Not content with a spring holiday in Cannes, members of the York Council Cabinet are now set to buy themselves a pleasure boat.

£100,000 is being reserved to fund a project which would see a redundant barge converted into a floating arts centre.

While many might question whether there is a shortage of arts venues in the City (many secondary schools now have performance space, as do the Higher Education establishments), what must be beyond argument is that anything in York City centre that can float is likely to do so (if only temporarily).

It is difficult to think of a more vulnerable location than a barge given the impact that climate change is having on flooding patterns in the city. Many houseboats have already been cut off for over 3 weeks this autumn and one narrow-boat sank in September; hardly the basis for a dependable entertainment venue.

If there is a need for more space, then the soon to be vacated Guildhall annex or the Bonding Warehouse are more likely venues. The latter at least – although likely to be inaccessible for a couple of weeks a year – won’t sink!

The proposal is that a venue will be created from a reclaimed river barge and will “integrate a café bar with performance and exhibition space as well as retail and workshop activities”. The cost of the renovation project is put at £275,000.

The Council report fails to indentify the income streams necessary to sustain what would be, potentially, a very expensive venue to run and maintain (the last – non floating – arts centre in the City went bust 20 years go)

The money is coming from the “Economic Infrastructure Fund”. Already £12.12 million of this has been spent with most of it being borrowed.

The repayments on the additional debt have already added nearly £1 million a year to the amount that Council Taxpayers will have to find.

It seems that huge increases in the fees for Council services are planned, together with cuts to public services, to help to pay for the new debts.

NB. The Council is also considering using £338,000 from the fund to increase Council wages to the minimum “living wage”.

573 Council employees would have their pay increased to £7-45p an hour. Most are cleaners and mid day supervisors in schools.

This would mean borrowing money to fund ongoing day to day expenditure.

That is halfway down the greasy pole to bankruptcy and a proposal that the District Auditor should be taking an interest in.

click to enlarge

The River Ouse remains below the peak that it acheived in September.

Rainfall is expected to reduce later today.

You can check the position at monitoring sites across the County here for the Ouse catchment area http://tinyurl.com/Ouse-catchment

York twinned with Cannes. Improvement in fireworks expected

Just when we thought that it couldn’t get any worse, a report has been published confirming what we – tongue in cheek – forecast last week.

The York Council is to spend £25,000 on trip to an estate agents festival in Cannes.

It forms part of the £150,000 cost of a delegation and exhibition stand which will be badged “Leeds City Region” (LCR).

The LCR has previously been represented at the annual event although no objective analysis has been provided of the benefits that have accrued from participation.

Ironically York’s major competitors for available international investment are likely to include Leeds.

York’s attractions are unique. There is a good case for the City helping property professionals to sell the advantages of the City.

But this needs to be done in a targeted way. Broad brush marketing at international events like Le Marché International des Professionnels de l’immobilier (http://www.mipim.com/en/mipim/exhibit/) is a waste of our rapidly diminishing financial reserves.

http://tinyurl.com/Drunken-Sailors-hit-York

City of York Council’s award-winning leisure centre Energise has been shortlisted for the second year running for the national ‘best performer’ award for work being carried out in Sports and Leisure Facility Management. Five other leisure centres in the UK have been nominated.

The final results will be announced at the National Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) 2012 Performance Network Awards annual ceremony on Thursday 6 December, which takes place in Blackpool each year.

The River Ouse level is fairly stable and below the peak reached in September.

Huntington Road is open.

Upstream river levels now also seem to be peaking although more overnight rain is forecast.

Peak river levels in York, on the Ouse, are expected early tomorrow.

Liberal Democrats have called-in changes to the council’s footstreets policy amid fears that disabled residents were not properly consulted about the proposals.

Under changes agreed by Labour’s Transport Boss, Dave Merrett, last Monday, accessible parking for disabled people will be reduced around the St Sampson’s Square area of the city centre. At the moment, residents with green permits are exempt from access restrictions and are allowed to enter Davygate, St. Sampson’s Square and Church Street; then park for up to 3 hours. Around 1500 disabled residents currently hold green permits in York. The changes will restrict access along Davygate and cut the 57 potential parking spaces for disabled residents by around 1/3. There are concerns that the plans will rule certain places out of reach to residents with mobility problems.
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Energise on Cornlands Road are advertising, “Plenty of places left for the next Pilates level 1 course starting 5th December. 6 week course every Wednesday. Why not give it a go.

Pilates is a body conditioning routine that may help build flexibility, muscle strength and endurance in the legs, abdominals, arms, hips, and back”

There is flooding in the Huntington/New Earswick area where the River Foss is 2.73 metres above normal levels. Huntington Road is closed at the railway bridge. Skeldergate is also closed.

