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The Environment Agency says,“Chapmans Pond, York will remain closed for 2-3 weeks while we await results of water samples & fish specimens being analysed at our lab.
The nature reserve is not affected by the pond closure and remains open posing no threat to dogs or people wishing to visit
St Helen’s Road closure to continue during Thursday
Dringhouses School will reopen tomorrow (Thursday) but with pedestrian access only.
Yorkshire Water apologises for “low water pressure” in area.
St Helens Road expected to be closed throughout Thursday.
Yorkshire Water criticised for “poor communications” over cause of burst main and likely time for restoration of service. “Should make better use of social media” say local Councillors.
Motorists advised to avoid Tadcaster Road if possible this afternoon
St Helen’s Road 1400 hours 13th May 2015
It looks like Tadcaster Road will be very congested at teatime.
St Helen’s Road is still closed although now relatively free of surface water following the burst main earlier today. Workers are still digging their way down to the source of the problem. There is access for pedestrians and cyclists (who will need to dismount next to the roadworks)
It is race day so several hundred vehicles will be leaving the Knavesmire at tea time.
Those who can are advised to avoid driving down Tadcaster Road.
The number 4 bus route diversion remains in place.
Dringhouses selected for community speed watch trial
The Community Speed Watch pilot programme will run at up to 50 sites across York, Harrogate, Selby and Harrogate “where local people have already registered a concern about speeding vehicles”.
The Police say that the sites are “mainly” residential areas with 30 and 40 mph speed limits.
In York the chosen sites are in Holgate, Strensall, Clifton Moor, Dringhouses and Rawcliffe
No consultation with local Councillors appears to have taken place.
In a media release the Police say, “Over the next six months, police volunteers, together with members of the community, will visit the sites with a hand-held radar gun and/or an LED speed sign. They will record vehicle speeds and anyone caught speeding will receive a letter from North Yorkshire Police informing them of their offence and the need to address driving behaviour.
The main purpose of Community Speed Watch is to draw drivers’ attention to speed limits in areas where communities say it is affecting their quality of life, and to educate them about the effects that anti-social road use can have on local people. However, North Yorkshire Police will also be keeping a close watch on the recorded data, and may take enforcement measures if a persistent or extreme offender is identified”.
Details of the community speed watch leaflet can be found by clicking here
Alot of traffic congestion in York this morning…Dringhouses library has reopened
Multiple traffic light failures have been blamed for increases in congestion this morning. Click graphic for updated position
Dringhouses Library which has to close for a short time yesterday following a power cut, is now fully operational again.
York Council petitions
The York Council is to consider an update on 10 petitions received from residents at a meeting taking place on 12th January.
They concern:
- Speeding on Peter Hill Drive
- Future of Burton Stone Community Centre (2)
- Installation of speed humps on South Bank Avenue
- Objections to development site H30 (Local Plan)
- Need for 20 mph speed limit on Walmgate/Navigation Road
- Future on York Deaf Society
- Future of Youth Advice Centre in Castlegate
- Winter Green Waste collection
- Future of Groves Chapel
- Objections to plans to build on Earswick Green Belt (Local Plan)
- Request for Residents Only parking in Nunthorpe Grove
- Road safety in Strensall
- Future of Yearsley Pool
- Travellers site fees
For more details click here
Petitioners are able to attend the meeting and speak in support of their petition.
The Theatre Royal and York’s other historic buildings
The proposal to sell the building that houses the Theatre Royal to the York Conservation Trust has raised some eyebrows in the City. The main issue seems to be the proposed £1 valuation.
York Theatre Royal was built in 1744 on, and among, the site of the medieval St. Leonard’s Hospital. Immediate repairs (roof replacement) are estimated at around £320k with significant further works needed in coming years
Separately £4.1m is being spent on a programme of refurbishment and improvement
The York Citizens Theatre Trust has a 25 year lease on the property at an annual rent of £27,250 with a 2 year rent free period during the refurbishment, It Achieves a significantly higher proportion of earned income (around 75%) and requires below average local authority funding in both the amount and proportion of turnover (around 7-8%). The Council provides a subsidy of around £250,000 a year to the theatre but has said that this will gradually reduce over the years.
Uniquely for a City the size of York, the Theatre Royal faces commercial competition from both the Barbican and the Grand Opera House
The Conservation Trust is a charity and was set up in 1976 as the successor to Morrell’s “Ings Property Company Ltd”. This company had been established by the Liberal supporting family in the 1940’s with the intention of securing York’s historic building heritage. It is run by Directors who are all related to the original family.
Together with the York Civic Trust, it can claim to be the principle reason why we are still able to enjoy a large number of, generally well conserved, old buildings. Another reason is, of course, that most are “Listed” meaning that they cannot be demolished and that any alterations are subject to restrictive conditions.
The York Council has also accepted over the years a responsibility to maintain buildings like the Mansion House and Guildhall. That sense of responsibility has been undermined recently, not least by the Labour group’s decision to spend £9.2 million converting the Guildhall buildings into a “media centre” (currently subject to a policy review “call in”).
