Newland Park lamp standard repainting

John Fareham and John Abbott have committed funds for the repainting of Newland Park lamp standards.

We are well aware of the preference of local residents for the retention of these lamp standards although they will eventually need to be replaced. We have both told the officers that we are prepared to spend the money to again repaint the lamp standards last done, after a long battle, in November 2001.This, coupled with the suggestions that the post box that we helped retain needed repainting, which it has been, shows our commitment to maintaining the quality and character of the conservation area. We understand the painting will be done, weather permitting in the week commencing 23rd October.

Newland Park blue plaque unveiling

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the ceremonial unveiling of the blue plaque on the house in Newland Park which was the wartime Telephone Department head office will take place on Tuesday November 28^th.

As promised we pass on the date for this event, which has been chosen to mark the anniversary of Hull Telephones originally coming on line, and which will probably be attended by the author of a forthcoming related book.  At least one of us will be in attendance at an event which, as the end of City of Culture year gradually draws closer, will be of interest in reminding all of us that, vibrant and interesting as City of Culture is and will remain, this city’s past is also of considerable interest and well worth commemorating.

Bricknell Avenue Belisha beacons again

John Fareham and John Abbott now have official confirmation that the Belisha beacons at the pedestrian crossing outside Kelvin Hall School have been returned to full working order.

As readers will be aware, our secretarial staff fielded a less than courteous telephone call on this matter from a member of another political party. In response to the possibility of further telephone conversations we asked the relevant Council department to act sooner rather than later to get these beacons sorted.  They now inform us that they contacted their contractors a fortnight ago and the beacons were restored to working order.  They have also told us that we are welcome to refer the matter to them again if we become aware that the beacons have broken down again.

Cottingham Road pavement works delayed

John Fareham and John Abbott are seeking an explanation of why the proposed resurfacing of Cottingham Road pavements has been delayed by the corporate centre.

Papers for the September meeting of Wyke Area Committee listed, as they usually do, forthcoming and current highway projects.  We were therefore somewhat surprised to find this scheme – not by a long chalk the most expensive one included in the list – and a rather more costly plan for improved street lighting in Avenue Ward described as “on hold due to budget constraints”. If the officers thought we sounded less than pleased, they would be right to think so; we asked them to explain in full why this was the case. At the time of going to press we had not been told what their reasons were but as soon as they are communicated to us we will of course pass them on.

Chanterlands Avenue rail bridge painting

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to ensure that the repainting of the Chanterlands Avenue railway bridge is tasteful, appropriate and accompanied by all necessary repair works.

We have been asked to share with the Avenue Ward councillors the cost of the Council repainting the bridge, and this we are ready, willing and able to do. We do however intend to use any power of veto we may have over the design for the new colour scheme to ensure that it is in keeping with the age and character of the bridge and not something as yoof-orientated as the graffiti now marring its appearance.  We have also asked that such matters as fixing the lighting under the bridge, an alternative strategy for dealing with pigeons and making sure water does not drip down are attended to before the painting begins.

More on Loveridge Avenue traffic

John Fareham and John Abbott have further details of the progress of the Loveridge Avenue traffic scheme.

The latest report we have from the officers says that, since the funds are in place as reported in CONTACT! 1920, they plan to advertise the traffic regulation order in the usual way and, once that process is complete and all the comments for or against have been considered, to apply to the magistrates’ court for the “stopping up order” under Section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 and see if they can get one even if there are any objections at the consultation stage. If they can, the dropped kerbs can from that point onwards go ahead.  We have made clear our concern that this does not address the concerns of those who live on the south side, some of whom contend that residents elsewhere with shorter front gardens than theirs have been allowed dropped kerbs, but it may well be that, in the event of comments being submitted against the scheme, the magistrates will not allow it to go ahead. At all events, the officers propose, in effect, to suck it and see.

Newland Park blue plaque

John Fareham and John Abbott report that a blue plaque is to be installed at 74 Newland Park to commemorate the house’s use during World War 2 as a temporary headquarters for the Hull Telephone Department.

When the Telephone Department’s head office in Mytongate was put out of action by Luftwaffe bombing the house was pressed into service as a pro-tempore replacement. KHCT also occupied premises in Newland Park but they of course subsequently passed into out-of-town ownership. KCOM on the other hand are the direct successors of the old Telephone Department so we were pleased to offer our approval as were the planning officers. It is currently anticipated that the ceremonial unveiling of the plaque will take place towards the end of the month; when we have firm details of the date and time we will pass them on.

Jack Kaye Walk allotments consultation

John Fareham and John Abbott have the results of the public consultation event on a proposal for a community allotment on part of the field near Jack Kaye Walk.

19 people attended the event, and of those 13 were opposed to the proposal, 3 were in favour and 3 were unsure.  Of the 13 who were against the proposal, 9 lived either in Goddard Avenue or The Woodlands. A further five local residents telephoned the Area Office to express their opposition to the proposal. The matter is scheduled for discussion at the Wyke Area Committee meeting on Wednesday 20^th and a decision is due to be taken then. As soon as the outcome of these proceedings is known we will of course let local residents know what it is.

Baker's Feld gating

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the question of whether the gating off of Baker’s Field is lawful has been referred to the Council’s planning enforcement team.

This is, of course, a matter on which we have no particular wish to take sides.  We can understand that those who wish to use Baker’s Field for such recreational purposes as taking the dog for a walk are less than pleased that this land has been gated off.  Equally, however, we sympathise with those local residents who have had it up to here with antisocial behaviour such as young people using the open land as a venue for late night drinking and other related activities.  At the moment, we have yet to hear anything back from the officers as to the conclusions they are drawing on the legality or otherwise of the gating scheme, but when we are made aware of the outcome we will of course make sure local residents are made aware of it.

More on Loveridge Avenue traffic

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the traffic scheme for Loveridge Avenue will be progressed within the current financial year.

