Councillor action secures safer pedestrian route for Badger Hill residents

Above: Fiona is actually standing where
residents previously wouldn't have been
able to walk.

A well-used footpath in the residential area of Badger Hill has become clearer and safer, thanks to the actions of Hull Road Labour councillors, council officers and the Community Payback scheme.
The path, running along the Badger Hill side of Field Lane, had become the main footpath between Windmill Lane, other Badger Hill roads and the new Heslington East university campus. This was following highway reconstruction which saw the other side of the road becoming a dedicated cycle path.

However, seasons of neglect had led to overgrowth of a boundary hedge and composting of dead leaves – in some places cutting the width of the path by nearly two thirds. This created a major safety issue for elderly residents and parents with pushchairs as they fought for space with an increased level of pedestrians to the campus and wayward cyclists not using the dedicated path.

Following numerous complaints from residents, local Labour councillors for Hull Road ward, Coun. Fiona Fitzpatrick and Coun. Neil Barnes took action.

Before

Coun. Fiona Fitzpatrick said: “This footpath along Field Lane has always been well-used by residents. But due to highway reconstruction for the new campus and changes to bus routes, the path has become increasingly important in recent years, especially for the elderly for whom access to a bus stop is vital. It is an equally important path for school pedestrian traffic. However, the path has gradually been taken over by overgrowth and composting leaves.

“That is why we are delighted that our call for action has led to the council’s Public Realm staff and a team from Community Payback taking on the job and making it a safer path for everyone. Council officers accepted my invitation to visit the area and realised how neglected it was, then took urgent action to address it”.

After!

Coun. Neil Barnes said: “The state of the path has long been a bugbear for residents, so I’m glad that Coun. Fitzpatrick and I were able to make this local action count and show residents that a Labour Council still works to provide a valuable service to them in the face of devastating local government cuts imposed by the Coalition.

“We want to say thank you to the teams involved for their hard work in addressing this problem.  We welcome ideas from residents about other areas in Hull Road ward that Community Payback might be able to make a difference to.”

Tang Hall to get £1 million investment from "Big Local" fund

Fiona and Neil were delighted to hear this week that Tang Hall has been selected as a "Big Local Area" to have £1 million over ten years allocated by the Big Lottery Fund.

Tang Hall is an area set across the southern part of Heworth Ward and the northern part of Hull Road Ward. When it was built in the first half of the 20th Century, Tang Hall was a model community of social housing. However, it is now amongst the country’s most deprived areas with a high level of childhood poverty. Despite this, there is still a strong feeling of community waiting to be tapped into.

This is why we wholeheartedly welcome this important funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Tang Hall is rarely top of the list for any investment and so £1 million will go a long way to help develop projects that aid regeneration. The money will make a huge difference and we as councillors will work to ensure it is targeted where need is greatest.

From City of York Council:

£1m to make Tang Hall a Big Local Area

City of York Council is delighted to announce that today (Monday 10 December), the Tang Hall area has been selected as a Big Local Area to have £1 million over ten years being allocated by the Big Lottery Fund.

The funding for Tang Hall comes from the Big Local Programme. Funded through a £200 million Big Lottery Fund investment and managed by Local Trust, Big Local is helping 150 small urban and rural communities across England to make their areas even better places to live.

Each Big Local area will receive at least £1m Lottery funding to spend over the next 10 years. The scheme is completely resident led so it will be entirely up to people living in the area to use the £1m on the things that matter to them, and on projects and services that will have the biggest impact on the needs they identify.

Ward Action Plans are already in place in Heworth ward and Hull Road ward as is the council partner-run Tang Hall advice hub which offers support with debt and money advice, training and jobs. Alongside these, the local community – which encompasses the Heworth and Tang Hall Residents’ Associations – will identify further need and build capacity to commission or deliver support themselves.

Councillor Dafydd Williams, City of York Council’s Cabinet Member for Crime and Stronger Communities said: “It is brilliant that the Tang Hall area has been chosen to be part of the Big Local programme.

“This project is not just about the money: residents will receive training and support to help them identify priorities and develop a plan for their area. Through this, we can bring together all the local talent, ambitions, skills and energy from individuals, groups and organisations who want to make a positive and lasting difference in their communities.”