Fairfax Avenue tree maintenance

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured a number of tree repair works on Fairfax Avenue. John Fareham says, “On receiving a number of different complaints from local residents about the state of the trees here, we referred them at once to the officers who now inform us that steps have either been taken or scheduled for the appropriate time of year. These are as follows:- Tree vandalised at nos. 170-172: All major branches were removed from this so it has been removed and a new one will be planted in the autumn or winter. Silver birch tree blown down at no.134: This had a large section of trunk still hanging there – it too has been removed and will also be replaced in the autumn or winter. Disused cherry tree at nos. 164-168: This was cut down but not replaced. A replacement will be planted in the autumn or winter. Leaning cherry tree near no. 60: This has fungus growing on it lower down. The tree’s health will be checked on and pruning undertaken as appropriate.”

Proposed Hotham Road North bus stop

John Fareham and John Abbott confirm that a proposal exists for a bus stop on Hotham Road North. A public notice has indeed been issued for the erection of a bus stop on the even numbered side, outside no. 4. We appreciate that the presence of buses here is not welcome in the first place, and we are continuing to press for the bus to be re-routed, but this may have come impact on the effect caused by buses passing this way if they are obliged to slow down and stop to pick up or drop off passengers. Local residents may or may not agree with this theory; either way, comments should be sent to Hull City Council, Passenger Transport, Festival House, 93 Jameson Street, Hull HU1 3JJ quoting reference number BS123 to be received before 16th September. Once the results of the consultation are collated we will be asked to pass judgement on whether the proposal should go ahead.

Service 9 diversionary route

John Fareham and John Abbott have details of the diversions that will be taken by Stagecoach service 9 during the impending East Riding road works on Bricknell Avenue. During what East Riding call Phase 1a of the works, the bus will be unable to get to Bricknell Avenue from St Mary’s Avenue and will therefore go via Dent Road and Hotham Road North and from there to Cottingham. Thereafter every effort will be made to let the bus follow its usual outbound route. During the phase 3 of the works, the inbound route will divert via Cottingham Road and Fairfax Avenue to Bricknell Avenue and St Mary’s Avenue and then follow the usual route into town. The officers have undertaken to put up notices at all the bus stops affected which will remind residents what is going on for the duration.

Service 3 and 9 rerouting

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Stagecoach will be rerouting the Services 3 and 9 via Fairfax Avenue during of the roadworks on the Cottingham part of Bricknell Avenue. East Riding Council will begin shortly to dig up the road in places which mean that the bus to Cottingham cannot follow its usual route via St Mary’s Avenue and Bricknell Avenue. Discussions have taken place between ourselves, Stagecoach and officers of both councils resulting in the decision to use the less popular of the possible diversions - less popular with residents there and with us - via Hotham Road North for service 9 during an early stage of the works and, later on, to send service 3 via its earlier route straight up Hall Road. The changes will of course be temporary, which we hope will go some way towards consoling those residents concerned about the welfare of their cars’ wing mirrors; it will, however, temporarily connect Fairfax Avenue with Cottingham and large parts of East Hull.

Service 9 bus rerouting

John Fareham and John Abbott report that, as a result of East Riding of Yorkshire Council roadworks on Bricknell Avenue, the Stagecoach service 9 bus will be rerouted via Hotham Road North during the period of the roadworks. We have been discussing the matter in some detail with officers of both Hull and East Riding Councils and have made clear to all concerned that we would have preferred the diversion operated while Bricknell Avenue was being resurfaced to have gone via Fairfax Avenue – which was, of course, part of the route of the former Service 13. However Stagecoach chose, for operational reasons to do with service punctuality and the delay they thought would follow from sending the 9 back down Bricknell Avenue, to have the 9 follow the 3 along Hotham Road North. We realise this decision on their part will not be popular, but the diversion is temporary, for stage 1a of the works only, and the 9 will revert to its usual route when that part of the the works is completed.

Departure of National Avenue travellers

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the travellers who were camped out behind the former Booker premises on National Avenue have now left. As we said previously, the travellers were camped on private land so that it fell to others to have them moved on. We were given to understand that this was due to happen over the weekend. The officers have since checked that they have indeed left, but information as to where they are now is in short supply. However two caravans have since appeared at Priory Park and it is possible these may be some of the same travellers. If this is the case it may be a good sign for residents here and elsewhere – travellers may easily be aware of the likely procedural outcome if they camp on Council land in this ward and may prefer the chance of a slightly longer stay elsewhere.

National Avenue litter bin

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the installation of an additional litter bin on National Avenue. We have received complaints from local residents to the effect that the long gap between two existing bins on the even numbered side, one near the highest-numbered houses and the other further down near the industrial estate, is too big and that litter – much of it accumulating by courtesy of those travelling home from school – is becoming a problem. We therefore contacted the officers and arranged with them for an additional bin to be installed; they have agreed to do so and will be monitoring its use to ensure that its location is such as to optimise the effect it has on the litter problem.

