Agenda and minutes

1.   Drop in Surgery

The drop-in surgery will give you the opportunity to talk to Cllr James Alexander, Cllr Sonja Crisp, Cllr Joseph Riches, your ward team and visiting speakers informally before the meeting. You can also find out about the future of the library services.

Find out about monitoring air quality in the Leeman Road area and take part in a consultation for a new Air Quality Management Area to help improve air quality.

Drop in Surgery

1.    Residents had the opportunity to speak to ward councillors, Neighbourhood Management, their Safer Neighbourhood Team and Street Environment.

1.1Representatives from CYC Environmental Protection Unit attended to inform on air quality in the ward.

1.2York Tree Wardens attend to give information on the scheme and Treemendous.

1.3Representatives from Network Rail and O’Neill Associates gave information on the York Engineers’ Triangle Development.

1.4Free water saving devices and information was available from Yorkshire Water.

2.         Safer Neighbourhood Team Update

Find out the latest news from your local Policing team

2.         PC Andy Chapman gave an update on the work being done in the ward.

2.1       The team are based in Acomb Police Station, and cover the Holgate and Acomb wards.

2.2       Inspector Neil Drummond and Sergeant Ian Sirrell currently head up the team.

2.3       Recently there have been successful drug warrants carried out across the ward, these are largely due to information passed on by the community. This is the basis for a lot of police activity and encouragement was given for residents to get in contact about what is happening in the ward.

2.4       Dwelling burglaries remain a priority in the ward and a high percentage are due to insecure premises. A 1in4 scheme runs a this time of year to raise residents awareness.

2.5       Overall crime is down 7%

2.6       A new national phone number has been launched. 101 replaces the old number and is charged at 15p per call, which is lower than previous especially from mobile phones. Contact can be made to an individual officer using name or collar number.

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions

Q- Can Collingwood Avenue be looked at as cars cutting the corner are a safety risk? Other areas of concern are Campbell Avenue and Harlow Road.

A-   Details would be taken of the incident and looked at, at an appropriate time.

Q- Have there been any incidents of fuel tanks attacked?

A-   The last reports of this were about 2 years ago, nothing has been reported recently.

At this point the minutes of the October meeting were agreed and thanks given to the Safer Neighbourhood Team. 

3.         York Engineers’ Triangle Development

Developers O’Neill Associates will inform you on the development of the railway site

3.         David Johnson, O’Neill Associates and Luan Anderson, Network Rail, gave information on the proposed development of the York Engineers’ Triangle Development.

3.1       The workforce development centre is part of the relocation of training centres. It is part of a national strategy providing state of the art training facilities.

3.2       York has been chosen due to the city’s strong rail links and history.

3.3       Staff currently at other locations will be offered relocation to the new facility, this includes signallers and maintenance staff.

3.4       The training centre will cater for up to 220 trainees, providing residential courses up to a week long.

3.5       Included in the training centre is a 60m indoor section of track to provide a realistic environment for trainees to work in.

3.6       A three shift pattern will be run, the same as currently operated. 100 staff members will be on shift at any one time.

3.7       120 car parking spaces will be provided, these are for members of office staff. A sustainable transport scheme is run, encouraging the use of trains and public transport. Workers are expected to use rail as much as possible.

3.8       Cinder Lane will provide access for the centre. The footbridge at Wilton Rise will also remain to provide access.

3.9       The development will largely be single storey although the training centre will be higher to allow access for trains on the indoor rail. An overhead gantry will be installed for the track section.

3.10    As the development is going to be seen on arrival to York, the building is designed to provide a suitable arrival. Consultations have been undertaken with conservation and archaeological trusts.

3.11    Open days at the railway station and St Pauls Church have been arranged for further public consultation and information.

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Q-        Can access to the site be clarified?

A-   Access is gained form Cinder Lane, access by the existing signalling centre will also remain.

Q-        So, Cinder Lane access will remain open?

A-   Yes

Q-        Can the number of people working on the site be clarified?

A-   120 shift staff at any one time, so around 200 at shift change over. Plus up to 220 people in training at any time.

Q-        Who are the carparking spaces provided for?

A-   These will be for office staff working 9 to 5 and visitors. The majority of the workforce and trainees will travel by rail.

Q-        As sustainable transport has been mentioned, will there be cycle provision?

A-   Yes

Q-        What shift patterns will operate?

A-   They will be the same as currently in operation, change overs around 6am, midday and 10pm.           

Q-        Encouragement to use sustainable transport was in place when CPP started and it hasn’t worked as the carpark is always full, why will it work for this development?

A-   Many of the Network Rail workforce are already in the mindset of using the railways as it in place already. The staff transport subsidy is already well used.

Q-  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.         Traffic issues on Hamilton Drive

What can be done to tackle the increase in traffic on Hamilton Drive?

4.         Louise Robinson, Transport Projects Engineer, Christine Packer, School Travel Plan Coordinator and Louise Haritakis, Our Lady Queen of English Martyrs explained the plans and actions being implemented to address the parking issues around Hamilton Drive.

4.1       There are plans to install bollards on Harlow Road to stop vehicles being parked on the grass verges.

4.2       The use of yellow lines is being investigated although this has a direct impact on residents, as they would no long be able to park outside their homes.

4.2       Partnership working between City of York Council and Our Lady Queen of English Martyrs hopes to increase use of cycles. The school is a Bike It school and will have additional cycle and scooter parking when the new development is complete.

4.3       A walking bus project is currently being looked into although it would depend on volunteers to run the scheme, as no staffing from the school would be available to facilitate the scheme.

4.4       The school is currently doing all it can to help elevate the issues, although some people are questioning the authority for the requests from teachers to park considerately and move vehicles.

4.5       A possible drop off/walking route has been suggested as York Road and then through West Bank Park, although in winter months parents are still more inclined to drop off nearer to the school.

4.6       The Park and Stride scheme, using the Railway Institute Car Park has had a low uptake. Due to the long drive way and additional time it takes to get children to the school, parents are still opting to drive directly to the school.

4.7       As the school has a large catchment area, currently covering a third of the city the only real option some parents have is to drive their children to school.

4.8       An application for a school crossing has now been approved. The recruitment process is currently underway to get someone in post. The service can not start without a staff member being appointed.

4.9       There has been an improvement within the first three weeks of term, bad weather hasn’t helped but it is hoped that behaviours will change in time and as the new arrangements are rolled out. This is not an isolated incident with many schools across the city facing similar problem.

Residents were given the opportunity to raise questions.

Q-        The extension of no waiting zones have worked in other areas could these be implemented?

A-   This would have a direct impact on residents, similar to yellow lines, so this isn’t the favoured option.

Q-        Would it be a worthwhile approach to educate in school about problems caused by travelling to school in cars? The pupils could then help tackle the change of their parents behaviour.

A-   Currently all pupils in school years 3 and 4 get pedestrian training. Years 5 and 6 have the option for cycle training and Bike Ability training is offered for year 7 pupils. The uptake is decided by the parents as they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.         Have Your Say

Your opportunity to raise issues about your neighbourhood

5.         Residents had the opportunity to raise their individual issues with their ward councillors.