October 6, 2008
And now..
The responsibility for the Crossroads scheme has been taken on by the Bishopthorpe Parish Council. Please contact the Clerk for any further information at bpcclerk at aol.com.Posted by bishopthorpe at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2007
Design guide
A design guide for street furniture for Phase 3 of the scheme can be downloaded here.Posted by martin at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
July 3, 2007
Phase 3 starts
A new concept for the Crossroads area was launched over the weekend of 30th June at the Pinfold opening and at the Bishothorpe Gala.
It features an integrated look and feel by creating a ‘village square’ of harmonious materials that highlight pedestrian crossing points. The whole area is raised to a common level, providing flat access to the shop and library premises. New hedging and grassed areas provide the necessary ‘greening’ with specimen trees to provide a vertical contrast. Footway and highway are paved in the same materials, with bollards to delineate the road lines, and information kiosks and other street furniture add to the scene.
More work will need to be done to establish the requirements for street signage (the area is seriously cluttered), and agreements will be required with landowners and statutory agencies in order to prepare detailed designs and costs. Nevertheless, the proposed concept gives a real vision of what can be achieved.
You can see the full display of the proposed concept in the Library from 16th July.
Phase 3 will be a medium term project, probably split into individual components. The Millennium Trust is looking for all kinds of time and skills to make it happen. People are signing up for this now, so email
trust @ bishopthorpe.net
if you want to get involved. You can get a copy of the full scale drawing of the concept in pdf (4Mb) if you email mail @ bishopthorpe.net.
Posted by bishopthorpe at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)
Crossroads Phase 2 completed
At a ceremony on Friday 29th June attended by about 30 invited guests, the new Pinfold was formally opened.
Photo: Simon Melton
Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Millennium Trust, the new Pinfold has been designed and built by local people. It has seating and planting, and a soon to be installed historical interpretation panel. It is proving popular with residents and visitors, and is particularly busy when the junior school is about to finish in the afternoons.
At a reception to mark the opening, Trust chair John Bettridge thanked all those involved, including Richard Parkin who manged the project, and local historians Linda Haywood and Liam Godfrey.
John also launched an exhibition showing how the Pinfold project was developed. The project completes phase 2 of the Crossroads project, and a panel shows a concept of how phase 3 may be developed further. The exhibition was then shown at the Bishopthorpe Gala. where great interest was shown in the pinfold and future projects.
The exhibition will be on display at the Library from 16th July.
More details here.
Posted by bishopthorpe at 1:55 PM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2007
Landscape
York firm Popplewell Associates has been engaged by the Millennium Trust that sponsors the Crossroads scheme to draw up a landscape design for the Crossroads area.
With the assistance of landscape and planning experts from City of York Council, Mark Topping of Popplewells has surveyed the area with members of the Crossroads project group.
The design will produce an overall look for the area, with the detail of materials and street furniture. This then can form a template for any future work.
It is expected that the design will be ready soon. It is planned to show it off at the Bishopthorpe Gala on Saturday 30th June and subsequently in the Library.
On that same day, the new Pinfold will be officially opened.
Posted by martin at 9:19 AM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2007
Will we get rain?
The dry spring means that there could be a shortage of water for the sensory garden's new plants. However a donation of £100 from Yorkshire Water for rainwater collection equipment means that we should be able to collect rain water from the library roof.
If we get any rain!
Posted by martin at 8:42 AM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2007
New guide published
A new guide entitled
It's our space: a guide for community groups working to improve public space
has been published by CABE (The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)
It is invaluable reading, and can be downloaded in pdf here.
Posted by martin at 9:48 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2006
Status report
The village centre improvement scheme is a long term project. Phase 1 saw a range of activities to determine what people thought might be good to see in the way of improvements, and the preparation of some initial ideas through a design competition.Phase 2 consists of the Sensory Garden, now complete (although it would be good to have a brick wall at the back to train up plants); and the Pinfold Heritage Project, work on which is due over the few next months.
