Loveridge Avenue Home Zone consultation results

John Fareham and John Abbott have the results of the residents’ consultation exercise on the Loveridge Avenue Home Zone scheme.

The officers have now released full information on the results and whilst some individual comments must obviously remain confidential, it is possible to state that 86% of all residents, 85% of those on the north side and 88% of those on the south side expressed support for the Home Zone proposals, 71% of all residents, 69% of those on the north side and 72% of those on the south side are prepared to install a hard standing on their properties, and over 60% of residents on both sides would be prepared to pay £500 towards the costs of building such a hard standing. On the basis of these figures the officers can now go forward with deciding what needs to be done to secure a Home Zone Designation and Use Order; when there are further decisions to be taken or dates to be made known we will of course let local residents know.

Southfield Road closure consultation

John Fareham and John Abbott want to hear from Southfield Road residents on their views for or against redesignating the public highway as a private tenfoot, which means it can be gated off.

Some voices have been raised both for and against this proposal already, but before we can move forward with this proposal we need to be fairly sure that we know which side as many local residents as possible are on.  We therefore attach a pro-forma questionnaire which we would appreciate local residents completing as soon as possible and returning to either of us at one of the addresses given below.  There is no formal deadline for what is, after all, an informal consultation, but we would nevertheless appreciate it if local residents could reply as soon as is convenient.

Replacement waste bins for County Road North

John Fareham and John Abbott are arranging for the replacement of broken County Road North waste bins.

During our pioneering and trail-blazing mobile forum we received representations from local residents to the effect that the current glass-fibre bins on County Road North are now damaged beyond repair. We are therefore arranging for their replacement with the new steel bins which we are in the course of rolling out across the ward in the hope that their metal structure will be less vulnerable to vandalism than glass fibre and justify their initial cost by reducing considerably the frequency with which they need to be replaced.

Hotham Road North - latest on the bus route

John Fareham and John Abbott have the latest information on their efforts to persuade East Riding of Yorkshire Council to assist with remodelling the West Bulls junction to allow buses to go that way instead of via Hotham Road North.

Some time ago we recorded video footage of Stagecoach buses experiencing the usual difficulty in travelling via Hotham Road North.  On reminding our East Riding colleagues that we had sent them this footage, we were asked to resubmit it as it had been mislaid.  This we did and we have now received a reply from the relevant East Riding portfolio holder to the effect that, whilst they are convinced that the work already done has made that junction considerably safer already, they are open to the possibility of further work to allow the service 3 bus to travel outwards via the West Bulls junction as and when funds are available to do the work.

Cottingham Road street lighting

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the repair of a malfunctioning street light on a passageway running parallel with Cottingham Road.

It has for some time been the case that local residents have been able to report such faults as this via the Council website.  In this particular instance, the light in question was not recorded on the Major Projects computer system so that when local residents contacted us direct they arranged for the light to be repaired and, with one eye on the possibility of its needing to be repaired again, recorded on their computer system as well. It goes without saying that, in the event of any more such repairs being necessary – though hopefully not to this particular light – we will be prepared to lend our full support to any local resident who needs a street light fixing.

Hotham Road North speed cameras

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Police have now made arrangements for speed camera tests on Hotham Road North.

Regular readers may perhaps recall that we announced some time ago that the Police were trying to get their hands on the necessary equipment to carry out speed checks in response to local residents’ concerns about the speeds some drivers were doing on Hotham Road North. We know when the tests will be carried out, but we would prefer not to quote those details so that the tests can come as a surprise to those using Hotham Road North as a rat run or an ill-advised location in which to drive flat out. Neither of us would consider this street long enough to accelerate to an illegal or excessive speed and negotiate the junction at one end or the roundabout at the other.  We therefore hope that the Police turning up with speed cameras will go some way towards easing residents’ concerns about speeding round here.

Lythe Avenue dustbin collections

John Fareham and John Abbott have been working to resolve issues with dustbin collection on Lythe Avenue.

We have received complaints to the effect that bin collections have been missed. We therefore referred the matter to the officers who inform us that the problem appears to relate to changes in the scheduling of collections and that crews have been sent back to empty the bins that have been missed. We will of course continue to take an interest in this matter and to chase up any further occurrences of this phenomenon – given that some local residents have special needs it is particularly important that such problems as this should not recur here.

Cropton Park security

John Fareham and John Abbott report that progress is being made with rendering Cropton Park secure outside opening hours.