In response to enquiries from local residents as to why it appeared that nothing was happening, we enquired if the officers as to what exactly was going on. They replied that there had been uncertainty among the officers as to whether the funding was available to progress the scheme. We have now been assured that the money was there all the time, as we had originally arranged, and that the scheme will therefore go forward within the current financial year. In the light of the concerns of local residents the officers have now offered to update us on the progress of the scheme once a month.  We have accepted their offer and if there are any developments of interest we will of course let local residents know.

Hayburn Avenue refuse collection

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to preserve tenfoot collection of refuse on Hayburn Avenue in the light of incidents involving damage to property by refuse collection vehicles.

We have received representations regarding the current size of dustcart being unsuitable for use in local tenfoots and bumping into local residents’ properties.  The council are in the process of acquiring new vehicles which will be more suitable for use in these and other narrow tenfoots and, whilst respecting the concerns of property owners that the current vehicles are unsuitably large, we take the view that the new vehicles should be suitable to avoid a recurrence of such problems in the future.  It goes without saying that, in the meantime, we remain prepared to address any issues which may arise with the current vehicles and the manner in which they are driven, but we firmly hope that the replacement vehicles will be a satisfactory means of preventing the recurrence of vehicular damage to properties.

Bricknell Avenue Belisha beacons

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to secure repairs to the non-functioning Belisha beacons on Bricknell Avenue near Kelvin Hall School and Wyke College.

We became directly involved with this matter on learning that a member of another political party – we could name the party and the individual, but we won’t – had attempted to report the matter to the officers and then had become abusive and, allegedly, foul-mouthed when asked whether they were calling from a moving motor vehicle.  We now understand that the officers had already found out about this well before we implored them to act and spare the officers concerned from any more unnecessary and gratuitous expletives. It turns out that the delay in making the necessary repairs was caused by the fact that KWL, who were due to be acting on the matter, did not carry the necessary spares in stock and were obliged to order them. We will of course continue to interest ourselves in the progress of this work and to call for it to be repeated should that become necessary.

Stagecoach Service 3 timetebles

John Fareham and John Abbott report that timetables are now available, in print and online, for the new Stagecoach bus services to Bricknell Estate.

There was, when we checked, a plentiful supply of timetables at the Interchange both for the new Bricknell Estate service 3A/3B and for other services which are subject to modification at the same time.  It may be of interest that three new late night services heading elsewhere have also now started and that from now on most services will stop at the same time, 11.30 p.m. We hope that local residents will soon get used to having a more direct service than the former service 9A, which we suspect was set up, along with Service 9, in direct competition with East Yorkshire’ s Hull-Cottingham service 115 and was thus not ideal for those wishing to get to and from here with any rapidity. Certainly the more people like and use the new service, the safer it will be, though if there were any further threat to the provision of buses to the Estate we would of course be prepared to work to preserve them.

Cottingham Road Yorksbhire Water repairs

John Fareham and John Abbott have found out why a portion of Cottingham Road has been coned off and temporary traffic lights installed.

Whilst one of us was on the way back from Cottingham it became apparent that an area of Cottingham Road on the north side, amply sufficient to accommodate a double decker bus, had bewen coned off and protected by the use of temporary traffic lights. We therefore instituted enquiries with the officers and discovered that the cones had been put  there by Yorkshire Water to clear space for a large vehicle full of equipment for de-silting water mains. It would appear that once the work has been done they will need to come back to check it has been successful but they and the obstruction they are causing will be gone within a matter of days.

Ancaster Avenue grass verge protection

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the installation of additional rocks to protect Ancaster Avenue grass verges.

 We have arranged with the officers for the contractors who installed the existing grass verge protection measures to install others within the next two weeks or so.  This is in response to further complaints from local residents to the effect that some motor vehicles – commercial as well as private – have been parked in such a way as to impede the passage of pedestrians.  This is of course not acceptable and we have therefore taken the necessary steps to ensure that appropriate protection of pedestrian access is installed where the problem is occurring.  It goes without saying that if the problem recurs elsewhere in Ancaster Avenue we will of course take further action as appropriate.

Cropton Park and motorcycles

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Police are still working to resolve problems with irresponsible use of motorcycles and general anti-social behaviour in and around Cropton Park.

We understand that the police are continuing to resource regular patrols to stamp this kind of trouble out but that they are experiencing some difficulty in getting anybody to act as a witness. They are however taking details of any youths found hanging round the park and processing these details in the event of their being present at the same time as anti-social behaviour is happening.  We would therefore ask anybody who sees anything untoward going on to come forward, contact either us or the police, and to help us put these nuisances out of business.

National Avenue pothole repairs

John Fareham and John Abbott have made arrangements for potholes on National Avenue to be inspected and repaired.

We noticed that several potholes, notably between the junctions with County Road North and Bricknell Avenue, were serious and that one in particular left exposed electrical wiring for pedestrian crossing lights. We therefore supplied the officers with photographic evidence of just how bad these potholes were and they have now replied to say that an inspector will go take a look at the potholes and any new or outstanding work will be sent to those who draw up the repair schedules. This does not include a timescale but one would hope that seeing exposed electrical wiring – not a common sight in a pothole – will impress on all concerned the advisability of acting promptly.

National Avenue speed camera bid

John Fareham and John Abbott report that National Avenue is now firmly included in the list of streets for which funding is being applied for to secure speed camera monitoring equipment.

We have passed on further complaints from local residents about motorists exceeding the speed limit by as much as 20 mph. Leaving aside whether any of us would feel other than concerned for our own safety if we were doing that speed on a road which, while straight, is not excessively wide and has a right-angle turn at the far end,  we are pleased to announce that if the Council do secure external funding for this exercise, National Avenue will be among those streets which will get a share of it.  It goes without saying that, if we have any further tidings about the progress of this application, we will of course pass them on.

