Councillor Stephen Fenton has welcomed news which suggests that much-needed resurfacing work on Moor Lane in Woodthorpe may be undertaken in the 2023/24 financial year.
The road surface on Moor Lane – between Cairnborrow and Eden Close in particular – has continued to deteriorate rapidly, posing a hazard for motorists and cyclists. Some potholes have been filled, but others invariably appear and the surface is now a badly rutted patchwork.
Stephen has received an e-mail from the council’s Highways team (copied below) which offers some hope that resurfacing works will be undertaken.
“We are recommending that sections of this road will be considered for resurfacing in the 2023-24 financial year. However, it should be noted that we are concerned in regards to this particular asset in terms of the construction itself and any surfacing will be subject to further engineering investigation. There are clues in the name of some of the roads in the locality (Moor Lane, Bog Lane etc) and the engineering investigation works will allow us to better understand the ground conditions to ensure we have an effective solution; in other words we believe that there may be subsurface and original design/construction issues which are compounding the surface issue and we wouldn’t want to just add another surface layer without at least fully understanding all of the issues and ensuring value for money. Obviously in the meantime we will continue our inspections and make good defects in accordance with our Highways Safety Inspection Manual.”
Council highways bosses have been asked why a section of Moor Lane is to be resurfaced whilst another stretch that is in far worse condition will be left untouched.
The council’s Highways Maintenance Programme for 2022/23 has been published, and it proposes that £222,000 is spent resurfacing the section of Moor Lane from the Chaloners Road roundabout over the railway bridge to the Askham Bar roundabout. £60,000 is also proposed to be spent on ‘surface dressing’ on Askham Lane, but there is no mention of the stretch of Moor Lane between Cairnborrow and Eden Close which is in a very poor state and poses a hazard to cyclists in particular.
A disintegrating section of Moor Lane in Woodthorpe
The programme for 2022/23 also makes no mention of streets such as Crummock, Wains Grove and the Ryecroft Avenue / Acorn Way junction, which are all in an appalling state.
The situation is not helped by the Conservative Government’s cut to road and pavement maintenance funding for the city. In 2020/21 the Government cut York’s funding by a third, from £4m to £2.8m, and has now confirmed funding will remain at this lower level for the next three years. This amounts to a total cut of £4.8m.
Cllr Stephen Fenton commented “It makes no sense to me to spend almost a quarter of a million pounds on a stretch of Moor Lane which, in comparison with the section further up towards the ring road, is in reasonably good condition. When money is tight, residents expect it to be spent where it is most needed.”
Councillor Stephen Fenton has welcomed a decision by Network Rail to move a proposed compound further away from homes on Moor Lane.
In February, residents and councillors were shocked to receive notification that Network Rail planned to establish a compound on Moor Lane to support upgrade work on the line between York and Church Fenton until February 2024. Network Rail said that it would be used to provide access to the railway, to store materials and machinery and to house staff welfare facilities.
The initial plans would have seen the compound located 40 metres away from homes on Moor Lane. News of the plans led directly to the sale of a home falling through at the last minute, causing the residents considerable distress. Cllr Fenton called on Network Rail to pause their plans and listen to the concerns expressed by local residents.
Network Rail have now announced that they are proposing to move the compound further downfield to help reduce both visual and noise disturbance from the site. This move will place the site approximately 120 metres away from houses.
Network Rail have written to nearby residents with this information and have promised to host a community event via Microsoft Teams in the near future so that residents can find out more and ask any questions. No date has been set for work to begin on the site, but Network Rail have said that they will give residents at least one month’s notice.
Stephen commented:
“I am pleased that Network Rail have come up with a new proposal that will move the compound further way from homes on Moor Lane. It’s just a pity that this has come after two months of worry and stress for many affected residents, which could have been avoided if Network Rail has engaged with residents and local councillors earlier.
“I welcome the commitment to hold an engagement event, which will be important as there remain many unanswered questions around how highway safety will be managed on a very busy road, and what steps will be taken to minimise the nuisance to residents caused by the operation of the compound.”
Network Rail have also provided a Q&A on the compound plans.
Q1. Why have you chosen to put the proposed temporary compound where it is?
Due to the location of work and where we need to access the track, we looked at the area between York and Dringhouses to identify a section of available land where we would cause the least disruption to surrounding neighbours and locate it away from as many houses as possible.
Once created, the proposed compound in Dringhouses will be one of several linked compounds between York to Church Fenton, which must all be on the same side of the tracks, closest to the two lines where our major work is being undertaken. These compounds have to be spaced around two kilometres apart to enable effective access to the track to carry out the work as efficiently as possible.
We will be doing all we can to make sure we cause the least disruption to neighbours which is why we propose moving the compound location further away from houses. This also includes closely monitoring noise, traffic and light, as well as strictly enforcing our staff on site to be mindful they are working in a residential area. We will continue to explore what further options are available to help reduce disruption from the site and will present these to you at the aforementioned community event.
