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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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MEETING |
Holgate Ward Committee |
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DATE |
8 October 2024 |
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PRESENT |
COUNCILLORS Kent, Steels-Walshaw and K Taylor |
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APOLOGIES |
COUNCILLORS |
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1. Holgate Ward Committee Meeting Agenda
Holgate Ward Committee Minutes
· All Cllrs in attendance, no apologies.
· Delayed start as technical issues with presentation
· Public meeting on key local issues, similar to the one last week at St Paul’s which focused on York Central and Wilton Rise.
· This one is also on local issues and York Central, but also the riverside path.
· Toilets, no planned fire drill, fire exit, questions and answers time for each item, also asked people to be respectful
1. Riverside path Jubilee Terrace
· Upgrade – the scheme has been talked about for five or six years. Cllrs been pushing CYC to improve the route. Expensive scheme, this one on a long list of other improvements.
· Leeman Road closure – improving the route would mitigate some harm from the road closure, as not everyone, but a lot of people do use it.
· Riverside path completely separate to York Central – no formal connection.
· Council are progressing with riverside path – purchased some land, had partial success with some funding acquired for the scheme.
· Progress has been slow, but continues on.
· Survey suggests riverside embankment structure may be compromised – detail work to be undertaken to determine damage and if it will undermine riverside pathway- riverside work underway today.
· Project to keep pace. Hoping people would feel encouraged, although everyone might not be happy.
· Hard copies dotted around the room, happy to print and post copies to people also if they want a copy.
· Project goes from Jubilee Terrace down to Scarborough bridge
· More ‘no parking’ zigzags on approach to school
· Disabled bays to be relocated
· Current bays are not enforceable
· Churches operations would not be compromised by these plans such as weddings, funerals, christenings.
· Discussion with council about barriers – newer barriers feel more accessible. LTN120 Government guidance of accessibility – not favourable to barriers. No decision made, but it is in discussion.
· 5 new trees would be planted
· Extra lighting alongside upper path
· Blue sections are benches and cycle hoops
· Designs not decided, not gone to planning yet.
· Just current ideas and plans.
· Two paths proposed – hope to reduce pedestrian-cyclist conflict of the shared space.
· New road would be tarmac
· Not able to resurface entire route due to financial costs. If further funding can be acquired, then could extend resurfacing.
· Approach to Scarborough bridge – less space around river, bench near tunnel.
· Raising path by 25cm.
· Even raising path by a meter, it would still flood. Might hope to have 75cm height.
· Higher you raise it, the fewer the path flooding events
· Plus, the more you raise the water level, the council have to find somewhere for the water to go – Environment Agency would need to sign off on it and ensure water runoff planned for and safe.
· Councillors are sharing these updates on behalf of council officers who could not make it this evening.
· This project is not connected to closure of Leeman Rd, but also would be nice to get this done before the road closes.
· Possibly two years timescale from the delivery of this riverside path.
· Other items on this evening, but please ask questions.
Resident: is the cycle path tarmac’ed?
Response: it will be properly re-surfaced, the cycle path won’t be gravel (would wash away) or grass. Would be new path.
Resident: When the path floods, it floods at one point – could we raise the one point specifically? Could just raise that above 25cm?
Response: Cost – this is already going to be well over a million pounds. This current plan is affordable. If the council could get more money towards it, they could raise it more, but would still need to find more water storage if raising it – which adds further costs. Cllr Kent - This will reduce 3 or 4 days closure. But even if they did all full improvements, would still be estimated closed 9 days due to flooding and river /water levels.
Resident: When is Leeman Road actually going to close? I have difficulty walking. What will happen to transport, I’m concerned about this and so are others. I’m not very happy about it – this is important to the residents, and I know you are doing everything you can against all the ‘technocrats’ and ‘bureaucrats’.
Response: Construction February next year
Resident: all this up-ending and moving, just for National Railway Museum?
Response: Looking at road closure early next year. We are speaking to council about bus services.
Resident: Will cycle path and footpath be the same height?
Response: we assume yes.
Resident said, it’s not clear on the maps, that’s why they asked. Not everyone can bike or walk to the church – currently people park outside or down the side street. Thanks for what you said about funerals and weddings. What about our musicians – they need to load and unload at the start and end of services
Response: That is an entirely different process – there will be opportunity for those comments and that input – church does a great service for the community, but also need to make Jubilee Terrace less wild and busy.