Newland Park planning application rejected on appeal

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the appeal against Hull City Council’s decision to reject the planning application to turn the garage block of 30 Newland Park into a day room and lounge and to increase the number of tenants from 10 to 15 has been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate.

Put simply, the main reason for the decision was that adding five more tenants and converting the garage would mean more comings and goings and more noise which the boundary fence with no. 32 would not serve to deaden. Nor did the planning inspector feel that good management of the property by the landlords would ease the difficulty.  The inspector also felt that  raising the number of tenants to 15 would leave each of them with too little room. The full letter to the Council explaining all this in more detail is available from the Planning Inspectorate website.

Goddard Avenue camo site

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems with camping on the open land behind Goddard Avenue.

We received reports of a camp site having been set up consisting of four tents on this patch of land. We immediately set about pursuing action on the matter and the officers now inform us that outreach workers will be visiting the site to check up the occupiers. If they are homeless, the usual steps will be put in place to help them; if they are not the Police will be asked to move them on.

Newland Avenue road closure

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Newland Avenue is to be closed to all traffic – including of course that from Goddard Avenue – so that major resurfacing works can be carried out.

 

The Council has made an order prohibiting all traffic from entering Newland Avenue from 11^th September onwards so that resurfacing works can be carried out in safety. Access will be maintained for emergency services and the order will remain in place for eighteen months or until the work is completed, whichever is the sooner.  The work is actually expected to take place between September 11^th and November 3^rd. What this of course means for all residents of Goddard Avenue is that there will only be one way to drive in and out, namely onto Chanterlands Avenue North, for the duration of the works. We will of course be interested in local residents’ opinions of the impact of this as it may shed some light on policy options for Goddard Avenue traffic in the future.

More on National Avenue fly tipping

John Fareham and John Abbott are close to resolving issues with fly-tipping on National Avenue.

As a result of our working closely with the officers on this, we are now pleased to be able to report that the fly-tipping has been cleared and the possibility exists of enforcement action being taken against those responsible as a result of information sufficient to identify them being furnished by local residents. The officers will also be talking to the crew who drove through the fly-tipped rubbish  in order to ensure that this kind of mistake is not allowed to recur.  It is our hope that, if enforcement action can indeed be taken against those responsible for this particular instance of fly tipping, others will draw the conclusion that, if they do likewise, they will be punished with equal severity.

National Avenue fly tipping

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged with officers for the investigation of problems with dustcarts interacting with fly tipping on National Avenue.

We received complaints from local residents to the effect that not only had fly tipping occurred – and evidence may be to hand which will identify those responsible – but council dustcarts had then run straight into the fly-tipped waste compounding the problem and obliging neighbouring residents to set about cleaning it all up.  We therefore referred the problem to the officers who have since undertaken to look in to it.  If we receive the evidence we will of course pass it on to the officers as, whenever firm evidence is to hand that will enable fly tippers to be definitively identified, the Council will without hesitation seek to have them brought to justice.

National Avenue speeding

John Fareham and John Abbott are working with the police to ensure that speeding is curbed on National Avenue.

We have received complaints from local residents, in particular ones we have reason to believe know what they’re talking about, to the effect that cars and commercial vehicles are bending the speed limit during daylight hours and breaking it wide open in the evenings.  We have therefore passed on these complaints to the police with a request that they take them seriously.  As and when they reply, we will of course pass on their findings and, if applicable, their chosen course of action to local residents.  It could of course be that those causing trouble are not local residents, but rather those using National Avenue and Perth Street as a rat run.  Whichever is the case, speeding can under certain circumstances be dangerous and irresponsible; speed limits are, for the most part, there for a reason and we intend to see that they are kept to.

County Road-National Avenue junction equipment

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Council have introduced new video stop line detecting equipment at the junction of County Road North and National Avenue in order to aid the flow of vehicles through the traffic lights.

The device has been funded by the corporate centre, which is a pleasant change, but as such equipment is not normally kept on hand they thought it would need to be ordered until a contractor found one in stock. The device “looks” at the carriageway and when it “sees” the picture change it “knows” a vehicles is there and tells the traffic lights to change. This is believed by the officers to be the most beneficial option in terms of resolving the problems with the lights not changing when they should. It is hoped that these changes will resolve the problems that have been experienced with vehicles pulling up at the wrong distance from the lights. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case but if it is not, local residents will be welcome to report any difficulties to us; as happened when this matter was first drawn to our attention, we will only be too happy to refer those problems to the officers as well.

More on Cropton Park security

John Fareham and John Abbott continue to work on security issues relating to Cropton Park.

The officers hope that additional police patrols and further youth engagement activities will encourage more people to come forward with the names of those responsible for the damage. Meanwhile HCAL are reviewing resource provision to determine what options there are for locking the gates at the end of the day, on a rota basis with other organisations if need be. If the problems persist the officers agree with us that it would be worth applying to the new Police and Crime Commissioner for funding to help resolve the problem. Meanwhile the issue continues to be discussed at an internal officer level and the area team are fully sympathetic to our determination that the matter be resolved.

Police and officers visit Cropton Road

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Police and officer walkabout on Cropton Road took place as scheduled on Thursday 20th July.

According to the officers, a very limited number of people were actually at home when called on.  However, every home was circulated with a leaflet asking local residents to notify the Police or the Council about any instances of antisocial behaviour of which they were aware, and offering to provide the necessary diary sheets that local residents can compile in order to provide proof of the existence of antisocial behaviour.  We would not claim that this is a final resolution of all problems relating to criminal damage on the park, but it is a step in the right direction, and we will continue to pursue through all official channels a fully coordinated response to stamp out damage to play equipment which costs the public purse considerable sums of money and results in decisions not to keep replacing damaged equipment.

New bus service for Bricknell Estate

John Fareham and John Abbott report that a revised Stagecoach bus service to Bricknell Estate will begin operations on Monday September 4^th.

