The Woodthorpe Community Group does a lot of good work locally, and they are having a fundraising ladies fashion show and pop-up shop to help raise money for the popular summer fun day and other local activities.
The fashion show is on the evening of Thursday 27th June at Dringhouses Sports & Social Club on St Helens Road, and all ages, shapes and sizes are welcome! And it’s only £5.
It should be fun night, so if you’d like a ticket please e-mail woodthorpeyork@gmail.com
Local Lib Dem councillors have launched a petition calling on Post Office Ltd to reinstate Post Office services for Woodthorpe residents as quickly as possible.
The Post Office shut on 13th May, leaving residents with a trek to Acomb or Tadcaster Road to access Post Office services
Post Office Ltd have failed to engage with local councillors or residents about the closure. They did issue a statement a few days after the Woodthorpe branch closed. It said:
“We are currently investigating the options available which will enable us to reinstate a Post Office service to the local community. In exploring this, it is important that any future service is sustainable for the person operating the service, and for Post Office Limited. Future provision will reflect customer numbers and usage and we may take the opportunity to establish an alternative type of service. This may be a new style local branch which run alongside an established retail shop in newly refurbished premises and creates a more modern and convenient experience for customers.”
Stephen, Ashley and Paula are calling on local residents to sign the petition, which is online at https://www.yorklibdems.org.uk/post_office_petition
Stephen commented “It is important that we show Post Office bosses how much we value our local services.”
Post Office Ltd have belatedly responded to the outcry from residents about the closure of Woodthorpe Post Office.
They have issued a statement on their website setting out the current situation. It states..
“I would like to assure you that we are currently investigating the options available which will enable us to reinstate a Post Office service to the local community. In exploring this, it is important that any future service is sustainable for the person operating the service, and for Post Office Limited.
Future provision will reflect customer numbers and usage and we may take the opportunity to establish an alternative type of service. This may be a new style local branch which run alongside an established retail shop in newly refurbished premises and creates a more modern and convenient experience for customers.”
Somewhat confusingly, an e-mail from Post Office Ltd to Cllr Stephen Fenton boasts that “Customer information materials will also be available in branch”!
Signage has been installed in the car park behind the shops on Moorcroft Road with the aim of limiting the amount of time that vehicles can be parked there.
Residents using the shops and other local services can park for up to two hours, with no return within three hours. We understand that staff working in the local shops have been issued with permits allowing them to park for longer than two hours.
We believe that these restrictions have been introduced in response to concerns that some residents were using the car park as a ‘park & ride’ facility, parking up in the morning and getting the bus into town. This makes it more difficult for people using local services to find somewhere to park.
The car park is private land, and therefore the council has no role in establishing or enforcing parking restrictions on this land.
Local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Fenton is pressing Post Office Ltd for answers on the future of Woodthorpe Post Office, after it became known locally that the branch is to cease operating on 13th May.
There have been concerns about the branch for some time. In November 2018 it was closed suddenly, and subsequently re-opened on 7 December. Then in April 2019 opening hours were reduced, with the counter closed on Friday afternoons and all day Saturday.
Stephen contacted Post Office Ltd on 3 April to raise concerns about the reduced opening times and was told in a response sent on 17 April that
“I cannot see any planned changes for the branch that are upcoming and as such I have notified the Area Management Team for the branch so they can investigate further and speak with the Postmaster.”
Stephen contacted Post Office Ltd again on 26 April when it became known that the branch was to close, asking to speak with someone from the Area Management Team as a matter of urgency. No response has been received to date.
Stephen has called on Post Office Ltd to provide information to the local community, and engage with local councillors.
It would appear that Post Office Ltd is not adhering to its own Code of Practice in this situation. The Code applies to ‘the handling of the localised changes that can and do happen across such a large network for all sorts of reasons. When these changes do happen, whether they are planned or whether they occur without warning, we will always ensure that the minimum access criteria outlined by the Government are met and that the needs of customers are taken into account as much as is possible.’
UPDATE – a handwritten note has been sellotaped to the Post Office window announcing that the counter will close on Monday 13th May. Post Office Ltd tweeted on 7th May that “we’re currently awaiting further updates on this from the Area Management Team for the branch.”
Woodthorpe Post Office on Moorcroft Road has announced a reduction in its opening hours with effect from 16th April.
The Post Office counter will close on Friday afternoons at 1pm and will remain shut on Saturdays and Sundays. The shop will be open on Friday afternoons, but it will be closed all weekend.
The news comes as a blow to residents who work during the week and rely on being able to access Post Office services at the weekend. The weekend closure of the shop will hit residents who have newspapers delivered, and will particularly affect elderly residents who are less mobile.
Whilst the nearby McColls store sells newspapers, they do not offer a delivery service.
This latest setback comes after the Post Office closed without warning in November 2018. It subsequently re-opened in early December. Cllr Stephen Fenton has written to Post Office Ltd to request an explanation as to what is happening with the Post Office, highlighting the concerns being felt locally by the deterioration in the service.
Local residents are invited to attend the March meeting of the Woodthorpe Community Group on Tuesday 12 March at 8pm at St James the Deacon church on Sherringham Drive.
Come along, have your say and get involved!
Between the hours of 19:30 and 23:45 on Wednesday 2 January there were two separate incidents on Chantry Close and Summerfield Road in which items were taken from unattended vehicles.
Any residents who have information in relation to these incidents should phone 101 and quote NYP-02012019-0534 for Chantry Close or NYP-02012019-0425 for Summerfield Road.
When leaving your vehicle North Yorkshire Police urge residents to remove any valuables from your vehicle and ensure that all doors are locked and windows are closed. If you see anyone acting suspiciously then please don’t hesitate to phone 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency.
Police have received numerous reports of persons trying car door handles on Silverdale Court on Friday and Saturday evening.
The description ranges from one person up to 3 persons.
Please can we ask that if you see such activity that you report this matter urgently so we can respond to the area and attempt to detain those responsible.
As expected, developers have formally submitted an application to build 516 homes on Green Belt land adjacent to Askham Bog off Moor Lane in Woodthorpe.
The red line marks the boundary of the proposed development site
The plans are overwhelmingly opposed by local residents, and by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust which manages Askham Bog.
Local Lib Dem councillors have consistently opposed the plans, and we urge residents to lodge objections with the council. The planning application can be viewed on the council website HERE. To submit an objection, go to this website and click on ‘Comments’ and follow the instructions.
***UPDATE*** The council website had initially shown a deadline of 9th January for residents to submit comments and objections. This was incorrect, and we are now told that the closing date will be at the end of January or beginning of February.