York to exit Sterling Zone

In a bold move the York Council has decided to turn its back on the Pound and go it alone.

A new Alexander Euro (AE) banknote has been issued with a face value of zero.

The note is now circulating in York ahead of a launch event which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The event has been thinly disguised as a Olympic torch bop to avoid an early run on the new currency.

It is thought that the decision of the Council, to borrow an additional £20M, prompted Kersten “Angela” England to advise that “we might as well print our own money”. Some commentators believe that the advice was misinterpreted by the Council Leader.

Council Leader James “The Greek” Alexander said his intention was to maintain good working relations with other parts of the United Kingdom – including even Selby – while maximising the benefits of the City’s successful pub economy.
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He had reluctantly allowed his image to be used on the notes following public consultation on the Councils web site, undertaken last Sunday morning between 3:00am and 3:15am, which revealed 100% support for the idea.

Opposition Leaders have poured scorn on the idea. Ian “Hand of Cameron” Gillies said, “I wouldn’t pay him in washers”

The new currency is now exchanging at a rate of 3,000,000AE to the washer.

Andy D’Agorne was dismayed, “this will be the first currency in history that, by Wednesday morning, will have a negative value. We’ll have to pay someone to recycle the notes”.

19 Litter bins to go from Westfield Ward

List of bins being removed. Click to enlarge

Labour have announced the 19 litter bins that they will be scrapping in the Westfield Ward.

It amounts to 1/3 of the total provision in the area.

Incredibly they are removing bins from potential high litter areas such as the Foxwood, Cornlands Road, Kingsway roundabout and Acomb Wood Drive shops forecourts, while Gale Lane loses 3 of its bins.
Acomb Green fares badly losing 2 bins and even some bus stops will lose their bin

The cuts will leave the 12,000 residents in the Westfield Ward with a total of just 36 litter bins and 22 “poop scoop” bins.

Labour have claimed that the scrapped bins duplicate other bins, are unused or are used to dispose of domestic waste.

Council staff removing litter bins

The decision comes just 2 months after the Beckfield Lane recycling centre was closed and weeks after the mobile bulky waste/ recycling convoy was scrapped by the Ward Committee.

The future of the free green waste collection is also under review as Labour look for savings to fund their City centre projects.

Overall across the City 350 litter and “poop scoop” bins are to be removed

Go anywhere bus ticket will cost £5

City of York Council and bus operators in York have announced that a “go anywhere” ticket will be available from 1st July.

The new ticket avoids the need to buy a second ticket if a passenger is moving from one bus companies vehicle to a different operator.

Although welcome, the new arrangement is likely to benefit only 4% of bus users. The vast majority of journeys are made with the same operator or by using a pensioners pass which already allows free cross operator use.

The costs of managing this type of system have been put at, in excess of, £100,000 a year. The Council have yet to reveal how much – if any – will fall on Council taxpayers to fund.

The ‘All York’ ticket can be purchased on any bus in the city and will go on sale from Sunday 1 July.

Two products will be launched on this date:

• All York Day (£5 – adult day ticket)
• All York Family (£10 – a day ticket valid for up to five people, maximum two adults)

The ‘All York adult day ticket is to be launched at an introductory price of £4.50 which is cheaper than buying return tickets with two different bus operators.

The Council have so far failed to comment on the issues that have arisen through the introduction of pensioners pass readers on some First buses. The card reader system is expected to offer a low cost solution to allocating revenue to different operators when cross route journey’s are made.

York bus operators include: (more…)