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Progress in Fishergate ward

While the road layout on Fulford Rd does have its critics (including your ward councillors when it comes to the hazards of turning right into Maple Grove, Aldi/Iceland and the Barracks) it is good to see that at long last the abandoned hole near to Fulford Cross is being worked on again. The delay was caused by the need for a gas pipe to be moved - perhaps the Tories will give the gas distribution company a bit of a jolt to respond more quickly to orders from local councils?? It would be good if this work could be complete in time for 'Bus it Bike it Walk it' day in York on Sept 29th when pupils and parents at schools along Fulford Rd are being encouraged to try leaving the car behind for the day.

Also on that day, weather permitting, we will at long last get some markings on the forecourt of Broadway Shops to encourage drivers to leave a clear footpath in front of the shops. Work has been held up because every time the lining crew turn up there have been cars parked in the way!!

Meanwhile down on New Walk and around Millennium Bridge there is good news to report with the goalposts at long last installed on the Ings and the historic narrow gauge rail lines that used to serve the munitions factory exhumed from under the flood silt and grass (thanks to a team of offenders from Community payback scheme) Workers were also on site today at the Millennium Bridge in preparation for the new low energy lighting that Fishergate ward committee combined with a Green budget amendment will be paying for. The original lighting scheme that illuminated the arch was very prone to faults and used high energy floodlights - once completed the new scheme will use less power and hopefully not suffer from regular breakdown so that residents will be able to use the pedestrian and cycle bridge in the evenings in safety. The CCTV camera will also be more effective at helping to identify any offenders using this route to leave the scene of crime.

The streets leading from Grange St and Grange Garth now have 20mph signs as the city's first area so designated without humps. Campaigner for '20's plenty for us' Anna Semlyn lives in the area, and now we are petitioning for the next group of streets around Alma Terrace and Wenlock Terrace to have a similar limit. Of course a more strategic policy change such as has been applied in Portsmouth would be simpler and less wasteful of our and officers time but the Lib Dem Executive member is still not convinced of the growing groundswell of public opinion supporting slower speeds for residential side streets.

 

Trees on New Walk

 

Extract from the Friends of New Walk newsletter:

" The children of St George’s Primary, Fishergate Primary and York Steiner schools adopted three of the trees on The Walk by Hospital Fields. They recited a poem and took a certificate of adoption back to their schools. 

We have asked the children of St Lawrence’s school to adopt the fourth tree. The children of the schools in Fishergate Ward will then have adopted all four trees and have a specific interest in The Walk.

 

Some of you will have seen that one of our mature chestnut trees has been severely pruned. It had shed a major limb and was deemed to be a hazard. It’s hard to ignore the irony that the pruning was taking place at the same time as the children were adopting the newly planted trees.

‘What about a strategy to protect our prize heritage trees?’ asks Andy D’Agorne. Friends will work on this and will be happy to work with the Councillors, Council Officers and others in trying to identify a ‘tree policy’ to ensure that our 100+ year old specimens are protected and that trees are felled only as a last resort."

 

My concern is that with climate change, the additional stresses of flooding, longer dry spells and stronger summer winds when the trees are in full leaf could leave us with few if any of these magnificent trees within the next ten years.

 

 

 ‘The greatest wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.’

 Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishergate ward meeting Oct 6th

 

Residents of Fishergate ward are invited to the next ward meeting on Tues Oct 6th at 7pm in the Danesgate Skill Centre on Fulford Cross. In addition to being able to ask questions about planned local ward spending ideas for 2010 and the policing priorities they will be able to learn more about the consultation just starting on extending the Fulford Road Conservation Area. Last year after pressure from Green councillors and Fulford Parish council the Fulford Village Conservation area was extended to include more of the Connaught Court grounds and the Sir John Hunt Homes almshouses, thus linking up with 'our' conservation area that includes the north side of St Oswalds Rd

 

Ice priorities

Its now nearly a week since it snowed and turned frosty. The main roads have been gritted, but side roads such as our concrete roadway are still lethal, even to walk across!  Cycle tracks, even the major route crossing the Ouse via the Millennium Bridge, dont get gritted yet we have two wheels not four!! It seems the only gritting has been people like me taking grit from the small remaining number of grit bins and applying self preservation interests by spreading it at the worst locations. Come the Green revolution, we'll have to change the gritting priorities to match the supposed heirarchy of road users that puts 'vulnerable road users' like pedestrians and cyclists first (Obviously this needs to be in addition to the main roads, but it hasnt snowed for a week so you might think a few more areas could have been treated by now)

Fishergate dates for your diary and sustainable travel

 UPDATE: Next ward meeting will be on OCT 8th 2008 Other events organised by York in Transition are on the relevant section.

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Feb 2008 entry:

Before that we will be holding special meetings and displays - Mon 28th at Fulford Social Hall and Wed 30th at the Danesgate Centre (was Fulford Cross School). After that there will be a display in the window of an empty shop near Fields Fayre opposite the Fulford Arms until the deadline of FEB 8th. If you havent been sent a questionnaire go to www.york.gov.uk/consultation to find the online version (one for residents and one for non residents)

The ward meeting will have a presentation from David Webster about the planned radical changes to improve sustainable transport on Fulford Rd, though the main exhibition and meeting will be the week before on Wed Jan 30th at the new Danesgate Centre Fulford Cross. The exhibition will be there from 2pm- 7pm with a formal meeting 7pm-9pm. There will be a leaflet and questionnaire to every house, as well as on the council website and on buses running down the route. This is THE BIG chance to get better facilities for cycling and walking on the main road that cuts through the middle of the ward. It is a once in a decade or more opportunity.. the deadline for your comments is Feb 8th so please do check out the meetings or website and make your views known. Anyone who uses the road can comment, if it is your route to school, to bingo, to your friends house, to your hairdressers!

New zebra lights being installed near Alligator

Overall I think the changes are long overdue. I am not convinced that we need so many pedestrian crossings, and especially think we should not replace a zebra with a bleeping traffic light controlled one which is likely to cause more delay for pedestrians or motorists at peak times than civilised road use respecting the highway code. I think parking near to shops should be for a 30 min maximum during the weekday, to ensure it is used by shoppers not those avoiding car park charges. And I think that we should do our best to keep most of the trees but provide some segregated off road cycleways where there is a wide pavement and few side roads or houses such as in front of the Barracks. This will be even more important if the vehicle lane on the road is narrowed to provide a bus lane in the opposite direction. Bus lanes in at least some places are needed to speed up the park and ride buses and discourage those car commuters who could as easily park at the Designer Outlet. These changes need to be in place as soon as possible, so that they are there when new residents in the Barbican development, Hungate etc are looking at their travel options along Fishergate/ Cemetery Rd/ Fulford Rd and the inner ring road.   

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