We contacted the officers about this in connection with various reports of attempted arson. They say that measures have now been put in place to lock the premises – the rugby club will be opening the gates at 7.30 a.m. and locking them at dusk. This is not, perhaps, something which reflects particularly well on the corporate centre’s standards of efficiency, any more than did the delays in setting up the task and finish panel on park security, but we remain grateful to the rugby club for stepping in where officers and park rangers clearly fear to tread.

Sir Leo Schultz plaque unveiling

John Fareham and John Abbott report that a blue plaque in memory of the late Sir Leo Schultz, with the kind permission of the new owners, was formally unveiled at no. 6 Newland Park on Thursday 11^th October at 9.30 a.m.

Whatever party political view one took time of Sir Leo – and he was a controversial figure in some quarters – he served the city long and faithfully and deserves recognition such as this, however belated it may be relative to his lifespan.   I am very grateful to the new owners who agreed at my request to  put it up. The unveiling took place at 9.30 a.m. with the Lord Mayor and former colleagues of Sir Leo amongst those invited. There was then a reception at the Goodfellowship public house at 10 a.m. at which light refreshments were available, and any local resident who wished to attend was also welcome to do so, either the event or the reception or both.

Commonwealth Homes lighting

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the repair of Commonwealth Homes external lighting.

We received complaints during our pioneering and trail-blazing mobile forum to the effect that the lights were not working. We therefore referred the matter to the officers who have since informed us not only that the repairs have been carried out but that they were actually done on the same day after we and the bus on which we held the forum had moved on to other parts of the ward. This is an excellent example of why our mobile forum is effective –both our current officer who comes with us and her long serving and distinguished predecessor were quick to refer matters of such obvious concern as this to the people who can get things done

Hotham Road North speeding

John Fareham and John Abbott are working with the Police to resolve problems with speeding on Hotham Road North.

We have received complaints from local residents to the effect that some motorists are using Hotham Road North as a rat run and exceeding the speed limit as they do so.  We have therefore referred the matter to the Police who say that, if there is a portable speed camera available for use, they will be happy to bring it here and see if they can secure evidence against someone speeding. For legal reasons, if speed camera readings are to be used in court, the camera must first be calibrated to ensure its readings are accurate, but if that is not possible one can least be used to check that a problem does indeed exist.

Rail halt latest

John Fareham and John Abbott continue to campaign for a Bricknell rail halt adjacent to the railway footbridge.

We have set out the case for a rail halt – in particular the need for public transport between here and the city centre in the evenings and at weekends – to Network Rail, the Office of Rail and Road and to the local rail operators. Some of the objections we have been faced with in the past –such as figures plucked out of thin air purporting to represent the cost of building a rail halt or allegations that stopping to pick up a few passengers would ruin the punctuality of the whole service – were, in our view, nonsense and we have said so. The Council will soon be in need of revising its transport strategy and we both think it will be good if we can gain ground on this issue before that process begins.

Hotham Road North buses

John Fareham and John Abbott have used the venue of full Council to press for progress on the issue of Stagecoach bus services continuing to pass via Hotham Road North.

Between us we gave a full explanation both of the constitutional and procedural goings-on on this issue and the basic reasons in terms of the needs of the travelling public and the benefits to both residents of Bricknell Estate and the far end of Bricknell Avenue of making the changes that we, local residents, and Stagecoach have all made it abundantly clear that we want. The ruling group, before anybody else had had the chance to express an opinion for or against, moved that the matter be referred to Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee for passing on to the relevant scrutiny committee.  We were tolerably content with their assurance that this would enable the matter to be discussed in more detail than would be practicable in the Council chamber and will report back when we know where the matter is going and what comes of the discussions.

Scholars Drive MUGA funding

John Fareham and John Abbott report that funding will soon be in place from Hull City Council to meet its share of the cost of the multi-use games area at the University.

We have received confirmation from the officers that the Council’s share of the funding is on its way to the University.  This means that Scholars Drive residents will be entitled to free use of the MUGA and that residents within one kilometre of Scholars Drive will be able to use it too, not free but at a discounted rate. This means that the day when residents can actually enter the premises and make use of them is gradually getting closer. We will of course pass on any further developments to local residents as soon as we have details of them.

Jsck Kaye Walk bridge issues

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to resolve issues with the railway bridge over Jack Kaye Walk.

