Rubbish skips this weekend Saturday 13th July

Although the Council has cut back on the number of amenity skips it provides, several residents associations continue to run programmes aimed at making it easier for tenants to get rid of unwanted items.
The skips are only in place for a few minutes and residents must ensure that they put any rubbish into the skips and do not leave it on the path or highway.

1 Woodlea Ave 08:30 09:30

2 Spurr Court 10:30 11:30

3 Cambridge St 12:30 13:30 Catesby House

4 Bramham Rd 08:30 09:30 Community Centre

5 Oldman Court 10:30 11:30

6 Bellhouse Way 12:30 13:30 Community Centre

Toy Bus ditched by York Council

A Labour Councillor made a final decision on Wednesday to scrap the Toy Library Bus service.

It looks like its final visit to Kingsway West will take place on 15th July

As a partial replacement, some toys will be carried by the Mobile Library in future.

Usage of the Toy Bus had dropped following a decision by the Council to stop promoting its availability.

Nevertheless, several hundred residents responded to a public consultation exercise about its future.

The decision has been “called in” by Liberal Democrat Councillors and will be debated next week. Click here for details

More sponsors required for York roundabouts

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge


The Council is seeking planning permission to increase the number of roundabouts where commercial advertising boards are permitted.

The income helps to maintain a higher standard of care of floral arrangements than would otherwise be possible.

The scheme was started about 7 years go.

There are 13 sites available.

Rowntree Park birthday party on Saturday

The annual summer fair will take place on Sat 13 July 2013, 2pm to 5pm and promises to be a great day out for all the family. The event is being organised by City of York Council’s ranger team and the Friends of Rowntree Park.

The Rowntree Company gave Rowntree Park as a gift to the people of the city 92 years ago on 16 July 1921 in memory of workers who fell during the war. Every summer a ‘birthday party’ is held to remember this event, and a cake will be cut during the celebrations in honour of the park and its origins.

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Will your children dare take the challenge?

creepy houseJoin this year’s Summer Reading Challenge running in every York library from Sat 13 July to Sun 15 Sept 2013.

Our Theme is a mysterious adventure called “Creepy House”. We challenge all 5 to 12 year olds to read 6 books in 3 stages.

Stage 1: The Awful Upstairs – read two books and collect stickers to reveal its residents.

Stage 2: The Gruesome Ground Floor – read two more books to discover who is hiding there.

Stage 3: The Spine-tingling Cellar – read two final books and complete the challenge by unveiling the bone shaking Skeleton Family Robinson.

Every time you read a book there will be a small prize and everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a draw to win a Kindle Fire HD . There is also a mini challenge for Under 5s to collect stickers as they read.

The challenge launches at Explore York Library with a day of activities on Sat 13 July 11am to 4pm, but don’t worry if you can’t get there you can join up any time over the summer at any York library.

York Council plans to spend £1 million on employing more pen pushers

The true muddle that the York Council has found itself in on economic development has been revealed as the authority announces that it is to pay staff using funds from a capital investment fund.

The £28 million, so called, Economic Infrastructure Fund was originally set up to help create jobs in the City. It is partly funded by borrowing money. The principal and interest on the borrowing have to be repaid over a prudent period of time. It also includes income from a “bonus” allocated by the government reflecting the number of new homes constructed in the City (which has fallen dramatically over the last 3 years).

Infamous "no money" letter penned by outgoing Labour government minister. York heading same way?

Infamous “no money” letter penned by outgoing Labour government minister. York heading same way?


The fund is partly responsible for the amount that the Council owes having almost doubled since Labour took control of the authority.

Now £1 million of the fund is to be spent on increasing staffing levels at the Council’s West Office HQ.

The Council says that a new team will “undertake further analysis to de-risking sites financially, manage the impact of growth on transport and review and adapt the Get York Building section 106 requirements around affordable housing and ensuring sustainable development”

While it is true to say that work on key development sites like York Central has stalled over the last couple of years, throwing borrowed money at the problem is unlikely to kick start regeneration work.

Recreating “in house” the Inward Investment Board which was scrapped a few years ago is an unconvincing move.

Against a background of an improving economy, and with house sales on the increase, what York needs a transparent partnership approach involving key investors.

Last chance to have your say on First bus services in York

bus-stop1

First, the city’s principal bus operator, is looking to consult with people to seek their views on what they want from bus services and to then consider what changes can be introduced. First have held 5 meetings so far as they meet directly with customers or anyone with a view on buses and how the services can be improved and what links they would like to see

The last two opportunities to attend meetings are:

• Sat 13/7: Acomb Parish Church Hall, 0900 – 1200

• Tues 16/7: York city centre, West Offices, 1000-1400

People who can’t make the meetings need not worry. There is the opportunity to fill in a customer survey online (www.firstgroup.com/yorkconsultation) or write to First (address below) by no later than Friday 26 July.

We have already recorded a view that the 4/5 should be re-routed via Acomb Front Street (old village) to improve access to the many facilities that are located there.

First is responsible for 11 million passenger journeys a year across a network of 15 routes including 5 Park & Ride services.

However the city’s principal bus operator is determined to grow the number of people using buses in York which will help ease the congestion on York’s roads and in turn lead to better air quality in the region – one of City of York Council’s key environmental objectives.