• York Residents Festival 26th/27th Jan Various A chance for York citizens to enjoy free and discounted entry into some of York’s world class attractions

• Rugby League Knights v Hull 27th Jan Sun Huntington Stadium

• York Dance Works 27th Jan Sun 3:00pm Barbican

• Get stuck in Mon 28th Jan 1:00pm West Bank Park This task is to check the condition of the nest boxes in West Bank Park and to repair those that can be repaired. We will also be able to make some new ones and install them in time for nesting season.contact Jenny Cairns on 07833 436832

• Stand Up York 31st Jan Thurs 6:30pm Barbican

• Paloma Faith 1st Feb Barbican (sold out)

• Images of Auschwitz 1st Feb – 15th Feb York Explore Library

• Football City v Morecambe 2nd Feb sat Bootham Cres

• 20th Century Choral Masters 2nd Feb 7:30pm St Michael le Belfrey

• Moscow Ballet The Nutcracker 2nd/3rd Feb Barbican

* • York Bayer Tapestry 2nd Feb Sat 10:00am `Art Gallery

* • Upholstery master class 2nd & 3rd Feb 9;00am Rogues Atelier

• Dolly Parton Musical 4th/9th Feb Grand Opera House

• Home-Start schools concert 7th Feb Minster

• Little Mix 8th Feb 7:00pm Barbican (sold out)

*• Ales N Tales 8th – 15th Feb Various pubs

• Anton & Erin go to Hollywood 9th Feb 3:00pm/7:30pm Barbican

• Rugby League Knights v Swinton 10th Feb Sun 3:00pm Huntington Stadium

* • Wellies and waders 11th Feb 1:00pm Rawcliffe Country park

* • Harry Hill 11th 12th Feb Grand Opera House

• Rita Ora 12th Feb Tues 6:30pm Barbican

• Ladies 5 a side football 12th Feb Tues & weekly York Sport Village

• Rumours of Fleetwood Mac 13th Feb Grand Opera House

• Russell Kane 14th Feb Grand Opera House

• Steve Knightly 15th Feb Early Music Centre

• Guinness World Records 15th Feb Fri 7:00pm Barbican

• Billy Fury Story 15th Feb Fri Grand Opera House

*• Could you be a Viking warrior? 16th Feb Sat 11:30am York Explore Library

• Football City v Barnet 16th Feb Sat Bootham Cres

• JORVIK Viking Festival 16th 24th Feb Various

• The Rat Pack 16th Feb Sat Grand Opera House

*• York: Capital of the North 16th Feb onwards Yorkshire Museum

• Toy Story: come and play 16th Feb onwards Castle Museum

• The Nolans 16th Feb Sat 7:30pm Barbican

• The Ratcracker 17th Feb Sun Grand Opera House

• American Wrestling 18th Feb Mon Grand Opera House

• Ex Dubliners 18th Feb Mon 7:30pm Barbican

• Fit @ 50 18th Feb Mon 9:30am Energise Cornlands Road

• Moscow State Circus 20th/21st Feb Grand Opera House

• Viking Family activities 20th Feb Minster

• Heimkoma 20th Feb Minster

• Minster of Mystery 22nd Feb Minster (visit to undercroft works)

• Miss Saigon 22nd Feb 2nd Mar Jo Ro Theatre

• ELO Experience 22nd Feb Fri Grand Opera House

• Milton Jones 22nd Feb Fri 8:00pm Barbican

• Comedy Night 22nd Feb Fri Racecourse

* • Viking incursion 23rd Feb Sat 2:00pm York Explore Library

• Music from the Movies 23rd Feb Sat Racecourse

• York Guildhall Orchestra 23rd Feb Sat 7:30pm Barbican

• Roy Orbison & friends 23rd Feb Sat Grand Opera House

*• On your bike 18th Feb Fri 9:30am Huntington school • Dance on Yorkshire 24th Feb Sun 7:00pm Barbican

• Rugby League Knights v Halifax 24th Feb Sun 3:00pm Huntington Stadium

• The Soldiers 24th Feb Sun Grand Opera House

• Yiddish Twist Orchestra 26th Feb Tues 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• The Woman in Black 25th/2nd Mar Theatre Royal

*• Silver sparkles 25th Feb 25th Mar 7:00pm Huntington School

• Make do and mend 25th Feb 7:00pm York High School

• Goodnight Mister Tom 26th/2nd Mar Grand Opera House

• Paving the way 26th Feb Tues Rowntree park

• Shout it out 26th Feb 7:00pm Fulford School

• VentureFest 28th Feb Racecourse

• Symbols and legends 28th Feb Thurs 5:30pm York Explore Library

• Beuno lingo Italia 28th Feb 7:00pm Fulford school

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York and West Yorkshire has been delegated money to invest in improving local transport systems.

The DfT published indicative funding levels for the Local Transport Bodies taking these decisions and confirmed the geographical areas that these bodies will cover, of which West Yorkshire and York will receive £60 million in the period up to 2018/19. In addition, as part of the City Deal, the West Yorkshire and York area will receive a further £123m over the next 10 years up to 2024/25.