We hear comments from local residents that the bridge is a magnet for drug users, that Jack Kaye Walk in general is inadequately lit, and that the space under the bridge itself is unpleasantly dark at night.  We have therefore contacted the officers to ask that they get in touch with the Police in pursuit of action on the drugs issue, see if the CCTV camera is any use, establish the cost of providing proper lighting for the bridge and for Jack Kaye Walk as a whole, and see if Network Rail have any say in the matter and what their stance on it is if they do. We will of course keep local residents in touch with progress on this issue as it develops.

William Gee School site trees

The facts about the damage to trees on the former William Gee school site are as follows:-

-The developers applied for outline planning permission in 2015.

·       -   Outline planning permission was granted in 2016.

·      -    Planning Committee – of which John Fareham was and is a member – ordered that no building should take place until a full landscaping scheme (including of course what should happen to the trees) was approved.

·  -  On the very day - 15^th May this year - they started cutting trees down without  permission we took action, asking the officers to enforce Planning Committee’s position. We also told local residents about that in  CONTACT! at the time.

·     -  The developer was contacted the same day and said the trees weren’t protected by law.  Following our lead, the officers insisted he look carefully at his landscaping plans so they would repair the damage.

·- The developer said in May that a full planning application would be submitted within four weeks.  Hull City Council are still waiting to receive it.

Bricknell Primary School access

John Fareham and John Abbott report on the latest bit in the ever-growing saga of the Bricknell Primary School gate.

We received complaints that the people building the special-educational-needs facility were saving themselves work, and inconveniencing local residents, by delivering goods via the back gate. We went into action and were told that it would not be happening again because those deliveries had finished. We were annoyed to have been unable to stop it sooner but have asked, at the very least, that an apology is sent to local residents. Obviously, the fact that the SEN facility is being built led us to ask where the school intended letting people in from so we asked. We received the assurance that it was to be from Bricknell Avenue, but that would need monitoring to ensure compliance. We have asked what monitoring will be done, and how, and await that answer which we will share with you.

Scholars Drive street light shielding

John Fareham and John Abbott report that arrangements have been made for shielding to be fitted to Scholars Drive street lights to prevent them from shining into local residents’ homes at first floor level.

The fact that Scholars Drive is still in the process of becoming an adopted highway has complicated this matter somewhat, but we now understand from the officers that, after fairly prolonged pressure on our part, the developers have placed the matter in the hands of KWL and the work should, it is hoped, be completed this week.  KWL enjoy an excellent reputation within the Council and beyond but local residents here are, as they may by now have come to expect, welcome to raise with us any concerns they may have regarding the outcomes of the work.

Hotham Road North resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott report that works to dress the surface of Hotham Road North were carried out on Friday 10^th August.

The work was carried out by East Riding Council employees on behalf of Hull City Council and forms part of a wider scheme including such arterial roads as Beverley Road and Holderness Road. We welcome this work insofar as it should go some way towards countering the effect of Service 3 buses continuing, in spite of continuing pressure on our part to re-route them away from here and previous undertakings from East Riding to make the changes necessary at the West Bulls junction to allow Stagecoach buses to go that way instead of this way, to go via Hotham Road North, cause vibration, and put the carriageway surface under undue pressure.

Ancaster Avenue fly tipping

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for an instance of fly tipping on Ancaster Avenue to be attended to.

We received a complaint from local residents to the effect that a large roll of loft insulation material had been abandoned in a tenfoot and that the local residents concerned had been advised not to take it to the pavement for fear of being accused of fly tipping and punished accordingly. We therefore contacted the officers and asked them to arrange for its removal, if possible by working with the local residents to get it to the pavement and from there to a Council vehicle. This proved not to be practicable but the officers managed to have the offending item removed anyway.

Scholars Drive multi games area

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the legal formalities for Scholars Drive residents to gain access to the University multi-games area are nearing completion.

Local residents attended the July meeting of Wyke Area Committee and asked what the state of play was. We were able to inform them that the University had completed drafting the necessary legal documents but that the appropriate officer of the Council had still to sign off on them and would be going on holiday on the 23^rd. If he could get the work done before then, he would, but if not he would get on with it as soon as he returned. We hope this is a sufficiently clear indication of the timeframe involved; it certainly suggests to us that all should be well within about a month.

Cropton Park security

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission have further postponed setting up a task and finish panel on park security.

