Go from walking to jogging five kilometres in ten weeks!

Walkers who would like to speed up and start jogging are invited to join a new programme which transforms residents from striding out to jogging up to five kilometres after 10 weeks.

The Walk 2 Jog Programme, organised by City of York Council, starts on Tuesday 17 February at 6.30pm at Rowntree Park car park. The weekly sessions steadily increase in speed and distance, starting with a three kilometre walk which builds up to a five kilometre jog in week 10.

The fitness sessions are planned to be fun and sociable which participants really enjoy and feel the benefits of in terms of stamina, aerobic capacity and weight loss.

The course will be taken by Jonathan Nyman, qualifying as an England Athletics run leader. Jonathan first started jogging as a way of helping to control high blood sugar levels, which developed into setting up a social jogging group.

Jogging as an exercise is a great aerobic activity which can help weight loss and develop a healthy heart. While many people take up jogging to enter local races and raise money for charity, those who want to carry on will be given other options available, which includes joining other jogging and running groups held across York.

This Walk 2 Jog course is for adults and costs £10 for 10 weeks with each session lasting approximately 40 to 60 minutes. Participants are asked to bring a drink and wear trainers and comfortable clothes. For further information and to book contact Dean Sharp, Sports Participation Officer email dean.sharp@york.gov.uk or call 01904 553377.

Essential resurfacing – Nelsons Lane, Dringhouses

City of York Council will be carrying out essential resurfacing works on Nelsons Lane, Dringhouses from 9 February. The work is expected to take one week, finishing on 13 February and will take place between 7pm and 11pm.

In order to carry out these works safely, a temporary road closure of Nelsons Lane will be in place. Residents are advised there will be no access or egress for vehicles during working hours except in emergencies.

There will be no on-street parking during these times. Residents who require vehicular access are asked to inform operatives onsite to ensure safety. Vehicular access will only be allowed if it is safe to do so. Pedestrian access will be available at all times.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption. Residents are assured that everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum, however motorists should expect some delays and plan their journey accordingly.

The contractor carrying out the work will be responsible for safety.

Latest Planning application Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

—————————————————-

Location:       23 The Horseshoe York YO24 1LY

Proposal:       Two storey side extension

Ref No: 15/00011/FUL

Applicant:      Mr And Mrs Parry      Contact Mrs Kate Macneill       Consultation Expiry Date        16 February 2015 Case Officer:   David Johnson   Expected Decision Level DEL

————————–

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

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

Robbery in Askham Richard

Detectives are appealing for witnesses and information following an aggravated burglary in Askham Richard near York on the night of Monday 26 January 2015.

Incident

At around 7.50pm, three men wearing balaclavas and brandishing hammers and knives, broke into a house in the village and threatened the householders.

The offenders searched their home before leaving with jewellery, an amount of cash and the keys to their white, Mercedes E-Class convertible.

The suspects then left the scene in the Mercedes which was later found abandoned on Haggs Lane near the village of Colton.

Police are appealing to anyone who was in the village of Askham Richard on Monday night between 6.30pm and 8.30pm and saw any suspicious people, vehicles or activity, including the white Mercedes leaving the village, to contact them.

They are also appealing to anyone who was in the area of Askham Richard, Bilborough, the A64 and Colton, who saw a white Mercedes convertible, the occupants of the vehicle or saw anyone parking the vehicle or abandoning it and getting into another, to contact them.
(more…)

Golf courses in York

An indoor golf course which started at the beginning of January sold out so quickly that it has prompted the council’s Sport and Active Leisure team to organise another for the beginning of February.

The course starts at Burnholme Community Sports Hub (formerly Burnholme Community College) on Monday 23 February from 7pm to 8pm and will last for five weeks. If demand proves to be high a second session from 8 to 9pm will be introduced on the same night.
(more…)

York goes green with “Better Homes”

A landmark programme for residents to implement energy efficiency measures in their homes has been agreed to bring over £20m of investment into the region and improve over 12,000 privately owned or rented homes.

The Better Homes programme brings together the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and nine Local Authorities in the Leeds City Region including City of York Council, with the private sector partners at KeepMoat and Willmott Dixon (KSW).

The new partnership will pool the expertise and resources from all partners to deliver a home energy offer to residents which could include new boilers, central heating systems, standard and hard to treat insulation measures and renewable energy systems.

In the first three years alone, the programme aims to deliver energy efficiency measures to over 12,000 homes including a minimum of 800 in York, and create jobs and apprenticeships for local people. As a result of these efficiency measures, the programme could bring £20m of investment into the Leeds City Region and increase the GVA growth.

To launch the scheme in York, KSW will offer 80 Green Deal communities fund vouchers, targeted at specific groups/neighbourhoods. The vouchers will help with the costs of installing measures and will be worth up to £750 per resident. In addition a private home will be retrofitted with up to £15k worth of funding energy efficiency measures and will become a demonstration show house.
(more…)

Schools face overcrowding challenge in York

Return of the mobile classroom?

School place shortfall

The majority of primary schools are overcrowded according to new figures released by the York Council.

Although some new building works are planned, the position would be exacerbated if Labour’s “Big City” Local Plan gets the go ahead.

Developers are required to pay for additional school places, when providing more homes, permanent provision often lags some years behind new homes being occupied.

Some primary school sites – such as Our Lady’s on Windsor Garth – have been sold for redevelopment, adding to local pressures.

The position at York’s primary schools means that pressure on Secondary school places – only one of which is currently beyond capacity – will build over the next 5 years.

By 2019 an additional 635 secondary school desks will be required.

For many years Oaklands school (the predecessor of York High) operated with several mobile classrooms. Apart from the classrooms being remote from the main building, extra pupils placed pressure on communal facilities such as assembly halls.

Lack of spaces may further reduce the choice available to parents when they decide which school to send their children to.

Grand Departy inquiry shelved for 4 months

Liberal Democrat Councillors have criticised a decision to delay an inquiry into the ‘Grand Departy‘ concert until after May’s Council elections.

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Sceptics expect many of those responsible for the financial disaster to stand down from the Council – or be defeated at the polls – meaning that they may escape the consequences of the their negligence.

Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, had submitted a request for a review into the “planning, promotion and delivery” of City of York Council organised events for last year’s Tour De France.

These included the £187,000 loss-making ‘Grand Departy’ music concert at Huntington Stadium.

Originally, a review was given the green light last year. However, at this week’s Learning & Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee Labour and Conservative councillors supported moves to delay the inquiry until after May’s local elections and after that month’s inaugural Tour De Yorkshire.

Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, commented:
(more…)