Millers Walk double yellow lines

John Fareham and John Abbott wish to know how Millers Walk would feel about a scheme being generated to extend the double yellow lines on Millers Walk.

“We have received suggestions from some local residents that it might improve the traffic and parking situation here if the double yellow lines were extended.  If the formal procedure required for a Traffic Regulation Order were to be followed, however, the progress of any such scheme would depend on its commanding general support and it is with a view to ascertaining whether such support exists that we raise the matter know. A survey form is attached and we would be obliged if you would either return it or contact us via our e-mail addresses given below to tell us whether you would or would not support such a scheme.

Southfield Road tenfoot access

John Fareham and John Abbott wish to know whether residents of Southfield Road would wish to see access from Murrayfield Road via the tenfoot blocked off.

Given the current level of concern about crime and anti-social behaviour, and having introduced a number of gating schemes elsewhere in the ward over the years, we have asked the officers for details of how such a scheme would go forward and how much it would cost. The process would be less costly than the Traffic Regulation Orders we have obtained elsewhere, and would simply involve the posting of legal notices on site for 28 days, after which, if nobody objected, the scheme could go ahead, but we wanted to run the idea past local residents informally before deciding whether to proceed, thereby saving the public purse the possible cost of starting the scheme without knowing for sure whether it commanded public support.

2018-19 carriageway and pavement repairs

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured an indication that Murrayfield Road pavements, part of the Cottingham Road carriageway and a stretch of Bricknell Avenue will be included in the Council’s 2018-19 schedule of pavement works.

It is now almost traditional for the portfolio holder responsible for such matters to contact all councillors in the autumn and ask which three streets in each ward are the top priority for the ward councillors so far as resurfacing and the like are concerned. We of course, having taken note of the frequency with which local residents have mentioned this matter to us, included Murrayfield Road pavements in our list and are now assured by the officers that redoing Murrayfield Road pavements will form part of the programme of works for the coming financial year. As soon as we know exactly when the works are to be carried out we will of course let local residents know.

Scholars Drive multi games area

John Fareham and John Abbott are pressing for fulfilment of an undertaking, given as part of the application for planning permission to build Scholars Drive, to provide a multi-use games area.

Planning permission was granted in 2007 but the multi-use games area was not part of Scholars Drive as built. The Council’s Planning Committee agreed a Section 106 payment with the developers, whereby they would fund the multi-use games area, and this has been received, but the developers then asked the Council to let them off their obligation to build the games area. Some local residents would like to take possession of the land allocated for the games area and the solution which is currently being pursued involves the University being given the Section 106 money and in return giving Scholars Drive residents free use in perpetuity of the multi-use games area they have built and will in due course be marking up with courts. Residents using these facilities would have to register with the University but that will be free of charge.

Hartoft Road bus shelter

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the relocation of the bus shelter on Hartoft Road to the appropriate side of the road.

We have received a number of complaints about acts of vandalism on this bus shelter which was, when all is said and done, on the wrong side of the road now that Stagecoach service 3B travels round Hartoft Road in only one direction.  We therefore asked the officers to arrange for it to be transferred to the other side of the road, which after all is where intending passengers wait for the bus, and asked them to confirm that no local residents on the side where the bus shelter now stands objected to its being moved. We assume nobody did object, fore the bus shelter is now where it needs to be., Of course, there is always the possibility of further reorganisation of the bus service, and the shelter may one day need to be relocated accordingly, but we will deal with that situation if and when it arises.

New metal litter bins

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for replacement litter bins to be installed on Chanterlands Avenue North and elsewhere.

The new bins were first installed in an area bounded by Cottingham Road, Fairfax Avenue and Bricknell Avenue and  one has now arrived here. They are made of red metal which we hope will be more resistant to vandalism than the materials used in the past which have at various times been bashed in or set on fire. It is proposed to continue rolling out the same type of bins across the rest of the ward until all the bins here have been replaced.

Staggacoach service revisions

John Fareham and John Abbott confirm that Stagecoach Service 3B is not one of those affected by the recent round of Stagecoach service changes.

John Abbott says, “The service 9, which competed  with East Yorkshire’s service 115 between the Interchange and Castle Hill no longer does so, although the East Hull part of that route will continue to run.  Stagecoach have also halved the frequency of the service 3 on Sundays from one every quarter of an hour to one every half hour.  What is of note, however, is that the map of Stagecoach services we have received from the officers clearly shows the 3B still running, and the detailed exposition of Stagecoach’s reasons for changes elsewhere they passed on to us makes no reference whatever to the 3B.  This suggests that they regard the 3B as the right answer to providing bus services for Bricknell Estate and environs – which the 9A, meandering as it did round the back of the University, clearly wasn’t – and that they accept the continuing necessity of keeping this area as part of the bus network.

