Agenda item
Public Participation
At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Wednesday 16 January 2019. Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the Executive Member’s remit.
To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officers for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.
Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings
Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be filmed and webcast, or recorded, including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts or, if recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.
Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting. Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officers (contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.
The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present. It can be viewed at
Minutes:
It was reported that there had been 8 registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Councillor Mercer, Ward Member for Wheldrake, addressed the Executive Member under general matters within his remit, in order to present evidence in support of residents’ concerns regarding the volume of HGVs travelling through Elvington and requesting consideration be given to introducing an HGV weight limit in the village. She explained that, along with parish councillors and community involvement officers, they had delivered questionnaires to 400 properties and received responses from 354 of them and had held a consultation session which was attended by 140 residents, and spoken to parents of school children, some of whom refused to walk their children to school through fear of lorries in the village. She advised that a traffic survey had been undertaken which showed 265 large vehicles travelling through the village in a 12 hour period. Acknowledging the unprecedented support received from residents and the Parish Council, she asked the Executive Member to investigate options to introduce a weight limit to remove the threat from HGVs. She passed the evidence she had gathered to the Head of Transport for consideration and the Executive Member acknowledged the concerns raised.
Five registrations to speak had been recieved in relation to agenda item 4 (Public Right of Way – Public Footpath, Askham Bryan No 9 (Askham Bryan College) Proposed Concurrent Extinguishment and Creation Order).
Robin Carr or Robin Carr Associates spoke on behalf of Askham Bryan College in support of the application. He advised that the alternative route would be of a better standard, more accessible to less able walkers than the current route as there would be no stile, and would mean no more than 5 minutes additional walking time. He advised that the college had no record of the alleged incidents which had been raised and confirmed that the college would actively engage with relevant parties to resolve any issues going forward.
Audrey Hollas, a local resident, spoke in objection to the proposed order. She expressed concern that the alternative footpath was only 2m wide, noting this was the minimum recommended width, but this did not take account of growth of hedges which would impinge on safe access, and advised that the path would need to be widened. She questioned the officer’s view that the existing footpath was not needed and felt that this was not substantiated and expressed dismay that the temporary TRO had been extended several times to date.
Shirley Smith, another local resident, also spoke in objection to the proposed new route adjacent to the college access road. She informed the Executive Member of two traffic incidents involving dangerous driving by students on the site or exiting the site. She stated that buses did not show due attention to car drivers and that primary school children had to be met by their parents for their own safety rather than being allowed to walk home from school on their own.
David Nunns, Footpath Secretary for the York Group of The Ramblers addressed the Executive Member. He questioned the views of officers included in the analysis section of the report. He supported the points made by others speaking in objection. He expressed his support for option 2: not to make the proposed order but to retain the existing footpath, with addition of fencing for public safety.
Councillor Steward, Ward Member for Rural West York, spoke in response to issues raised by concerned residents, he expressed the view that the existing footbath had been used by a significant number of people and that the proposed new route was not better for a number of reasons which he set out. He advised that the route should not be significantly changed.
Councillor Gillies, Ward Member for Rural West York, then addressed the Executive Member in relation to agenda item 5 (Low Poppleton Lane Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) – Consideration of Options). He expressed the view that the road should be open to buses only except between the hours of 7pm and 7am when he felt it should be open to all forms of transport. He stressed that he was not proposing to open up the road to additional traffic during school hours but that opening it up in the evenings would be beneficial to Poppleton residents.
Councillor Richardson spoke in relation to agenda iem 6 (York Road/Eastfield Avenue, Haxby – Local Safety Scheme). He expressed dismay that the safety scheme already in place had been left to deteriorate and raised concerns that there were more accidents since the roundabout had been put in, stating that this posed a particular danger for cyclists due to the visibility to the south from Eastfield Avenue. He asked that officers look again at the junction to develop an effective solution.