Neighbourhood Caretakers – City of York Council update

A total of 254 issues including problems with plants, street furniture, roads and pavements, along with fly-tipping and graffiti have been reported to City of York Council Neighbourhood Caretakers since October.

The eight-strong team will have been on 31 walkabouts by Monday, May 18 and have visited each of York’s 21 wards at least once since their launch in September.

A council report stated 234 of the 254 issues reported had been resolved, with the remaining 20 passed on to others, found not to be an issue or otherwise closed.

It comes as councillors are set to discuss the performance of the team on Tuesday, May 19.

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The team of seven caretakers and one foreperson is equipped with two light vehicles, one commercial sweeper and other tools.

They cover four areas, North, West, East and Central York, with the division influencing how jobs for the team are prioritised.

Neighbourhood Caretakers aim to address issues raised by councillors and in communities that are not picked up through routine work by other council staff.

They made their debut with a visit to Hull Road ward on Monday, September 29.

Council figures show most of the issues reported to Neighbourhood Caretakers were classed as vegetation problem, totalling 176.

Street cleaning requests numbered 48, with road and pavement problems totalling 25 and two reports made about fly-tipping.

There was one report each related to street furniture problems, graffiti and a category listed as ‘quick log’.

(From left to right) York Council Neighbourhood Caretakers Evan Webster-Barker, Marcus Preston, Chris Ferry, Andrew Wood and Salem Branch (Image: City of York Council)

October saw the highest number of reports to Neighbourhood Caretakers, 69, with the second-highest made in January, 58, the third in March, 44 and the fourth in February, 42.

A total of 26 issues were reported in December and 15 were in November.

Jobs have included clearing plants from an alleyway off Leeman Road and removing weeds from Pateley Place in Holgate.

Overgrown plants have also been cleared from a walkway and cycle route in the Clifton Road and Shipton Road area.

The team has visited Hull Road, Holgate, Westfield, Clifton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without, Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, Heworth, Guildhall and Micklegate twice each since September for walkabouts.

They have been to Copmanthorpe, Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington, Acomb, Strensall, Rural West York, Heworth Without, Osbaldwick and Derwent, Haxby and Wigginton, Wheldrake, Bishopthorpe and Huntington and New Earswick once.

A walkabout in Huntington and New Earswick is scheduled for Monday, May 18.

Walkabouts typically see ward and parish councillors, authority staff, volunteers, residents association members and sometimes police officers visit areas to find issues Neighbourhood Caretakers can deal with.

Residents are also encouraged to take part in community action days to help with lower-level issues such as litter-picking and painting fences.