We are given to understand that the new service will be numbered 3B and that it has been developed by Stagecoach in response to concerns that the 9A meandered  too much in coming here from the City Centre via Newland Avenue and Inglemire Lane. It is currently assumed – though the plans may be subject to alteration – that the 3B will follow the old route taken by the former Service 9 as far as Grammar School Road; Stagecoach inform us that the new timetables will be printed in advance so as to be ready when the new service starts.New B

Cropton Park depot debris

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the removal of large amounts of debris and litter from the former Streetcare depot on Cropton Park.

All this detritus was certainly a fire risk and it is good to know that it has gone.  However we are as concerned as local residents by the lack of a proper inspection regime on the part of Hull Culture and Leisure, the arm’s length company set up by the Council to run parks and cultural operations. We have therefore asked that senior officers of the Council and the portfolio holder get on to HCAL and ask them to take the necessary steps to render the park safe and properly patrolled as indeed it used to be. In pursuit of a city wide approach we also tabled a motion to the July 20^th meeting of the full Council which called for the setting up of a task-and-finish panel to formulate plans to deal with vandalism on parks. The ruling group decided, for their own reasons, to refer this to the relevant scrutiny commission.  Whether this constitutes kicking it into the long grass remains to be seen.

More on County Road North - National Avenue junction

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured further enquiries into the problem with traffic lights at the junction of County Road North and National Avenue.

John Abbott says, “As previously reported, we asked the officers to take a look at the problem some local residents were experiencing with turning round from County Road North into National Avenue.  They have since carried out experiments with a bicycle which confirmed that the detector mechanism was in fact working correctly.  The officers believe that the problem lies with motorists who do not pull up far enough forward to actuate the mechanism which controls the street lights.  The detector loop cannot be moved further back but the officers have undertaken to keep the matter under observation and to consider alternative means of detecting road users if the problem persists.”

Reinstatement of junction markings

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the repainting of the markings at the junction of Welburn Grove and Hayburn Avenue, on Langdale Avenue and at the junction of Hotham Road North and Bricknell Avenue.

As part of our ongoing effort to ensure that, wherever possible, all street markings in general and junction markings in particular are maintained to an acceptable standard we visited this junction recently and found the markings had deteriorated to below an acceptable standard. We therefore took photographs and sent them to the officers with a request that action be taken to remedy the state of the markings.  They have since replied that instructions have been issued to the usual contractors to repaint the markings.  We are not of course so naïve as to think that your junction markings will thus be fixed for ever and a day, but the frequency with which we are actually out and about in the Ward should offer some reassurance that, next time these markings do need repainting, we will take the necessary action.

Improved traffic light controls

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Hull City Council are looking to replace the telemetry system controlling the city’s traffic lights.

We have for some time been concerned about the ability or otherwise of local traffic lights to react adequately to the rise and fall in demand for the ability to pass through a given set of lights. This applies in particular to streets such as Fairfax Avenue which – largely because both the old Guildhall parties say one thing about the ring road when in opposition and quite another when in office – remain overladen with traffic because they are still part of the ring road. The new technology will be able to fiddle automatically with the traffic light settings to accommodate faster traffic and to call up the offer of a right turn if it senses the demand for it. When we have more information about this we will of course pass it on.

New Bricknell Estate buses

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Stagecoach will  be replacing Service 9A with a new Service 3B in the near future.

Clearly the idea of travelling between here and the City Centre via Newland Avenue and Inglemire Lane did not go down well with a goodly number of local residents. Stagecoach have therefore decided to introduce Service 3B which will follow the usual Service 3 route as far as Burniston Road, and then approach its terminus via Burniston Road, Hartoft Road and Grammar School Road. We have contacted Stagecoach to ask when the new service will start; when we have details we will of course pass them on.

Baker's Field allotments

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to encourage greater use of the Baker’s Field allotments and to protect them from anti-social behaviour.

We have arranged for the Trust for Conservation Volunteers to repair the allotment fences and to rotavate unused allotment plots so as to encourage potential allotment holders to take up the vacant land. We have also forwarded complaints regarding anti-social behaviour on this site to the Police who were good enough to increase patrols in the area and who have identified and spoken to a number of the young people involved. It goes without saying that, if these problems recur, we will of course refer them to the officers and the Police.

Cropton Park graffiti

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged with the officers for the removal of offensive and other graffiti from the buildings on Cropton Park.

At least one of the remarks we asked to be removed was specific enough about what its author wished to see happen in a recreational context for us to be unable to quote it here. We therefore photographed that and other matter scrawled on the wall and sent the pictures to the officers who have now sent them on to the relevant members of staff for action. This is not of course the first time we have experienced such problems, and we fear it may not be the last, but we remain, whilst pursuing improvements to park security through other channels, committed to protecting children from the sight of comments and sentiments of a distasteful nature.

Cropton Park vandalism

John Fareham and John Abbott are liaising with the Police about criminal damage to buildings and equipment on Cropton Park.

We have referred the matter of such damage as a park bench being set on fire to the police who are convinced that the culprit is more local than the Bransholme Estate-related graffiti on the building walls would suggest.  They have been patrolling the park but have yet to experience any problems while the patrols were actually in progress; however the park and the Hartoft Road shops are on their work programme and they think the problems are seasonal as similar behaviour patterns are occurring elsewhere at this time of year. Talking of graffiti, some of that is too crude to quote here, but we have reported it to the officers to ask that it be cleaned off.

County Road North and National Avenue traffic lights

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems with the traffic lights at the junction of County Road North and National Avenue.

We have received reports from local residents of problems with turning from County Road North onto National Avenue, when the traffic light filter will not work unless a vehicle of a given size is stationary sufficiently far forward for the traffic light sensors to be activated. We have therefore reported the matter to the officers with a request that, when the problem has been diagnosed, they will let us know what the cause of it was.  When this information has been conveyed to us we will of course let local residents know.

Cropton Park foliage

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems with over-luxuriant foliage on Cropton Park playing fields.