Phase 3 requires further work. Landscaping and planting, a village information board, 'de-cluttering' of road signs, more sympathetic lighting, and better pedestrian facilities could all be provided. The City of York Council may be able to make changes to the roads. Given that the area has Conservation status, such improvements could make the Crossroads a brilliant open space for all to enjoy.
This will all cost money, which is why the Millennium Trust and its partner the Parish Council will be looking at how it can be funded. It is worth noting that Phases 1 and 2 have cost the Trust fund (that is your money) just over £5000. A further £35 500 has however been raised from other sources, including just £2000 from the Ward Committee for Phase 1.
The first steps in Phase 3 will be to draw up a detailed landscape plan, and begin to look for suitable funding to start to implement it.
If you want to help with Phase 3 in any way, or want to comment, please email trust@bishopthorpe.net.
Posted by martin at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2006
Last lap
There are still things to be done to finish the sensory garden.
Paving is to be laid around the gas installation. We are still waiting for the electricity meter to be installed so that Richard Williams can connect up the lights and water feature. The seats have to be installed - Ian Jemison has made fixings. The water feature itself has yet to be delivered to site and fixed in position. And the remaining plants have to be installed - the Bishopthorpe Gardening Club has helped with part of this by planting out the Sight bed.
There is also to be an additional element to the garden - a coloured floor mosaic. This has been made at Vernon House day centre by some of the village's older residents, under the guidance of Alison Williams and Lyn Peacock.
We expect all of this to be done in the next few weeks, so...
The sensory garden will be officially opened
at 12.00 noon on Saturday 11th November 2006
All are welcome to attend and celebrate the first stage of the Bishopthorpe Village Centre Improvement Scheme.
Posted by martin at 8:42 AM | Comments (0)
September 2, 2006
Signs of change
In our meetings with council staff we have pointed out that the Crossroads area has too many traffic signs, and have agreed that 'de-cluttering' would be a good thing.
Statutory notices have now gone up to say that the 20MPH speed restriction zone is to be extended down School Lane and Croft Court, something we have said would be a sensible idea. This presumably means that four poles and signs can be removed from the top of the two roads. Mind you, we have not heard from the council on this matter (has the Parish Council been informed?), so you never can tell what signs might appear in their place.
Also the 30 MPH limit is being extended further along Acaster Lane, something the PC has campaigned about. Good thing too.
You can read one view of 20MPH zones here.
Please use the comment button below to tell us what you think of these changes.
Posted by martin at 8:25 AM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2006
Council Backs Scheme
Members of the Crossroads group, the Chair of the Parish Council and a landscape design consultant have met our local MP and council officials.
The meeting, arranged by John Grogan MP, was called to consider the national and local context of the scheme, and to establish the future working arrangements between this and other community based schemes and Council officials.
Peter Evely, Head of Network Management in the City’s Strategy Directorate and Chris Newsome from Planning attended from the Council.
Chair Lisa Thornton, Stewart Harrison, Richard Church, Chris Newsome and Ian Hodson listen...
..as Peter Evely responds with Martin Poppleton (Scheme Adviser) and John Grogan looking on
The Crossroads project is recognised as one for which there is overall support within the Council. Good communication and joint working over the next few months should mean that an overall scheme to remodel and landscape the area can be drawn up, although as ever practical considerations and the costs of detailed work remain to be evaluated.
Peter Evely said
It was a well worth while meeting and if we can achieve some of the objectives set will have been a great success.
Stewart Harrison from the Parish Council said
This is an exciting project and one that deserves to be implemented.
John Grogan MP left the meeting with a promise to consider ways that the project might tap into national schemes or initiatives for funding and/or practical assistance.
It was agreed to pursue a number of actions with a view to being able to produce a full appraisal of the overall scheme in the Autumn.
Posted by martin at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Sensory garden project
Today news was received that Awards for All has offered £4000 towards the cost of the Garden. This brings the project closer to its target.
