Agenda item

Paul Thackray told the meeting that the initial plans were at the back of the room. At this stage it is only a proposal – still to be decided, planning permission hasn’t been approved. He was using the ward committee meeting as a method to raise awareness.

The 1^st phase involves 3 new park & ride sites with the aim to reduce traffic and congestion.

One site on the A59 just past the garden centre. The land is currently green belt but park and ride is permitted. The plan is for 750 spaces and increased pedestrian and cycle access. It will involve extensive landscaping so that those operating it can see all the cars. The central building will be high quality, sustainable and possibly be a ‘landmark’ building with refreshments available and a wind turbine for power generation. The junction with the A59 will be designed for ease of use with signals on Station Road and Northfield Road. It will involve bus-lanes and a slip road.

The next stage is to submit a planning application and get finance, more that 90% of which will be provided by The Dept. of Transport. The plan is to have it started by the Spring of 2010 and completed by the Summer of 2011 with minimum disruption.

The site at Askham bar will move closer to the A64 along the Tadcaster Road. There has been a threefold increase in through traffic and the existing road is heavily congested. There have been no decisions about what will happen with the current site next to Tesco. The idea is to tackle the commuting traffic and ease congestion at peak times.

Q. Have you done any traffic flow predictions?

A. Yes we went through a thorough process of evaluation and assessment. The site is going to be moved so that it will take a lot of the vehicles out of the traffic before the junctions, college and Tadcaster Road.

Q. If the park and rides fills up the traffic will continue on to the city centre?

A. If that happens it will be out of peak times so the traffic won’t be as heavy.

Q. What will be done to stop the students from York College parking there?

A. There will be systems in place – York College does what it can to discourage students and staff driving.

Q. Why didn’t the College provide move parking spaces?

A. To encourage students and staff to find more sustainable ways of getting to the college. The College has a responsibility to encourage more ecological ways of transport.

Q. If you live in a village like Copmanthorpe students have to take the car because the bus service isn’t very good or at the right times.

A. The College is looking into providing its own bust service for the villages.

Q. Looking at the plans the entrance to the park and ride is the same as the exit this might cause extra congestion particularly with buses getting caught in traffic.

A. The buses will have a separate route for getting in and out.

Q. This is the first time I’ve seen anything about the Poppleton site, is there going to be any further consultation with local residents? Are you thinking of having specific events? If you need to contact Poppleton Parish Council I’ve got the contact details.

A. there will be many opportunities to see the plans and there will be extensive pre-planning consultation starting in December.

Q. Is the site on the plans the only site under consideration? Will the increase from 750 to 1250 still be within the same site?

A. Yes it is the only site and any increase will be on the same site.

Q. The Poppleton site has a railway running close by. With between 750 to 1250 spaces if there are only buses to get people into and out of the centre they may be overloaded. Have you considered trams or other mass transit systems?

A. The capital investment is huge and there probably wouldn’t be enough volume to make it viable. There are initial ideas about a tram system that uses the York/Harrogate/Leeds railway line but goes on the roads in Leeds.

The park and ride buses will go at 10 minute intervals at peak times and we wouldn’t be able to increase the frequency with trams.

Q. On the third site at Wigginton Road will it have a stop at the hospital?

A. We’re hoping so yes.