Commuting balance click to enlarge

The York Council has used outdated statistics to support their proposed Local Plan.

A key feature of the plan to grow jobs by 1000 a year and house numbers by 22,000 are the assumptions being made about commuting.

For these the Council is relying on the output from the 2001 census.

For many years there have been more people commuting into York to work than going the other way.

Local plan on commuting click to enlarge

Most come from the East Riding and Selby areas.

Around 2900 commute into York from Leeds and the West Riding while 5800 commute the other way.

It seems likely that this will continue as people match their specialist skills to the location of suitable employment.

It is fanciful to suggest that most York commuters will find suitable local jobs even in an expanding economy.

Some inward commuters may chose to move into the City but families with 2 or more people in employment will not find that an easy or cheap option.

What is surprising is that the Council should see the provision of a 5000+ new town at Holme Hill (dubbed New Alexandria) in the southern part of the green belt as a solution to housing problems.

This sector of the City has some of the worst traffic congestion in the county.

It is remote from the major employment development sites and there is no obvious – affordable – route into the City centre for a non road transport link.

The Local Plan acknowledges that congestion delays could DOUBLE by 2026.

Labours new Local Plan looks increasingly like a poorly thought through proposal.

York railway station is the 44th busiest in the country.

During 2011/12 it had 7.5 million passenger movements an increase of 6% on the previous year.

There were over 1 million interchanges at the station – higher than average.

By comparison Leeds station had 25 million movements a 2% growth on the previous year.

The data has been published by The Guardian.

The lists reveal Waterloo as the busiest station with 94 million movements. Kings Cross had 27.8 million.

Busiest station outside the capital is Birmingham New Street (31 million)

Musicians and dancers from across the globe will be celebrating diversity and faith at the first City of York International Festival of Faith and Culture on Saturday 27 April

From 11am-5pm at Parliament Street, a central stage will feature performances by Chinese instrumentalist Xicheng Li, York City Gospel Choir, Turkish music and dance, English folk bands and African drummers plus a puppet show and Arabic fashion show.

Among the activities will be face painting, storytelling, henna art and badge making too. In addition, information stalls run by groups representing different faiths, churches, communities and organisations will run alongside speakers from a range of faith groups and places of worship.

Changes to York’s Park & Ride concessionary bus pass fares will take effect this Sunday 28 April.

Anyone who is entitled to discounted travel on the York Park & Ride service will see an increase of 10p (from 60p to 70p) when boarding at any Park & Ride site.

The fares increase was agreed by Labour Councillors at February’s budget council meeting

In the 12 months up to December 2012, the Office of National Statistics report shows that crime has been reduced by 10% across the York and North Yorkshire force area.

This is 3,963 fewer victims of crime compared to the previous 12 months, with a total of 36,050 crimes.

Also, 67% of people who responded to a national crime survey said North Yorkshire Police deals with local concerns. While 66% agreed that the police and local councils deal with issues. This is one of the highest public confidence ratings in the country.

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Below are enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing Wednesday 24 April 2013.

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the following sites at various times during the dates stated. Cameras will not be in use all day, every day. The locations were accurate when this news release was produced.

Routes for the week ahead:

•A64 Eastbound Tadcaster by-pass
•A64 Westbound Tadcaster by-pass
•Beckfield lane York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road York
•Strensall Rd Huntington York
•A1036 Malton Road York
•Temple Lane Copmanthorpe York
•York Road Haxby York
•Towthorpe Road Haxby York
•Main Street Askham Richard
•Murton Way Murton York
•The Village Stockton On Forest York
•A1237 Monks Cross York
•Greenshaw Drive Haxby York
•B1228 Dunnington Lodge Elvington York
•Skipwith Road, Escrick
•Church Lane, Wheldrake
•A1237 Monks Cross York
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Balfour Beatty has been appointed to deliver the first phase of the £22.7 million Access York project, which received the green light from the Department for Transport in March.

The scheme, which is one of the largest single investments in York’s transport infrastructure, involves the development of two park and ride sites on the outskirts of the city.

Congestion levels along the routes into the city centre will be cut by increasing the parking capacity to 1,100 vehicles at Askham Bar Park and Ride and building a new 600-vehicle facility at Poppleton Bar.
Junctions to the new sites will be provided off the A59 and A1036 and major improvements to the A59/A1237 roundabout will be delivered as part of the works, which will run for a total of 54 weeks from May 2013 through to May 2014.

For more information about the new Park & Ride sites please visit www.york.gov.uk/parkandride http://www.york.gov.uk/parkandride

The Local Trading Standards team is putting its weight behind a national campaign to tackle rogue traders and help protect local consumers from being ripped off with new cold calling zones being researched across the city this week.

Operation Rogue Trader week runs from Monday 22 to Friday 26 April during whichthe council’s Trading Standards teamas part of its ongoing work is visiting traders advising on customers’ cancellation rights and legislation on branding and quality. It’s also been visiting consumers to advise them on their rights when entering into contracts at home following visits by door-to-door sellers.

The council’s team of consumer rights experts has also begun investigations into breaches of consumer protection legislation which involves a trader falsely claiming to be a member of a trader’s association, and has conducted a formal interview of one trader alleged to be carrying out unnecessary roof repairs.

Yorkshire and the Humber Trading Standards Group – known as the Scambusters team based at City of York Council – has started legal proceedings against five individuals for a total 13 offences involved in a council tax rebate scam.

This involves cold calling local York residents offering to challenge their council tax banding, lower their payments and recoup past overpayments. Following a £175 payment upfront, submissions are rarely made to the council tax office and when they are, their quality is so poor they are frequently rejected. The charges being levied include conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, blackmail and acting as a director when banned from holding the post.

Trading Standards team members will also be attending the council’s Crime Summit and will be offering residents advice from a stall at the day-long city centre Community Safety Market on Thursday 25 April.

Energise has become the first swimming pool in North Yorkshire to introduce new Swimfit sessions. Swimmers at City of York Council’s leisure centre on Cornlands Road, will be some of the first in the UK to try the new sessions, developed by experts at the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA).

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The Police have issued the following statement.

“Being the largest single county force in England, we are dedicated to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour that affects our communities.

We are now looking for talented individuals who have the personal resilience and commitment to provide a professional and visible response that protects those who are vulnerable, ensures that the issues that matter to our communities are being addressed, and that our communities are safe and feel safe.

If that sounds like you, then what are you waiting for? If you believe you meet the eligibility criteria and can commit to the extensive recruitment and training programme, then apply now for this exciting and rewarding opportunity!”