York Community Stadium Project & Planning

Community Stadium

Thursday sees what could be the final act in a saga which goes back over nearly a decade. In 2003 the York City Football Club came within a few weeks of losing its Bootham Crescent home. Only the hard work of the present Directors of the Club saw it raise an unlikely £2 million loan from the Football Foundation which eventually saw ownership of the ground returned to the Club.

However one proviso was that a new stadium had to be provided within a 10 year timescale.

Whether the Stadium project should have taken until this week, to reach a critical decision time, is open to discussion. But we are where we are now.

Initially the football club led in the search for a suitable site. What became clear though was that the preferred choice of many supporters (Bootham Crescent) was simply not large enough to generate the kind of non match day income that a successful club will be dependant on.

The Council took on a leading role in 2007 and invested in a project team. (more…)

20 mph speed limit report withheld.

A Council report, which is expected to recommend that a 20 mph speed limit is introduced throughout York, may not be published on the Council’s web site until Thursday.

This gives anyone wishing to make representations, to the decision meeting which is due to take place next Monday, virtually no chance of making their views known.

It is the latest in a series of attempts by the Labour Council to avoid open debate on controversial issues.

Food hygiene web site surprises

37 York premises have been listed as requiring either urgent or major improvements when visited by Council food safety officials during the last 12 months. The premises recorded scores of either 0 or 1 when inspected.

The list includes one business in the Westfield Ward.

In each case the premises were given a specific period of time in which to make the necessary improvements which could range from better washing facilities through to structural improvements.

The vast majority of premises in York though achieved either a 4 or 5 score indicating that standards of food hygiene are generally good.

Details of the results of individual premises can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/safe-food-york

Traffic arrangements – Dante Race meeting Wednesday 16th to Friday 18th May

Traffic management measures are introduced in the Knavesmire area for days when race meetings occur. All race meetings (day-time) will have the following measures in place.

• Directional signage will be placed on major arterial routes to the city to encourage traffic to approach the racecourse via A1237/A64. Further signage within the city boundaries will reinforce the preferred route of approach.

• No Waiting Cones on Knavesmire Road, Campleshon Road, Bishopthorpe Road (part) and north side of Church Lane, Bishopthorpe. (more…)