County Road North grass verges

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to protect County Road North grass verges from vehicular damage.

We have received a number of complaints from local residents to the effect that motorists are overstepping the kerb on the odd-numbered side and towards the flyover, and allowing their car wheels to damage the grass verge.  We have already given our officers a standing instruction to install rocks, which we believe look much preferable to metal or even wooden bollards, in any location such as this, but if there are any steps we need to take to progress action in this setting further we will of course take it.

Loveidge Avenue Home Zione meeting

John Fareham and John Abbott have conducted the advertised drop-in session for Loveridge Avenue residents to see and comment on the plans for a Home Zone scheme.

As well as ourselves and an officer from the Area Team, the officer who designed the scheme was present to explain a solution and the details of the proposals and to answer questions from local residents. At the time of going to press the results are being analysed – “voting figures” from the consultation forms residents were asked to complete on the day, but as soon as we receive details of the full picture of local residents’ views we will of course pass those details on.

Baker's Field recreational access

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the gates granting access to the open land on Baker’s Field to be open between predetermined hours by arrangement with local residents.

In conjunction with the local Area Team, we have arranged for the gates next door to no.39 to be left open for most of the day on an experimental basis.  We hope this will be an adequate means of reconciling the wish of local residents to keep Baker’s Field clear of antisocial behaviour with the equally valid wish of dog walkers to be able to use public open land.  Should this method not prove adequate, we are of course prepared to revisit the question of whether access can be granted from another suitable point such as Chanterlands Avenue.  We do however take the view that the present scheme should be given a fair trial, over a sufficient period of time, to determine whether it really does work before we begin to explore other options.

Rainhill Road electronic sign

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the reactivation of the electronic sign at the bus stop outside the Rainhill Road sheltered housing complex.

We noticed this was out of action some weeks ago and notified the officers at once. In the absence of a reply, and on seeing the display was still out of action, we contacted the officers again and this time  the officers did reply to the effect that they had already been in touch with the outside contractors who maintain this and they said the fault had been corrected. On finding that this was not the case, they contacted the engineers again and asked them to take another look.  It then came to light that there was a possible problem with the electrical supply to the sign and that it was being investigated.  The power supply has now been restored. This sign, along with 15 others across the city, is somewhat long in the tooth and the officers are looking into the possibility of replacing them all.  It goes without saying that if we have any further information in this connection we will of course pass it on.

Loveridge Avenue fly tipping

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the removal of fly tipping from one side of Loveridge Avenue.

We received reports from local residents to the effect that a substantial amount of waste had been left behind Loveridge Avenue by a person who was supposed to be removing it but had not in fact done so.  We therefore contacted the officers to pass on these concerns and now understand that an order has been raised for the rubbish to be removed.  We will of course act on any further reports of such problems; the Council take them seriously enough in general to have organised a task-and-finish panel on fly tipping on which one of us served, but we have both seen enough unauthorised tipping, notably by illegal traveller encampments we saw off various open spaces on Bricknell Estate, to know how unpleasant it can be to have it close by and we will take action in future whenever it occurs.

Cropton Park buildings

John Fareham and John Abbott are working with the local amateur rugby league club on proposals to bring the disused building on Cropton Park back into use.

Nothing final has been decided, and no definitive commitments have been made on either side, but both sides are looking into the possibility of the rugby club using the building to expand their training facilities with the assistance of both Council and external funding and with a view to offering the teenagers whose behaviour has been causing concern of late something more worthwhile and constructive to do with their spare time.  It is of course early days yet, but when there is any firm news to report we will of course pass it on.

Bricknell Avenue litter bins

John Fareham and John Abbott have further news about the litter situation on Bricknell Avenue.

We were contacted on a Saturday about over-flowing bins on Bricknell Avenue. Despite being out of town I arranged for them to be emptied on the Sunday and they were – excellent service from council staff. Imagine my concern when the same voter contacted me on the following Monday to say the bins were overflowing! More action taken. By the Wednesday, when John and I were doing our pioneering and trail-blazing forum on the move, we saw all five bins near the shops were still empty – but not the one on the corner of Ancaster. Diligent swapping of pictures with a local journalist confirmed the bin had been emptied and speedily refilled. Following a tense meeting with the corporate centre, with us pointing out the high daily number of people going to Kelvin and Wyke, and that we had already funded newer and bigger bins a solution was agreed. Even bigger bins and more frequent collection.