A report recommending the setting up of the task and finish panel was brought to the July meeting. Members of the Committee including John, who was standing in for me, were openly at a loss as to why, when the motion we both got passed at full Council on this subject went through in July 2017, it had not been possible to set up the panel and hold all its hearings before the election. No explanation was forthcoming as to the cause of matters being delayed until it was too close to the election to get started. However it was decided to discuss the matter again at the Committee’s next meeting when hopefully the officers will have found answers all of the Committee wanted as to how to resource the panel. There is, however, some good news; the local rugby club are working with the Council to ensure that Cropton Park gates are opened and closed at the right times.

Loveridge Avenue Home Zone scheme

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the formal consultation exercise for the Loveridge Avenue Home Zone scheme has been put in place.

 The packs are about to be sent to all residents of Loveridge Avenue, and to the two properties on Chanterlands Avenue adjacent to Loveridge Avenue. The Council’s tree experts have been called in to advise on the location of new trees and the semi-circular area originally meant to have resin-bonded aggregate surfacing will now have block paved areas instead which are expected to last longer. These changes are described in more detail in the packs local residents will by now have received.

Scholars Drive MUGA paperwork

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the legal documents allowing residents of Scholars Drive to use the University’s multi-use games area have now been returned to the Council as signed by the University.

John Fareham says, “The agreement means that local residents will have access to all the facilities already offered but, understandably, if they want to access others there will be a charge. We are pleased to see this matter resolved, not least because we understand from local residents that all they have received from others in this connection before we took over was promises, coupled with a lack of attention to detail such as might have been the reason why extra facilities are not now included in the package free of charge.”

Scholars Drive latest

John Fareham and John Abbott have the latest details on the progress of Scholars Drive becoming an adopted highway and on arranging for street light shielding.

Working closely as ever with the local residents’ association, we can now confirm that, with all the necessary works having been carried out on the road surface itself, the corporate centre now propose to wait for six months and, if no defects appear within that timeframe, the road will then be adopted.  As to the street light shielding, we have secured the agreement of the officers concerned to press for the works to be carried out sooner rather than later, as we would prefer given that we promised action on this during the election campaign and are determined to make sure that action is what the Council delivers. We now understand that an order for the work has been raised with KWL which should mean action in the near future.

Cottingham Road bus timings

John Fareham and John Abbott report that East Yorkshire Motor Services are planning to revise the timetables for bus services on Cottingham Road.

No significant change is proposed to service frequencies but some weekday buses will leave Cottingham five minutes earlier and arrive later – not by much, but enough to be intended to make life significantly easier for drivers keeping to time. There are also minor changes to the departure and arrival times of Saturday services. The new timings will take effect from September 2^nd and we would expect revised print and online timetables to be issued nearer the time, presumably just before the new timings take effect.

Bricknell Estate bus timings

John Fareham and John Abbott report that a minor change is to be made to the timetable of the Bricknell Estate bus service.

The first bus in the morning to leave Burniston Road, travel round Bricknell Estate and head from there into the city centre now leaves at 0753.  From September 2^nd it will leave 10 minutes earlier at 0743 to allow more time for the bus to reach the city centre.  We pass this information on in advance so that those who use this bus service, for whatever reason, will know about the change well in advance and will be able to avoid being caught on the hop when the new timings are introduced.

Kenilworth Avenue bin emptying

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured undertakings regarding the emptying of Kenilworth Avenue litter bins.

We have received complaints from local residents regarding these bins being full and we have therefore referred them to the officers.  They in turn have undertaken to arrange with those responsible for those bins to be emptied as soon as possible and we in turn have asked than they review the frequency with which bins are emptied in the hope that they will be able to keep pace with the manner in which the bin is used. It goes without saying, however, that if any further complaints are received about the bin and the system being able to cope, we will of course refer those to the officers as well.

Loveridge Avenue responses analysed

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the responses to the questionnaire on the Loveridge Avenue traffic survey have now been analysed showing strong support for the Home Zone proposal.

47 forms from 39 households showed that all 39 households responding are in favour of the scheme and 31 households are prepared to pay for dropped kerbs.  Those are the headline figures, but seven forms raised points of detail such as how far along the double yellow lines should go and what should be done about the trees. We certainly take the view that if new trees are to be planted they should be so placed as to fit in with the new dropped kerbs. We will be meeting with the officers in the near future to discuss these; formal consultation packs, as required by the legal procedure, will have been circulated to every household early in July so as not to clash with the school holidays.