The York Guilds – essentially craft based trades organisations – also take responsibility for maintaining three ancient halls in the City, with much of their income derived from private lettings and (high) membership fees.
Finding uses for buildings, which are expensive to maintain and heat, will always be difficult. Currently there are at least three historic buildings with a question mark about their future use. St Anthony’s Hall (soon to be vacated by the Quilters Guild), St Williams College (where the Minster Trustees are seeking uses that could offset large repair bills) and the Guildhall.
The York Conservation Trust has already acquired two former Council owned buildings near to the Theatre (The Assembly Rooms and the De Grey Rooms).
While many York residents may feel, in an ideal world, such assets would remain in public ownership, the actions of the Council over the last 3 years is a reminder that public election does not automatically bestow either wisdom or financial acumen.
On the other hand, the negative side of large parts of the (former) public realm falling into the hands of a Charity – no matter how benign – is that public accountability all but disappears.
Residents of York will be dependant on the Charity Commission and the contestants of the planning system to ensure that the Trust continues to fulfil its founder’s altruistic aspirations.
York Council indecision mounts
Second Council “Cabinet” meeting postponed
For the second month running the Council’s policy decision making body, the “Cabinet”, will not meet. The meeting was to have taken place on 2nd December. But now – like the meeting which was to have taken place on 4th November – it has been cancelled.
It means that no major decisions will have been taken since 7th October.
The next Cabinet meeting is not due to take place until 6th January, only a few weeks before the Councils budget has to be drawn up.
Future of empty Guildhall still unclear
The indecision is being blamed on the chaotic state of the Council’s Labour group, which still has the largest number of members. Recently the Council Leader announced his resignation leading to an apparent power vacuum and crippling the decision making process.
Amongst the decisions which were due to be made were the future of the Guildhall. Labour plans a hugely expensive “digital media and arts centre” for the building but it unlikely that the new Council would agreed to the increased levels of borrowing required to fund the project. It is possible that the, relatively new, annex – which comprises mainly modern offices – may now be marketed separately.
Other agenda items, now shelved, include:
- An update on progress being made on the Local Plan
- Mid year review of progress on the multi million pound capital programme
- A similar update on revenue expenditure
- Care Bill charging plans
- Replacement of Ordnance Lane Homeless Hostel
- The future of the Burton Stone Lane Community Centre
- Report of the Financial Inclusion Steering Group 2014/15
- Rewiring Public Services: Business Cases (Labours service cuts programme)
- Award of Discretionary Rate Relief (affects charities and voluntary groups in the City)
- Nomination of Lord Mayor for 2015/16
- Review of Fees and Charges (e.g. car parking)
Senior Councillors have now had sufficient time (over 6 weeks) to come up with a workable way of making decisions in a balanced (hung) Council.
It had to do so in a similar situation, between 2007 and 2011, when there was little delay in dealing with issues..
It is now vital that all Parties agree to put the welfare of the City ahead of partisan political priorities.
Lendal Bridge Inquiry to be revived
£162,000 refunded so far to motorists who were illegally fined.
It looks like the Labour Councillors who were responsible for the £1.3 million Lendal Bridge closure fiasco will not get away scot free.
In August, when Labour still had a Council majority, they voted not to undertake a review of what went wrong with the trial closure.
Now a report, suggesting that a full and open inquiry into the failure should take place, is to be considered on 12th November.
- Residents will be eager to learn how a scheme, that was obviously failing only one month into the trial, was allowed to continue for another 6 months.
- They will be expecting the legal advice received by the Council at each stage to be made public.
- They will want to know what secret meetings took place and how they influenced the Councils position.
- They will look very carefully at the public statements made by officials and Council members in March and April 2014 – after the enforcement arrangements had been found to be unlawful – and which gave the impression that the cameras were still being used for enforcement purposes.
- The committee will also no doubt wish to look in detail at the costs that were incurred, not least those that accumulated during an ill considered attempt to appeal against the decision of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Adjudicator
Most of all they will be looking to the Council to remove its arbitrary December deadline for refund applications – from those fined unlawfully – and to finally agree to write directly to all those affected telling them of their right to claim a refund.
So far 7,783 refund claims have been processed.
To date a total of £162k has been refunded as part of the refund process.
However, we understand that some claims have been refused and information about how many – and why – is urgently being sought by LibDem Councillors.
Income from the Lendal Bridge trial totalled £1,378,000. There was administrative expenditure totalling £527k which primarily covered the cost of processing penalty charge notices. As part of the year end accounts the Council made provision of £708,000 to cover the refund penalty charge notices.
Separately the report confirms that the Adjudicator has still not dealt with an appeal against his decision on Coppergate. No camera enforcement of the Coppergate restrictions is currently taking place.
Cllr Andrew Waller – the new chair of theEconomic & City Development Scrutiny Committee which will consider the report next week – commented:
Police issue Halloween and bonfire night advice
North Yorkshire Police are urging people to act responsibly and stay safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night period.
Although this time of year is seen as fun by many, there are those in our communities for whom it causes concern and increases the fear of crime.
Police officers and Police Community Support Officers will be undertaking patrols to ensure that residents and visitors feel safe and that the impact of any anti-social behaviour can be reduced.
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