Until today, funding had been raised from York Community Pride* (£1000), a private donor (£1300), the Gala Committee for a seat (£200), the Millennium Trust (£1000), the Shepherd Building Group (£500); £250 was rasied by the Trust at its Gala stall, and £220 has been raised through donations for plants and Christmas stars. An application for £3000 to the Ward Committee has been rejected despite over 120 people voting for it.
*You can read more about the York Community pride scheme here.
Posted by martin at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
Garden Progress - February 2006
A brief for the design of the Sensory Garden was completed last year and from it staff at Brunswick Organic Nursery prepared an outline design for landscaping and planting the garden to provide all year interest. Seating will be installed. (You can download the draft brief [pdf] here.)
Meanwhile negotiations have been carried out with officials of the City of York Council that owns the land, and a lease for seven years is about to be agreed between the Bishopthorpe Millennium Trust and the Council. As soon as this is signed (by the end of the month), work can start on preparing the garden. It is intended to have borders and free-standing planters to contain plants that stimulate all the senses. There will be paving so that people with disabilities or with young children can move around esily, a water feature is planned, and ideas are being prepared for a mosaic to be made by local people. The garden will be fenced and gated.
It is expected that with the necessary funds and permissions in place, work can start on the garden at the end of March. To this end a group of volunteers is planning the work,and there will shortly be a meeting for all those interested in the garden or helping set it up.
Watch this space!
Posted by martin at 9:20 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2006
New document
A single sheet pdf file has been put on the this web site that shows the overall design concept as drawn up as a result of the design competition. You can download and read it here.
It looks like this - a scanned image so not perfect!
Posted by martin at 3:05 PM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2006
A sheltered life?
You will have seen the new bike rack shelter that have been installed by the City of York Council next to the Library.
If you do want to put a bike rack up, there are better ways to do it too. Here is a picture of a rack installed in a park area of Easingwold by the Hambleton District and Town Councils that actually has had some interesting design input into it. Now this would enhance an area!
Posted by martin at 3:49 PM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2005
Council staff take notes
A preliminary meeting has been held with City of York Council staff to look at the overall concept of the Crossroads scheme. Chris Newsome - Community Planning Officer, and Fran Manancourt - Transport planner, came to the meeting along with local library staff and the Parish Council chairman. Six people from the project group attended.
We looked at the project and how it might be taken forward. Some key issues emerged:
Project staff are very grateful for the time taken by Council staff to consider the issues, and are looking forward to further steps to take the project forward.
Posted by martin at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)
Shops forecourt to be improved
Owners of the Sim Balk Lane shops have announced that they plan to go ahead and re-surface the area in front of the shops, to include access ramps to the doors. Although not part of the overall scheme, this work will improve the look and safety of the area until such time as the more ambitious scheme to improve the layout of roads and footways is agreed.
Posted by martin at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
August 1, 2005
Spreading the word
At the Bishopthorpe Gala on Saturday 30th, the Millennium Trust hosted a display about the Crossroads project. For nearly four hours there was a constant stream of visitors to the stand - despite the worsening weather.
Many people expressed support for the scheme, and offered to help. The idea to improve the area - and in particular the road layout - was warmly welcomed.
Here Trust chairman John Bettridge talks through the project with a resident.
Visitors to the stand were told that the City of York Council had agreed, subject to legal agreement, that the Trust should be offered a seven year lease to develop the proposed sensory garden next to the Library.
Posted by martin at 8:51 AM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2005
Latest progress
A short brochure that outlines the Bishopthorpe@Crossroads scheme has been published. Copies will be available at the Millennium Trust stall at Bishopthorpe Gala on Saturday 30th July, or can be asked for in the Library. A version in PDF is available for download here. A meeting with City of York Council staff has agreed that the sensory garden project looks feasible. Work is now in hand to set up an agreement for the occupation and mangement of the garden area, and it is hoped that work can start in the Autumn. A very useful meeting has also been held with the shop owners in Sim Balk Lane, and their expectations and needs have been noted. Bishopthorpe Gala The scheme will be on display at the Gala, and project team members will be on hand to talk about it. Please come along and register your interest, and find out more.Posted by martin at 8:07 AM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2005
Something like this
The overall design for the Crossroads involves a long term project consisting of several elements. The main elements are:
It would look something like this...
