Agenda and minutes

Venue: Carr Junior School, Ostman Road

Contact: Cindy Benton 

Items
No. Item

1.

6.30pm Surgery

Your chance to meet:

  • Cllr Tracey Simpson-Laing
  • Cllr David Horton
  • Adrian Phipps, Neighbourhood Management Officer
  • Safer Neighbourhood team
  • Michelle Watling, Street Environment Officer
  • Paul Thackray, Head of Highways and Street Operations
  • A representative from Housing Services regarding their Anti-Social Behaviour consultation

Minutes:

Councillor David Horton and Tracey Simpson-Laing were available for questions.

 

The Housing Department did consultation on Anti Social Behaviour

 

Group Response provided an update on the community rangers.

 

The Safer Neighbourhood Team gave away free light bulbs and timer switches to reduce burglary.

 

The Street Environment Officer did an update on the anti litter campaign in the area.

 

The Neighbourhood Management Officer was available for questions

2.

7pm Main Meeting - Introduction and Minutes

Minutes:

Chair Councillor David Horton opened the meeting by welcoming attendees.  He stated that a leaflet had been distributed near the entrance of the meeting which neither the City Council or the Councillors endorsed in any way and had been done without the knowledge of the Councillors or Council officials.

 

The  minutes were agreed and signed.

 

Councillor Horton welcomed Adrian Phipps the new Neighbourhood Management Officer.

3.

Safer Neighbourhood Team

The Safer Neighbourhood Team will consult on the ward priorities and give an update on their activities.

Minutes:

PC Graham Cooper gave an update on the police Safer Neighbourhood Team.  He began by welcoming Acting Sergeant Lindsey Robson to the team.

 

Figures were discussed with auto crime, burglary other (sheds, garages) criminal damage theft and violence crime all falling when compared with last year.  Burglary dwelling remained the same.  There were  91 less crimes this year compared to last.

 

There had been particular success in reducing reports of anti social behaviour on the Sovereign Park estate after rises during June and July, large scale reductions were made in August.  Criminal Damage has also reduced in the area. 

 

The team had been involved in promoting the One in Four and the Light Up and Lock, anti burglary campaigns.  PC Cooper stated that burglary was still largely down to insecure property especially from sheds.

 

Q – Do you get Group Response reports

It was confirmed that reports were received and distributed.

 

Q – Congratulations on the figures, but how much is unreported?

PC Cooper – We encourage everyone to report instances of crime and anti social behaviour and there are various ways this can be done including ringing the Safer Neighbourhood Team.

 

Q – Can we get the message out?

The contact number is in various publications sent out regularly to everyone in the ward and we work closely with Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.

 

            

4.

Magistrates in the Community

Malcolm Smith, the co-ordinator for the Magistrates in the Community and Community Engagement project will tell you what magistrates do, their powers and how they decide on sentences.  

Minutes:

Malcolm Smith gave a talk on the work done by Magistrates which included the following facts:

 

  • Courts run 5 and a half days a week
  • 97% of criminal cases begin in the Magistrates Court
  • Magistrates are not lawyers but volunteers
  • On average a Magistrate will sit 40 half days a year
  • Magistrates are sought from a wide background, so the community is fairly represented

 

He stated that it was a rewarding experience both in fulfilling a duty in removing dangerous people from the streets and seeing people turn their lives around through rehabilitation.  He particularly emphasised the importance of community payback where offenders carry out improvements in the local community. 

 

He finished by encouraging people to witness the work of Magistrates first hand by visiting the courts, stating if people rang the court office they could be given a tour of the courts.

 

There was positive feedback from the public and Councillors especially on the Community Payback scheme and work done around the Cycle Lane in Leaman Road .

 

Councillor Horton  stated a recent open week event at the courts had attracted over 290 people.

 

   

5.

Proposed Park & Ride schemes

Paul Thackray will give an update on the proposed A59 Park & Ride scheme and you will hear more about the proposed bus route corridor through Acomb ward and the Park & Ride site.

Minutes:

Ray Chaplin Head of Engineering at the City of York Council gave an update on the Poppleton Bar Park and Ride proposals, including the proposed bus corridors through the Acomb ward.  The proposed site is located alongside the A59 at the junction with Northfield Lane.   The site will eventually hold 1250 cars but the first stage will hold 600.  There were proposals to increase capacity at the A59 island and to introduce safe cycling measures to link with the existing cycle lane.

