Unemployed numbers down in York

The Office for National Statistics have released figures today stating that there are 2763 claimants in York, a decrease of 135 from last month and of 658 from May 2012.

The claimant count represents 2.1% of the working population and contrasts to the regional average which stands at 4.6%.

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 May claimant count since 2008.

Road closure threatens Water Lane traffic flow

A meeting on 20th June is to look again at a permanent road closure on Westminster Road.

Residents in the street have campaigned for over 6 years for through traffic to be banned from using it (and The Avenue) as a short cut to avoid the Water End traffic lights. Now a 79 signature petition is due for consideration.

“Rat run” traffic levels on Westminster Road have always been well below the numbers seen on similar routes and the street has road calming “sleeping policemen” to control vehicles speeds

Westminster Road may be closed to traffic

Westminster Road may be closed to traffic


Part of the problem has been traced to parents dropping off children at the school on The Avenue. Around 30% of vehicles are making this trip between 8:15am and 8:45am.

Recent traffic patterns have been disrupted and trends are difficult to track.

Initially improvements to the A19/A1237 roundabout at Rawcliffe provide some relief to the Water End junction and later 2 approach lanes to the traffic lights were restored. Road works on Boroughbridge Road (and more recently at the A59/A1237 junction) have continued and may be deterring drivers from using this sector of the City.

Council officials report that morning traffic levels on Westminster Road have fallen recently although an increase in the evening peak has been noted.

Closure of the route could increase traffic on the Water Lane junction by 10% but the major influence is likely to be the Councils plan to close Lendal bridge to private traffic from August.

There is no doubt that this would increase traffic in the Clifton Green area, with particular problems building between 4:00pm and 5:00pm.

The Council has so far refused to publish details of the forecast traffic levels on York’s river bridges pre and post the Lendal bridge closure.

Officials are recommending that no road closure on Westminster Road be agreed.

Bonding Warehouse media centre plan abandoned

Bonding Warehouse

Bonding Warehouse

Media reports suggest that the Bonding warehouse is no longer being considered as a possible “media and creative centre”.

Taxpayers will be relieved.

Many residents were aghast last year when the flood prone building was put on a shortlist for the project.

It had been sold by the Council at the height of the property boom 5 years ago but had failed to find a new use. Access during high water levels in the Ouse makes the building inaccessible in its present form.

In total around £3.6 million of taxpayers’ money was earmarked for the project. No convincing business plan has yet been published with earlier estimates suggesting that the private sector would contribute only around 20% of the investment costs.

In the autumn even Labour Councillors began to challenge the wisdom of the project.

It was revealed that taxpayers had already footed a £25,000 bill for the – now abandoned – Bonding Warehouse project.

It seems that the focus of attention for this project is now switching to the Guildhall which has been empty now for 3 months.

There is likely to be more widespread support for the use of the modern office next at the Guildhall as some sort of business centre. Whether the financial figures can be made to stack up remains to be seen.

If the Council is now beginning to jettison some of its more harebrained schemes then they could look again at their proposed £100,000 investment in an “Arts Barge”.

We remain sceptical about the need for any additional arts venue in the City, but it would be better to site any such facility on dry land. The Guildhall might just allow 2 birds to be killed with one stone …. But taxpayers will want to see more convincing evidence that the projects can be self funding.

NB. The owners of the Bonding Warehouse are understood to be pursuing its possible use as a restaurant, offices and flats.