Garage break in arrests.

The Police report that they arrested 2 males trying to break into a garage in the Foxwood area last night.

They are also saying that there has been an increase in thefts from cars parked in Cranbrook Road.

There was a sneak in burglary for an insecure property in Stamford Street. Door was unlocked. The property was later recovered.

 

Spending 40p – York Council flushed with optimism

The York Council is handing over the running of its public conveniences to a private contractor.

Toilet sign

A standard charge of 40p will be made to users. The contractor will be able to increase the charge by 10p per annum.

The news is not particularly surprising although the scale of the charge is.

Visitors already tortured by traffic restriction fines now face another form of discomfort. The vendetta follows on from the high profile persecution of those “caught short”.

The Council hopes to save £75,000 a year from the charge. In return it promises a £663,000 refurbishment programme including £33,000 to be spent on the Front Street Acomb toilets.

All toilets will have unisex cubicles and have baby change facilities. Accessibility will be greatly improved with all facilities having alarm cords for disabled users connected to a 24-hour helpline and there will be 24-hour access to all toilets. This will be controlled by gates operated by payment of a 40p fee – what is already being charged at Silver Street – while disabled users are can continue to use RADAR keys for no charge.

Nine public conveniences will be provide under the new arrangements. The nine are located at:

  •  Acomb, Front Street
  •  Haxby, Main Street
  •  Coppergate
  •  Exhibition Square
  •  Nunnery Lane CP
  •  Silver Street
  •  St George’s Field CP
  •  Tanner Row
  •  Union Terrace

Other public conveniences will close

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York marathon faces sprint rival

run to loo

A new York Sprint race is to be held next summer for the first time. The event will aim to find the fastest visitor to the City.

Entrants will be asked to drink 3 pints of lager and will then be given a map of the Councils new network of public conveniences. Contestants will then race to the nearest site.

In line with the publicity for the Lendal bridge closure, recommended routes to the loos will be marked out making full use of the northern by pass.

On arrival 50% of the conveniences will be closed for cleaning.

CCTV cameras will be strapped to the back of each contestant to ensure that they do not cheat.

The entry fee for the contest will be 40p Multiple entries are allowed but will be charged separately.

Entry forms will be available on the Council web site shortly.

NB. The event has no connection with the “brass monkeys” race although the consequences could be similar.


York Police launch safe shopping Christmas campaign

York police will be carrying out high visibility patrols across the city to prevent crime in the run up to Christmas.

pick-pocket-10137198

The operation runs from Sunday 1 December until Christmas Eve, focusing on the retail area in the city centre, as well as the McArthur Glen, Monks Cross and Clifton Moor shopping centres.

Police officers will focus their attention on preventing shoplifting, pick pockets stealing purses and mobile phones from bags, as well sneak-in burglaries at retail premises. They will also patrol the city’s car parks to deter thieves from stealing from unattended cars.

Anyone caught acting in an anti-social manner, such as begging for money, will be dealt with robustly.

Known offenders, who are spotted by officers, will be challenged to interrupt their activities and prevent them committing crime.

  • Shoppers can help themselves so they don’t become the victims of crime.
    •If they are carrying a bag, make sure that it is securely fastened and if it has a flap make sure that they have that side facing inwards
    •Don’t leave shopping unattended while looking at other items
    •If you are leaving shopping in a car, make sure it’s out of sight in the boot

 
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British Sugar plans now online – no mention of “large supermarket”

Plans, and “options”, for the redevelopment of the British Sugar site off Boroughbridge Road are now “on line” (click)

click to visit web site and complete survey

click to visit web site and complete survey

The web site claims that;

Redevelopment of the former industrial site can deliver around 1000 new high quality homes, new public open spaces and a community hub which could incorporate a new community hall, sports hall, nursery and primary school.

That is pretty much as expected.

The principle of residential development had enjoyed broad support across the Council.

The main concerns relate to transport issues and the nature, location and scale of any commercial and retail developments.

The consultation concentrates mainly on the location of open space and transport corridors.

It says absolutely nothing about the location and size of any “large supermarket” which Council leaders claimed a couple of weeks ago was an important feature of the scheme.