We received reports from local residents to the effect that large amounts of foliage were projecting through fences near the proposed café building. We therefore referred the matter to the officers who tell us that they have made arrangements for the problem to be investigated. It goes without saying that – given the corporate centre’s current level of performance in matters of tree trimming – we will persist in pursuing this matter until a satisfactory outcome is put in place.Cropton Park foliage

Cropton Road playing fields parking space

John Fareham and John Abbott are making arrangements to increase the amount of parking space on Cropton Park playing fields.

We have made the necessary arrangements with the officers to have one or two of the large steel containers removed. This should go some way towards increasing the number of parking spaces. We are also looking into the siting of rocks at the most appropriate places to ensure motorists – literally as well as figuratively- keep off the grass but this is likely to result in more vehicles parking on Cropton Road itself. We would therefore appreciate it if any local resident with strong feelings on the matter could contact us using the details given below; it is local residents who will have to live with whatever plan is put in place and therefore it is their opinions we are most anxious to hear.

Fairfax Avenue grass and trees trimmed

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the cutting of the long grass on Fairfax Avenue grass verges and the removal of growths around the bottom of trees.

The officers replied to our application of pressure by informing us that additional grass cutting equipment and staff have recently been allocated and that, while they did not think it necessary to cut the grass last week, they would send staff to cut the grass as well as sending in teams to remove the intrusive growth round the bottom of trees. This work has now been carried out.  We would of course not be so blasé as to assume that was that, and while the peak season for grass growth does not last indefinitely, we will remain vigilant and prepared to report any future situation where the grass is clearly too long and the weeds are beginning to predominate.

Fairfax Avenue long grass

John Fareham and John Abbott continue to work to ensure that Fairfax Avenue grass verges are properly trimmed and maintained.

We have provided the officers with photographic evidence that the grass is getting long – as evidenced by the amount of weeds to be seen in among the grass – and made it clear that we have, in our view, had to communicate with the officers far too often on this matter and that we expect to be informed that there is a regular schedule on which this work is done.  For far too may years, with others in control of the Council, we have had to be patient with the inability of dark forces at the corporate centre to take cognisance of the fact that – as those who are allergic to grass pollen know only too well – grass grows as long as this at particular times of the year on a regularly scheduled basis. It therefore seems to us to follow that an efficient grass mowing setup should be able to schedule work to coincide with the rate of growth of the grass and we will work to make sure that is exactly what they do.

Briarfield Road traffic regulation order in place

John Fareham and John Abbott thank local residents in Briarfield Road for their co-operation in parking elsewhere during the painting of double yellow lines to enforce the traffic regulation order.

We appreciate the assistance of residents who parked their cars elsewhere while these markings were being painted.  They do, after all, form the culmination of a considerable amount of work on our part and that of residents to establish between us, firstly, whether there was any demand for a traffic regulation order in the first place and secondly, precisely what form it should take.  We hope that these markings will perform all the functions local residents were hoping for and we undertake to campaign for the long-term maintenance of these markings in full operational order.

Briarfield Road markings

John Fareham and John Abbott asked Briarfield Road residents to keep their vehicles off the carriageway during the hours of 9 am to 4 pm on Tuesday 23^rd May to allow for the painting of double yellow lines.

We were notified by the officers that works to put down the double yellow lines requested as part of the traffic regulation order could not be carried out because those employed to paint the lines were unable to get at the relevant portions of the carriageway because vehicles were parked exactly where they needed to paint the markings.  We therefore asked, as did the officers, that local residents move their vehicles off the carriageway on that Tuesday so that works which local residents requested in the first place could finally be put into effect.

Commonwealth Homes grass cutting

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the long grass inside Commonwealth Homes to be cut.

We received complaints from local residents to the effect that this grass was getting far too long.  We therefore referred the matter to the officers who told us that health and safety officials had forbidden the usual means of loading mower onto Council vehicles and that partly as a result of that, and partly due to a delay in the arrival of new mowing equipment, the start of mowing communal gardens had to be put back.  However they now assure us firstly that the backlog of work on cutting communal gardens will be dealt with and secondly that the rotary mowing equipment they propose to use should be well able to deal with the grass inside Commonwealth Homes.

Kebab van application rejected

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the City Council’s Licensing Committee have rejected an application for a street trading licence in a street adjoining the University.

Salmon Grove is not in our ward, but it is nearby, and the University are proposing to increase substantially the number of students actually resident on the campus. It thus follows that, given what we have learnt about the spread of litter from McDonalds on Cottingham Road, there might well have been a risk of takeaway packaging finding its way across Cottingham Road in quantities sufficient to bother local residents. I was therefore delighted to support a motion to reject the application which was passed; even if the kebabs the applicant was proposing to sell had been of the highest possible quality, his vehicle could not have been accommodated easily, or perhaps at all, down a street with heavy parking on one side and double yellow lines down the other.

More on Knapton Avenue markings

John Fareham and John Abbott are making progress with investigations into the markings that were removed from Knapton Avenue.

We asked the officers to investigate whether there had been any plan to put markings down at this point.  They told us that it was the responsibility of another department who in turn told us that the markings had been put down illegally and the corporate centre therefore sent someone to cover them with spray paint. This strikes us as puzzling – why would someone pay for fake markings and who would be able to paint accurate forgeries of real markings? At the time of writing we had still to receive a reply but as soon as we get one we will of course tell local residents what it says.

Commonwealth Homes grass cutting

John Fareham and John Abbott have resolved issues with grass cutting inside Commonwealth Homes.

We received complaints from local residents to the effect that this grass had not been attended to for some time and was getting far too long.  We therefore contacted the officers to see whether they could arrange for it to be cut and when; they now inform us that the work is to be undertaken next week as they are well aware of the propensity of this patch of grass to grow at a rate of knots. Needless to say, we are as sure as they are that it will need further attention later in the summer, but if local residents express further concerns in this connection we will of course report those too.