Q2.How long will the proposed temporary compound be in place?
As yet, we have not established an exact start on-site-date. All we can say currently is that we anticipate it will open later this year and we aim to provide you with clarity around dates in due course. Once opened, the compound will stay in operation until approximately February 2024.
Q3. How far away from the houses is the proposed temporary compound?
The closest house will be approximately 123 metres away from the operating compound. The machine stabling where all machinery will be stored has been placed furthest away from the houses, nearer to the track, to reduce noise and disturbance to residents. The new location further downfield means that the access road to get to it will be longer. Tree cover will mean the compound is less visually intrusive.
Q4. How will the compound impact the traffic in the area and what studies have been undertaken?
As part of our work on the revised compound, we will consider impacts on local roads and measures to manage traffic and any anticipated disruption. More information about the outputs of this assessment will be communicated in due course.
Q5. What level of noise should residents expect to hear?
Once the proposed compound is open, due to it being operational 24-hours a day, this will generate low-moderate noise. Overnight work will start to increase when we begin the piling work, but we do not have work schedules to share just yet. The Road Rail Access Point, once created, will be used regularly during the day and night. We will inform residents in advance of any noisy work due to take place and provide details as to what we are doing to minimise it.
Q6.How will worker behaviour be managed?
Our teams will be briefed and are mindful that they will be working close to our neighbours and the disturbance this can cause. This includes, not running car/van engines, no shouting, no littering. We will be enforcing these measures as strictly as possible.
Q7. Will lighting in the temporary compound come into my house?
We propose that there will be five tower lights placed within the compound (to be used at night) and positioned to ensure they do not directly shine at any houses. Night-time task lighting will also be used for work on track and angled so it does not disturb our lineside neighbours when it is dark.
Q8. What if there is damage to the road or verges?
If there is any damage to the roads or verges that residents have concern about and have been caused by the work taking place, these will be address by the project team and investigated.
Q9. Why did residents receive short notice about the temporary compound?
The original letter about the compound was mailed approximately ten days prior to the initial planned date to open the compound on 01 March. We had to wait to send this out to allow for the conclusion of the landowner lease agreement but appreciate insufficient information and notice was provided.
Q10. What is a topsoil bund?
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top 5–10 inches. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and therefore is a valuable material for farmers. We have to keep this topsoil on site, neatly stored as an earth bank or bund, and it will be returned to the land once the compound is closed.
City of York Council has clarified that Moor Lane in Woodthorpe will NOT be closed whilst works are undertaken to remove cats eyes and apply a surface dressing.
A sign had appeared at the roadside suggesting that the road would be closed on Tuesday 28 April between 9am and 7pm. This is not correct and the sign is to be amended.
Incorrect sign
The council has now confirmed that the cats eye removal work will take place on Tuesday 28 April between 6pm and 9pm, and that the road will not be closed. In order to carry out these works safely, the use of ‘Stop / Go’ traffic control boards will be used whilst works are taking place to manage lane closures, together with the use of a lead vehicle convoy system to guide traffic past the works at a safe and constant speed.
A press release issued by the council stated that ‘resurfacing works’ would be undertaken on Sunday 3 May between 9.30am to 11am. The nature and extent of the works has now been clarified following a request from ward councillors. We are advised that a ‘surface dressing’ will be applied to the road surface. ‘Stop / Go’ boards will again be in use.
We have asked that whilst these works are being done, the opportunity is taken to sort out the very deep potholes on Askham Lane just before the A1237 roundabout.
The council’s consultation on the draft Local Plan close at 5pm on Monday 12 September. We would urge all residents to have their say on the proposals, and in particular to support the proposal to designate land off Moor Lane as green belt land protected from development.
Extract from the ‘Our City’ newsletter
The Moor Lane site was referred to in previous drafts of the Local Plan as site ‘ST10’.
The Woodthorpe Community Group’s ‘Carols by Candlelight’ event held on Saturday evening at Love to Eat on Moor Lane was a great success, despite the wet weather.
St James the Deacon choir provided the musical backdrop for the event, which was the first organised by the new community group. Love to Eat kindly provided mulled wine and mince pies and a place to shelter from the rain and the cold!
Local councillors Stephen Fenton and Ashley Mason were there to show their support and lend a hand.
Stephen commented “I was pleased to have been able to support the Woodthorpe Community Group with this event, and look forward to continuing to work with them over the coming months.”
A number of travellers’ caravans have moved onto land at the top of Moor Lane near to the A1237 roundabout.
A number of residents have contacted us about this, and we have made enquiries with council officers. We understand that a ‘Direction to Leave’ notice has been served, which expires on Monday 10th August. Should that not be adhered to, the matter would be escalated to the magistrates’ court.
It would appear that the vehicles accessed the site via a gate on Moor Lane.
