£248,530 to help sport in York

Lottery balloon

York is to get £248,530 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Community Sport Activation Fund

32 projects will receive a share of £5.1 million of funding to support grassroots sport activity across the country and build a lasting legacy from last year’s successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The programme will make playing sport and active recreation easier and more enticing for York residents across generations. The programme will employ 6 staff to work with community clubs and organisations to provide sports opportunities for, those aged 14-25, adults (25-55) and those aged over 55.
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Unemployed numbers down in York

The number of people claiming Jobs Seekers Allowance (JSA) in York has fallen

The Office for National Statistics have released figures today stating that there are 2898 claimants in York, a decrease of 155 from last month and of 574 from April 2012. The claimant count represents 2.2%

of the working population and contrasts to the regional average which stands at 4.7%. The figures are also much lower than the national average which stands at 3.7%.

The figures display a year on year improvement in the number of claimants in the city with the figures representing the lowest April claimant count since 2008.

Speed cameras catch 71 drivers in York in one week

The latest results for speeding offences obtained by the use of mobile cameras in York reveal York Road Haxby, Towthorpe Road Haxby, Strensall Road Huntington, Temple Lane Copmanthorpe and Murton Way as the main problem roads

6 speeders were also caught on Beckfield Lane.

Once again most offenders were offered a speed awareness course.

The full results for the county can be found by clicking here

At 6pm on Wednesday 15 May 2013, the force will hold an hour-long web-chat on the subject of our mobile safety cameras.

There is a chance later today to have a web chart with the mobile camera Policing team.People are invited to put their questions to Dave and PC Forth by logging on to www.northyorkshire.police.uk/webchat

You can also enter your email address to receive an alert reminding you to log on at 6pm.

North Yorkshire Police mobile safety camera routes 15 May to 21 May 2013

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the following sites at various times during the dates stated. Cameras will not be in use all day, every day. The locations were accurate when this news release was produced.

Below are enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing Wednesday 15 May 2013.

Due to operating constraints, our mobile safety camera locations may change without prior warning.
•A64 east-bound, Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound, Tadcaster
•Beckfield Lane, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, York
•Main Street, Askham Richard
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York
•York Road, Haxby, York
•Towthorpe Road, Haxby, York
•Greenshaw Drive, Haxby, York
•Murton Way, Murton, York
•Strensall Road, Huntington, York
•The Village, Stockton-on-Forest, York
•A1036 Malton Road, York
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Disappointing performance by York economy – falls behind Blackpool!

The latest league table charting business growth in the 100 largest Towns and city’s in the UK sees York in 49th place.

It falls behind places like the Wirral, Northampton, Lincoln, Harrogate and even Blackpool when measuring growth, in active companies, during the 4th quarter of 2012.

Three towns actually showed a contraction (Southend, Working and Stockport)

The full table can be accessed here

Revised York ward boundary report is damp squib

The Local Government Boundary Commission have taken the easy way out in their report published today.

Labour achieved an over majority on the York Council in 2011 but attracted only 40% of the popular vote.

Those hoping that new ward boundaries in York would provide a much needed stimulus for democracy in the City will be deeply disappointed by proposals which see little or no change in the boundaries in the urban area.

The opportunity to introduce single member wards – with a quarter of the Council standing for re-election each year – has been rejected.

Incredibly the draft proposals, which will now go out for public consultation, accept a Labour Party proposal which is nakedly aimed at increasing the number of seats that they hold in the Fulford/Heslington area.

Copies of the London based Commissions proposals can be found by clicking here

Put simply, residents feel no attachment to large wards containing over 10,000 electors.

Such wards encourage candidates who have no connection with a neighbourhood and who – after an initial bust of enthusiasm – are rarely seen in between elections.

It is one of the reasons why the turn out in local elections is often around the 33% mark in large wards. Turnout in smaller wards is usually much higher.

The Boundary Commission have agreed to make Copmanthorpe a single member ward. Shame that they didn’t observe the same principle elsewhere!

Residents have until 5th August to respond to the Boundary Commissions proposals.

Gerrymander