York police continued their fight against drugs with a series of morning raids in the west side of the city.

Officers targeted five addresses, where they conducted warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act to reaffirm their zero-tolerance approach to drug dealing in the York West Safer Neighbourhood area on Tuesday 7 May 2013.

The initiative labelled Operation Enable was set up to disrupt the activities of drug dealers and drug users in the local community and reassure residents that the police are taking positive action.

The warrants were conducted at properties on New Lane, York Road, Cornlands Road, Poppleton Road and Danebury Drive.

At the New Lane address, officers arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of possessing Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

A 34-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class B drugs following searches at the property on Cornlands Road.

Both men remain in police custody for questioning.
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The Police have published an up to date list of drivers who have been caught speeding on roads in and around York.

The drivers were identified by mobile camera vans over a 7 day period. In total 144 drivers were found to be exceeding speed limits. The vast majority (127) were asked to attend a speed awareness course.

The road with the largest number of contraventions was the A1237 near Monks Cross (56 offences)

This was followed by Millfield Lane in Poppleton (23), Strensall Road in Huntington (21), Tadcaster Road in Dringhouses (12) and the B1228 near Dunnington Lodge in Elvington.

The results of the checks on each road are listed left.

A complete list for the whole county can be downloaded from this site http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/10951

During the forthcoming week the camera vans will be visiting the following locations:
• A64 east-bound, Tadcaster
• A64 west-bound, Tadcaster
• Beckfield Lane, York
• Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
• A1036 Tadcaster Road, York
• Main Street, Askham Richard
• A1237 Monks Cross, York
• B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York
• York Road, Haxby, York
• Towthorpe Road, Haxby, York
• Greenshaw Drive, Haxby, York
• Murton Way, Murton, York
• Strensall Road, Huntington, York
• The Village, Stockton-on-Forest, York
• A1036 Malton Road, York
• Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
• Church Lane, Wheldrake
• (more…)

£19,000 was allocated to be spent during the last financial year by the Council in “deprived” wards.

The Council’s web site described the fund as being “designed to be used to commission new services, either from within the Council or from other partners / sectors, to deliver on priorities identified in wards with the highest levels of deprivation. In line with the Financial Inclusion Strategy the credits pot has been distributed to Acomb, Clifton, Heworth, Hull Road and Westfield to supplement the ward budgets”.

The move came in the wake of a decision to reduce Ward committee funding by 90%. This was money that had been allocated to deal with local problems.

It was prioritised through a popular ballot each year.

The Council have now published a list of how they claim the £19,000 pot was used last year.
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Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council. Full details can be found by clicking the reference below or by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site.

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.

Ref. No: AOD/13/00105 Sim Hills Tadcaster Road Dringhouses York | Received: Thu 02 May 2013 | Validated: Thu 02 May 2013 | Status: Pending Consideration

Ref No: 13/00833/FUL Location: 33 West Thorpe York YO24 2PP Proposal: Single storey rear extension Applicant: Mr And Mrs Van Der Arend Contact Mr Jon Brookman Consultation Expiry Date 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

Ref No: 13/00944/FUL Location: 2 Calcaria Court York YO24 1QU Proposal: Conservatory to rear Applicant: Mr And Mrs Golightly Contact Steve Wilson Consultation Expiry Date 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

In a snap poll, conducted in the Acomb area, 80% of respondents have come out against closing Lendal Bridge to private cars at the present time.

Most of the other respondents were undecided on the issue.

The poll was conducted by the Liberal Democrats over the weekend as part of their reaction to the new Local Plan published by the Labour led Council 3 weeks ago.

The Council is due to decide this evening whether to introduce the ban on private car access between 10:30am and 5:00pm – effective from August 2013.

But there has been no consultation with residents or traders on the issue.

It has been pointed out that the A1237 – one of the alternative routes for motorists – will be heavily congested at that time because of ongoing road works at the A59 junction.

The poll result reflects the numbers signing petitions on the Council’s web site.

By Tuesday morning 609 residents had signed in opposition to the bridge closure

A rival petition, supporting the closure, had attracted 103 supporters

The Liberal Democrats had called for a more cautious approach to major decisions like this one and the equally unpopular plan to introduce a Citywide 20 mph speed limit.

The Council’s “Cabinet” will decided tomorrow (Tuesday) whether to demolish the garage block in Chaloners Road and replace it with a block of11 flats.

There has been no consultation with residents about the plan

If approved, the scheme would still require planning permission.

The site did not feature as a housing site in the Local Plan which was announced by Labour 4 weeks ago.

Meanwhile The Press has published details of a public meeting which has apparently been scheduled to discuss the design of Council houses which “will be built on the former Beckfield Lane recycling centre site”.

