builders who constructed the new accessible toilet as well as Vintage Rhythms Dance Band and the other bands for entertaining the local community with regular music sessions.

Have your say on playground funding bid

Local councillors are asking Dringhouses residents for their views on a possible funding bid to deliver improvements to the playgound on Leeside.

In December 2020 the council announced a £100,000 fund for play area improvements, through which communities can bid for up to £10,000 to be spent on replacing outdated equipment and refreshing play ideas with new kit. Any successful bid would need a 15% contribution from other sources, such as ward funding.

Cllr Paula Widdowson at the Leeside playground

In Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, the council playgrounds at Nelsons Lane and Woodthorpe Green have benefited from significant investment in recent years, but the play area on Leeside (which is also owned and managed by the council) has not seen any investment. In winter months it is very boggy due to poor drainage on the site – councillors have tried to address this, but Yorkshire Water have refused to allow a drainage channel to be installed to flow into their pipes.

Ward councillors are now asking local residents for their views on whether and how the Leeside play area could be improved. Feedback will help to shape an application for funding, if residents feel that the play area would benefit from some investment.

These are the questions on which we would welcome feedback:

  1. Do you think that the Leeside play area would benefit from some investment?
  2. The play area is very boggy in the winter, making it difficult to use. Would you like to see astroturf (or a similar surface) laid on the kickabout area to make it more useable during wet weather?
  3. Are there any pieces of equipment currently in the play area which need updating? If so, please tell us which ones.
  4. Are there new pieces of kit which could be added? If so, please tell us what you would like to see installed.
  5. Do you have any other ideas or suggestions to improve the play area?

Residents are asked to send their feedback by e-mail to cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk by the end of January, to allow time for the feedback to be collated and for a funding bid to be potentially submitted by the end of February.

Green spaces of Dringhouses

Local volunteers have produced a pamphlet containing information on the fantastic green spaces around Dringhouses.

Local residents who are not familiar with some of these locations may wish to pay them a visit as part of their permitted daily exercise – whilst maintaining social distancing of course!

The leaflet was produced before the Covid-19 pandemic, so it should be noted that the Nelsons Lane children’s playground is currently closed and fishing is currently prohibited at Railway Pond and Chapman’s Pond.

Retirement apartments plan for Cherry Lane

Residents and local councillors have been invited to attend an exhibition to learn more about a proposal to build retirement apartments on land off Cherry Lane in Dringhouses.

Prior to submitting a planning application, the developer – Adlington Retirement Living – is seeking to give local residents an opportunity to view and comment on the proposals. The exhibition will be held at the Holiday Inn on Wednesday 19 February from 2.30pm to 7pm.

The proposed development site is currently occupied by three detached properties. We understand that the apartments, which will be use class ‘C2’, will be for purchase by older people requiring care and will include communal facilities.

This latest proposal comes soon after an application for outline planning consent was submitted for five detached homes to be built on an adjacent site off Cherry Lane.

A flyer publicising the exhibition is copied below.

Action to create additional parking provision for Dringhouses

Local Lib Dem councillors are taking action to protect grass verges from being turned into mud baths and provide parking for houses and flats in Dringhouses that have no off-street parking.

Ward funding and Housing Environmental Improvement funds are set to be used to create new parking bays, some of which will be layby-style and others similar to the ‘ecogrid’ bays recently established at Dringfield Close (pictured below).

Sites identified so far include North Lane, Wains Road, Southfield Crescent and Chaloners Road. There is also a proposal to expand the parking provision in front of the three-storey block of flats on Thanet Road. Letters have been sent to affected residents asking for their views before the plans are finalised.

Councillors are also hoping to be able to identify funding to support verge cross-overs to be created for council properties, with Thanet Road being a likely beneficiary.

In an attempt to protect verges from being driven over and destroyed, it is planned to trial some planting on verges at the southern end of Wains Road.

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

What’s on – Fundraising Fashion Show on 27th June

The Woodthorpe Community Group does a lot of good work locally, and they are having a fundraising ladies fashion show and pop-up shop to help raise money for the popular summer fun day and other local activities.

The fashion show is on the evening of Thursday 27th June at Dringhouses Sports & Social Club on St Helens Road, and all ages, shapes and sizes are welcome! And it’s only £5.

It should be fun night, so if you’d like a ticket please e-mail woodthorpeyork@gmail.com

Dringhouses braced for concert traffic impact

Dringhouses residents are braced for the impact of increased traffic associated with the Rod Stewart concert taking place on the Knavesmire on Saturday 1st June.

It is hoped that measures put in place will help to avoid a repeat of the traffic chaos that accompanied the Balloon Festival in September 2018. On that occasion residential streets were often impassable due to a large amount of inconsiderate parking.

Irresponsible parking meant that the exit from Whin Road onto Bracken Road was blocked

The council’s Transport team have issued the following statement to ward councillors for Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, Micklegate and Bishopthorpe wards:

“It is anticipated that 30,000 people will be attending which could lead to up to 7,500 cars parking in the car parks off Knavesmire Road, Campleshon Road, and Bishopthorpe Road. Bearing in mind the impact of the Balloon Festival last year a Traffic Management Plan similar to a busy race day arrangement, but enhanced to cover the increased number of vehicles, will be in place. Timeline:

  • Traffic management in place from approx. 14:00
  • Car Parks open at 16:00
  • Event Performance ends at 22:30
  • All traffic management removed by 01:00 Sunday

  Key Elements:

  • Main Car Parks will be off Knavesmire Road, Campleshon Road and Bishopthorpe Road.
  • Traffic generally directed to access the event off the A64 via Tadcaster Road/ Sim Balk Lane/Bishopthorpe Road.
  • Knavesmire Road to be one way towards Tadcaster Road 14:00 to 01:00
  • A section of Bishopthorpe Road (Middlethorpe Hall to Access to Racecourse Car Park) to be one way northbound 14:00 to 20:00.
  • Shuttle buses will run between the Station and Racecourse.
  • Temporary traffic signals will be in place at key junctions and access points to manage traffic.
  • Civil Enforcement Officers will be available for parking issues. Parking Hotline 0800 1381119 – (08:00 – 21:00)
  • Signs indicating ‘Residents Access Only No Event Parking’ will be placed on access points to residential areas.
  • Route 21 and 11 buses will be diverted around the traffic restrictions on Knavesmire Rd and Bishopthorpe Rd.

Travel advice will be provided on the itravelyork website at https://www.itravelyork.info/events/rod-stewart-concert-at-york-racecourse  

Traffic levels are expected to be very high with significant delays anticipated. Residents are advised to follow the diversion signs, allow more time for their journeys and use alternative routes away from the Knavesmire area if possible.”

Break-in at Dringhouses Primary – UPDATED

There was a serious break-in at Dringhouses Primary School overnight on Friday 10 / Saturday 11 May. Council officers and the Police are supporting the school leadership team.

There will be communication to parents once there is clarity about the possible impact on use of the school next week.

If anyone has information about the break-in, please call the Police on 101 and quote ref NYP-1105-2019-0225.

The school issued the following statement at 12.35pm today: “The safety of the children and the staff is our number one priority and therefore the school will not be open tomorrow (Monday 13th). We will contact Year 6 parents to discuss SATS arrangements shortly.”