June 2021 Issue No 20
Email: chair@cwra.co.uk
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In this edition –
- Small Bird/Fledgling Hazard at The Chocolate Works
- The Great British Spring Clean
- Update from David Wilson Homes
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- Small Bird/Fledgling Hazard at The Chocolate Works
Until last Thursday afternoon, I thought these down pipes and upper box (hopper) were an interesting addition to the back of our homes and garage buildings. However, the hopper is completely open to the elements with nothing to stop a fledgling or small bird from falling into the downpipe from the hopper and being trapped within the pipe at ground level. I have a very different view of them now…
Over the last few months, we have very much enjoyed watching a pair of nesting blackbirds in our garden but were horrified when a fledgling fell into the pipe and could be heard calling from inside it. The parent birds were frantically trying to get to the bird with food but clearly that wasn’t possible. Three site workers were incredibly helpful and after a couple of hours and after a number of different options were pursued, they did manage to release the young bird. We placed it back in the nest but very sadly it died during the night.
I thought this might have been a freak occurrence but was once again horrified to see another fledgling wobbling on top of one of these low hoppers in a garden on Joseph Terry Grove the same night – another tragic accident waiting to happen. There is the same pipe and hopper configuration higher up on our houses and apartments but the lower ones are clearly the most dangerous, particularly to a newly fledged bird still honing its flying skills.
I subsequently went to Pextons on the Bishy Road and explained our issue with the hoppers and downpipes and they recommended these filter guards. I had the one and only packet but they’re also available on Amazon. They fit perfectly into the pipe aperture in the hopper – it’s literally a 2 minute job and, as it states on the box, no tools required! As well as saving the lives of fledglings, they also serve a practical purpose and prevent the pipe being cluttered with leaves and other debris.
Having contacted residents on the Chocolate Works Facebook group and in person, I’ve been really heartened by their responses (think Amazon and Pextons are doing rather well from this!) and hope that we can resolve this issue with the involvement of residents and David Wilson Homes.
If anyone needs help with popping the guards into the hoppers, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
Lucy Ryan
15 Bayldon Square
07909 757170
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2. The Great British Spring Clean.
On Saturday 5th June, eleven Chocolate Works residents volunteered their time for the Great British Spring Clean. They collected several bags of litter with a couple of volunteers tackling the weeds around the laurel on Bishopthorpe Road.
The Great British Spring Clean is an annual, nationwide event promoted by Keep Britain Tidy. It is supported by City of York Council’s Environment and Community Team. This is a popular event with York residents coming together to help clean up their local area.
If you are interested in volunteering please contact environmentandcommunity@york.gov.uk
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3. Update from David Wilson Homes
Following a meeting with the Managing Director of David Wilson Homes we now know –
- David Wilson Homes are back on target for a November 2021 completion.
- They have only 23 properties left for sale.
- Their contractor will replace dead or dying laurel hedging at the appropriate time.
- The grass verge on Joseph Terry Grove, adjacent to the Care Home will be finished off properly prior to completion.
- York City Council will not accept Resident parking signs or Visitor signs on the kerb stones. These will all have to be replaced prior to completion. They agree that we currently have too many different styles of signs and that the new Visitor signs on Banks Drive are barely visible. Work is ongoing to standardise signs and ensure that Visitor signs are much more visible to drivers, and in a different colour from resident spaces.
- DWH will continue to explore the problems we have identified with gutters. So far they have not been able to isolate a common denominator to the problems, but remain sympathetic to our concerns about the issue.
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