A small local store to meet the needs of the residents living on the development would be essential.

Another superstore would, however, raise all sorts of transport issues.

The most obvious community facilities (shops) don’t figure on the list of options for the “community hub” listed on the web site.

Nor is there any commercial development which could provide jobs within walking distance of people’s homes. Thus, an opportunity to establish a sustainable community, has been lost.

There are no traffic generation figures listed and the phasing of the development – and community facilities – is also very vague.

There is a final chance to see the plans at an exhibition which is taking place tomorrow Saturday 30 November at the former Manor School site, Low Poppleton Lane, York, YO26 6BB between 11am and 4pm.

Site tours will also be offered to those attending the event.

Dringhouses Local History Group

Programme of events

Christmas call

A Village Christmas – 19 December 2013
Dorothy Reed

Archbishops, Suffragettes and Molecatchers – Bishopthorpe’s Edwardian Summer – 16 January 2014
Linda Haywood

Informal Evening – 20 February 2014

The Irish in York – 20 March 2014
Malcolm Walker

Dringhouses Without – A Walk
– 17 April 2014
Elizabeth Smith

Unless otherwise stated, meetings take place in St Edward the Confessor Church Extension commencing at 7.30pm. All the talks and the AGM are open to everyone.

York Channel TV – more revelations

Details of the bid submitted by the organisation which will run the new “York TV Channel” have been revealed.

The bid can be read on the Ofcom web site (although it is far from easy to find).

click to see full details

click to see full details

There is no evidence on the web site of what action Ofcom took to assess the wishes of York people regarding the editorial policies of any new local TV station.

The reasons for the enthusiasm, shown by the Councils Labour leadership for the new channel, are also now clearer.

They plan to have a studio in the remodelled Guildhall.

The Council is still committed to spending over £1.4 million turning the Guildhall into a “digital media hob”

The York Channel expects to rent space at this new model Guildhall.

The York Channel promises to broadcast the (one party) Council Cabinet meetings and refer to their “partner” organisation Pilot Theatre who rather mysteriously secured the Councils internet beaming contract earlier in the year.

They also claim that the Councils (largely bogus) “Big Survey” will be included in their programming.

They say,
“The York Channel will grant unparalleled access to those in power with the live broadcast of Cabinet meetings, interactive ‘meet the politician’ debates, and coverage of local elections.

The station clearly intends to engage in the local political scene.

They say, “Now is an exciting time in politics and York is calling out for a broadcast platform for political debate. The York Channel’s proposed ‘Question Time-style Show’ will debate the issues that matter most to York residents and analysing the policies, decisions and social media posts of local politicians and councillors”.

The station says that it will observe the BBC code of practice on impartiality.

The license applicant requested Ofcom not to release publicly details of the funding arrangements for the new station.

Having a local TV station should provide a boost for the City.

We wish the organisers well in their endeavours to establish a good reputation in the local community.

Lendal Bridge – Council conduct on line poll

Lendal Bridge closure Nov 2013

Attempts by the council’s leadership to justify the Lendal bridge closure on Radio York today are being greeted with derision by most listeners.

The Council have singularly failed to provide update reports on footfall (shopper numbers), accidents, journey times (all classes of vehicle), air quality and the levels of successful appeals against the fines imposed by the number plate recognition cameras.

However they are now conducting an “on line” survey of resident’s views.

The chances are that few will even know that this is going on so the results will be open to manipulation.

Click here to take the survey (it takes only about 1 minute to complete)

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats survey – conducted through a house to house delivery to 7000 properties in west York – has attracted a large response. Around 10% of the forms have now been returned and analysed. The percentages are now stable. The latest figures are:

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Council bids to prevent repetition of Christmas bins chaos

The York Council is distributing a leaflet to each household explaining how they plan to schedule waste collections over the Christmas period.

Bins in Foxwood 2012

Bins in Foxwood 2012

Last year the service deteriorated in to chaos during the same period.

This year some recycling collections are being cancelled. There will be no collections on New Years Day but there will be a “catch up” on the following Saturday.

The Council have issued the following advice.

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