Resident: January 2023 consultation on this – question was asked about if construction could be done without closing the routes – big concern about being cut off doubly – this route closed, and Leeman Road closed – potentially at the same time. Both potentially at the same time. Can I have an answer to that question from 2 years ago.
Response: – Cllr Taylor - can’t give a definite answer as we don’t have clarity on exact dates. However we would try best to not let both routes get cut off at the same time. We will take that on board and do our best to not let that happen.
Cllr Kent – might be longer, but could be alternative path. Planning hearing with Secretary of State was involved.
Resident – what do you know from Planning at this point in time?
Response:– SISK will be including that in their presentation
Resident – using this path at night, on your own, very dark, unsafe. I note there’s lighting in these plans, but would be good to know about security considerations and CCTV potential
Response:– we raised this, officers are aware. This all comes down to budget unfortunately. The lighting will be improved to LED – brighter. CCTV installation and monitoring – resource and cost. But we know it would feel safer and perceive it better
Resident – we know lots won’t use it late at night.
Another resident shared a recommendation for the 59 Park and Ride – would that help?
Resident said they had bad experience with the 59 bus.
Resident – assuming these are not confirmed yet, will there be opportunities to feed back on these later?
Response:– yes and thanks for the reminder. Team leading this project will be doing engagement and drop-ins in November – both in-person and online events.
Cllr Taylor - Thanks everyone, we feel this would be a marked improvement. We’ll keep talking to you, and please keep talking to us.
2. Next session from Sisk – mainly about infrastructure and new roads to be built.
Presentation loaded
Few slides to go through with progress updates, and on communication with community
Few residents said they couldn’t hear very well
Station Rise at the top tying in to the city centre.
New junction to form at Water End.
Two new bridges including footbridge. – Severus Road and ECML road bridge
Extensive groundworks on site
Reinforced earth embankments
Holgate Beck culvert diversion
3 new junctions along Leeman road – Leeman road bend, Foundry Way, Cinder Lane
New Hudson Boulevard public realm area
Millenium Green works
4000 ground improvement piles installed. First phase is to install concrete piles – then will test piles and cut them down – this is standard practise and part of the process.
Complete South abut piles (Nov 2024)
Low level embankment construction start (Nov 2024)
Installation of North abut piles (Dec 2024)
Resident: can’t see and can’t hear very well. Where is this map and what about the entrance already there. Will this close Salisbury Road?
Response: no, residents will be able to use Salisbury Road and come through that way.
Resident: Where will Hudson Boulevard be? End of Foundry Way will be back end of railway station?
Resident: Will there still be a back entrance to the railway station? If walking that new route, how long will it take to walk (slowly) from where I live?
Councillor and resident agreed to discuss this in a ward surgery.
Resident: will we be able to walk underneath the bridge and into town, and will it be accessible 24/7?
Response: Yes
Back to presentation:
Utility diversion nearing completion
Kerb installation started
Future works: Construct junction and online surfacing of junction (Jan/Feb)
Main Spine Road – main drainage works nearing completion
October November December to progress surfacing
Foundry Way
Resident asked if they (National Railway Museum) will close the road and then use that road as their car park – cheeky.
Underground recycling system.
Questions about car park. Response that car park is there now.
More online works for junction – Spine Road next Feb.
Resident asked question about top of railway Spine Road and access
Access from St Peter’s Quarter – will be pedestrian crossings. Residents asked again about the T-junction and left-turn onto SPQ from vehicle access road.
Resident asked about CCTV
Resident asked about access tunnel
Resident asked about traffic lights – not happy
Homes England and SISK
Communications – improvements – distribution radius for newsletter has increased.
Looking about instant updates with an app and a QR code
Asked residents to contact by email to sign up for updates, postcard on every seat.
Will put the keep in touch postcards throughout the ward.
Will be holding another engagement session at the Sisk office, or if people want a look at the site.
Social value – careers fairs, assemblies, site visits, with young people. Raised over £25k for charities, employing 80% local people. Acts of Kindness initiative – need a hand – such as an odd job – replaced a shed roof, removed a shed, garden tidying, cleaned a conservatory.
Resident: do you see yourself as good neighbours?
Response: Yes, we try
Resident: the previous letters had a dead email address. And thank goodness you’re here tonight.
Response: sorry about that, we have fixed that and sent out the correct emails.
Resident: you guys are terrible neighbours – the noise, muddy cars, don’t know you guys.