Knapton Avenue street lighting

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve questions relating to road markings which may or may not have been proposed for Knapton Avenue.

We received representations from local residents that cones had been put down, ostensibly to mark the positions where lines were to be painted, and then removed, leaving the road markings in a condition that led to accidents involving damage to vehicles and the possibility of future injury to pedestrians.  We therefore referred the matter to the officers responsible for road marking who told us that they had had nothing to do with the placing of the cones, but that they would consult with the only other department of the Council likely to have placed them. At the time of writing we were still waiting to hear back about this but when we do receive an explanation of what has been going on we will of course let local residents know.

Fairfax Avenue LED light bulbs

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the fitting of LED light bulbs to Fairfax Avenue street lights.

This work, which was recently completed, is consistent both with our long term strategy to upgraded as much Bricknell Ward street lighting as we possibly can and with the Council’s aspiration to roil out LED lighting across the whole city.  As to why this makes sense, two simple facts should make the rational clear; firstly, LED lighting consumes 40% less electricity than standard street lights, and secondly, LED bulbs are expected to last around 25 years as against 6 years for the normal sort.  Both these facts mean the new LED lights are a good idea, saving both money and KWL’s time; we look forward to further installations of such bulbs here and we will certainly wish for them to be done elsewhere sooner rather than later.

Bricknell Avenue LED light bulbs

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the fitting of LED light bulbs to Bricknell Avenue street lights.

This work, which was recently completed, is consistent both with our long term strategy to upgraded as much Bricknell Ward street lighting as we possibly can and with the Council’s aspiration to roil out LED lighting across the whole city.  As to why this makes sense, two simple facts should make the rational clear; firstly, LED lighting consumes 40% less electricity than standard street lights, and secondly, LED bulbs are expected to last around 25 years as against 6 years for the normal sort.  Both these facts mean the new LED lights are a good idea, saving both money and KWL’s time; we look forward to further installations of such bulbs here and we will certainly wish for them to be done elsewhere sooner rather than later.

Chanterlands Avenue Niorth street light repairs

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for repairs to be undertaken to Chanterlands Avenue North street lights.

We received a complaint from local residents to the effect that no fewer than three local street lights were not working.  In my capacity as a director of KWL I therefore contacted them direct to ask for the repairs to be undertaken and thereby avoid any delay that might have arisen as a result of sending them a request for action via the corporate centre. We may reasonably assume therefore that the work will be undertaken in due course, given that KWL have undertaken to chase up the cabling issues that are causing the lights not to work with Northern Powergrid, but we would also thank the local residents concerned for supplying the numbers if the lights in question.  It is always helpful to inform those responsible for such repairs as these of that kind of information – it will certainly save time when they get there.

Council searching for short term traveller camp site

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Council are still trying to find a site for a short term traveller camp which would allow travellers to stop over for few days while on the way to somewhere else.

At a recent scrutiny meeting we were given the impression that a site had been selected elsewhere in the city. Had this actually been the case it would have been excellent news for parts of the city that have had their fill of traveller behaviour. However, on checking with the officers, we found that this was not actually the case but that they were still trying to identify somewhere suitable. Taken together with the rate of progress on the building work on sites which were targeted by travellers in the past and might be again, this could, if it comes to fruition, mean that travellers have less chance to come here now and no need to do so in the future.

Bricknell Avenue dog fouling

Bricknell Avenue verge protection

John Fareham and John Abbott have approved the allocation of a considerable sum of money towards grass verge protection schemes on Bricknell Avenue.

With the end of the financial year close at hand, dark forces at the corporate centre are already looking to claw back funds not allocated to projects this year and use them for goodness knows what in 2017-18.  We therefore agreed with officers at the local Area Team that around £7200 of unallocated funds would be set aside for schemes to protect Bricknell Avenue. What this means is that these funds are now (a) safe from grasping hands and (b) well-nigh certain to be of benefit to residential amenity on Bricknell Avenue. As soon as a scheme of schemes have been worked up to go with these monies we will of course let local residents have full details.

Cropton Park drink and drugs

John Fareham and John Abbott are making progress with issues relating to substance abuse and excessive drinking on Cropton Park.

We have been receiving reports from concerned local residents to the effect that needles and other evidence of drug abuse have been found on site and that a certain motor vehicle has been the focus of activity where this and excessive drinking on site are concerned.  We have therefore referred the matter to the Council’s anti-social behaviour team who have in turn drawn the matter to the attention of the Police. It goes without saying that any further information we receive on such matters will also be passed on – needles are sharp and therefore potentially dangerous to small children playing there, regardless of what they have previously been used for.

More on Newland Park planning application

John Fareham and John Abbott have fuller details of the reasons why the planning application to expand the house in multiple occupation at 30 Newland Park was rejected by planning officers.

The letter sent to the applicants saying why the application was rejected has been placed on the Council website, and those who wish to get a copy and read it may now do so.  However the main points are simple enough.  The application was rejected because firstly, it was felt that the increased number of occupants would impact negatively on the neighbours’ residential amenity because the additional comings and goings would increase noise and general nuisance, and secondly, because the changes to the property’s front garden and the addition of more parking would be contrary to planning policy because those changes meant less greenery.  As we have said before, the applicant does have the right to appeal, and  this particular applicant has been prone in the past to do exactly that – but if the applicant does appeal we will tell local residents how and when to take part in the appeals process.

Newland Park planning application rejected

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the planning application to increase the number of occupants at 30 Newland Park has been rejected by the planning officers.

This decision is not conclusive – the applicants do, after all, have the right to appeal – but by following due process the officers have decided that the application should be rejected and it will therefore not be called to committee; we would have been ready otherwise to take it to Committee but we decided not to do so.  We thank local residents and the Newland Park Residents’ Association for the part they have taken in this process; as we said to the many residents who came to see us about this on our pioneering and trail-blazing mobile forum, we have made representations to the officers about this which we believe also had a considerable bearing on the outcome.

