Agenda item

Have Your Say!

Minutes:

Question: The issue of the surface of Cherry Lane was raised as it dangerous.

In response: Councillor Reid informed the meeting if it is the top half of the Lane that is down for repair this year if it’s any further down this is a private road and not the responsibility of the Council. She will look into who owns it..

Response chased up by Cllr Reid after the meeting:

I have contacted a range of Council Officers who have confirmed that:-

·         It is not adopted highway, the mapping system does not appear to record this land as part of the Knavesmire property. 

·         Cherry Lane is not registered with the Land Registry & is indeed not adopted highway or council land. 

·         The route is not recorded on the Definitive Map, nor is it under investigation as part of our work to compile a Def Map for the former County Borough of York.  This does not preclude the possibility of public rights existing that are not yet formally recorded however and on the face of it it looks as though public rights probably do exist as people often use it to get down to the Knavesmire either on foot, cycle and in their cars.

·         that public rights requires investigation at some stage: from my own on site survey of the Wards I had already noted this particular route for investigation at a further stage which leads towards the production of a definitive map for the Former County Borough of York

 

Question: Who gives permission for events on the Knavesmire in bad weather as its damaging the area? Possibly keep events to summer only. Councillor replied we have no say over weather conditions

Question: Is water pumped on to the Knavesmire to avoid flooding elsewhere?   If so by whom? Response: No, it backs up from the river via the Knavesmire culvert.

Question: Once the floodwaters have receded is any cleaning up done of the ground?   A resident was told by someone from the Environment Agency was told that it was "dirty" water and therefore children shouldn't walk across the area after the water has gone.

Not that I am aware of, the water is essentially silty river water and will contain little, if any, sewage which is the usual reason for this advice. If it was a risk it would equally apply to adults!

Question: What is the protocol for hiring out the Knavesmire?

In response: When people hire the land, as part of their contract, they undertake to pay for the cost of any repairs.  This is the case with regard to the flooding last year and we are currently awaiting the final bill which will be allocated to those involved for payment.  They are all more than willing to pay what they owe.

 

Question: Asked why the trees have been removed on the A59

In response: Councillor informed the meeting that it was to do with the Park and Ride being built.

Question: regarding litter issues could we not adapt the ideas Leeds City Council have which seem to work

In response: Councillor will consider asking someone to come to the next meeting to address this. 

 

Question: A resident wanted to report an issue with smoking at the bus stop in Rougier Street blowing on non-smokers waiting for bus. 

In response: Councillor Hodgson will raise this with the Street Environment Officer for that area.

Question: A resident raised the issue of problems with the Council’s online reporting system.

In response: Following the meeting Cllr Reid followed this up and the answer has been sent directly to the resident who asked the question.

 

 

Question: GULLEY CLEANING IN GOODWOOD GROVE/LINGFIELD CRESCENT AREA

A response was sought by Cllr Reid following the meeting and the response was: The gulleys in Breary Close, Weddell Close, Goodwood Grove and Lingfield Crescent are longer routinely cleaned.    The Council’s drainage department does carry out private drain cleaning so the vehicle that was seen could have been doing that.

 

Question: a resident asked why railings were going up around the barwalls what stats there was on injury and what cost to implement this.

In response: Councillor Reid will look into this and report back at next meeting.

Response obtained following meeting:

The decision to install railings on this section of wall was taken as a result of a Health and Safety Audit carried out in 2002.   The Audit was carried out by the Council’s own H&S advisor.  He recommended that railings should be installed as a matter of urgency at three locations on the wall-walk where he considered that a fall could result in a serious or fatal injury.  That Audit was carried out before the preparation for a court case that arose after an individual fell from the walls (not at this location) in 2002 and sustained injuries that permanently disabled him.  In the end the case did not go to Court and the insurance claim against the Council lapsed. The three priority locations were:  the section at the rear of Aldwark between the Merchant Taylors Hall and the rear of the Borthwick Institute (now the New Schoolhouse Gallery); the section between Micklegate Bar and Toft Tower; and the section on Station Rise.  The current installation at Station Rise section completes the work required to address the priority areas raised in the 2002 H&S Audit.  This work would have been completed far earlier had we been able to secure adequate funding through the CRAM process. The Council has no record of anyone falling from this section of wall-walk at Station Rise.  Unlike all other sections of the wall-walk, this section does not have gates on it.  We have been unable to close this section of wall when conditions are deemed dangerous and we close the City Walls to the general public.  In December 2012 three people slipped on the icy surface on this section of wall-walk and sustained injuries.  Fortunately they did not fall from the wall-walk. Two of these have submitted insurance claims.  It is now our intention to fit gates to the new railings so that we will be able to close this section of wall both at night and when conditions are considered dangerous. I do not as yet have a final figure for the fabrication and installation of railings on this section of wall.  However, I anticipate the cost will be in the region of £35000 - £40000.  The total cost of fabrication and installation for all three sections identified in the H&S Audit will be around £120000.  To put this in perspective, we were advised during the preparations for the court case arising from the 2002 accident that if the claim was successful we could be liable for damages of up to £3m. If post-Audit someone had fallen from the walls at one of these three locations and sustained serious injuries the Council would have had no defence against claims and might even have been considered negligent.  In these circumstances, the Council had no alternative but to install railings.

 

A resident reported his concern with the treatment given by residents to Ruth Stephenson when she gave a presentation on 20mph limits at the last meeting.

 

Question: Concern was expressed regarding the remove of the hedging on Little Hob Moor. Can we be that no more of this sort is planned, and to be told in advance of it?

Response: We will seek advice from Council officers on this and report at the next meeting.

Written response following the meeting from Dave Meigh (Head of Parks and Open Spaces):

The Council updates and changes landscapes all the time and this is likely to continue in the future. There are many reasons for this including reflecting national best practice, making way for new planting, changing tastes and available budgets.  The removal of the short stretch of hedge and old roses on Tadcaster Road means that  both sides of the road now match. It has also opened up the area  for future tree planting to succeeded the trees currently there. As a rule we do not inform or discuss work of this limited scope with residents.

 

We welcome residents’ involvement in maintaining / adopting open spaces under the Smarter York initiative. Please get in touch with me if you want to take on the care of a local space

The Ward Committee asked the residents if they were happy with the format of ward meetings as it was proposed to have a cycle about the ward in July. Residents preferred to have a static meeting on 4 July at 7.30pm

 

The meeting closed at 9:10pm .

 

 

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