York police are urging students to be more security conscious following two burglaries at a student house in York this week.

As well as taking the most basic security measures in their accommodation, officers are urging students who are returning home for Christmas to take all their valuable belongings with them.

In the early hours of Tuesday 4 December 2012, a student house in York was burgled through an insecure rear door. The burglars walked into the house, entered two unlocked bedrooms and stole electrical equipment including two laptops and an iPod.

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Yesterday’s announcement that the personal tax allowance will rise again next April, means that 81,200 working people in York will get a further tax cut and the number of low-earners who have been lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether since 2010 will reach 7,560.

This means that the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government have increased the amount of money people can earn tax-free every year. In April it will be raised again to £9,440, a total tax cut of £600 a year for more than 20 million people nationally. The changes mean that more than 2 million low-income workers will have been taken out of paying tax altogether since 2010. The Lib Dems are on track to increase the amount of money people can earn tax-free to £10,000 by 2015, which would be a total tax cut of £700 a year for most people.

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Residents will have to wait longer for improvement to transport arrangements following a private decision by the York Cabinet member with responsibility for transport. Earlier in the week he cut the programme value by over £2 million (25%) to £6.8 million.

It is particularly bad news for bus users who will bear the brunt of the cut.

Less is being spent on speed management schemes although the 20 mph city wide speed limit still figures in the programme. The introduction of the 20 mph limit in Woodthorpe/Acomb has been put back into the next financial year (although it is clear that Labour intend to ignore the local opposition to their scheme).

Most of the cut comes from the plan to provide 2 new park and ride sites in the City. Work on these is not now expected to start before the middle of next year.

The full list of changes it as follows
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Tanner Row area cycle routes click to enlarge

Tanner Row proposed signage click to enlarge

In another “behind closed doors” decision, the Council has agreed to introduce a contra flow cycle lane on Tanner Row.

The intention is to provide easier access for cyclists leaving the new Council HQ in Toft Green.

Tanner Row is relatively narrow and there are likely to be some safety concerns. These have already been highlighted by the police.

There has been no public consultation on the plan.

More details here: http://tinyurl.com/Tanner-Row

At the same time as the Met Office issues a warning that temperatures are set to fall towards the end of this week, City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency join forces to issue a safety message to all residents and road users to exercise caution following the recent spell of flooding.

The Met Office has issued a yellow “be aware” warning, which means as temperatures fall there will be widespread frost and ice on some roads and footpaths.

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