Murrayfield Road anti-social behaviour problems

John Fareham and John Abbott are concerned at reports of anti-social behaviour on Murrayfield Road.

We receive reports of such antics as verbal abuse of local residents by gangs of youths and objects being thrown at local residents’ houses. Given the reliable provenance of our information on these matters, we would urge those on the receiving end of such openly unacceptable behaviour to get in touch not only with the Police but with ourselves. We can, after all,  liaise with the Council’s anti-social behaviour team and arrange for local residents to receive the kind of record-keeping materials necessary to secure ASBOs and other sanctions against those responsible for anti-social behaviour.

Cropton Park vehicular damage

John Fareham and John Abbott are taking steps to protect the playing fields on Cropton Park from damage by vehicles.

We have been holding discussions with the officers and with senior officials of KWL about how to stop irresponsible vehicular usage trashing the playing surfaces. They inform us that funding has been allocated to pay for the setting up of a strategically placed bollard to stop vehicles travelling around the park in a certain direction. We also hear that the local police and the Council’s anti-social behaviour team have been successful in taking action against the perpetrators of acts of hooliganism and vandalism. All of this is welcome progress, but we feel more can be done, and we will press for further action to be taken; for example, a gating scheme would help considerably in controlling the behaviour of drivers entering the park, and a coat of paint on some of the equipment would also send a useful message about the priority we accord to the Park.

Goddard Avenue playing fields meeting

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for a public meeting to be held to discuss the allotments proposed for the Goddard Avenue playing fields.

The event will take place on Thursday 20^th April from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. at the Avenues Centre on Park Avenue. The officers will be circulating official notices of the event nearer the time but – given how often we two can get double booked – we thought it might be worthwhile to give you plenty of advance notice so that, if you fell strongly about the matter, you could be sure of being free to attend.  This is a matter we still very much wish to progress from our end but – as is often the case – we want to know what local residents feel about the matter before nailing our and their colours to the mast.

County Road North traffic

John Fareham and John Abbott are investigating proposals for a Traffic Regulation Order for County Road North.

If progressed, the scheme would introduce double yellow lines between nos. 25 and 35 to remove traffic-flow blockages caused by cars parking there. The scheme would, as ever, be costly because of the statutory procedures involved in making sure everybody directly affected by the proposal is aware of it and on side - newspaper advertisements being the most expensive element.  We are therefore pressing for the corporate centre to find the funds to progress the scheme and we are also pressing for the appropriate long term solution – taking Fairfax Avenue OUT of the ring road.  This is of course an idea that both the old Guildhall parties have professed to support while in opposition but have backtracked from while in office.

Barrington Avenue street light replacement

John Fareham and John Abbott report that an order has been placed for replacement Barrington Avenue street lighting with KWL.

The officers have, at our request, now placed an order for the installation of new Barrington Avenue street lights to the value of £42,000.  This money has of course been waiting to be used for this purpose while we took the necessary steps to ensure that new lights were procured that would satisfy local residents’ clearly expressed preference for old-fashioned-looking lamp standards. Clearly lamp standards that have been here since 1930 are long overdue for replacement, but we might reasonably expect new lamps to offer better standards of lighting, and also to use less electricity while doing it. The work is expected to be completed by June of this year; when we have an accurate date for the commencement of the works we will of course let local residents know.

Ancaster Avenue grass verge protection

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the installation of boulders to protect Ancaster Avenue grass verges.

We received a number of complaints from local residents to do with white vans parked inaccurately, let us say, on grass verges with a deleterious effect on the grass itself.  We have therefore arranged for a couple of  boulders to be installed by local company PBS, who keep a supply of boulders in storage for precisely such uses as this.  Whilst not in any way hostile to those who choose a means of earning a living that involves the use of a white van, we nevertheless expect all road users to respect the residential and visual amenity of the neighbourhood and keep the wheels of their vehicles, as with everybody else’s, firmly off the grass verge.

Marske Walk street lights

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the replacement of Marske Walk street lights.

This is a part of our long term strategy to ensure that as many streets as possible in the ward enjoy the benefits of good modern street lighting.  We have been pressing for this work to be undertaken for some time and can now confirm that an order has been placed with KWL for the new street lights to go up. The papers for an imminent meeting of Wyke Area Committee say that the work will be done between April this year and April next year; when we know exact dates for the work we will of course pass them on.

Cottingham Road cycling on pavement

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve issues with cycling on the pavement on Cottingham Road.

We have received a number of reports from local residents to the effect that this is causing considerable difficulty to pedestrians, including those who are visually handicapped.  We are therefore working closely with the police to ensure that, as far as possible, this irresponsible and potentially dangerous practice is brought, as far as possible, under the control of the law.  Steps have already been taken in this connection elsewhere in the ward and we are hopeful of an appropriate resolution of the problem here as well.

Cropton Park vandalism

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems with vandalism, security and opening hours on Cropton Park.

We have seen online reports of vandalism and notified the officers that we were no longer prepared to commit funds to enhancements and repairs on the park until the park itself is adequately resourced and it is locked and unlocked at the proper times. They said that part of the problem was that staffing levels were down but that an additional member of staff would be starting work shortly. They have accepted our suggestion that other means of attending to park security such as involving the Police be looked into; it goes without saying that, if there are any significant developments having a bearing on local residents’ access to, or use of, the park we will pass them on as soon as we can.

Cropton Park play equipment restoration

John Fareham and John Abbott have committed funds for the replacement of Cropton Park play equipment.

At this time of year councillors begin to be aware that the corporate centre are out to snaffle any remaining ward funds for the current year that haven’t been either spent or earmarked as all but spent. Thus projects that might have been on hold for fear of spending too hefty a portion of our meagre annual allocation of ward funds can suddenly come off the back burner and be implemented.  The new equipment – of which more details should follow later when it is on order – forms part of our ongoing commitment to providing sufficiently good play equipment for local children and – in the face of repeated idiotic attacks on such equipment by vandals – to ensuring such equipment stays in working order. 