Progress on park security

John Fareham and John Abbott report that progress is being made in respect of security in parks including Cropton Park.

John Fareham says, “The Council have decided that from July repairs to park equipment will be carried out in-house by Streetscene staff rather than by employees of the Council’s arms-length company Hull Culture and Leisure. A new ordering and inspection process is being introduced which should achieve economies of scale as equipment needs to be replaced and improve response time in cases of vandalism. Perhaps most indicative, however, is the insistence by members of all three parties that the plan for a task-and-finish panel to look into park security, a plan which we proposed last year, should now be put into effect.

Council response on traveller policy

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee have approved the Council’s response to the Government’s consultation on traveller policy.

After all the fun and games both we and local residents here have had over the years with sundry unauthorised traveller encampments we thought you might be interested in some of the information contained in the Committee papers. Although we have not been visited by travellers in the last year – in part because of our and the Area Team’s prompt work to move them on, and in part because some of the sites they used to favour have been built on – incursions elsewhere have continued and the Council calculate they spent just over fifty thousand pounds on legal fees and clearing up operations in 2016-17. Less encouraging is the officers’ contention, accepted by the Committee, that they cannot find a suitable location for a stop-off site for travellers  because all the possible locations are places of high flood risk. To take this view is to apply planning criteria for permanent properties to a site used for very temporary stopovers.

Helperby Walk grass cutting

John Fareham and John Abbott are working with officers to resolve issues with grass cutting on Helperby Walk.

We received complaints from local residents to the effect that the grass was becoming unacceptably long and looking neglected.  We therefore referred the matter to the officers who informed us that owing to current staffing levels the cutting frequency was currently below what was expected, but the position would improve as the grass cutting teams come closer to target grass cutting frequencies and the exceptionally fast growth of grass this year begins to slow down. We know that grass cutting issues have popped up in various parts of the ward over the past few years, in part due to staffing and equipment changes, but we will remain vigilant in a matter we know is important to many local residents and report any complaints we receive to the proper quarters.

Loveridge Avenue Home Zone scheme

John Fareham and John Abbott report that progress is being made towards the implementation of the proposed Home Zone scheme for Loveridge Avenue.

We received representations from local residents to the effect that, during thee wait for the scheme to be implemented, relations between residents on one side and the other in matters of who was entitled to which parking space. We therefore contacted the officers to ask what the current position was and were informed that the responses from local residents were currently being analysed and that information for residents regarding the cost of the scheme and the specifics of residents’ responses will be sent out soon, probably within eight weeks.  If we receive any further information prior to this we will of course let local residents know.

Courty Road North-National Avenue junction remodelling

John Fareham and John Abbott are working on proposals  to remodel the junction of County Road North and National Avenue.

It is early days yet, and we are still discussing with officers such matters as whether a feasibility study is necessary (we don’t think one is, and unlike others, we never do) and whether we should pay for it (as previously noted, the corporate centre snaffled every ward’s highways budget and now claims not to know where it put them all). Options suggested by the officers were a traffic island which we do not favour because of its potential impact on tenfoot access, and narrowing the carriageway at the junctions to slow down traffic and facilitate the installation of a pedestrian crossing with a dropped kerb and tactile paving. This latter would be in the best interests of those with limited or no visibility who, without such assistance, find crossing this junction rather fraught.”

William Gee site tree felling

John Fareham and John Abbott are seeking action in respect of tree felling on the former William Gee site.

Outline planning permission has been granted to build on this site, but that is only approval in principle and not full permission to build based on a final design getting approval.  We are concerned the developers are therefore jumping the gun by having trees felled before they actually have full permission to build and have asked the officers to investigate. When we have the outcome of the investigations we will of course let local residents know.

Ancaster Avenue traffic flow

John Fareham and John Abbott are considering the possibility of a one way system for Ancaster Avenue.

The officers have concerns about the practicality of the system and also about the cost.  They reckon the cost could be between ten and fifteen thousand pounds when the cost of getting all the additional signage, and going through the legal and procedural steps required to get a new Traffic Regulation Order, are counted in. It would also be necessary to determine in which direction the traffic should flow. When all the hoo-hah surrounding the Annual Meeting of Council has died down – and it should be noted that, if it is decided to proceed,  the matter will eventually come to the Area Committee we end up on after the council AGM has decided which of the Council’s new wards are put together to form which new Area Committees – we will discuss the matter with the officers at the local Area Team and report further when the outcome of the discussion is known.