 

Ray stated that the bus corridor proposals were at an early concept stage.  A series of slides were displayed showing proposed improvements including a bus lane from Plantation Drive to Princess Drive including a widening of the footpath to provide a shared cycle and pedestrian footway.  In addition it was proposed that bus gates be installed on the main road at the junction with Princess Drive including CCTV for traffic management and a bus priority traffic light system. 

 

Similar upgrades would be made at the Water End junction.  In addition it was proposed to add bus stops near Renshaw Drive along with bus priority systems.  There were also proposals to increase the width of the carriageway on Poppleton Road to create a bus lane with new bus stops and a pedestrian crossing.

 

Councillor Simpson-Laing raised a query about the adoption of footpaths in relation to the cycle lane near Princess Drive.  Ray emphasised that these proposals were in their early stages and that there could be difficulties with some aspects of the proposals. 

 

Q -   Are you looking at taking out the chicanes on Poppleton Road.

A (Ray Chaplin) – There would be some fine tuning

 

Q – What is the total budget for the scheme?

A – 27 Million in total.

 

Q – Aren’t bus lanes ineffective as roads are too narrow?

A – The project has to work within the boundaries of reducing congestion whilst considering the conservation of the area.  The scheme would be looking at improving congestion at the A59 island.

 

Q – Wouldn’t Millfield Lane have been a better site?

A – There is direct access into the city from Millfield Lane but no land was available.

 

Q – What other options are there for pedestrian safety at the A59 island as people will not use underpasses.

A – The design team are currently looking into it.

 

Q – What is the money for?

A - Park and Ride sites and bus corridors.

 

 

Q – What is traffic modelling?

Ray displayed a new slide which showed the potential advantages in traffic queue length, if changes were made to the A59 island.

 

Q – What percentage of people go to Rawcliffe at the A59 Island?

A – About 30%.

 

Q – Is this the same traffic model that gave us the ring road?

A – No.

 

Q – Why can’t we build a flyover?

A – Flyovers would cost around 246million and there is no funding available for them.

 

Q – Will there be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Ward Scheme Suggestions

This is your opportunity to find out more information about the scheme suggestions included in this newsletter.  If you made a suggestion that is included in the list please come along as this is your opportunity to make sure that everyone has the information they need to make an informed decision.

Minutes:

Alan Carr from the Vikings Football Club gave an input on their application stating the club was now expanding, looking to increase its membership and get more kids in the area involved.

 

Simon Haddock from Street Sports York gave a talk about the sessions that the group had organised throughout the year in the ward and thanked the Councillors for their support.  He also stated that information about sessions were available on the Council website and posters were put up in schools and information given out at meetings like this one.

 

A question was raised about the Community Rangers and how value was assessed. 

Councillor Simpson – Laing stated they worked closely with the police and reported back actions.

 

A question was asked how schemes were chosen.

Councillor Horton replied that positive and negative feedback were taken into consideration.

 

A question was raised about scheme 8 (the improvements to shops on Beckfield Lane/Boroughbridge Road).

Councillor Horton stated this was currently being looked into as it was unclear how much land was actually council owned.

 

 

 

 

 

  

7.

Have Your Say

Your opportunity to discuss local issues and concerns.

Minutes:

Requests were made for litter bins on Boroughbridge Road/Poppleton Road.

 

Traffic on Beckfield Lane adversely affected by traffic light phasing as it seems to unnecessarily delay the traffic. 

Councillor Simpson-Laing stated that traffic lights were a national design and that feedback from pedestrians had suggested that the public felt unsafe as the green light went off when crossing.

 

There was a request for the closure of the snicket Jute Road as it was a hotspot for trouble. 

Councillor Horton stated this was currently being consulted on.

 

The cycle path on Beckfield lane was also raised.

Councillor Simpson-Laing stated there was an all party scrutiny committee which would discuss this issue on November 9th.

 

There was a question on the 20 mile an hour speed limit for Millgates.  Councillor Simpson-Laing stated that research in Portsmouth had shown casualty numbers were greatly reduced in 20mph zones.  A petition hand been handed in and this may well be trailed.

 

There was a query around trees on Knapton Lane and whether they could be cut back. 

This was to be looked into.

 

Councillor Horton thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting. 

 

 

 

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