National Avenue traveller encampment

John Fareham and John Abbott have been working with officers and others to remove an illegal traveller encampment behind the former Booker wholesale premises on National Avenue. This may not have been the biggest traveller incursion we have faced, comprising as it does only four vehicles, and it is not on Council land which means it is not our direct responsibility. However we have worked with the office to ensure that the owners of the land on which the travellers are encamped know they are there and we understand that the estate agents representing the landowners have already called bailiffs to move the travellers on some time this weekend.

Cropton playing fields graffiti

John Fareham and John Abbott have succeeded in having inappropriate graffiti removed from the facilities at Cropton playing fields. We have no intention of shocking anybody by quoting any of the scatological terminology used in some of this material; suffice it to say that when local residents assured us that these words and others were there, we reported the matter to the officers at once and then went to check the extent of the problem. Foul language has been deleted from the slides and arrangements are in hand to take a large, professional-sized graffiti-removing machine to the walls. Given that the appearance of such graffiti is not a regularly scheduled event, we will remain ready to pass on any further reports we receive from local residents as to problems like this in the future.

Rainhill Road electronic bus sign

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured repairs to the signal feeding the automatic bus sign outside Rainhill Road. John Abbott says, We noticed, and heard a number of residents complaining about, the absence of details of certain rather obvious bus services from those displayed on this device. For example it would show Stagecoach Service 9, which runs hourly, as imminent and would do likewise with EYMS service 23, but it was not showing Stagecoach service 3. Given the level of reliance which might be placed on this information being correct, we contacted the officers who passed the matter onto the appropriate technicians. They moved quickly so that details of the correct bus service were showing by mid-morning on the next working weekday.

Briarfield Road traffic proposals

John Fareham and John Abbott have consulted further with residents of Briarfield Road about the traffic regulation proposals. We circulated an edition of CONTACT! on the day of our mobile forum, just before the National Avenue stage of the event began, and several residents came to view the plans. If you weren’t one of them, but you would still like to see the plans and express a view on them, you can, as we have already said, visit the Area Team at the former Adult Education Centre on Park Avenue, gain admittance by the back door at which you ring the bell to get in, and look at the plans there. If you then find you have an opinion you wish to express, you should tell either the Area Team or ourselves by the end of August, as the matter will come to Wyke Area Committee in either September or October, depending largely on the time taken to prepare the Committee papers.

Goddard Avenue resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured undertakings that the work done last year on resurfacing pavements on the south side of Goddard Avenue will be upgraded to match that recently carried out on the north side. John Fareham says. “Both of us have been receiving complaints from local residents on the south side to the effect that whereas the opposite side had the ramps between the carriageway and the pavement resurfaced, their own side had not. We therefore contacted the officers and asked that the contractors be requested to remain on site and to undertake to such work as would be necessary to bring last year’s efforts up to the same standard as this year’s. They have now secured precisely such an undertaking that the necessary upgrades will be completed shortly.”

Bricknell Estate public transport

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems which may arise with Bricknell Estate public transport as a result of the carriageway works about to be undertaken at the Cottingham end of Bricknell Avenue. Without wishing to be unduly critical of our valued sub-regional partners, neither we nor Hull City Council’s officers who deal with such matters had any knowledge or notification of this until local residents attending our monthly mobile bus forum produced a copy from the Press of East Riding’s legal notice of imminent resurfacing works from Hotham Road North outwards. Naturally we at once contacted our own officers who in turn contacted East Riding. They say that they are having discussions with the bus companies as to how disruption to bus services can be avoided, but if disruption cannot be avoided, the works will go ahead anyway.

Bricknell Estate roofng programme

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Phase 2 of the Council’s roofing programme for 2016-17 will involve properties in Appleton Road, Bishop Alcock Road, Bowes Walk, Bricknell Avenue, Brompton Close, Cloughton Grove, Cropton Road, Dent Road, Grammar School Road, Hartoft Road, Hawes Walk, Hayburn Avenue, Helperby Walk, Hotham Road North, Hutton Close, Lythe Avenue and Marske Walk. A list of proposed start and finish dates is given overleaf, and the corporate centre will have notified all the specific properties affected, but the work should begin on the first houses concerned in mid-August and it is meant to be all finished by the end of October. Given the difficulties experienced with previous works undertaken on the estate, we stand ready to assist local residents with any related matters they may wish to raise with us. We do however hope that the undertaking of this work will reassure those local residents affected that both we and the corporate centre are committed to the long term future of this estate; some of the houses affected are Hull Council properties in Cottingham which should go some way towards reassuring them that they are not the “forgotten estate”.

Traffic regulation order

John Fareham and John Abbott confirm that work on putting up signs and painting road markings to install the long-awaited traffic regulation order for Fairfax Avenue, Ancaster Avenue, Hotham Road North and Fairfield Road will begin early in August. The latest information we have from the officers is that the necessary legal paperwork is currently being sealed, with an operational date set for early in August. Orders have already been placed for the associated marking and signing work and, as soon as this work is completed, the traffic regulation order will take effect. The officers have placed on record their gratitude for our input into the process; we in turn would like to thank local residents for the exemplary patience they have displayed during the lengthy process of making this happen.

