Proposed cuts to Dringhouses bus services

Westfield, Foxwood, Woodthorpe and Dringhouses areas affected

The evening and Sunday number 14 service from Foxwood Lane via Woodthorpe will be discontinued. The 13A service serving Hamilton Drive is retained subject to retendering. The Middlethorpe loop off Tadcaster Road is in jeopardy

The full changes – proposed due to “low passenger levels” – can be found here. (click for route map)

Proposed bus service cuts

Proposed bus service cuts

Services withdrawn fully: Routes

Partial reductions: Routes

Subject to further discussions with neighbouring authorities: Route

The proposals to change bus services, which are currently subsidised by City of York Council will go to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 6 January.

The Council is aiming to reduce bus subsidies by around £200,000. This compares to the £700,000 abortive expenditure that it incurred during the Lendal Bridge closure. The aim of the latter had been to increase bus usage.

There has been no consultation with passengers over the plan and the report makes no attempt to offer alternatives for those who do not have private transport.

In the past the Council has promoted dial a ride and similar services to provide a basic link on low use bus routes.

Unfortunately use of taxis may also prove to be expensive for older people since Labour withdrew of the tokens/taxi card alternative to having a bus pass

If approved, the service changes could be implemented from April 2015.
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£11.9 million highways resurfacing boost for York

Potholes

The government has stepped in to give York an additional £2 million a year to tackle the road maintenance backlog.

Details of the announcement can be found by clicking here

The York Council gained notoriety in 2012 by halving the amount that it invested in repairing local footpaths and roads.

They continued the policy into 2013 with a large backlog of repairs developing.

Investment only returned to 2011 levels this year.

The York Council announced its provisional resurfacing programme for 2015 a couple of weeks ago. The government announcement means that this list should now more than double in size.

Christmas carols in St Helens Square tonight

The Civic Party are inviting residents and visitors to its annual Christmas Carol Service which takes place on Christmas Eve and encourages visitors to be part of the service.

Mansion House Christmas

The event which starts at 7.30pm on Tuesday 24 December is supported by the Salvation Army whose band will be playing a wide array of festive songs in St Helen’s Square with the audience encouraged to form the choir. The service is expected to finish at around 8.30pm.

As this is an outdoor event residents and visitors are encouraged to wear suitable clothing for the cold temperatures.

The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Gillies said: “I am very much looking forward to this festive concert event which epitomises Christmas in the way that it brings people together to have fun. What better way to start your festive celebrations than to spend time in St Helens Square with residents and visitors in York? The voices of the public with the music from the Salvation Army will make for a truly magical evening. We are also hoping for a brief visit from Father Christmas to St Helen’s Square, which is sparkling with the lights which add to the festive feel of this occasion”

Traffic restrictions will be in place atSt Helen’s Square, Coney Street and Lendal, which will be closed to traffic from 6.30pm to 9pm as the event takes place.

Flooding warning in York

A flood warning has been issued by the Environment Agency. River levels are not expected to increase to those encountered in 2012.

Click for access (commercial web site with advert)

Click for access (commercial web site with advert)

River Ouse web cam Click to access latest information

The best indicator remains the real time CCTV camera which records river levels on Kings Staith.

Click to access Environment Agency monitoring station data (central York)

Click to access Environment Agency monitoring station data (central York)

There is a significant risk If the top of the no entry sign disappears under water!

Detailed river levels can be found on the EA web site http://tinyurl.com/Ouse-catchment

You can register here to receive flood warnings by phone, text or email.

Poor take up on extra green bins

It looks like the Councils leaflet explaining when waste will be collected has failed to reach many residents.

In some streets today the majority had put out recycling expecting it to be removed. (There is no waste collection this week).

Recycling put out for collection today

Recycling put out for collection today

NB. 1,512 York households have paid for an additional garden waste collection bin compared to a budgeted estimate of 3,500.

Lendal Bridge fine deadline scrapped

The York Council has agreed tonight to cancel the end of December deadline for motorists wanting to reclaim fines unlawfully levied on Lendal Bridge.

They have promised that there will be a report in January which will confirm how the fines will be repaid “automatically”.

The decision was taken after the new Council required the Labour Cabinet to act to make the refunds.

It has also emerged that very few of the fines lodged against foreign tourists have been repaid.

The figures are:

Of the 5460 payments issued,

  • 1927 (35%) have been to YO postcodes,
  • 3531 (65%) have been to the rest of the UK, and
  • 2 overseas (0.04%).

Vulnerable families helped in York

Almost 300 vulnerable families in York have received help and support to turn their lives around according to figures released by the government today (22 December).

Figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government show that 282 families have been helped by York’s Family Focus Team, which works with families with multiple and complex needs. Their work involves resolving truanting and antisocial behavioural problems, helping family members tackle addiction or get back into employment.

Families identified as ‘troubled’ by the government are characterised by having no adult in the family working, children not being in school and family members being involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.
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Latest Planning applications

Community Stadium (Huntington), British Sugar (Plantation Drive) and Boyes (Acomb) applications now on line (click links below)

No planning applications were received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward last week.  However several other major applications are no available for examination on line.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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Location:       British Sugar Corporation Ltd Plantation Drive York YO26 6XF

Proposal:       Outline application for the development of the site comprising up to 1,100 residential units, community uses (D1/D2) and new public open space with details of access (to include new access points at Millfield Lane and Boroughbridge Road and a new link road, crossing the Former Manor School Site) and demolition of the Former Manor School buildings

Ref No: 14/02789/OUTM

Applicant:      British Sugar   Contact:        Mr Neil Jones   Consultation Expiry Date:       14 January 2015 Case Officer:   Jonathan Kenyon Expected Decision Level:        COMP

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Location:       British Sugar Corporation Ltd Plantation Drive York YO26 6XF

Proposal:       Construction of development platform, engineering works and remediation and reclamation of site

Ref No: 14/02798/FULM

Applicant:      British Sugar   Contact:        Mr Neil Jones   Consultation Expiry Date:       14 January 2015 Case Officer:   Jonathan Kenyon Expected Decision Level:        COMP

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Location:       11 Front Street York YO24 3BW

Proposal:       Internal and external alterations to facilitate the conversion of 4no. retail units to 1no. retail unit

Ref No: 14/02840/FUL

Applicant:      W Boyes & Co Ltd        Contact R Peter Belt    Consultation Expiry Date        12 January 2015 Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level DEL

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Community Stadium

In addition the planning application for the new Community Stadium at Huntington has also now been published

Location:       Huntington Stadium Jockey Lane Huntington York YO32 9JS

Proposal:       Erection of 8,000 seat Community Stadium, leisure centre, multi-screen cinema, retail units, outdoor football pitches, community facilities and other ancillary uses, together with associated vehicular access, car parking, public realm, and hard and soft landscaping following demolition of existing structures

Ref No: 14/02933/FULM

Applicant:      Wrenbridge Sport York Limited And GLL   Contact Mr Daniel Brown Consultation Expiry Date        21 January 2015 Case Officer:   Kevin O’Connell Expected Decision Level COMP

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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/

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