White Swan refurbishment starts

White Swan Hotel York

White Swan Hotel York

Work to help regenerate a prominent unused building in the city centre has begun, as contractors have started to strip out The White Swan Hotel.

A £450,000 grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Empty Homes 2 programme is helping to create new accommodation including 18 affordable homes plus new ground floor retail units in the city’s central shopping area.

Sainsbury’s has submitted several planning applications to cover the remodelling of the ground floor of the building. They include details of the planned signage, security blinds and an ATM click

Recent research carried out by the North East Civic Trust has identified the potential for hundreds of new homes in unused spaces above shops and offices in central York.

Tees Valley Housing and local affordable housing experts CoHo Ltd are moving forward to identify specific opportunities for new housing in the city centre over the next 18 months, and is asking local landlords and agents to come forward to discuss and realise new schemes.

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Tang Hall community centre funding probe – Moor Lane Youth Club threatened

Residents in the Tang Hall area are asking why a £10,000 grant made last year for the improvement of the Tang Hall Community Centre has not been spent?

The money was part of the very much reduced budget now made available to Ward Committees.

It was to have been spent on remodelling the Centre, making it potentially easier to generate additional income.

The Centre is one of 4 in the City which are under threat of closure following the decision of the Council to stop its annual support grants.

Tang Hall CC, was at the centre of a controversy earlier in the year, when all the key posts on the management committee were taken over by local Labour Councillors.

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LibDem Councillor Ann Reid outside Moor Lane Youth Centre

LibDem Councillor Ann Reid outside Moor Lane Youth Centre

We also understand that the Council is considering closing down the Moor Lane youth centre in Dringhouses.

The well established and popular centre serves the whole of the west of York and is one of very few purpose designed facilities aimed at young people in the City’s suburbs.

Alexander resigns from City centre role.

York City centre "to let"

York City centre “to let”

The Councils Leader is standing down from the chair of the City Team York group which was established in response to the national effort to improve the fortunes of the high street.

The move follows months of protests from City centre traders who have seen shopper numbers fall in the wake of the new traffic restrictions and huge increases in car parking charges introduced by the Labour led Council.

Launched in August last year, the group is made up of retailers, the city council and a range of professional and businesses organisations from across the city centre with a remit to improve business growth, resilience and economic vitality.

It replaced a City centre traders group which had worked closely with the Council for many years with the introduction of a cheap “shoppers car park” on Fossbank one of its achievements.

An advert of a new private sector chair has been published.

Closing date for applications is 31st December 2013 and full details for any business person who would be interested in applying for this voluntary post may be found here: http://www.yorkmeansbusiness.co.uk/updates/city-team-york-chair.aspx

Night to be reclaimed tomorrow

Reclaim the night

City of York Council, in conjunction with the Civic Party, is encouraging residents to participate in a march against domestic violence on Saturday 23 November.

The ‘reclaim the night’ march, which will take place through the city centre seeks to raise awareness of domestic violence as well as being part of York’s bid to get White Ribbon Status by Easter 2014.

 
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Concern at number of insecure student properties

York police and the Safer York Partnership are urging students and local people to be more security conscious after they found 29 insecure properties during an operation in York last night.

Student burglaries

As part of a week-long national campaign targeting burglary, officers from York Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Special Constabulary targeted properties in the east of York following a number of sneak-in burglaries at students’ houses.

The operation was supported by the Safer York Partnership and “Burglar Bill” to raise awareness of the importance of basic security measures such as locking your doors.

Sergeant Andrew Godfrey of York Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “There was a very serious message behind this operation. Sneak-in burglaries – which is where opportunist thieves target unlocked doors and windows – account for around a third of all burglaries reported to the police.

“Simple measures can be taken to stop these happening. We know security is the last thing on students’ minds, but it is important to get the message across about the basic measures they can take.

“Thieves are on the look out for items left on view, unlocked doors, open windows and properties left in darkness. So please make their lives as difficult as possible by following our top security tips.”

Jane Mowat of the Safer York Partnership, added: “We are pleased to be supporting this initiative and we can’t stress enough the importance of securing your property.”