Cottingham Road grass verges

John Fareham and John Abbott are taking steps to secure protection for Cottingham Road grass verges.

At this time of year, when the corporate centre is apt to set greedy eyes on such local ward funding as remains, regardless of whether, in accordance with the ruling group’s criteria,  there was ever enough of it to start with, we are more than ever keen to find ways of disbursing such funds of direct benefit to residential amenity. We are therefore consulting with the officers to determine the most effective means of protecting the grassed area between local residents’ houses and the pavement.  It goes without saying that when we have detailed proposals on the preferred means of realising this objective we will of course report further on this matter.

Briarfield Road traffic markings

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the markings for the Briarfield Road traffic scheme are expected to be in place by the end of March.

This is of course the culmination of a consultative process that, by design, has been longer and more thorough than the basic method of consultation required by law. We wanted to be sure that this was what local residents actually wanted.  The target date of the end of March is of course subject to potential delays such as the weather, or the other work the contractors are scheduled to do first, but at least we now know almost exactly when this process will be completed.

Windsor Road pavement works

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the programme of slurry sealing that will include Windsor Road pavements was due to start on Monday January 30^th.

John Fareham says, “This news is of course most welcome. We have always been honest with residents and said, because of the sums involved, that the chance of the path being rebuilt was very low.  However, we agreed it needed attention and so we pressed for the inclusion in the slurry sealing programme. It is of course not the end of our concern with Windsor Road pavements – no repair, however extensive, lasts forever – nor indeed of our concern with the state of pavements nearby and elsewhere. The contractors’ schedule of works forwarded to us by the officers suggests that Windsor Road will be done from Friday 10th to Friday 17th but this may of course be subject to change.

Plans for more allotments

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to secure another “model allotment” site on the former Newland Primary School Playing fields adjacent to Goddard Avenue.

Meetings have been held with a social-enterprise company who plan to roll out a number of such allotments across the city and who are hopeful of being able to secure a source of external funding for part of the cost of the work. If they can succeed in doing this we will be able to meet the rest of the cost through our own ward funds. This would form part of our long running commitment to increasing and preserving allotment provision and also happens to harmonise with the efforts John and others have been making to have the Council raise its game in matters relating to the alleviation of poverty – as all who have had them will know, home grown vegetables taste better but they are also cheaper.

Loveridge Avenue traffic consultation

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the consultation exercise on revisions to the proposed traffic scheme for Loveridge Avenue is now under way.

John Fareham says, “As we have previously reported, the officers have been working to establish whether the presence or absence of public utilities under the carriageway would prevent or allow for  nos. 2-12 Loveridge Avenue to be allowed off street parking. It would now appear that this is practicable so that our information is that the questionnaires will have been circulated after Wednesday afternoon’s meeting of Wyke Area Committee at which the officer responsible was present to discuss another and unrelated matter.”

Briarfield Road waiting restrictions

John Fareham and John Abbott report that Wyke Area Committee have approved finalised plans for the Briarfield Road waiting restrictions.

The report submitted to Committee gave us two choices; one of these was to implement double yellow lines in exactly the same places originally advertised in May 2016, and the other was a slightly revised scheme with shorter double yellow lines allowing for up to three additional parking spaces.  Having discussed the matter we decided to implement the option overwhelmingly preferred by local residents throughout the consultation process.

Newland Park planning appliation

John Fareham and John Abbott have details of a planning application for an extension to a house in multiple occupation in Newland Park.

The application is for permission to adapt a garage block for use as a day room and lounge and at the same time to increase the number of tenants from 10 to 15.  Full details of the application are now downloadable from the Council website; the application reference number is 17/00038/FULL and the channels for expressing an opinion for or against the application are as ever to either e-mail dev.control@hullcc.gov.uk or to write to Planning Services, Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, HU1 2AA. Any comments residents may wish to make should be received by the Council by 3^rd February 2017.

Cropton Park parking barriers

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve problems with inattentive parking causing damage to Cropton Park playing fields.

The risk continues to exist of vehicles keeping going, ending up on the rugby field and damaging the playing surface.  We have therefore arranged meetings between the Communities Policing Team and the Neighbourhood Nuisance Team to look into the possibility of providing a barrier that will prevent cars from being driven on to the rugby pitch.  This work is of course still in its early stages but we will naturally report back as soon as we have fuller details of what exactly is proposed.

Government changes to litter penalties

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Government are considering beefing up the penalties for dropping litter, including specific penalties for drivers and passengers throwing rubbish out of cars such as that which appears regularly on Fairfax Avenue.

Normally, we would not mention national issues here, but the frequency with which takeaway food packaging, including but not exclusively comprising that from McDonalds, has been seen on Fairfax Avenue, and in particular at the southern end, leads us to the view that much of the rubbish found near the junction with Bricknell Avenue is likelier to have been thrown from passing motor vehicles than to have been dropped by pedestrians. We therefore look forward to the formal announcement of these measures, already trailed in the national press, and hope that they will act as a deterrent to the wilful abandonment of rubbish where it does not belong.

Cottingham Road planning application

John Fareham and John Abbott report that a planning application has been received for large Hull University advertising signs on Cottingham Road.

Details of the application are available on the Council website, and can be accessed most easily by using the application reference number 16/01743/ADV. The proposal is for three large signs that can be fastened to lamp standards; these would be 60 cm x 180 cm in size and could be clipped to the lamp-posts. If local residents wish to pass comment on the application, whether for or against, local residents should quote the reference number given above and either e-mail dev.control@hullcc.gov.uk or write to Planning Services, Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull HU! 2AA. If local residents choose to do so local residents’ comments will need to be in by 27 January 2017.