The article says that a “drop in” event will take place on Wednesday at Carr Junior School from 4:30pm to 8:00pm.

This demonstrates the arrogance of the present Council Leadership.

A decision in principle whether to build 30 new homes on the site is not due to be taken until Tuesday evening’s “Cabinet” meeting!

Yet it appears that the housing scheme has already been designed!

So much for democracy and resident involvement.

The meeting is also being asked to delegate power to a Labour Councillor to vary the sites that the planned 60 Council houses could be built on.

The Council has refused to name the other sites which have been considered.

If the delegation is agreed, then the only notice that residents might get of any change would be when a planning application was submitted.

However, as the Council no longer issues routine consultation letters to any neighbours affected by a planning application, they would only have to put a notice on a lamppost to fulfill their legal responsibilities

NB. A list of planning applications received for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward is published each week on this web site.

In response to an Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the York Council has admitted that it is considering ending the Toy Library Bus programme sooner than it had previously publicised.

Labour Councillors had voted in February to end the service in 2014.

Now it seems that an earlier decision on its future is planned.

The current programme of visits extends only into May.

The response to the FOI request says,

“However, due to on-going pressures on the 13-14 budget, officers are also reviewing the operation of the vehicle and its current viability. Consultation will take place with service users in May. Any subsequent decision will be taken by the elected member in public”

Click individual events for more details

• Rugby Knights v Leigh 5st May Sun Huntington Stadium

• The Mousetrap 6th- 11th May 7:30pm Grand Opera House

Just Jog 8th May 5:30pm and every Wednesday West Offices

Get fit with Pilates 7th May Tues 2:00pm York RI Holgate

• Dark inventions 10th May Fri 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• Union Jill 11th May Sat 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• Battlegroup North 11th – 12th May Elvington air museum

• Sean Lock 12th May Sun 8:00pm Barbican

• Priscilla 13th – 18th May Grand Opera House

• Royal Ballet 14th – 15th May Theatre Royal

• Horse racing 15th/17th May Knavesmire

• The Lumberjacks 17th May Fri 8:00pm Barbican

• Brass Jaw 17th May Fri 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• Funmi Olawumi 17th May Fri Theatre Royal

• York Guildhall Orchestra 18th May Sat 7:30pm Barbican

• Horrible Histories 18th – 22nd May Barbican

• South Asian Dance show 18th May Sat Theatre Royal

Meditation 19th may Sun 9:30am Middlethorpe Hall

• Jack Jones 21st May Tues Grand Opera House

Who do you think you are? 21st & 23rd May 10:15am Rowntree Park Reading Room

• The Misanthrope 21st – 25th May Theatre Royal

• Ebor Lecture Catherine Pepinster 22nd May Wed 7:30pm Minster

• York Minster revealed 22nd May Wed Minster Within underground chambers beneath York Minster, dynamic new audiovisual and interactive galleries will reveal the significance behind the cathedral’s most treasured artefacts as never before, in an inspirational two thousand-year journey

• York Rocks against Cancer 24th May Grand Opera House

Arts & crafts preview 24th – 26th May York Explore Library

• Horse racing 25th May Sat Racecourse

Hob Moor Fair 25th May Sat 1:00pm Hob Moor (behind Lidl

Centenary celebrations 25th May Sat 10:00am New Earswick Library

Buskival 25th/26th May York City centre

Model boat regatta 26th May Sun 12:00 noon Rowntree Park

• Julian Clary 26th May Sun Grand Opera House

• Sean Lock 28th May Tues 8:00pm Barbican

• Rutherford & Son 28th – 1st June Theatre Royal

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Acomb Liberal Democrats are out today delivering a Focus newsletter which highlights the threat to the Green Belt in the area.

Meanwhile the Labour run City of York Council has blocked the publication of a key report used to justify its plans to build 22,000 houses over the next 15 years.

The Council commissioned the consultancy firm Arup to produce a study on housing growth in York. The company’s findings are being cited by the Council as “key evidence” to defend its controversial Local Plan, which was approved by the Labour Cabinet on Tuesday and now faces an eight-week public consultation.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Nigel Ayre has repeatedly asked for a copy of the report and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Carol Runciman has written to Council Chief Executive Kersten England asking for all evidence to be published. This morning, officers refused Cllr Ayre’s request saying that they would not be publishing the report until the delayed public consultation begins. This could still be four weeks away.

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Due to cut backs, the Council are consulting on earlier closing times for libraries.

The decision would affect Dringhouses (but not Acomb Explore)

The proposed opening hours for Dringhouses are:

Monday: 2.00pm – 6.00pm

Tuesday: 9.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 5.30pm

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 9.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 5.30pm

Friday: 2.00pm – 5.30pm

Saturday: 9.30am – 1pm

Full details can be found by clicking here