From 2015, each Local Transport Body will be allocated funding according to the number of people living within its boundaries. This is a change from previous arrangements, where local areas bid for a share of a central funding pot, putting forward specific schemes for consideration

The York Council says, “In developing the detailed arrangements for a West Yorkshire and York LTB it is proposed that this is done on the basis that York’s major scheme funding is spent either on schemes with a mutual benefit to West Yorkshire and York (and potentially other LTB’s) or on schemes of benefit to York and its vicinity.

This may be applicable to schemes such as improving surface access to Leeds Bradford International Airport, upgrading the York Northern Outer Ring Road and Harrogate rail line, and developing a York rail station bus interchange and other bus and Park & Ride priorities”.

However there is no guarantee that any of this investment will be spent in York. Decisions continue to be taken in private and residents are not consulted on priorities.
When it decided to go in with the much larger West Yorkshire area, The York Council should have negotiated a “minimum spend” guarantee for the City. Otherwise the chances are that York’s unique needs will be swamped by the demands from other parts of the region.

The Energise leisure and sports centre, which is located on Cornlands Road, has issued a statement saying;

“Bigger gym, More equipment, More classes and now it has been confirmed that the monthly Beactive membership will remain the same price until at least 1st April 2014!!!!”

The Council have issued the following statement, “Regretfully we have had to cancel the Behind the Scenes tours of the City Archives planned for Saturday 26 January because of staff illness.

We are looking to re-schedule these tours to take place in the February half-term holiday next month, and will publicise the new date on this website.

We are very sorry to have let down everybody who has already booked on these tours and we hope that they will be able to come along when we re-arrange them in February”.

Click here to view the performance tables for York schools as published by the Department for Education.

As always, caution needs to be exercised in interpreting data of this sort

York schools are continuing to excel at Key Stage 4.

The Key Stage 4 School Performance Tables show that many York schools achieved excellent results and are well above national averages. And within this overall picture, there has been real individual pupil success.

The tables show that in the academic year 2011/12, 88% of young people in York achieved five or more A* to C grades, an improvement of 4 percentage points from last year. The percentage of pupils gaining five or more A*–C grades, including English and Maths GCSE, is 63%, which is also an improvement of 1 percentage point from 2011. Both these results place York in the top 20 per cent of Local Authorities in England.

Whilst the overall results have improved, results for those pupils eligible for free school meals have increased significantly for the 3rd successive year in a row, demonstrating the positive impact of governmetn initiatives such as the “pupil premium” to narrow the gap.

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 23 and Tuesday 29 January 2013.

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
•Beckfield Lane, Acomb, York
•Green Lane, Acomb, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, Acomb, York •A171 Jugger Howe opposite Springhill Farm
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York will take on 3 other Cities in the final of the Britain in Bloom contest in 2013.

It will be up against Norwich, Stockton on Tees and the London Borough of Richmond in the City category.

Click here for a full list of categories and finalists

Results come out in October 2013, when winners will be announced at a celebratory awards ceremony. Finalists will vie to win the Champion of Champions category; Broughshane, County Antrim was last year’s champion.

Andrea Van Sittart, Head of Regional Development, said; ‘Thanks to the legacy of London 2012, the power of volunteering has never been more widely-recognised or appreciated. Britain in Bloom saw a 30% uplift in sign-ups over the past year and this year we have a record number of finalists.’

Serious assault in Acomb: Two charged A 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old youth are due at York Magistrates’ Court today at 9.15am, court room 1, to face a joint charge of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (Section 18 – Wounding with Intent).

The 50-year-old victim is in a critical but stable condition at Leeds General Infirmary.

City of York Council is notifying its customers that reception services at 9 St Leonard’s Place will be temporarily relocated ahead of the opening of its new Customer Centre at West Offices in March this year.

The following services will be moving to new temporary locations:

· Parking Services: On the morning of Monday 28 January the reception for all parking related services and enquiries will close and will reopen at 12pm at Customer Services Library Square, alongside services for Council Tax, Benefits, Housing and Housing Options.

·The main reception at 9 St Leonard’s Place will close at 2pm on Thursday 31 January and will reopen on Friday 1 February in the Brierley Room on the ground floor at York Explore, Museum Street. Reception Services relocating to York Explore are:

·Planning

·Building Control

·Land Charges

·Waste and Recycling

·Transport Planning

·Concessionary Travel including National Bus Passes (senior and disability), Yozone cards and Senior Persons Rail cards

·Conservation and Listed Buildings

·Highways

·Network Management

·Licensing and Taxi Licensing

·City Development

·Education (including school meals, uniform grants, admissions and school transport).

Customers with urgent queries or service requests about any of these services during the short periods of closure on 28 and 31 January are asked to call the council on 01904 551550.

Bus users in and around York are being asked for their views on proposed changes to the city’s bus network at a consultation event taking place next month.

Members of the public are invited to attend a public forum on Friday 8 February at York Explore Library Learning Centre’s cafe, between 10am and 12.30pm, to comment or put questions to York’s bus operators and the council’s transport team about the city’s bus services.

It provides an opportunity for residents to argue for the route of the number 4/5 to be changed to take in Front Street and Ridgeway.

Residents can also support the campaign aimed at forcing the Council and bus operators to published reliability statistics for the routes that they operate in the City.

Residents can also email their views or comments to: transport.planning@york.gov.uk. Responses must be received by the end of Friday 8 February.

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