A new piece of equipment which will reduce the amount of time police spend at the scene of collisions is now operational.

Officers have taken delivery of a 3D laser scanner which has the capability to picture the entire collision site, allowing officers to examine the scene back at the station on a computer.

This advance in the technology available to investigating officers means that following collisions police will be able to leave the scene much sooner, resulting in less disruption to the public and fewer diversions. (more…)

The organisers of the Community Garden on Cornlands Road write;
“We have suffered some setbacks due to the crazy weather, vandalism issues and also changes to the Dig In team but the playground is slowly being transformed and we have been enjoying our weekly gardening clubs, we have some dedicated enthusiastic locals who are making the garden blossom. The broad beans are nearly ready and the peas are flowering, we have built a compost bin and we have lots of ideas for the future. We want more people to come along to garden and learn about food growing, or if you just fancy a cup of tea and a chat please join us.
We will be at the garden on either a Tuesday 5pm – 7pm or Thursday 3pm – 5pm each week.

We will be on site tomorrow 10:30am – 12 noon celebrating insects as part of National Insect Week so come along to find out which bugs are friends or foes in a fruit and veg garden and make some insect friendly crafts. All events and activities are FREE and OPEN TO ALL.

We are holding a Summer Fair on Saturday 18th August 1pm – 3pm so please spread the word or contact me if you wish to get involved.

If you use Facebook search for YWT Dig In and you can keep up to date with Cornlands and also the other two gardens we have created so far; Brailsford Crescent in Clifton and also Hull Road Park. We shall soon be starting work on the fourth community garden which will be in The Groves.

The York Council have been forced to publish the results of the residents ballot on how Ward Committee funding should be spent this year.

The most striking feature of the process is the massive reduction in the value of funds allocated for local improvements. The ward by ward figures are reproduced left.

The reason, for the reluctance of the Council to provide information on voting patterns, is immediately apparent with a huge drop in the numbers participating in the ballot.

In part this will be the result of the way in which the ballot paper was distributed (tucked inside a free commercial magazine) and partly because many, previously popular, schemes had been deliberately omitted from the options made available for residents to consider.

For example, in the Westfield Ward, residents had no opportunity to indicate their support for the continuation of the local security patrols.

The Council was probably right, though, to start a new category for voluntary and other organisations – which had no local base in the Ward – but which were trying to access ward committee finding to pay for city wide schemes. These applications had grown in number to the point where it had become possible that no money would have been left for local neighbourhood improvements – the original intention of setting up the Ward Committee system.

Even with the new financial limitations, it is clear that many ward Councillors have ignored public opinion and decided to allocate funding to their pet schemes.

For the first time ever, Westfield Ward Councillors have approved an allocation for a project which the majority of voters opposed (buying new pantomime costumes). Perhaps not surprisingly, this was actually the least popular proposal ever to appear on a Ward Committee ballot paper! A grant of £300 to the Acomb Bowling Club is also being made although the scheme never made it onto the ballot paper sent to residents.

Years of hard community based work have been put in jeopardy by a Council that prefers to try to manipulate public opinion through a combination of impenetrable silences, spin and misinformation. It will breed a cynicism in the Community about the Council and its motives, which may take a generation to reverse.

A copy of the voting results for all wards can be found at this web site http://tinyurl.com/York-FOI-11th-June-2012

Or Email us at libdem.york@btinternet.com and we will send you a spreadsheet with the voting information on it.