Follow our top security tips

  • • Take you valuables home with you when you leave for the holidays
  • • Always lock your accommodation – whether it’s the main door or your bedroom door.
  • • Make sure you have strong locks on your doors
  • • Fit timer switches to lights if you are going to be out during the hours of darkness, if a property looks occupied, it is less likely to burgled
  • • Remember to set timer switches to come on when you are away during holidays
  • • Don’t leave valuable items on view where opportunist thieves can see them through windows and doors
  • • Lock your door if you are in halls, even if you are only going down the corridor
  • • Make sure that main entrance doors shut behind you and don’t let other people in with you
  • • Don’t advertise your expensive Christmas presents by leaving packaging outside for all to see
  • • Get home contents insurance. You may be able to extend your parents’ home insurance policy for no extra cost. Alternatively, many insurance companies have competitive deals for students

Hob Moor development plan put on hold

Our Lady's school site

Our Lady’s school site

The proposal to build 56 additional homes on the site of the former Our Lady’s school on Windsor Garth was tonight deferred for further consideration.

Concerns were expressed about the high density of the layout, the lack of play facilities or community space, the poor sustainability features of the homes plus the need to retain the existing metal security railings.

It is likely that a refined design will be submitted to a Planning Committee meeting next year.

Animated video warns young drivers about fraudsters selling fake car insurance

An animated video warning young motorists about being ripped off by fraudsters selling fake car insurance has been launched as part of a national awareness raising campaign.

Real deal

The police and insurance industry are increasingly concerned about so-called ‘ghost brokers’ who particularly target young men with fake motor insurance policies, and have teamed up with crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers in an effort to stop people falling victim to this fraud.

Over 27.6 million vehicles were insured across the UK last year, providing ghost brokers with a huge production line of potential victims seeking the cheapest deals.

Ghost brokers prey on those paying the highest premiums (new young drivers, mostly men) by offering ‘cheap’ deals online and in person by the roadside, in restaurants and cafes and even on university campuses.
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90% say “lift Lendal Bridge access restrictions”

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

An overwhelming majority of residents have given the thumbs down to the current closure restrictions on Lendal Bridge.

Responding to a survey carried out by the Liberal Democrats, in the Dringhouses, Woodthorpe and Hob Moor areas, only 8% have said that the trial is a success.

90% want the restrictions to be removed.

A massive 95% say that traffic congestion in the City has got worse over recent months.

The results underpin the findings from other sources.

Over 35,000 penalty notices have been issued since the Lendal Bridge and Coppergate ANPR cameras were installed.

Stand and deliver Labour adopt traditional approach to transport funding in York

Stand and deliver
Labour adopt traditional approach to transport funding in York


The influential “Trip Advisor” web site has logged a large number of complaints from visitors who are vowing never to visit the City again.

A Facebook page has also been set up by opponents of the restrictions.

The Council leadership continue to maintain an air of lofty indifference to resident’s views prompting new calls for a referendum on the future of the restrictions.

An opportunity to test resident’s views, at a reasonable cost, will come on 22nd May when European Parliament elections are already scheduled to take place.

By then, however, some traders may have been forced to close as City centre shopper numbers continue to fall.

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There is no consolation for the Council’s Leadership from residents other responses to the survey.

88% say there is no justification for Labours plans to build on the Green Belt, while 80% remain opposed to a wide area 20 mph speed limit.

Most damming verdict comes from the 93% who believe that public service standards have got worse since Labour took office.

No one who has responded so far believes that standards have got better.

Do you want a tax cut of £100?

LibDem petition launched

Tax_cuts

In April we’ll hit our target: a £700 income tax cut for millions of people. But we want to go further. Before the end of the parliament, we want to cut income tax bills by another £100.

Will you help us deliver this?

Think of it as a workers’ bonus. The British people have lived with austerity for three years. Your sacrifices are making it possible for us to fix the economy. This is your recovery and you deserve to feel the benefits – without delay.

The Liberal Democrats want to cut your taxes further because you’ve earned it.

When we came into government, our priority was to increase the personal allowance – the point at which you start paying tax on your earnings – to £10,000. We’ve raised it every year and we’ll hit the £10,000 mark in a few months. But, rather than stop there, I’ll be pushing for another fully funded rise, taking it up to £10,500.

That’s an extra £100 back in your pocket and it brings us a step closer to the Liberal Democrats’ goal for the next parliament: increasing the personal allowance to the minimum wage.

Sign our petition for a workers’ bonus.