Southfield Road crime prevention

John Fareham and John Abbott are playing an active role in crime prevention again, this time down Southfield Road where residents reported a spike in crime along this street and managed to identify the problem was “the tenfoot” coming off the turning head and which leads on to Chanterlands Avenue.

Of course because what looks like a tenfoot is, by some bizarre decision in the very long-distant past that nobody can discover the reason for, actually adopted as a Public Highway, it cannot be gated off.

If the reason we can’t gate it is because it is a public highway, the problem needs to be redefined and what better than to change the terms of the question?  There and then we made immediate enquiries about a Stopping-up Order and were told within only a few days, thanks to the excellent staff, they were still ‘a thing’ and how to set about having one.  Because we manage the minimal ward budget we have, the meanest ward budget in the city, we managed to find the £2000 it costs to undertake the process.

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.

Chanterlands Avenue carriageway work

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the proposed carriageway work on Chanterlands Avenue between Goddard Avenue and Bricknell Avenue is shortly going out to tender.

Papers for the January meeting of Wyke Area Committee reported that the Council will be advertising shortly for contractors to carry out the work. It is expected that the work will commence in the first week of March and the plan is to lay not one but two 40mm-thick layers of tarmac in the hope that doing do will double the time for which the new surfaces will last. We certainly hope that is the case as we know from conversations with local residents that there are safety implications, especially perhaps for the elderly, in uneven or irregular road surfaces. This work will hopefully obviate such problems, at least for a number of years.

Loveridge Avenu traffic

John Fareham and John Abbott are arranging a public meeting to discuss fresh proposals for Loveridge Avenue traffic.

The technicalities and legalities are beyond the scope of what can easily be explained here, but it would appear possible to vary the legal status of Loveridge Avenue so as to give the Council a wider range of options for addressing traffic  and parking issues. As with a traffic regulation order, a consultation process is legally required and the officers will be writing to all households in Loveridge Avenue to give details of an event, probably at the Avenues Centre on Park Avenue, at which residents will have a full opportunity to discuss the nature and impact of the proposals. When we ourselves know the date of this event we will of course pass it on.

Hartoft Road shops

John Fareham and John Abbott are working with the Police to deal with anti-social behaviour issues in the vicinity of the Hartoft Road shops.

Obviously outside the shops is not the only place where such antics take place, but we hear reports of such distasteful antics as attacks on members of the minority communities carried out by persons who are known to the Police.  The Police and ourselves are in agreement that more local residents will need to come forward and give evidence if these matters are to be properly resolved.  The Police and Crime Commissioner has apparently committed more funds to police recruitment, but what effect if any that will have on local police numbers remains to be seen. We certainly hope it will not run parallel to the attitude of some of his Labour colleagues to the allocation of library funds – the less said about the element of partisanship in that the better!

Chanterlands Avenue pedestrian crossing

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the pedestrian crossing on Chanterlands Avenue will be restored as part of the impending resurfacing works.

We sought and received confirmation that this was the case at the January meeting of Wyke Area Committee.  Given that this crossing is of particular use to residents of Rainhill Road, we were concerned that it might simply be covered in tarmac. Thankfully that is not the case and we look forward to seeing the outcome of a process that has involved considerable pressure on both our parts for some years.  It is our hope that, now the work is timetabled, it will lead to an awareness on the part of the corporate centre that this junction and this pedestrian crossing do exist and that they need, in the longer term, to be taken care of.

County Road North traffic patrol survey

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for a traffic survey to be conducted on County Road North with a view to the possible reinstatement of a crossing patrol.

Local residents have complained to the effect that it is difficult if not potentially dangerous to cross County Road North with children in tow.  Given that we know from personal experience how difficult it can be to cross County Road North at peak times, we referred the matter to the officers who have now agreed, given that the previous crossing patrol was first moved and then discontinued, to conduct a survey to ascertain  whether current levels of demand would justify the reintroduction of a crossing patrol. As soon as we know the outcome of the survey we will of course let local residents know.

Goddard Avenue carrigeway resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the resurfacing of the Goddard Avenue carriageway.

