Two year delay on York’s Community Stadium opening date

2016 opening date now in doubt

The latest timetable for the construction of the new community stadium at Huntington confirms that it is running over 2 years behind the timetable set by the new Labour council when it was elected in 2011.

York stadium-Aerial

The previous LibDem administration had identified a way of funding the £14 million project and it had been expected that construction would take place alongside the new John Lewis store which opened on 10th April 2014. That part of the project had been delayed by 6 months following the discovery of Great Crested Newts on the site.

The Councils timetable showed a completion date of June 2014 just early enough to allow the football club to move from Bootham Crescent this year and well before the start of the rugby season.

Council papers now reveal that final tender papers are only due to be received this month and that the Labour Cabinet is therefore unlikely to award a contract before its meeting on 2nd September 2014.

It could then be 4 months before a planning application is submitted. Although the principle of the stadium use has already been established, there is likely to be a 3 month delay before the proposal reaches the Planning committee in March.

March 2015 (just 2 months before the next Council elections) was the absolute firm date given by the present Council Leader for a start on site – but that new looks increasingly unlikely.

Construction work will take two years, so there is now doubt about whether the stadium will be ready for the start of the 2016 football season.

The delays also impact on the running of other major leisure facilities in the City – such as Energise – which the Council wants to include in an all encompassing management contract.

NB A question on the progress being made with the leisure contracts was tabled at the last Council meeting but no response from the responsible Cabinet member has yet been published.

Council hosts first week-long celebration of sports for disabled people

Published Monday, 21st July 2014

City of York Council is hosting its first ever week-long celebration of sports for people with disabilities to meet the growing take-up of sport and opportunities for disabled people in York.

(more…)

York cycle rides announced

If the Tour has inspired you to dust off your bike and go for a ride British Cycling is running a series of free bike rides to get you pedalling this summer.

Sky ride

This summer is all about cycling, as the Tour de France came to York, and yellow fever has well and truly griped Yorkshire.

There are rides for everyone with three different levels on offer – you certainly don’t need to be a pro rider to take part! There’s something for everyone – whether you’re building your confidence or looking to stretch your legs on a cycling challenge.
(more…)

Commonwealth Games set to inspire more into sports in York

Residents inspired by the Commonwealth Games are being encouraged to become more active by taking part in York’s first programme of Commonwealth Open Days.

Sports village swimming pool

Sports village swimming pool

Throughout July and August, 24 local sports clubs, gyms and organisations will be opening their doors to children, young people and adults and inviting them to find out more.

The exciting programme of events and activities include family fun days, free taster sessions, classes and introductory joining offers.

The open days will feature a wide range of sporting activities on offer from tennis, athletics, bowls, cricket, golf, martial arts, rugby, squash and volleyball to gym workouts, playdays and beginner running groups and cater for all ages and abilities.

(more…)

Time to Departy!

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Around 1000 spectators turned up for last nights concert at the Huntington Stadium.

The event was hit by wet weather early in the evening.

However ticket sales had been disappointing for the “10,000” capacity event and there are now concerns about who will pick up the bill for, what is sure to be a 5 figure financial shortfall on, income.

The event had been described as a planning “afterthought” with the Council unable to allocate enough resources to its organisation.

The event was never discussed publicly through the Councils decision making structures.

The responsible Cabinet member (Cllr Crisp) has yet to issue a statement on what many people are labelling as a flop.

Meanwhile media reports have revealed that many who bought “seated” tickets for the event were forced to stand in the rain.

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe primary schools create banners for the Tour de France

To help celebrate the Tour de France Grand Départ, over 100 banners are being designed and produced by primary schools in York in time to display at York Racecourse on Sunday 6 July.

Tour de France banner

The school project, organised by the council’s sport and active leisure team, has a theme of ‘Tour de France: What path will you take?’ and will see 110 white canvas banners decorated by school children.

The banners will be returned to the school that made them after the event as a memento of the day. The schools taking part are Badger Hill Primary School, Carr Infant School, Dringhouses Primary School, Elvington CE Primary School, Fishergate Primary School, Headlands Primary School, Heworth Primary School, Hob Moor Community Primary School, Huntington Primary School, Knavesmire Primary School, New Earswick Primary School, Osbaldwick Primary School, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Roman Catholic Primary, Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Robert Wilkinson Primary School, Rufforth Primary School, St Aelred’s Roman Catholic Primary School, St Lawrence’s Church of England Primary School, Tang Hall Primary School, Westfield Primary Community School, Wigginton Primary School and Woodthorpe Primary School.

The Sport Activation Zone at York Racecourse Spectator Hub is open to everyone who has a ticket. They will be able to find out more about cycling, sport and health opportunities in the city. Visitors will be able to try different sports, pick up healthy living information and enter free, fun activity challenges.

Community centre income queried

Behind closed doors logo

The Council opened a new community centre (“Space 217”) serving the Lindsey Avenue area last year.

The initiative seemed to signal a welcome reversal of the current Council Leaderships policy of cutting all funding support from local community facilities.

However more information has become available which suggests that there is no ongoing business plan to support the facility.

At present all costs are being born by Council tenants (rent payments) through the housing account.

Ironically the two community centres most likely to close, as a result of Labour’s cut’s programme (Foxwood and Chapelfields), were also built on Housing Department owned land.

The Council says that it has had to spend around £31,000 bringing the former shop up to a standard that would allow it to be used as a community “hub”. This cost included the provision of disabled access and the removal of asbestos

The Council says that ongoing costs will also be paid for from within existing ring fenced “housing maintenance budgets”.

Strangely the Council is not offering financial support to other community centres from its housing maintenance budgets despite them being used by estate management officers, and other Council staff, as local meeting points.

NB. Lindsey Avenue is currently represented by Council Leader James Alexander. He will be under a lot of pressure if he is to retain his seat in next years local elections. The decision to open the new centre was taken behind closed doors.