York’s first Eng-AGE 50+ Activity Day will take place on Monday 13 February at Energise, Cornlands Road.
Designed to showcase a number of different sports and activities, the event is open to everyone over 50 who is interested finding out more about what is available in York.

Taster sessions on offer will include circuits, aerobics, bowls, table tennis, aquafit, Zumba Gold, pilates, tai chi, badminton, and swimming sessions. There will also be group beginner runs, Nordic walking taster sessions and health walks all setting off from the centre, and specialised classes such as Neurological Pilates and Chair Based Exercise. Participants are able to try as much or as little as they like!

The day celebrates the first anniversary of the launch of City of York Council’s Eng-AGE programme, which aims to encourage people over 50 to become more active and which has seen the introduction of new classes in York in a number of different sessions. It is hoped that this event will give more people the chance to try new activities and discover something which they enjoy and then want to continue every week somewhere in York.

Catriona Sudlow, organiser of the event and City of York Council’s Older Peoples Physical Activity Officer said: “Over the past year since our Eng-AGE programmes were launched we have had a fantastic response to our sport and fitness sessions. People over 50 have enjoyed taking part in activities such as Tai Chi, Zumba Gold and Badminton. We hope that this day will attract and inspire even more people to live active lifestyles and we can show them that there are so many different ways in which they can keep fit and healthy across the city.”

Eng-AGE also promotes the benefits of exercise for people over 50, which can include improved sleep, stronger and more toned muscles and improved posture, co-ordination and balance. Exercise can also help reduce falls and keep individuals happier, healthier and more independent for longer.

The Activity Day opens for registration at 9.30am and finishes at 4pm. Prices are £3 for a half day and £5 all day, which includes a cup of tea or coffee mid morning and mid afternoon.

For more information and to register for the event please contact Catriona Sudlow on 01904 553377 or visit www.york.gov.uk/Eng-AGE

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 1 February 2012 and Tuesday 7 February 2012.

•A64 Seamer by-pass Scarborough
•B1249 Staxton Wold, Staxton, Scarborough
•B1249 Foxholes to county boundary
•A1039 Filey Road at Flixton
•A165 Reighton by-pass
•A64 Seamer Road, Scarborough
•A64 east-bound carriageway, Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound carriageway, Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•The Village, Stockton-on-the-Forest, York
•A1036 Malton Road, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•York Road, Haxby, York
•Broadway, Fulford, York
•Murton Way, Muton, York
•Fordlands Road, Fulford, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•B1222 Naburn lane, York
•B1228 Main Street, Elvington, York
•B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the above sites at various times during the dates stated. Cameras will not be in use on the above routes all day, every day.

School holiday activities at Energise

Energise run many extra courses and activities during school holidays, including climbing, trampolining, tennis and rollerskating. Details on upcoming holiday activities at Energise are available from the Shine webpages.

Activities can be booked by calling Energise on (01904) 552424, or visiting the centre in person. Cash, cheque and most credit or debit cards are accepted and payment must be made on booking.

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Residents can now find the consultation documents, about the layout of the new park and ride sites, on the Councils web site.

The access arrangements for the site at Askham Bar are considerably more complex than the original roundabout plan. However the entrance is still beyond the Tadcaster Road/ Sim Balk Lane junction and should have the effect of removing a lot of the incoming traffic which currently clogs up the Tesco roundabout.

There may be concerns about having 2 pelican crossings and two sets of traffic lights in Tadcaster Road all in the space of less than 1/4 mile. Outgoing traffic queues may, as a result, be worse during the evening peak.

Residents have until March to make their views known

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Residents recently voted on how they would like to see the Ward Committee budget allocated for the next 12 months. The results are reproduced above.

It is unclear how much money will be available for this activity during the next financial year, although cuts have been forecast.

We will publish the final list on this web site when the budget allocation has been decided.

This year, the City of York will be 800 years old.  In 1212, King John gave York its first Charter so that it could have a council led by a mayor and be able to raise local taxes and trade without restrictions.  The day the charter was given was July 9th but the celebration was launched by the present Lord Mayor at a special Breakfast in the Mansion House recently.  