Arrangements have been made with contractors to begin work on this in March with a view to its being completed by the end of May.  This is part of a major series of resurfacing works spread across a number of wards and also including the resurfacing of Kirkham Drive. At the time of going to press we do not have an exact date for the commencement of the works but as soon as we do have one we will of course ensure that local residents are made aware of it.

Kirkham Drive microsurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott have secured the microsurfacing of Kirkham Drive carriageways.

Our latest information, which you would be able to confirm for yourselves were you to download the papers for the January meeting of Wyke Area Committee, is that the works have been issued to the contractors and that they will form part of a programme of works to be carried out here and elsewhere beginning in March and due to be completed by the end of May.  It goes without saying that as soon as we have an actual start date for the works we will of course pass it on so that any arrangements you need to make for alternative means of travel or transportation during the course of the works can be made in good time.

Hotham Road North buses

John Fareham and John Abbott  have further news in the campaign about buses causing traffic problems and vibration by travelling along Hotham Road North.

East Riding Council decided to alter the West Bulls junction making it impossible for a bus to turn right from Bricknell Avenue and enter onto Cottingham Road reluctantly forcing the Bus companies to re-route.  We undertook to talk to senior people at County Hall because the local ERYC councillors support retaining the remodelling, just as the council officers do.  In an interesting turn of events the meeting request was turned down because they consider the junction works for them, and because we had not attended a meeting, in 2015, with people who couldn't make a decision, which we had not been consulted over the timing of anyway.   Had we been consulted we could have told them we would have been unable to attend as we had other meetings! Nevertheless, they made the ridiculous offer that if we paid they would consider alterations which is the clearest indication yet they know the junction is flawed. Duly we discussed this with the Guildhall’s Portfolio Holder who said, and we can’t blame him, funds would not be spent here.

Cropton Park sports and recreation

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to ensure that a programme of activities for young people can be arranged on Cropton Park.

Meetings have been held with a local community sports provider who is applying for external funding to ensure that a programme of activities can be held in Cropton Park for local youths as well as others in the area. If funding is made available it is proposed to start these activities sometime in the Spring of this year. We very much hope this can be progressed as, with the discovery of asbestos in the old café/parks building, that building will have to be demolished and the space it occupies will be grassed over. That in turn means that any plans to deter vandalism and anti-social behaviour by having the café regularly staffed will go by the board, but we hope that providing young people with activities to take up and enjoy, we will deter them from indulging in anti-social behaviour by offering them something we hope they will prefer.

Replacement litter bins

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for replacement litter bins to begin to be installed on Cottingham Road, Bricknell Avenue, Fairfax Avenue and elsewhere.

The new bins have initially been installed in an area bounded by Cottingham Road, Fairfax Avenue and Bricknell Avenue. They will all be 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. When the bins in this part of the ward have been replaced it is proposed to roll out the same type of bins across the rest of the ward until all the bins here have been replaced.

Allderidge Avenue and Newland Park parking

John Fareham and John Abbott wish to know whether, in the light of the ongoing building works at the University, residents wish to see the current parking restrictions in Allderidge Avenue and Newland Park reviewed to meet the increasing demand for parking  spaces which may result.

Many  have seen the huge cranes on the skyline and will know the Halls of Residence are going up.  Although the University say they will discourage bringing cars, and of course we believe them entirely, that does not stop students applying to live in the new accommodation and making sure they park off-campus to meet the University’s requirements.  There is little the University could do to penalise what would be lawful behaviour. As a result some residents of Newland Park have asked us if they can  review the parking restrictions most especially on the inner loop.  Some residents of Allderidge Avenue have asked us if they can now join the resident parking scheme that was declined two decades ago.  Because we do not squander your money, from the limited amount Labour give us, we have the funds to make a Traffic Regulation Order and are checking with the officers what options there are.

Footbridge gritting

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the footbridge over the railway line to be included in the winter gritting programme.

We received complaints from local residents that this bridge was prone to accumulating ice and could then be dangerous to cross.  We therefore contacted the officers and we asked them to arrange for the bridge to be gritted as part of the regular schedule when neighbouring areas were being treated; we have since seen for ourselves that the bridge has indeed been gritted and had confirmation from staff at Appleton Primary School that the bridge had been treated twice in two days; this is of course encouraging but we will continue to take an interest in whether the bridge is being treated when it needs to be or not.

Goddard Avenue open space and the City Plan

John Fareham and John Abbott report that the City Council have approved the revised Local Plan including reclassification of the open land behind Goddard Avenue as no longer protected greenspace.