Wyke Area Committee and traveller stopping places

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured a recommendation that any proposed temporary stopping place for travellers will not be situated either in Bricknell Ward or in any other ward in Wyke Area. We were able to point out to the July meeting of Wyke Area Committee, wholly accurately as it happens, that every unallocated piece of open land was earmarked for housing, leaving none to spare for travellers. Neither Avenue nor Newland ward can spare any land for this purpose either, so if the corporate centre want a site for a stopping-off place for travellers, which is an idea former Police Commissioner Matthew Grove advocated, they will have to look elsewhere.

Cropton Park play provision

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to ensure that the maximum possible level of play provision is in place at Cropton Park during the school summer holidays. We are working closely with the officers to arrange that the council’s Sports Development team and other organisations proposing to hold such activities during the school summer holidays should choose Cropton Park as a venue. Given the estate’s relative proximity to the city boundary, it is all the more important that such facilities as these should come to local residents, not the other way round. Parents need to be sure that when their children go out to play, it is in the safest and most appropriate environment possible, and Cropton Park strikes us as exactly the kind of venue that would meet that specific requirement.

National Avenue and the Council's tree strategy

John Fareham and John Abbott have details of the Council’s arboricultural strategy as it applies to National Avenue. In its capacity as the local highway authority, the Council is responsible for managing the entire tree population on the city’s roads – all 29,000 of them. The Council have actively managed the tree population for the last quarter century and expanded it to provide good tree cover in the long term with healthy trees. The Norway Pine trees on National Avenue however are 50-60 years old and some are stunted while others are either past it or becoming nuisances by leaning over gardens and dropping things on pavements and kerbs. The officers assure us that they do not take chopping down trees lightly and will only do it when there is plentiful evidence that the specific trees are becoming a problem. In the case of National Avenue the plan is for selective felling of a few trees, pruning others and planting suitable replacements for the trees being felled.

Commonwealth Homes gutter clearing

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured action on blocked gutters at Commonwealth Homes. During the local election campaign we had this matter brought to our attention, took photos of the foliage growing in the gutters and sent them to the officers. We have now heard back from them that Housing Department staff have arranged for contractors to look into the matter; we look forward to hearing that the matter has been resolved at what one might term the sharp end and we will chase it up further if we hear nothing further within a reasonable timeframe.

Southfield Road resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott confirm that Southfield Road will be included in the forthcoming microsurfacing programme. Previously we were given to understand that Southfield Road had been dropped from the schedule of works as not being in a bad enough state to warrant its inclusion. Having seen that the papers for the July meeting of Wyke Area Committee included Southfield Road in the list of forthcoming works, we enquired of the officers whether their previous response was correct or whether the works were indeed to go ahead. They replied that they had recently re-inspected the road surface and concluded that the increasing level of surface irregularities warranted the inclusion of Southfield Road in the list of schemes and were confident that the outside contractors doing the work would be able to fit the work in with their activities elsewhere. When we have more details, such as when the work will be carried out, we will of course let residents know.

County Road North surface dressing

John Fareham and John Abbott report that County Road North is to be included in a programme of carriageway surface dressing works to be undertaken by the Council in the near future. The proposed works will encompass both the Bricknell Ward part of County Road North and the other part in Derringham Ward. The works on our side will stretch from the flyover to the former Hull City training ground. We do not have a start date for the work as yet but, given the potential impact they could have on local residents’ vehicular access to the other side of the bridge, when we do get a specific start date we will of course pass it on.

Goddard Avenue pavement resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott report that pavement resurfacing works are being carried out on the north side of Goddard Avenue. Every quarter Wyke Area Committee receives a report from the highways officers which gives a list of all schemes that are underway or due to begin. The papers for the July meeting included just such a list which stated the cost of the scheme and confirmed that work was due to start in mid-July. We are pleased to be able to confirm that the initiation of this work will make good on a promise we made some time ago when the south side pavements were resurfaced to the effect that we would secure reinstatement of north side pavements as well.

Rocks to protect Goddard Avenue grass verges

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the installation of sufficient rocks to protect Goddard Avenue grass verges. We now have confirmation from the officers that, in the opinion of local residents living nearby, the rocks now in place are quantitatively adequate to protect grass verges and that the practice of parking motor vehicles on the grass verge has thereby been rendered impracticable. It remains of course necessary and important to enforce the law in a matter of cycling on the pavement, which is a police matter, but the installation of these rocks and the effect reported to us by local residents as being in place will be a major first step towards not only protecting grass verges of ensuring that all elements of the traffic flow remain where they should be.

Replacement of damaged Hartoft Road bin

John Fareham and John Abbott have now secured the replacement of the burnt bin on Hartoft Road destroyed by vandals. We have leant more than once on the relevant officers to ensure that something was done about this. They have reported that the delay was attributable to the necessary paperwork going missing and that, after consultations between the local area team, with whom we have been working closely on this matter, and the corporate centre, the appropriate council team were asked to arrange for the removal of the burnt out bin as soon as possible. When they said this would be done, they were not sure that work schedules would allow for both parts of the job to be done at once, but in practice not only was that possible but the work was carried out promptly. Better still, the replacement bin provided is made of metal which ought to reduce or even eliminate the risk of fire damage.