Residents are invited to come along and celebrate Hob Moor becoming a local nature reserve at its annual summer fair on Saturday 25 May from 1pm-3:30pm

The moor has recently been granted the status of a local nature reserve by Natural England.

The highlight of this year’s summer fair is a stunning birds of prey demonstration where several rare and beautiful falcons, eagles and owls will be flying high above the moor and also be on show for more detailed inspection. A dog show will also be taking place with prizes for the waggiest tale and the best pooch smooch.

There will be craft tents where residents will be able to learn skills such as willow weaving, have their face painted or even have get a henna tattoo.

The Friends of Hob Moor Community group will have a stall where residents can find out more about the work that they do and help them raise funds to keep the good work up that they do. The are also running a photo competition with the theme of spring on Hob Moor and the entries will be on show at the fair where residents will be able to vote for their favourite.

The event will be at the rear of Lidl, off Thanet Road. There is limited parking so visitors are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport where possible.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Rebecca Taylor MEP, and Mrs Dinsdale’s daughter, Christine

Fulford Councillor Keith Aspden and Yorkshire & Humber MEP Rebecca Taylor have met with local residents to highlight growing concerns over Labour’s Green Bin charges.

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First-time entrepreneurs are being given the chance to test their business ideas on the open market for free.

Future Prospects has been working with the markets team to make available free stalls for entrepreneurs during national Love Your Local Markets Week.

We’re offering free stalls to start-up businesses between 22 and 29 May – a great way to help grow a new generation of market traders. It’s a way of testing the market in a city centre trading location and getting newcomers to business to work alongside the professionals at Newgate while adding to the shopping on offer at our historic daily market.

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Poppleton Bar Park and Ride site and A59 improvements. Click to enlarge

The Council has confirmed that work will start on the Poppleton Bar Park and Ride site, and with it an enlarged A59/A1237 roundabout, on 10th June.

There is likely to be an increase in journey times over the next few months for residents living on the west of the City.

Considerable congestion is expected at certain times of the week during the autumn when the Council also plans to close Lendal Bridge to private vehicles.

The contractor for the A59 works will be Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering Ltd. Construction design drawings showing what they will build can be downloaded from the City Council website at www.york.gov.uk/poppletonbar .

Jobseekers and residents wanting to improve their skills and qualifications are encouraged to visit a jobs fair at the Hilton Hotel on Tower Street on 22 May.

The event aims to bring together local employers and will offer advice as well as employment opportunities.

There will be several employers present along with learning providers and other agencies offering free help and advice for people to improve their skills and help them in their search for employment.

The fair will have a designated quiet area to enable residents to fill in application forms with the help of some excellent local skills and training providers.

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An award-winning Global Village Market is set to bring a real international flavour to Parliament Street in York.

Opening on Thursday 6 June, traders from around the world will be resident for four days bringing an array of their regional products for a taste sensation that’s not to be missed.

The Global Village market will be bring a variety of new tastes to the city. Island Spice Grill will showing their skill with spices used to create tasty jerk chicken, veggie wraps and lamb dishes.

Complementing this are Meats of the World will be offering a range of exotic cuts from ostrich, impala, crocodile and wild boar.

Italian traders will be bringing a tempting array of biscotti, cakes and soft nougat while Jimmy Bean will display a wide selection of rich-flavoured coffee beans – ground to your liking – alongside a selection of loose leaf teas.

The traditional German Schwenkgrill will be sizzling tasty Bratwurst sausage alongside Crepes Temptation with their French pancakes, galettes and some tasty Brussels waffles.

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York will be honouring the UK’s Armed Forces with a city centre event thanks to funding received from the Ministry of Defence Ceremonial Events and Commemorations team.

The City has been awarded a grant of £6,500.

The day will begin with a service for the Ex-Services Association at All Saints, Pavement, which will be followed by a parade from the service along Coney Street, through St Helen’s Square and into Parliament Street.

The activities in Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square will start at 12 noon, and will include a marquee with a variety of entertainment headlined by The Military Wives’ Choir, one of a group of choirs formed by TV’s Gareth Malone; a weapons display; climbing wall; an army field kitchen demonstration; paintballing and a display from Field Hospital Regiment. Residents will also be able to find out more information about the Armed Forces and recruitment whilst enjoying music from the band of the Yorkshire Regiment.

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Work on constructing the new Park and Ride site near Tesco on Tadcaster Road begins on 22nd May 2013.

The contractor for the works will be Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering Ltd.

A new web site has been made available for residents to follow progress.

Click www.york.gov.uk/askhambar for detailed drawing and latest congestion warnings.

With the Councils still intending to close Lendal Bridge to private vehicles halfway though the construction contract (which also includes works at the A59 junction) we anticipate more late afternoon congestion throughout west York together with similar problems during the day at weekends.

New road layout click to enlarge

Dozens of residents turned up this morning at Acomb Library to protest at Labours building plans for the area.

It was the only opportunity that residents will have to voice their opinions as Ward Committee meetings are being scrapped.

Meanwhile more mis-information is being circulated by vested interests.

One Correspondent claimed in The Press that the campsite on Wetherby Road was for “Travellers” and urged residents to sign a Council web site petition opposing it.

Fortunately, for Wetherby Road residents, there are very clear legal differences between a Showman’s lay over site and a Traveller camp. It will be much easier to demonstrate that there is little need for the former. The Council is likely to readily agree to the “on line” petition’s request not to site a Traveller camp near Knapton…diverting attending away from the real issue, which is the maintenance of the Green Belt designation for all the land on the Rufforth/Knapton plain.

Showman’s site Wetherby Road Knapton

The land here, and the field at Dunnington which is indeed threatened for use as a caravan site for Travellers, was confirmed as being important “Green Belt” land when the Local Plan was agreed in February 2011.

What the landowners are now trying to do is break that Green Belt designation.

They have no interest in providing campsites which offer a low financial return. Once the land is removed from the Green Belt, they will seek residential or retail use for it.

An acre of agricultural land might have a value of £10,000.

If identified for housing development, its value would soar to £1 million or more.

That is the long game that some land owners are playing.

That is one of the reasons why the owners are so keen to develop the land south of Moor Lane near Woodthorpe

By accepting the expression of interest, in providing caravan sites, at face value the Council have been naïve bordering on the gullible.

Ironically they are no closer to solving any perceived lack of traveller’s pitches.

A similar attempt to muddy the water can be found in an article in today’s Yorkshire Post.

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City of York Council is piloting a project to ensure all children and young people receive a library card so they and their families can enjoy their local libraries and reading.

In York, the Automatic Library Membership Project sends all children who start primary school in September a new library card – which is also a York Card – along with the letter telling parents at which primary school their child has a place. Children who already hold a library card are being asked to use their new card.

As well as being a library card, their free York Card gives free entry to council supported museums and discounted or free entry to a range of leisure facilities in York. The new card features a robot whose design was chosen by children visiting our library reading groups.
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