Top award for York Community Woodland

Councillor Paula Widdowson planting a tree

Recently at the Great Yorkshire Show, it was announced that the York Community Woodland had won the prestigious John Boddy Award for Forestry.

The York Community Woodland stretches over an 195 acre plot of land in the west of York and recently in February had its 85,000th tree be planted, marking a huge milestone for the young forest. This picturesque forest will not only provide a wonderful area for residents of York to have a relaxing stroll in, it also increases the biodiversity of the area and sustains threatened wildlife.

The idea for this woodland originally came from York’s previous Liberal Democrat administration as a sign of our commitment to combat climate change realise our net zero ambitions.

Councillor Paula Widdowson said “The new community woodland is a flagship scheme in our efforts to make York an even greener and cleaner city for generations to come.”

“As well as providing health and wellbeing benefits to the community, this woodland will create valuable habitats for wildlife and store carbon in the trees we grow.”

“This fantastic award is recognition for all the hard work done by volunteers, officers and everyone else who has helped to bring this project to fruition.”

Join The Lord Mayor And Sheriff At The Assize Of Ale

F’r yet anoth’r year, the hist’ric tradition of the assize of ale shall beest taking lodging in y’rk.

Or as us modern folks say, for yet another year, the historic tradition of the Assize Of Ale will be taking place in York. The excitement will begin at the York Mansion House and will make its way round the most gallant public houses of York whilst testing the best beverages to make sure that they are of the upmost quality. All are welcome, especially those attending in the dress of the medieval fashion.

This famous tradition dates back to when the Sheriff of York and Lord Mayor would call on their sergeants to test the quality of ale around York so that it was of enough quality to be served to the people of York. Any sergeant whom refused this offer would be fined or sent to the pillories which is why in the modern day, those who attend provide donations to local charities, with often larger sums being given due to how merry the attendees are, as well as some being punished in the pillories with soggy sponges.

Throughout the day, there will also be a birds of prey display for those who are brave enough to face the talons of the falcon. For others who are are Bake-Off fans, the thrilling best bread competition will take place at 1pm, with York’s top bakers fighting for the approval of the Sheriff! For all nobles and knights, the medieval feast will start at 5:30pm in York Brew with the small fee of either 500 shillings, 32 horses or £25. Pre-booking is suggested so as to prevent the Sheriff’s guards from denying you entry. To do this, simply follow this link to secure your place at the feast.

Therefore, to reenact this historic tradition once more, join the Lord Mayor Chris Cullwick and the Sheriff Sue Hunter for the most cheery afternoon of the year!

Hob Moor History Walk is Back!

Once again, Elizabeth Smith, armed with her historical knowledge, will be providing an hour long Hob Moor History walk. No advance booking needed and attendance is open to all. The walk shines a light on the often dark history of Hob Moor with plagued corpses and the coffins of knights being only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this ancient site. So join Elizabeth at 2:30 on the 6th of August at Hob Stone on Little Hob Moor for an enlightening afternoon.

The Hob Moor Wildflower Walk Returns!

If you want a relaxing and peaceful insight into the beautiful landscape of Hob Moor then this is the walk for you! Elizabeth Smith is leading a wildflower walk on the 23rd of July which is open to all. The walk is completely free with no advance booking needed and will last for approximately 1 hour. The walk will start from the Hob Stone on Little Hob Moor, from where you will be shown around the best wildflower hotspots of Hob Moor. So join Elizabeth at 2:30pm at the Hob Stone on Little Hob Moor for an enjoyable stroll.

Summer Reading Activities at Dringhouses Library!

Throughout the holidays, there are many activities at Dringhouses library to keep your children entertained and interested in reading. Throughout the summer, you can enter the summer reading challenge where for free you can read your way to victory by completing puzzles and games with prizes along the way!

As well as this, you can join in with fun-filled reading activities from 11:30am to 1pm on 29th July to take part in a range of games and puzzles.

As a one off, Lucy Monkman will be hosting an upcycling workshop at Dringhouses Library on the 17th of August at 2:30 pm so that you can learn to reduce waste and make old objects seem brand new!

In addition to these sessions, the Dringhouses library is also hosting a Lego club and under 5s story time every week. You can join the Lego club every Tuesday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm and the under 5s story time on every Thursday and Saturday from 11am to 11:30am.

All of these exciting events are completely free and do not need to be booked so simply turn up and enjoy hours of fun!

Family Fun at St James the Deacon Church!

On the 1st and 15th of August, St James the Deacon Church will be hosting the Tuesday Tots free activities sessions. With a myriad of different exciting activities to enjoy, your child can learn circus skills, play outdoor games, get their face painted and much more for free! All pre-schoolers and older children too can join in as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The sessions will run between 9:30am and 12:30pm. These events are supported by the amazing Tesco Askham Bar and York Foodbank which are providing refreshments, snacks and more to make these sessions possible.

