‘Clean for the Queen’ success

The ‘Clean for the Queen’ weekend of community clean-up activities was wholeheartedly embraced by many residents, including in Foxwood and Woodthorpe.

Lib Dem councillors Sheena Jackson and Andrew Waller (Westfield ward) and Stephen Fenton (Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward) joined volunteers in a clean-up at Foxwood Park, which forms part of the boundary between the two wards.

Andrew, Sheena and Stephen, suitably tooled up!

Andrew, Sheena and Stephen, suitably tooled up!

As well as litter picking, there was a lot of environmental work done, such as cutting back some of the trees along the boundary with Bellhouse Way.

A good morning's work!

A good morning’s work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen also ventured further afield to do some litter picking at Woodthorpe shops, on the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust’s Woodlands estate and at the old Park & Ride site at Askham Bar.

Askham Bar litter pick success

Local councillors Ann Reid and Stephen Fenton were joined by 14 residents for a successful community litter pick on Sunday 24th January at the former Askham Bar Park & Ride car park.

The site got a thorough going over, generating a large pile of rubbish which the council is to collect.

Askham Bar rubbish

The litter pick was organised following growing concerns that the site was becoming an eyesore (pictured below).

Moor Lane car parkThe team that assembled on 24 January was able to clear the vast majority of the litter on site, though the dense and prickly nature of some of the vegetation made it a tricky task. It was also a challenge to clear the grass bank that leads down to the car park from Moor Lane – this area has been partially cleared for now.

 

 

 

Community litter pick on Sunday 24th January

Cllr Stephen Fenton has organised a community litter pick at the former Askham Bar Park & Ride car park (now the ‘Moor Lane Pay & Display car park’).

The litter pick will take place on Sunday 24th January between 11am and 3pm.

A 'grot spot'!

                                                    A ‘grot spot’!

Stephen has organised the litter pick in response to residents’ concerns about the state of the (mostly empty) car park. Litter ‘grabbers’ and refuse sacks will be provided.

Anyone wanting to join in the litter pick should contact Stephen on 07751 963215 or e-mail cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk

 

“Litter, what litter?”

A response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the York Council stopped counting the number of complaints it was receiving about litter 18 months ago!

Litter complaints admitted by York Council (click to enlarge)

Litter complaints admitted by York Council (click to enlarge)

Monthly figures have been provided only up to November 2013.

The decision not to record complaints co-incided with Labour’s cuts in the number of litter bins provided in the City.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that litter problems are worsening in many parts of the City. 

The new Council which will be elected on May 7th will certainly expect not only performance volumes like these to be gathered but also to have them published routinely on the Council’s web site

The Council recently announced further cuts to litter bin provision in sub-urban parts of the City including Foxwood Lane.

 

More litter bins axed in York

Street cleansing standards take another hit

The York Council is to remove more litter bins from the City’s streets. It is claiming that the installation of “smart” compaction bins in the City centre and Acomb Front Street has been a “success” and is now aiming to replace old style bins on a one for two basis.

Compactor bin jammed with rubbish

Compactor bin jammed with rubbish

One of the Foxwood Lane bins which will be axed

One of the Foxwood Lane bins which will be axed

The smart bins compact rubbish using solar power and are supposed to alert the Council electronically when they are full.

They have had a mixed reaction from residents and traders.

The locations where only one bin will be provided in future include:

  • Copmanthorpe – near chipshop
    • Foxwood Lane – corner near shops
    • Tadcaster Road – opposite chipshop
Another of the bins that will be removed

Another of the bins that will be removed

  • St Aubyn’s Place
  • Badger Hill – near shops
  • Tang Hall Ln – shops
  • Marygate – entrance to Museum Gardens
  • Union Terrace Coach/car park

    Litter accumulating behind a junction box. An increasingly familiar site in sub-urban York

    Litter accumulating behind a junction box. An increasingly familiar sight in sub-urban York

  • Haxby – the village – near shops
  • City Centre – Newgate Market
  • City Centre – Spurriergate – near junc with High Ousegate
  • City Centre – Kings Sq
  • Broadway – Shops
  • Blossom Street O/S Odean

Meanwhile complaints about litter drift are increasing and a petition asking for more litter bins to be provide is being drawn up

Lack of pride bllghts Tadcaster Road entrance of cycle path

Appalling litter problem on cycle path at Tadcaster Road underpass

Appalling litter problem on cycle path at Tadcaster Road underpass

Leaves and detritus pose hazard for cyclists near Tesco

Leaves and detritus pose hazard for cyclists near Tesco

We’ve asked for a litter clean up on the York – Selby cycle track. It is badly littered with graffiti adding to the problems.

Further long Tadcaster Road the dedicated cycle track is covered in leaves representing a hazard to users.

Dramatic fall in numbers fined for littering offences in York

Litter Esplanade car park river bank near Scarborough Bridge

Despite growing concerns about the amount of litter on our streets, the York Council has scaled back by nearly 95% the number of penalty notices issued for littering.

In 2013/14 only 16 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued compared to 216 in the previous year.

The number of people fined more than £100 has also dropped from the 2012/13 high when 18 prosecutions resulted in fines totally £1700.

£280 in victim surcharges were also received together with £4100 in court costs.

The Council has been criticised for the double environmental “whammy” of reducing the number of litter bins in the City while all but abandoning enforcement of anti littering legislation.

 

York backs Great Litter Count

City of York Council is getting behind Keep Britain Tidy’s annual Great Litter Count, to find out which brands are the most littered.

Residents are asked to get involved with the charity’s survey to count the types and brands of litter that blight communities across the country. Keep Britain Tidy can then work with those companies whose brands are littered the most to reduce the waste left by their customers.

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