He was able to announce that Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York Minster on April 5th , Maundy Thursday,  and will present 85 deserving pensioners with specially minted Maundy Money  –  one person for each year of her age. As celebration in 2012 will include the Mystery Plays, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics; it looks as if it will be year to remember.

As you will be aware City of York Council has recently removed some street lighting from a number of roads in the ward on safety grounds. This work was carried out without warning, with no advance notice being given to either Ward Councillors or local residents, leaving many people unaware of what was happening.

This is clearly unacceptable and residents should have been told that the work was being carried out and why. The Liberal Democrat Council Group will be raising the issue with the Labour Cabinet and asking why they failed to tell residents that street lights would be removed.

A number of residents have contacted us to ask when the lights are likely to be replaced.  Around 500 street lights have been removed across the city, meaning the Council needs to find around £1000 per lamp post to pay for replacements. The Labour Cabinet did not identify any funding for replacing the lights before agreeing to their removal and so far the money has not yet been found. It is likely that, at the very earliest, funding to replace the lights will not be found until the new financial year. This means that the lights are unlikely to be replaced before the summer and residents will be left to manage through the remainder of the dark winter nights with reduced street lighting. 

The removal of the lights has left many residents concerned about possible safety issues. While the weather has been unusually mild so far this winter, if there is a cold spell the reduced lighting will make it harder to spot ice on the pavements and many elderly residents are concerned about not being able to go outside. Concerns have also been raised about the effect the removal of the lights will have on the risk of crime.

If you have specific concerns about the impact that the lost lighting will have on your street, or the effect it will have on you or your neighbours, please do contact us on the details above and we will ensure that the Council is made aware of the issue. We will also push to ensure that the Council prioritises the replacement of lighting in areas with vulnerable residents.

If you have any other issues that you would like to raise, please do get in touch.

Salt bins have now been placed in a variety of locations across the ward for residents to use. The bins are free for all residents to use on footpaths and driveways throughout the winter months. They are inspected regularly, but if you find that your bin needs refilling, please phone (01904) 551551.

There is a list below of all the local salt bins. You can also see the exact locations of the salt bins by using the map on the City of York Council website.
Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Salt Bin Locations

Annan Close
Spey Bank
Eden Close
Moor Lane
Nairn Close
Orrin Close
Silverdale
Wordsworth Crescent
Summerfield Road
Lowick
Summerfield Road
Alness Drive
Deveron Way
Nevis Way
Hillcrest Gardens Near
Middlethorpe Grove
Middlethorpe Grove
Ganton Place
Don Avenue
West Thorpe
Leeside
St James Place
St Helens Road
North Lane
Orchard Way
Southfield Crescent
Herdsman Road
The Horseshoe
Royal Chase
Moorlea Avenue
Wains Grove
Slingsby Grove
Lindale
Tadcaster Road
Ashbourne Way

The York Council has teamed up with the Yorkshire Energy Partnership to offer free home insulation to York residents through the ‘Warmer Warmer’ scheme.

Subject to a free, no obligation home survey, householders can get free loft and cavity wall insulation in their homes, on a first-come first-served basis. The scheme is open to all private homeowners in the City of York Council area, including landlords. The deal expires on 31 January 2012.

For more information or to claim your FREE insulation, call Yorkshire Energy Partnership on 01904 55 44 06 quoting ‘Warmer Winter’.
The £100,000 scheme aims to to tackle fuel poverty and keep the cold at bay during the freezing winter months and is being funded by national energy providers and City of York Council.

Garden compost bins are available to York residents subsidised by the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership.

A 220 litre Compost Converter is £10 or a 330 litre Compost Converter is £13, plus £5.49 delivery per order or buy 1 get 1 half price. The offer is limited to 2 units per household.

You can order online at www.getcomposting.com, quoting reference YNY01L; by phone on 0844 5714444, quoting reference YNY01L; or by post via a leaflet (available at 9SLP and Library Square receptions or by contacting YCC) to:

FREEPOST RRSX-TXTE-RCCB, Evengreener, YNY Offer, Leeds, LS1 4BN

The closing date for this offer is 31st March 2012.