Looking from Sim Balk Lane
Looking from Main Street
Posted by martin at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)
July 1, 2005
Smelling of roses?
Moves are afoot to bring a first part of the Crossroads project in to being. The project group has agreed to negotiate with the City of York Council in order to provide a Sensory Garden on the site of the library garden.
The garden was one of the design suggestions that was approved by the Competition Panel, and will be taken forward as a small scheme to get the project going. The Millennium Trust is backing the scheme with some funds, and applications are being made for other money.
We are pleased to announce that Brunswick Organic Nursery and Craft Workshop staff have agreed to help design and implement the garden. Bishopthorpe Scouts have also offered help. There will be other opportunities to get involved too.
At a meeting/workshop later this month, we hope to agree the details of the project and how it can be implemented. More news on this later.
If you want to make a comment about this, click on 'Comments' below.
Posted by martin at 8:22 AM | Comments (0)
May 27, 2005
Draft designs published
Work has been completed on creating an outline design of the overall scheme. It was shown at the recent AGM of the Parish Council where villagers were able to see the scheme and discuss it with project team members. It is being displayed in the Library very soon - as soon as we can get suitable display boards - and you will be able to see for yourself.
The scheme is drawn up in general terms, and incorporates a revised road layout, a sensory garden and other 'greening', an improved Pinfold and a new village information board.
Below are outline images of the design - for a better and more detailed you can see the plans at the Bishopthorpe Gala on Saturday 30th July.
Posted by martin at 10:48 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
School Travel Plans
Both the Archbishop of York Junior School and Bishopthorpe Infant Schools have published their travel to school plans.
All schools are required to produce reports, and well researched and written up, with statistics, illustrations and statistics, they make an interesting read.
Predictably perhaps people take their children to school by car because it is 'too far' to walk, and they perceive the dangers of walking as being those of other traffic, parked and parking cars, and the difficulties of crossing the roads - including the village centre crossroads - that are busy at school time (exacerbated of course by those driving the school run).
The Junior school is taking action to promote walking and cycling to school with all the environmental and health bebefits this can bring.
All premises with car parks within 5 minutes walk of the schools have been approached to take part in a Park and Stride Scheme. Three replies were received meaning that approximately 38 parking spaces are to be available specifically to school users who have no alternative but to come by car. These users will be issued with a permit - to date 68 such permits have been issued.
Some 30 parents have shown interest in the Walking Bus and management for this scheme is being established. This entails chidren being escorted together as they walk to school.
Of particular interest to those who support the Crossroads project, a member of the Local Authority Engineering Consultancy has site identified a number of improvements that he will put forward to improve safety in the immediate school area.
You can download and read the reports and appendices from the Junior School web site. More information on the issues surrounding street safety and use can be found on the Living Streets web site.
Posted by martin at 7:52 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2005
Project reaches landmark stage
Last year the Millennium Trust announced a design competition for ideas to improve the village centre.
Entries were received in January, and were put on display for comment by invited volunteers, stakeholders, parish councillors and others on 5th February. They were then reviewed by a Panel chaired by Bishopthorpe Resident Sir Donald Barron. This Panel was composed entirely of people who had said that they were prepared to volunteer effort towards the project – some 24 of these volunteered during consultations (in addition to those already at work on it).
Its members were Kate Hardy, Ben Wallace, Frederick Weatherley, June
Whittaker, June Cross, and Louise Bishop. Final member Andrew Lister was unfortunately unable to attend on the day.
Its recommendations were received by the Trust, and in the light of these, the Trust has agreed to allocate prizes as follows:
£500 to each entrant:
Rachel Brammar of Popplewell Associates, Piccadilly, York;
David Chapman of David Chapman Associates, Sim Balk Lane, Bishopthorpe; and Moray Mackay from St Mary’s, Bootham, York.