The ruling group’s stated position on this matter was that, given sanctions imposed on other councils for not revising their local plans quickly enough, we could wait no longer in revising ours.  We tabled an amendment to the motion passing the Local Plan and argued that it was insufficient to rely on the wisdom and goodwill of Planning Committee to protect our scarce open greenspace, that the consultation process on the draft had left out asking Area Committees, and it was simply wrong to suggest that all manner of evil would befall us if we took another month to get it right. We would like to thank the Liberal Democrats for supporting our amendment; as agreed in advance, we would have supported theirs as well if Labour had not had it ruled out on the specious grounds that their amendment was effectively the same as ours. (It wasn’t.) The argument about whether this was correct came close to getting out of control; it says much about the amount of screaming and shouting that ensued that for once we wouldn’t recommend trying to watch the meeting webcast! 

National Avenue drainage ditch cleaning

John Fareham and John Abbott have arranged for the cleaning out of the National Avenue drainage ditch.

We have had demarcation issues in the past, notably when a deceased cat was found and it took our intervention to sort the matter out, in respect of who dredges out this drainage ditch. We now understand that the responsibility lies with the City Council, that an excavator situated nearby will be used to get everything cleared out and that when all the stuff has been excavated, the plastic bottles, litter, balls and the like will be removed, and the biodegradable elements will be left on the bank. We also understand that steps are to be installed to make it easier for Council employees to get at the grate and clear it of rubbish in future.

Chanterlands Avenue sub station graffiti

John Fareham and John Abbott arranged for graffiti to be cleaned off the electricity sub-station on Chanterlands Avenue.

We received complaints about this from local residents and, having seen how much spray paint had been applied, reported the matter to the officers.  As the Council is not directly responsible for the management of electricity-board buildings they in turn forwarded the matter to the electricity suppliers.  The graffiti have now been cleaned off, commendably quickly given that the matter was reported online, and we stand ready to assist should there be any further instances of graffiti or vandalism on this building which is, after all, of benefit to all neighbouring electricity users.

Chanterlands Avenue North resurfacing

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to secure the resurfacing of Chanterlands Avenue North from the Bricknell Avenue roundabout to Goddard Avenue.

Papers for the November meeting of Wyke Area Committee stated that the scheme has been priced up, is now at the design stage, and is expected to be complete by March next year. It goes without saying that we will continue to take an interest in the status of this scheme and that, as soon as we have a start date for the works, we will pass it on in order to ensure that local residents can be sure what, if anything, they need to avoid being inconvenienced by the works while they are actually in progress.

Newland Park street lighting levels

John Fareham and John Abbott are working to secure an increase in the street lighting level on Newland Park.

Barrington Avenue has recently had all its street lights replaced and the lights taken out are identical with those now lighting Newland Park. We are therefore working with the officers to draw up a scheme for the installation of these street lights in Newland Park as additional lighting which will form part of our long term commitment to upgrading lighting all across the ward.  As soon as we have specific details of the proposed locations for the additional lights and of their proposed time of installation, we will of course let local residents know.

Hartoft Road tree trimming

John Fareham and John Abbott discovered the reasons behind the cutting down of trees on Hartoft Road.

We received complaints from local residents about the trees being removed and instituted enquiries with the officers as to what was going on.  They informed us that the trees had been planted between 60 and 70 year ago and as a result were becoming elderly in tree terms and potentially hazardous. In the light of the fact that fresh trees had already been planted it was therefore decided to chop them down rather than have them fall down and possibly injure somebody.  We understand the concerns of local residents as regards what this will do in the short term to the residential and visual amenity of the area but we hope this explanation will show that we are not concerned here with wanton vandalism by the corporate centre but rather with responsible long term tree management planned by those who know what they are doing.

Newland Park lamp posts

John Fareham and John Abbott have further details of the colour of paint applied to the Newland Park lamp posts.

The colours residents are now seeing are the preparatory coats and do not reflect the final colour.  The limitations of our printing technology mean we could not reproduce it in our newsletter, but for those who want to look it up online the final colour will be RAL6001. That colour is as close as we can remember to it being when we last made sure they were finally clean and painted, and is sometimes described as emerald green although we are ware that phrase covers many shades. We do hope this helps reassure people that we have not had a rush of blood to the head and we are not trying to be adventurous.