The Council are consulting on the future of the “footstreets”. They say;

We would like your views on ways of improving the operation of the footstreets (pedestrian zones) in the city centre.

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City of York Council’s Archive team are putting on a free exhibition at York Explore Library Learning Centre to explore 800 years of York’s civic history.

The exhibition comes after being awarded a grant of £9505 from Yorventure – an independent not for profit environmental body that gives grants to community and environmental projects through the Landfill Communities Fund with Landfill Tax Credits generated by Yorwaste.

The grant will be used to purchase three bespoke display units for inside the library, as well as four outside notice panels. The units will be designed to coordinate with the original Brierley furniture at the library, and build in sustainable oak and birch by local carpenters.

The exhibition will launch on 25 July and will run until 30 September along side this year’s medieval themed Big City Read. Volunteers from across the community have used the city’s unique archive of historical documents to tell the stories of men and women who have lived and worked in the city from the 13th to the 20th centuries.

Goddards

The National Trust have applied for a premises Licence for Goddards. Gaddards is the former Terry family home at 27 Tadcaster Road which opened to the public for the first time at the weekend.

The application is for a premises licence to allow:

i) Plays, Films, Live Music, Recorded Music, Performances of Dance, Provision of Making Music and Facilities for Dancing – Indoors & Outdoors
Mon – Sun 10:00hrs – 22:00hrs

ii) Supply of Alcohol – On and Off Sales
Mon – Sun 10:00hrs – 22:00hrs

iii) Opening Hours Mon – Sun 24:00hrs

Any representations on the application have to be made to the Councils licensing department by 14th August.

All applications can be viewed in full at the council offices 9 St Leonard’s Place. Contact the licensing section on 01904 552512 for an appointment to view. Representations must be made in writing in the timescale indicated on the notice and sent to the Licensing Office, 9 St Leonard’s Place, York YO1 7ET

Representations must relate to one or more of the 4 licensing objectives of the Act namely, prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.

http://tinyurl.com/York-Licensing-2012 (This register is updated regularly)

The York Council continues to claim that the Susanna Gregory novel “Mystery at the Minster” “was specially commissioned for the Big City read“.

This seems unlikely as the book was first published in August 2011 and publicity material from that time made no reference to either the Big City Read or the York800 celebrations.

Nevertheless it is a good read and is deservedly recommended.

The Council says,

City of York Council’s Library and Archives service are inviting residents to meet the acclaimed author of a brand new book that aims to get the whole city reading together and talking about ‘Mystery in the Minster’.

‘Mystery in the Minster’ is a medieval-themed murder mystery and the seventeenth in Susanna’s bestselling series – of which over 100,000 copies have been sold. It features her regular character physician-cum-sleuth Matthew Bartholomew who finds himself in York. What starts as a dispute over land soon turns to murder…

This year’s chosen book is available from all of York’s 14 libraries and Explore centres from 26 July. What’s more, each book given away this year will contain a unique ‘bookcrossing number’ which readers can use on www.bookcrossing.com to enter comments on the book, as well as seeing where the book has been previously and keeping track of it once it’s been passed on.

Tickets to the launch event are free but booking is essential. Book online for all events at www.york.gov.uk/libraries or by calling into any library. Residents can also follow the events using twitter @yorklibrariesuk or facebook at www.facebook.com/ExploreYorkLibrariesandArchives.

The London Evening Standard reported this week a new poll under the headline Even Lib-Dems say Lords reform is not a priority. Buried two-thirds of the way down, however, was this interesting data:

Today’s poll found the idea of reforming the Lords, which still has 92 hereditary peers, is widely supported. Eight in 10 people back the idea of reform at some point in time.

It is highest among Lib-Dems, at 87 per cent, and lowest among Conservatives at 75 per cent. Only 16 per cent of the public thought the chamber should be left as it is.

Here’s what Lib Dem MP Tom Brake had to say about the finding:

“Clearly people’s priority now is employment and growth, but … if you ask people whether it’s right that people should make laws just because their grandfathers and fathers did, they are gobsmacked by the notion.”

City of York Council will be carrying out essential resurfacing works on Wigginton Road at the junction with Crichton Avenue this month.

The works will start at 6pm on Monday 23 July to be completed by 11pm on Friday 3 August, weather permitting. The works will take place weekday evenings only, under a full road closure between 6pm and 11pm.

A signed diversion route, suitable for all vehicles, will operate inbound from the A1237 Outer Ring Road via the A19 Shipton Road and outbound via Haxby Road to the A1237 Outer Ring Road.

Outside of the working hours, the road will be open as normal. The road closure will be supervised at each end to prevent unauthorised access. Access for pedestrians and emergency services will be maintained at all times. Cyclists will be instructed to dismount and use adjacent footways.

The contractor carrying out the works will be City of York Council Highways Maintenance, who will be responsible for public safety. As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption and inconvenience, but everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum.

The York Council will be responding this week to a proposal that (nationally) there would be no restriction on the number of taxi licenses that could be issued. The so called “deregulation” is one of the proposals of a Law Commission report which is currently subject to consultation.

There is a concern that deregulation could lead to overcrowding at City centre taxi ranks.

The Councils proposed response can be viewed here
http://tinyurl.com/Taxi-changes-York

On Saturday 21st July the ‘Friends of York Walls’ are holding a Tofts Fair around Lower Priory Street, just inside the walls near to the Victoria Bar. With help from the local Residents Association and the support of City of York Council, this is part of the City’s 800th Charter Year celebrations.

Activities planned include:
Music & dance, Giant games, Miniature train rides, Bouncy castle, Dog show, Halfords bike display & free bike safety checks, Charity stalls, Climbing wall, Face painter, Ice cream refreshments & BBQ, Punch and Judy, Local history displays, Free fruit for the children, Sponsor a Stone and History of the Walls display by FYW, etc..

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A member of international percussion and performance group STOMP, a local breakdance group and a tower of instruments made from recycled junk, have been brought together by City of York Council in a first for the Festival of the Rivers on the banks of the River Ouse.

This exciting new ensemble, known as Junkestra, will have a rhythm rockers’ showdown on Sunday 22 July from 1-5pm at the riverside Tower Gardens, York, as part of the city’s seventh, annual celebration of its rivers.

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City of York Council is inviting residents to paint their personal stories of the city on a massive artwork as part of this summer’s Big City Read celebrations and York Stories 2012 project.

The aim to create a frieze called the Bayers Tapestry which, using acrylic paint on external plywood, will weave together the tales of York residents. To be displayed around the city, it will be a 21st century nod to the eleventh century Bayeux Tapestry which continues to recount the stories surrounding the Norman Conquest.

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