The Council have finally published a new map indicating where they hope to introduce the new 20 mph speed limit.

It can be accessed by clicking here

click to enlarge

The “new” proposals show little change from those originally published.

Once again the Council has failed to justify the £600,000 cost of introducing a City wide 20 mph limit.

Plans are also now available for:

• Copmanthorpe

• Bishopthorpe

A public meeting, which includes an item on the 20 mph limit, will take place at Dringhouses Primary School on Thursday, May 2. The meeting starts at 7:30pm

Brands-for-less homeware retailer HomeSense, located on Foss Islands Road, is again sponsoring the free Busking event, which will take place on Saturday 25 May from 11am to 7pm and Sunday 26 May from 12noon to 5pm in the city centre.

For more information about Buskival visit http://www.yorkfestivals.com/ www.facebook.com/Buskival or follow @York_Festivals on twitter

Three new mobile phone bus and travel apps may make it easier for commuters, residents and visitors to navigate their way around York at a touch of a button, with the launch of three new bus and travel apps.

Available from all app stores: the YorkLIVE, Bus York and York Park & Ride are available to download for free now.
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Below is the latest list of planning applications received by the York Council. Full details can be found by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site. Click here.

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

24 The Horseshoe York YO24 1LX Ref No: 13/00835/FUL Proposal: Loft conversion with dormer to rear Applicant: Mr Tim Thompson Contact Mr Thomas Gray Consultation Expiry Date 13 May 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

The Police have published a list of the numbers of motorists caught exceeding the speed limit during the second week in April.

click to enlarge

In total 169 cases were recorded in York by the police mobile camera van.

Of these 151 were dealt with by the offer of a speed awareness course, a further 16 attracted an “on the spot” £60 fine plus 3 penalty points while 2 offenders, who were driving well over the speed limit, face a court appearance.

The roads with the poorest records were:

• York Road, Haxby

• Beckfield Lane

• Greenshaw Drive, Haxby

• Main Street, Askham Richard

• Temple Lane Copmanthorpe

In total 1458 speeding violations were recorded across York and North Yorkshire during the week.

The data can be downloaded by clicking here

Following our earlier story, the Council have now provided (slightly) more detailed maps of where they are looking to provide more Gypsy caravan pitches as well as the proposed layover site for show people (e.g. fairground equipment).

The sites are shown hatched on the plans below. The Council are keen to point out that not all the land will necessarily be used for this purpose.

Showman’s site Wetherby Road Knapton

Malton Road click to enlarge

Metcalf Lane Obsbaldwick click to enlarge

Dunnington click to enlarge

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Having argued against even having a public meeting to discuss their controversial plan to impose a 20 mph speed limit on roads in west York (and later the rest of the City), the Labour Council have now issued a media release which says

“To view proposals of how 20mph might best be implemented in the West of York as well as Bishopthorpe, Copmanthorpe and Bishophill, please visit http://www.york20mph.org/

Following consideration of resident’s representations their comments will be fed back to a decision session for consideration before the introduction of the proposed 20mph limits. The planned introduction is set to be in place in spring/summer 2013 and will ensure that the majority of residential roads and neighbourhoods will have a lower speed limit to help reduce speeds where people live”.

Only problem is that anyone accessing http://www.york20mph.org/ will find only the usual array of juvenile artwork and shallow arguments. Still no sign of the revised detailed proposals promised months ago.

We continue to believe that every household in West York should be consulted. Excluding those living in existing 20 mph zones – as well as the small numbers living on streets which will retain a 30 mph limit – would potentially bias the results of any survey.

A public meeting, which includes an item on the 20 mph limit, will take place at Dringhouses Primary School on Thursday, May 2. The meeting starts at 7:30pm

City of York Council has received reports from local residents saying that they have been ‘cold-called’ by people selling mattresses.

These approaches have reportedly taken the form of telephone calls to make an appointment to visit them at home, or door-to-door calls. One resident was even stopped in the street by a van driver attempting to sell one of the mattresses.

Trading Standards is advising residents to exercise caution if approached by a seller offering such items.

It is not an offence to sell goods door-to-door. But anyone with concerns about approaches that have been made to them to buy goods and who would like further advice on their rights, or who would like to report an incident, is urged to contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06.

The first interactive public arts event at City of York Council’s new West Offices will be setting out its stall with an exchange of creative ideas in a market run by artist John Newling with York St John University fine arts students, plus a public talk by the artist.

The nine market stalls will be open on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 May from 10am to 4pm in the approach to West Offices’ new Customer Centre entrance off Toft Green. The market is a pilot project aimed at laying the foundations for similar events in the future, and complements the council’s citywide ideas internet platform GeniUS! which invites people to share ideas to improve life in York.

Also on 2 May at West Offices, from 11:45am – 1pm, John Newling will give an illustrated talk called ‘Common Values’. This major lecture will be a rare opportunity to hear the artist talk about his work over a period of 30 years, his more recent research in York and the ideas behind the ‘Market of Hidden Labours’.

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The controversial proposal to increase the size of the City was steamrollered through a working group meeting last night (Monday).

Opposition Councillors said that they had no confidence in the chair of the meeting (Cllr Merrett) who had failed to involve other members in drawing up the 1000 page report.

Now the plan has been scheduled for discussion at the (single party) “Cabinet” meeting on Tuesday 30th April.

Proposals map – click to enlarge

The agenda for the meeting (click here) was published before the working group meeting had even started!!!

So no opposition is being tolerated.