York’s annual maintenance plan for our roads and streets has been published today (31 March), which will result in a 50% increase in investment in highways, pathways, lighting, drainage and more.
This will see significantly more invested in York’s roads than in previous years and the wide-ranging plan commits to highway repair schemes in villages and suburbs as well as the city centre, from Acomb to Osbaldwick and lots of areas in between. It also covers street lighting repairs in Shipton, a number of footway repairs in the city centre, walking and cycle route repairs around the Knavesmire and much more.
The funding committed includes an allocation from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority on top of £8.8m committed in the council’s budget which was agreed in February. The Combined Authority funding was confirmed at a meeting on Friday 27 March and further projects will be added to the plan in the coming months.
As the plan was published, Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport said:
Our highways and footways need significant investment and I’m delighted that this year we’re investing £16.5 million – some 50% more than last year.
“Work to deliver this plan is already underway and we are prioritising proactive work to prolong the life of a road surface as well as repairs to potholes.
“While this is significant investment and with additional contributions from the council’s budget, we know it won’t be enough to fix everything – an estimated £100 million is required to bring our highways up to a high standard. However, the four year funding settlement through the Combined Authority allows us to develop a multi-year programme and start to deliver the much needed and sustained improvement in our highway network.
“Whichever way you travel in York, whether you use a mobility aid, cycle, walk, catch a bus, taxi or drive, this plan will help make your journeys easier. That means delivering more projects like the Albermarle Road and Heworth Green roundabout resurfacing work completed last year which brought benefits to all modes of travel. With schemes such as Beckfield Lane, the improvements to walking and cycling routes along the Knavesmire, plus repairs to city centre footways planned in for this year these wider benefits will continue and together, the projects all combine to help keep the entire city moving.
“Thank you to our frontline teams who are out across the city all year round, and to residents for their patience while we carry out these repairs and improvements in the coming weeks and months.”
The programme looks to focus on the areas that need it most. This is done by using detailed condition surveys, data-led assessments and feedback from residents, ensuring that the right work is prioritised at the right time.
This plan covers a wide range of assets that residents and visitors rely on every day from roads and pavements to streetlights, drainage, preserving our amazing city walls and more. It covers the wide range of areas which City of York Council is responsible for, including:
- 23,000 street lights
- 660 miles of footpaths, enough to walk the York walls loop more than 300 times
- 500 miles of roads, roughly the same distance as driving from York to Paris.
- 240 miles of walking and cycle routes – which is the distance from York to Southampton
- 160 miles of public rights of way – the equivalent of walking from York to Newcastle and back again.
- 137 sets of traffic lights
As well as listing areas where repairs will take place the plan has funding set aside to respond to urgent and or emergency repairs
The highways maintenance plan is available to view at https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=7671
You can sign up for alerts about works taking place in your area at www.york.gov.uk/roadworks