Agenda and minutes

Meet at the site for tout led by Peter Connelly.

Peter Connelly from York Archaeological Trust gave a very interesting tour of the Hungate site. This covered the site generally, the history and then a tour of the dig site showing the various ages being investigated. From Medieval to last century. Everyone enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.

Walk form Hungate to St. Sviourgate for a tour of the site led by Sarah Maltby.

The group moved on to St Saviourgate Church. Sarah Maltby gave a tour of the site and people had the opportunity to ask questions and get involved. This was also extremely interesting and informative. York Archaeological Trust provided fantastic refreshments.

The ward team surgery and refreshments will be available. Come along to talk to your local councillors, the Safer Neighbourhood Team, your Street Environment Officer, and Neighbourhood Management Officer.

At the Ward Team surgery residents took the opportunity to speak to the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Neighbourhood Management Officer as well as Cllr. Janet Looker. There was an exhibition about the City Centre Action Plan. During this time residents had the opportunity to walk around the church and to discover even more.

The councillors will thank York Archaeology Trust for their time and the tours, minutes will be approved and we will get your views on the Foss riverside walk.

Cllr. Janet Looker proposed a vote of thanks to York Archaeological Trust for the tours and the coffee and cakes. This was unanimously supported by everyone at the meeting.

The City Centre Action Plan was mentioned. The consultation process has begun with the aim of improving the city centre. Cllr Looker noted that the lights in Duncombe Place had been completed.

Ewan Allinson from the Minster Quarter (Kingdom Fashion) talked to the meeting about wheelchair accessible routes from St Anthony’s School to Monk Bar, behind the houses at Aldwark. He mentioned St Cuthbert’s, an Anglo-Saxon Church. He would like to have the graveyard as a sculpture garden. Another idea was that the Hungate development will require a massive amount of paving and he would like to see people’s reminiscences about the area carved into paving stones.

The Minster Quarter is having a launch on 23^rd October. It will be a free concert of a new piece by John Taverner. He wants to get businesses and residents involved.

Findlay Cook mentioned about the planning application process and the meeting voted to co-opt Paul Kelly as a member of the planning panel.

Stefan Ruff – One of the elected governors for York Foundation Trust gave a brief introduction to the role of governor. The idea was to give hospitals more freedom to develop . The governing body is a link between the hospital and the local community. It gives the community an opportunity to let the Trust know what is important to them. 40 people volunteered to become governers but they want to widen the membership to be more representative of the community and common interest groups. Being a governor is a way of getting the Trust to change its priorities to reflect local issues and to get information from the hospital. If anyone was interested they would be given information on exactly what it means to become a governor of a Foundation Trust.

This is your opportunity to raise any issues or suggestions for your ward.

One resident told the meeting that the event had been wonderful and the meeting agreed that its thanks should go to York Archaeological Trust for such a fantastic time.

A resident told the meeting that there were several people who don’t want anything to be built on the Monkgate Garage site.

Cllr Looker said that both Cllr Watson and her were opposed to the sale as it was too close to the city wall. No planning application has gone to committee yet. There are precedents for a modern building near Speculation Street. It has been suggested that the Monkgate Site will have a mini-high-rise of 6 units

It was mentioned that some of the grates around Park Grove have been stolen but not replaced. This had happened some time ago and the parents at the school were getting concerned. Can a priority be given to replacing those closest to the school? It was also mentioned that the grates were harder to replace due to their age.

It was asked that the hedge at the end of the Barbican cycle track could be cut back to increase safety.

One resident requested that there was an agenda item at the next meeting to talk about the removal of the hedge at Clarence Gardens and about the chemical policy of City of York Council. Cllr Looker confirmed that Dave Meigh has been told of the concerns and has the date of the next meeting in his diary.

Trees were mentioned, in particular the trees on Lord Mayor’s Walk needed professional pruning. The possibility of some trees by the new ARC Light building in Union Terrace car park. There is due to be some landscaping done by the contractors who are building the ARC Light Centre.

A riverside walk with a view to improving the rioverside of the Foss was announced – it would be held at 4.00pm on 12^th August and King George Field Fossway.