Each entry had ideas that the panel considered worth further investigation and design work. A composite design is in preparation and will be on display in the Library.
You can read more news on the Millennium Trust and the project,
Posted by martin at 7:49 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2005
New report published
The Department of Transport has published Attitudes to streetscape and street uses and its full of interesting results from questions asked in a national survey about people's views on local traffic problems and their potential solutions, their local street environment and sense of community, and priorities for street uses.
Some headline findings are
The report notes that answers varied according to whether there were children in families and for low and high income groups.
A sample chart shows the sort of data in the report...
Instead of just being used for getting around, how important is it for a wider mixture of activities to be possible in the public spaces in your area? - responses by number of household cars or vans
The research demonstrates that this is a topical issue and gives new insights. It is well worth a good read, and can be read on the computer or downloaded for printing out.
Posted by martin at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2004
Competition Date
The closing date for entries to the Design Competition has beem amended to 12 noon on 21st January 2005.
Posted by martin at 9:26 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2004
More Pictures
Some more photographs of the Main Street / Sim Balk lane area have been put on the web site here.
These show the area in the period from the early 20th century to 1950 and 1988.
Do you have any more we can use?
Posted by martin at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2004
Competition Launched
Bishopthorpe Millennium Trust has launched its competition to design a new look for the central village area of Bishopthorpe.
Design organisations are being invited to submit an overall scheme for the improvement of the area. Anyone who thinks they have the professional expertise to enter the competition may do so. The closing date for entries is noon on 20th December this year.
The most appropriate overall design will be chosen by a panel of local people, and will be awarded a £1500 prize.
Full details of the competition can be found here in the Library.
Posted by martin at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2004
Research report published
During September and October, residents took part in the Street Audit and also returned questionnaires delivered to every household. Other comments were made at the display in the Library.
Now several summaries of the results from the research has been published.
A Questionnaire Summary examines the household survey, and reports on its usefulness, and summarises the raw data in the form of the answers to all of the questions.
Responses from the Opinion Sheet at the library display reported verbatim.
A report on the Street Audit returns also summarise the raw data.
(These three written by Ian Hodson.)
A Research Report brings together the results from the household survey, the library display and the Street Audit. This is the document that should be read overall, and circulated to anyone interested.
You can download and read all of these in pdf by clicking on he name of the report.
We normally publish documents in pdf format. This means that they are in Adobe Acrobat format and you need Acrobat Reader to view them. Get this free viewer from the Adobe Systems website.
All documents are also available in our Library in the right hand panel - just click on Documents for download to browse them.
Posted by martin at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2004
Sreet audit
The Bishopthorpe@Crossroads scheme has been asked for by local people. It aims to improve the look of the area, make it easier to use, and offer perhaps better facilities.
On September 11th, a street audit was carried out by supporters of the project. Comments about the area were collected as people looked at the area, and these will be given to an independent consultant to come up with a design that all villagers will have a chance to see and comment on.
Posted by martin at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2004
New funding bid
Bishopthorpe Millennium Tust has bid for £10 000 of Ward Committe funding for the Bishopthorpe@Crossroads project - and the message from the City Council is vote when you can to get the money.
Speaking at the launch of Bishopthorpe@Crossroads, Councillor David Livesley made it clear that funding from the Council would only come to the village if people voted for it.
The bid, aimed at starting off the Bishopthorpe@Crossroads scheme once designs have been approved by villagers, is put to the vote this month when the ward newsletter arrives on our mats. There will be a voting paper listing suggestions made by people and organisations across the Ward area - including from villages across the river Ouse.
John Bettridge, chair of the Millennium Trust, said that voting for the village centre improvement scheme here will allow a planned approach to enhancements that meet the needs of all villagers.
Final decisions on which bids to fund are made at a Ward commmittee meeting held on 6th October. This is a public meeting at which council staff and Councillors listen to proposals before allocating funding to the voted on bids.
Posted by martin at 7:09 PM | Comments (0)