The Knights Are Back For Summer Fun!

Once more, the York Knights have returned to the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward to provide free family rugby fun to children of all ages! All children who are aged 5+ can enjoy hours of enjoyment in the mobile York Knights inflatable arena with free drinks and snacks provided! As well as this, if your child is eligible for free school meals, you can both pre-book a session online and receive a free meal when you arrive but sign up fast as there are only a limited amount of spaces for these meals. However, don’t worry if you aren’t eligible as you can still take part in these sessions for free. To find your nearest York Knights fun session, look below at the range of different times and locations:

Woodthorpe Green:

  • Thursday 27th July: 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • Tuesday 22nd August: 1:30pm-3:30pm

York Acorn Rugby Club:

  • Wednesday 2nd August: 10am-12pm
  • Wednesday 16th August: 10am-12pm

Don’t panic if you unfortunately can’t make it to one of these sessions near you as there are many more fun filled activities across York which can be found here.

The Minstermen Are Back Again For Summer Fun!

Once again, York City FC Foundation is providing free fun-filled football sessions for those aged between 4 and 14 funded by the ward committee. With training from York City’s top coaches for up to 1 hour sessions, your child will be ready to play in the National League in no time! You can book a slot at one of these sessions in advance to secure your place or simply turn up to join in with the fun! Check below to see the closest York City sessions near you with a range of different times and dates:

Woodthorpe Green Fun Fridays:

  • 4-5 and 6-7 year olds: 4th, 11th, 18th August from 10am-10:45am
  • 8-10 and 11-14 year olds: 4th, 11th, 18th August from 11am-12pm

Chesney Fields Manic Mondays:

  • 4-5 and 6-7 year olds: 31st July, 7th, 14th, 21st August from 2pm-2:45pm
  • 8-10 and 11-14 year olds: 31st July, 7th, 14th, 21st August from 3pm-4pm

Don’t worry if you can’t find a session you can attend here as there are many more across York which you can view at this link.

Cherry Lane Planning Decision Appealed

Many residents in the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward had expressed their concerns over the proposed size and design of a property on land off Cherry Lane. Whilst outline planning permission was granted, the application which sought approval for the detailed design of the property was refused by City of York Council. That decision is now subject to appeal.

Background Information

Originally there was an application to build five houses on the Cherry Lane plot. This application was refused as it was felt that it would not protect enough of the green space which currently exists. In response, the plans were scaled back and an application was submitted for outline permission to build just one house and a garage on approximately one third of the plot, with the other two thirds being left as a natural green space as shown in the two images below.

This application lacked detail of the design of the property as it was an outline application, but the principle of the development was approved by the council. This approval also included a proposal to improve the junction of Cherry Lane and St Edwards Close, shown below in its current layout.

However, when the applicants later sent in their detailed plan for the estate, the council refused the application, the reasons for which are set out below.

The Head of Planning and Developing Services said the reason why the application was refused was due to:

  • “The proposed dwelling failed to respond positively to the local context in terms of its siting, scale, design and use of materials. The new dwelling is incohesive in appearance with an inappropriate use materials and a significantly overly bulky form and appearance. As a result it would integrate poorly into its wider surroundings, intruding into the landscape setting of the racecourse, and introducing a far more assertive and urbanised form of development into an area characterised by more spacious, lower density development. Overall the scheme represents poor design contrary to Section 12: Achieving well designed places of the National Planning Policy Framework and Policies D1 and D2 of the Submission Draft City of York Local Plan 2018.”
  • “As a result of its proximity, the proposed development would impact detrimentally on a TPO oak tree, which has high public amenity value arising from its prominent location and maturity, and biodiversity value. Additionally, insufficient evidence has been provided to clarify impacts on other trees within and adjacent to the site, particularly the TPO hornbeam at the access point, and also on the overall impact of the scheme and the associated landscape quality of the site. The proposal is therefore contrary to Sections 12: Achieving well-designed places and 15: Conserving and enhancing the natural environment of the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy GI4 of the Submission Draft City of York Local Plan 2018.”

Current situation

Presently, whilst attempting to appeal the refusal of planning permission, a new application has been submitted with revised designs. In this revised design, the buildings on the site are smaller than in the previous application.

To find out more about the background to this matter, please follow the two links below to the City of York Council’s planning portal:

Bus route changes as resurfacing work starts

Moor Lane resurfacing work gets underway on Monday 19 June at 7pm. The overnight closure of the road between Cairnborrow and Eden Close will have an impact on the number 12 and number 14 bus services.

Due to the location of the closure, buses will not be able to operate beyond Grassholme and will instead terminate at Woodthorpe shops.

This means that the stops on Moor Lane beyond Grassholme and on the Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive / Bellhouse Way / Foxwood Lane loop will not be serviced after 7pm for the next ten weekday evenings. 

More information is available on the East Yorkshire buses website HERE