North Yorkshire Police mobile safety (speed) camera routes 19 – 25 September 2012

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 19 September to Tuesday 25 September 2012

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•York Road, Haxby, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•A64 Malton by-pass Malton east and west-bound
•A64 Seamer by-pass Scarborough
•A64 Seamer Road, Scarborough
•A64 Between Whitwell Hill and Barton Hill
•A64 Between Barton-le-Willows and Jinnah (more…)

27% pay increase for Council Leader?

York Councillors pay recommendations. click to enlarge

On the face of it, at a time when most workers are not expecting any increase in pay, a recommendation from an independent body that a Council chief should get a £9000 a year pay increase would be greeted with incredulity.

But that is what is being suggested in York by a group of high profile establishment figures in the City who have reported on the level of remuneration that Councillors in the City should receive for their efforts

In fairness the 8 member panel has done what they were asked to do. They were guided by previous reports which had sought to link Councillor pay to the “average wage” (actually the median male non manual wage, which for Great Britain is £152.77 per day).

Significantly the panel has failed to list the actual remuneration received by Councillors in their last “normal” job.

And that is where the mistake is made.

The worker getting “average wages” will have some qualifications – if only experience.

To seek election, Councillors need no qualifications.

As with all professions there will be the lazy and the feckless as well as the dynamic and hardworking. There are no performance statistics to help electors when they are asked to re-elect a Councillor or alternatively to select someone new. Most therefore vote for the party rather than the person. (more…)

York Food and Drink Festival 2012

The annual York Food and Drink festival returns next week with a special York 800 twist – this year it will be celebrating 800 years of food and drink – past, present and future.

The festival will run from Friday 21 – Sunday 30 September and will showcase all that’s best of Yorkshire Food and Drink.

For more information and a programme of events visit www.yorkfoodfestival.com

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