Christmas events at York Mansion House

‎Christmas at the Mansion House

A selection of short lectures, offered by the Centre for Lifelong Learning in collaboration with York Mansion House. “Join us in December 2012 as we explore the Christmas story and learn more about the roots of traditional music, decorations and food – all lectures cost £6 per person”.

Saturday 15 December – 3.30-4.30pm ‘Deck the Halls with …?’ The changing face of Victorian Christmas decorations: Louise Hampson

Saturday 15 December – 6-7pm The Annunciation to Mary and the Birth of Christ in the Qur’an: Roderic Vassie

Sunday 16 December – 11am-12noon Guaudete! Music for a Medieval Yuletide’: Rachel Davies (harp and voice)

Sunday 16 December – 2-3pm Sprouts and Stuffing – an edible history of Christmas: Alice Bennett

Full details can be found at http://www.york.ac.uk/lifelonglearning/xmas/

Highways resurfacing programme for 2013 revealed in York

2013 highways repair list in Ward order, click to enlarge

The provisional carriageway and footpath resurfacing programme for the next financial year has been agreed by the Council.

It continues the 60% cut in maintenance expenditure introduced by Labour when they took over the running of the Council.

The draft programme is agreed at this time of year to allow officials to plan a work programme. It follows inspections undertaken in the summer which tabulate the condition of each road. Ward Councillors have the opportunity to put forward roads for consideration for repair.

The list reveals that some wards like Derwent (Dunnington) and Heslington will not get ANY repairs next year while the largest ward (Westfield) will see only a small part of the Foxwood Lane footpath resurfaced. It means that roads that are breaking up (such as Vesper Drive) will continue to deteriorate.

Residents will hope that more money will be found for road maintenance when the Council meets in February to agree its final budget. If it doesn’t then the backlog of works will grow to the point where it becomes impossible to maintain safe surfaces catering for the needs of all road users.

Cyclists in particular are vulnerable to potholes and this may be a factor contributing to accident numbers which are beginning to creep up again in York.

Community invited to dig Treemendous York planting event

Local people are being invited to pull on their boots, pick up a spade and help plant a new copse of 2,000 trees as part of the Treemendous York project, celebrating its first anniversary this week and of which City of York Council is a founder member.

The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) on behalf of Treemendous York has secured a £25,000 grant for tree planting in York and one of the sites is a council-owned riverside plot south east of the Millennium Bridge sometimes referred to as Fulford Ings.

The community tree planting event which is open to all will happen on Saturday 24 November from 10.30am – 3pm, to which everyone is welcome.

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Fresh Questions Over York Fireworks Fiasco

Fresh questions have been raised over this month’s ‘Gunpowder Plod’ fireworks event after it was revealed that the Council did not receive any rental payment from the company behind the event.

City of York Council gave organisers ‘Rat Race Adventures’ use of the Knavesmire venue for no charge. This subsidy was offered in the expectation that profit in future years, though crucially not this year, would be shared. However, it is unclear what will happen to this arrangement after the event received widespread criticism and reportedly left many visitors unhappy.

Visitors complained of two hour long queues at food stalls, a delay of an hour for the start of the fireworks display, a delayed start for the 5km race, and a bonfire which had burnt out before people arrived. In response to the criticism ‘Rat Race Adventures’ promised to donate £5,000 to charity.

Councillor Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Leisure & Culture, commented:

“This rental deal means council taxpayers effectively subsidised a private company to run an event which appears to have been a complete shambles. Furthermore, the deal means that despite leaving so many disappointed, the company is likely to have made a healthy profit. A profit which the taxpayers will not see a penny of.

“10,000 ticket sales alone would have brought in over £150,000. Factoring in car park charging and food and drink sales means that even after costs and the charity contribution are taken away, the company is likely to have made a significant profit – all aided by the free venue. It seems a private business has seized on a naive cabinet member’s desperation, taken the Council’s freebie, put on a reportedly second-rate event, and still made a nice profit while any future ‘shared profit’ seems unlikely as it is doubtful they will return next year. No wonder taxpayers are unhappy.

“Just like last year’s ‘Winter Wonderland’, an event the Council is still waiting to receive rent for, the lack of financial acumen and sheer naivety of the Council is astonishing. Coming just days after the disappointment of the Illuminating York festival serious questions have to be asked of the Labour Cabinet Member in charge, Sonja Crisp. Given that the Council promoted and subsidised the event she should have ensured it was properly scrutinized and she can’t now just wash her hands of all responsibility”.

School transport costs in York could exceed budget by £500,000

Increased use of the Danesgate Community school in Fulford has been blamed for an increase in school transport costs for the York Council.

Currently around 150 children attend the school which was set up as a “referral unit” for those with behavioral problems. The reasons for the increase have not been revealed by the Council, although there is a move to get all schools to bear the pooled costs of transport to specialist units like these.

The overspend forms part of a £1 million potential end of year deficit on the Council’s Children and Young Peoples budget.

The issue will be debated at a “scrutiny” meeting which is taking place on 21st November.

Other significant budget pressures include the increasing number of children being put with foster parents.

On a more positive note, York has the lowest level of children in workless households in the region, which the Council claims is “an illustration of our comparatively strong economy creating good conditions and prospects for young people”.

North Yorkshire Police mobile safety (speed) camera routes 14 – 20 November 2012

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following routes between Wednesday 7 November and Tuesday 13 November 2012.

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•B1228 Main Street, Elvington, York
•B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•A19 Selby Road, Whitley
•Millfield Road, Chapel Haddlesey
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•Brayton Lane, Brayton, Selby
•Barff Lane, Brayton, Selby
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•A64 Between Whitwell Hill and Barton Hill
•A64 Between Barton-le-Willows and Jinnah
•A64 Between Barton Hill and Whitwell Hill

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York Council owed £3.7 million

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the York Council is owed £3.7 million in Council Tax debt (accumulated prior to the current year).

Debts by property value. click to enlarge

This has been accrued by 8598 residents.

Of these, 181 owe more than £3000 and 61 owe more than £5000.

4134 residents have been claiming Council Tax benefits for more than 1 year.

15,105 residents in the City currently qualify for reduced Council Tax payments.

Of these 3239 are in paid work while 3964 also receive employment or income support. 1899 are receiving job seekers allowances.

Students showcase their cycle training achievements

Students from a secondary school in York are among the first to take part in this year’s cycle training course, offered by City of York Council.

Youngsters from Millthorpe School are taking part in the Bikeability training session, to showcase their new cycling achievements.

For a small fee all York students aged between 12 and14 years of age can now train and qualify for the Bikeability Level three cycle training, which is the only government approved cycle training scheme.

The course targets children’s daily commute to school and helps develop their overall awareness and cycle safely skills on all types of roads, which is particularly important as the evenings get darker in the winter months.

John Bullock, Cycle trainer, said: “By teaching children how to cycle safely now, we are giving them the choice of a low cost, healthy, sustainable transport option for the rest of their lives”

Sessions are two-hours long, with a fully qualified cycle trainer.

Bikeability is delivered by the council’s Road Safety team, who visit York’s schools on a regular basis to guide pupils through the programme.

For more information please visit www.itravelyork.info or follow@itravelyork on Twitter.