Substantial rainfall is expected during today.

Currently other local rivers are below the peak that they reached in September. However, there are widespread flood warnings in place in the area.

Click to enlarge

The Environment Agencies web site also now has an improved graphical representation of flood threats (above) It can be accessed here: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/142151.aspx

You can check the position at monitoring sites across the County here for the Ouse catchment area http://tinyurl.com/Ouse-catchment

You can register to receive flood warnings from the Environment Agency here https://fwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/app/olr/home

River Ouse web cam 09:00 26th Nov 2012 clcik to enlarge

Check out the current river level position on this Kings Staith web cam http://www.farsondigitalwatercams.com/live-webcams/north/Ouse/York/# As a rule of thumb, provided the no entry sign remains visible, there should only be relatively minor flooding in York.,

These are the direct links to the environment Agencies water level monitoring stations for York. They give the current river levels and compare them to historical records. Levels are all now in the area where some flooding is possible and the Agency is forecasting further rises in the levels later today.

http://tinyurl.com/Holgate-beck-level

http://tinyurl.com/York-City-centre-river-level

http://tinyurl.com/Foss-Barrier-river-level

http://tinyurl.com/New-Earswick-river-level

http://tinyurl.com/Skelton-river-levels

The York Council’s £1million street lighting replacement project has plunged parts of the City into darkness.

In some streets the numbers of lampposts have been reduced, in others street lights have been abandoned while in some streets – although the lights have been replaced – large unilluminated areas have been created.

There have been complaints about Lendal Bridge, Burgess Walk, Gale Lane and – particularly – Front Street.

In the latter (see movie at http://tinyurl.com/Front-Street-gloom) sections of the footpath are no longer lit raising fears about road safety and crime.

The specifications for the new lights were never discussed in public raising concerns that the programme is in effect a cost cutting exercise.

When the project was launched by a Labour Councillor he claimed that it was the biggest street lighting project since “Victorian times”.

Some may feel that a return to gas lights might produce better illumination in some streets.

2 and 3 bedroomed houses in Foxwood Hill and Woodthorpe sold well in the late summer.

Prices ranged from £135,000 for a 2 bedroomed property on Waterman Court to £197,000 for a 3 bedroomed house on Otterwood Lane. A 3 bedroomed former Council house on Foxwood lane fetched £123,000 while a 3 bedroomed semi on Westfield Place found a buyer for £159,000. Cheapest property was a 1 bedroomed terraced house on Lydham Court which went for £99,950. At the other end of the scale properties on The Mount were selling for over £700,000!

Empty, chain free, properties currently available include a 2 bed flat on Cornlands Road at £109,995, a 3 bed semi in Thoresby Road is advertised at £139,950, a 3 bed detached on Glenridding is priced at £193,500 while moving into a 4 bed home Beechwood Glade will cost £250,000.

There have been some recent price reductions. A 2 bed semi in Wains Road is priced at £137,500; £149,950 buys a 3 bed semi in Slessor Road, Its £180,000 for a 2 bed terrace in Poppleton Road while £259,950 buys a 3 bed semi on Wetherby Road.

The rental market remains buoyant although there are still some bargains around.

A 1 bed flat in Windsor Garth costs £450 a month. A 3 bed in Grassholme will be £950 a month while 4 bedroomed properties range from £895 (Welton Avenue) to £1,200 (Moor Lane).

A 2 bed terraced property on Bellhouse Way is priced at £625 pcm as is a 3 bed in Middleton Road

Other properties available to rent include:

• £675 pcm North Lane, Dringhouses, York 2 Bed Semi-Detached

• £675 pcm North Lane, Dringhouses, York 2 Bed Semi-Detached

• £650 pcm Goodwood Grove, Tadcaster Road, York 2 Bed Terraced

• £650 pcm 63, Beaconsfield Street, Acomb, York 2 Bed Town House

• £625 pcm Carrfield Woodthorpe, YO24 2 Bed Bungalow

• £625 pcm Middleton Road, Acomb, York 3 Bed Semi-Detached

• £625 pcm Bellhouse Way, Acomb, York 2 Bed Terraced

• £550 pcm Chancery House, Holgate Road, York 2 Bed Flat

• £525 pcm Park Street, York 1 Bed Flat

• £460 pcm – TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS, 98-104 HOLGATE ROA…1 Bed House

• £400 pcm – 11% HOLGATE ROAD, YORK, YO24 4AB 1 Bed Flat

• £385 pcm SECOND FLOOR FLAT, 150 THE MOUNT, YORK, … 1 Bed Flat

• £340 pcm SECOND FLOOR FLAT, 150 THE MOUNT, YORK, …1 Bed

The following web site provides a useful way of displaying all available property in a post code area. http://www.mouseprice.com/property-for-rent