Other resident: dust and dirt on the road is a hazard, it is horrid, on the walk in to Leeman Road delivery office. You guys have been leaving the dirt and dust, it swirls, it gets in people’s eyes
Resident: it doesn’t wash out
Resident: this is our community and nobody seems to care
Response: we have road sweepers going up and down, we have tried, we really do care
Resident: no one knocks on the doors or speaks to us
Cllr Kent: I will look into the air quality of the area
Resident: but you can see it!
Cllr Kent: I’ll still look into the air quality and we can check those readings
Cllr Steels-Walshaw: We’ll continue to send out updates and there are more ways to get in touch using the postcards.
Cllr Kent introduced Maclaren-Arlington. Also noted they are nothing to do with road closure and stopping up order. York Central
Conscious of time, would people prefer details or questions and answers?
People said brief summary and then questions and answers
York Central: Route into the city centre, new public square. Detail and the small things make all the difference to the people. We are ready to listen to positive comments and negative comments, and if you feel you are not being listened to, please talk to us or our team. Most people have been really positive about the latest plans. Intention is to tread lightly on the planet, minimising the carbon footprint of the development by designing adaptable resilient buildings that will stand for many decades to come, minimising embedded carbon by utilising progressive materials and construction methods and minimising energy use by ensuring the buildings meet the highest standards of efficiency. We are keen to engage with all stakeholders. It is all about prosperity – York Central is the way to increase prosperity of York – kids, neighbours, future jobs, businesses, opportunities.
Showed the map of the Masterplan. 17-acre public open space – internationally recognised landscape architect.
Looking at demand for the whole area, and how York Central will become part of York. If we are successful, this new community will be knitted into York. Most cities have their rail station in the middle, not at the side. York Central is about 60% the size of the walled City of York.
Both sides of railway station should be interesting and feel like York
Currently working up the detailed design for next phase and will be coming out for public consultation next year– This will be a place to work, national railway museum, and the public squares. Encouraging different design ideas and utilising benefits and specialisms of different designers.
Resident asked about heights – answered All designs will be within height parameters set by outline consent – how high/how low.
Commercial district would then move into open park, and lead to residential area
Resident: How will this grand park be maintained
Response: it would be our responsibility to maintain, not the council. We have delivered another scheme in Durham where a large park runs through a housing development. We have had experience and are on-board for the long-term stewardship and maintenance. We are pledging 5% of development profits towards establishing a Community Interest Company to encourage local community to get behind it, and gift the green space to the community – for events and such – power, drainage etc. will be incorporated to enable this. The CIC could then control that space and use the income to help maintain the space.
We are also exploring an opportunity to partner with Kew Gardens. We would make sure it will still be free.
Resident – would you take over the path and the Leeman Park, as would be big contrast.
Response: – No our focus is to provide amenity and opportunity at York Central. We have established a Community Fund with Two Ridings Foundation which can help with worthy causes in and around York Central
Cllr Taylor – You have previously mentioned about affordable housing
Response – In response to public consultation we are keen to deliver affordable housing over the 20% required by planning.–An application is planned for next year. Including around 1000 homes of which more than 40% are hoped to be affordable Wanting high proportion affordable housing – creating a mixed community – social tenants, shared ownership, flexible housing options – in consultation with Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.
Opportunity to design the scheme to be car light and remove the need for 2 multi storey car parks releasing space for additional housing.
Question about public transport provision – resident saying buses don’t go under Leeman Road bridge – electric buses too high.
York is great for active travel. Resident: got to be accessible, as not all people can walk or cycle.
Cllr Taylor – we’ll do our best to ensure local services don’t get left behind, but we can’t control what bus companies do.
Discussion about car-free versus supporting cars – carparks, driveways, on-street parking tight etc.
Residents – lots of us do have cars. Phoenix Blvd is hardly any owner-occupied – mostly all Airbnb or property businesses. Offices and housing all become hotels, people don’t want to work in an office.
Response: – without office space, we can’t attract the businesses that will create the opportunities for employment and prosperity. Want to create jobs for the future.
Resident: if you put offices up, they’ll be empty.
Response: – hopefully not.
Resident asked about landscape architect – Grant Associates – also designed Gardens by the Bay Singapore.
Resident asked if there will be an interactive or 3D model.
Response: that yes we can do models so residents can see how it will work, but a note that will not be moving roads, just ‘filling in the gaps’. Models and designs hoped for 2025 Spring onwards.
, Chair
[The meeting started at Time Not Specifiedand finished at Time Not Specified].