Essential frontline services protected during lockdown

As the number of Covid cases increase in the city and across the country, it’s inevitable that the council will also see an increase in the number of infections within its frontline workforce, which makes delivering some services challenging.

Therefore, the council has acted fast and brought in additional measures to keep key frontline services like gritting and waste going over the coming months. This includes introducing stricter staff bubbles to protect staff, redeploying staff from other services and Public Health are also looking to roll our regular testing to staff in the council’s key services.

Immediate operational changes have also been introduced to ensure all but essential highways maintenance works have been paused during the national lockdown, prioritising household waste (refuse) collections and gritting services.

With many key workers currently using the highway network and winter weather affecting the city, it’s important that that the gritting team can continue to keep the highways clear and safe. Grit bins can be used by local residents and are being restocked. Residents are reminded to help relief the pressure on the NHS by taking extra care on untreated side roads and footpaths.

The council has worked with trade unions and its supply chain to develop new ways of working and has ensured all works will happen in a safe way for front line operatives and the public, particularly whilst roads are quieter than normal.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said: “During this incredibly difficult period, it is important that the council continues to deliver essential frontline services, such as gritting and waste collections, to support local residents, businesses and key workers. 

“Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, our crews are working hard to ensure that these services can continue despite the national lockdown. With many key workers currently using the road network, it is important that our roads are gritted, so road conditions are maintained and improved.  Our Household, Waste and Recycling Centres will also remain open to local residents throughout this period.

“As ever, the resilience and reaction of our city in the face of adversity has been encouraging. We have been overwhelmed by the response of residents and community groups who are supporting more vulnerable residents across the city. Again, I would like to thank our staff, residents and communities enough for truly demonstrating how York comes together in times of crisis.”

However, even with these additional measures, some services like waste may still be affected if case numbers significantly increase amongst staff. This could include some delays or missed collections and the need to co-mingle some items. The council is doing everything it can to keep such disruption to a minimum where possible.

Key services and changes summary:

• Waste: some comingling may occur due to staff absences because of increased COVID infections and there may be some missed collections.  Staff are operating in bubbles to protect crews
• highways repairs/gritting: essential pothole repair and winter gritting will continue as normal. Staff are operating in bubbles to protect gritting drivers
• outdoor gyms: sports areas, basketball courts and outdoor gyms are now closed
• household waste sites at Hazel Court and Towthorpe: These services remain open
• explore libraries will be opening at York, Acomb and Tang Hall for public access to PCs, in order to ensure that everyone in York has access to the internet and isn’t digitally excluded. There will also be a click and collect from Acomb and Tang Hall.  These centres will be open Mon-Fri 10am to 3pm and Sat 10am 1pm
• a takeaway service will also operate from Rowntree Park Reading Café, seven days a week between 9am- 4pm.
• christmas tree collection – York residents can take their real trees for recycling to Tescos at Askham Bar in York between 10am and 4pm on Sunday 10 January.
• footstreets – operating hours will revert to 10.30am to 5pm (not 8pm). Extensions (Blake Street/Lendal & Goodramgate/Colliergate sections) will remain in place.
• street Works – Works to accelerate the delivery of utilities will take place were possible and whilst traffic levels are lower.
• the lockdown restrictions may affect the frequency of buses on some routes. Please check the itravelyork and operator websites for the latest information: itravelyork.info
• piccadilly car park is now closed.

Help us to ensure your waste/recycling collections can continue as normal, by following these steps:

• Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags
• double bag - these bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within your own room
• this should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin
• wipe down bins and boxes etc before and after collection
• minimise the waste you throw away
• park responsibly.

Gritting:

• So far this season the crews have treated the roads and trial cycle network on 22 occasions, using 1,100 tonnes of salt
• each time our nine large and three mini gritters treat York’s network they cover around 390 kilometres of road, footways and cycle-paths, with up to 100 tonnes of salt
• crews leave as early as 4am to ensure the city’s main roads, footpaths and cycle ways are treated
• some circumstances affect when and how we spread grit, including, traffic, rain that can wash away grit, unexpected changes and temperatures below -5°C, which make grit less effective.
• yellow warnings of ice expected to remain in York over the next week, meaning icy patches are expected to develop, especially on untreated surfaces
• therefore, it is vital that people travel to the conditions and leave extra time to complete their journey.
• the aim of the winter maintenance service is, as far as is reasonably possible, to allow the safe movement of traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, on York roads, footways and cycleway during times of adverse winter weather
• it also seeks to keep delays and accidents to a minimum
• precautionary treatment is undertaken before ice forms or snow settles on the highway
• precautionary treatment will only be to footways and carriageways on the defined network, which excludes most footways, cycleway and all car parks
• the gritting of cycle route networks forms part of our winter maintenance, unfortunately resources do not allow us to treat these as frequently as the primary network, these routes will be treated as and when resources becomes available.

To view regular gritting updates follow - follow @YorkGritter on Twitter for updates.

With the current situation continuously evolving, it is incredibly important that residents, communities and visitors can access reliable and accurate information easily. To subscribe to direct email updates from City of York Council, visit: www.york.gov.uk/form/EmailUpdates

For more information, support and advice visit www.york.gov.uk/coronavirus