More City centre cycle parking

The amount of parking spaces for bikes in the city centre has increased to over 1,000.

cycle racks

Throughout 2013 the council has added space for an extra 150 bikes within the city centre, which has been done by adding new cycle racks and extending some existing racks. This has grown the number of spaces by 18 per-cent compared to the beginning of the year.

The new spaces are located on:

  • · Goodramgate
  • · Piccadilly
  • · King Street
  • · North Street
  • · Nunnery Lane car park
  • · Micklegate
  • · Lendal (outside the Post Office)

The existing racks that have been extended are:

  • · Library Square
  • · Castle Museum
  • · Lendal (outside Zizzi’s)
  • · Esplanade
  • · Castle Car Park

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Houses in Multiple Occupation -change proposed

HMOs

The York Council’s Local Plan Working Group will be asked to note and approve the findings from a comprehensive review which highlights some of the challenges facing the shared housing sector in York

The Council has issued the following media release which outlines how they are likely to restricted the number of “shared” houses in particular areas.

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York Council Strasbourg invasion

The York Council is now apparently claiming that its Deputy Leader was representing the City on 28th November when she extolled the virtues of “residents petitions” to an unsuspecting Strasbourg gathering.

It followed on from another visit by the same Councillor to the same venue 4 weeks earlier when another Congress of Local and Regional Authorities meeting took place.

At a time when most Euro MEPs are trying to extricate themselves from a, hugely expensive ,twin venue  meeting schedule (Strasbourg and Brussels)  York’s new affection for Strasbourg looks ill timed.

The Congress organisers film their debates allowing taxpayers to judge whether their money has been well spent. (Another watching paint drying experience, so skip to 1:30 on video).

 

Books on Prescription are great medicine

Residents tackling mental health issues have a brand new route to free treatment in York.

In partnership with national health professionals, York’s Libraries are launching an innovative mental health self-help initiative.

Books on prescription

The Books on Prescription scheme follows the opening of new reading café at a mental health treatment centre in the city, and enables GPs and mental health professionals to write a ‘book prescription’ as part of a patients’ cognitive behavioural therapy.

This recommends reading from a set of 30 self-help books approved by health professionals and designed to help people address or manage health problems such as anxiety or depression.

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More problems for York real time traffic information site

Click to visit site

Click to visit site

The much publicised, and very expensive, ITravel web site – launched at the beginning of the year by the York Council – is still plagued by gremlins.

 

It was heavily criticised for not providing the kind of real time traffic congestion camera input which has been widely available elsewhere for over a decade.

The responsible Councillor promised in October that this feature would be available within days.

But now the interactive map has crashed altogether and does not provide any information at all about car parks, road works etc.

It is an embarrassing “fail” for the City in the busy run up to Christmas and may have contributed to the sometimes chaotic traffic scenes which arose during the St Nicholas Fayre period.

Many private cars were seen using Lendal Bridge during restricted hours over the weekend suggesting that some may pay more for their Christmas shopping trip than they were anticipating.

Another “take away” planned for The Green, Acomb.

Latest Planning applications for Acomb and Westfield Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb ward. There were no applications submitted for the Westfield Ward

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
—————————-
Location: 99 Almsford Road York YO26 5NU

Proposal: Two storey side extension

Ref No: 13/03679/FUL

Applicant: Mr And Mrs Howland Contact: Mr Paul Brown Consultation Expiry Date: 23 December 2013 Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level: DEL
—————————-
Address 17 Melwood Grove York YO26 5RE

Condition 3 (materials)

13/03080/FUL

Reference AOD/13/00591 Application Received Tue 26 Nov 2013
————
Address Pedpit Motor Stores Limited Unit 3 Greenside House The Green Acomb York YO26 5LL

Proposal Change of use from retail unit (use class A1) to takeaway (use class A5)

Reference 13/03520/FUL

Application Received Fri 01 Nov 2013
—————–
Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

York £83 million transport bid

The government is consulting on a plan to establish a West Yorkshire and York “Super Council”.

The plan could “unlock” a £1 billion transport investment fund for the region as the coalition government pursues a policy of devolution. York might expect to get between £5 and £10 million a year from the devolved transport budget.

The York Council hopes to get £83.5 million in total for major infrastructure from a new “pot”.
Nortern by pass congestion

Of this, £37.6 million would be spent on the northern by pass (not enough for dualling. Would just mean larger roundabouts).

York would be contributing up to £4 million a year into this “pot”. This is additional unbudgeted expenditure and would mean an increase in Council Tax levels and/or the introduction of new/additional charges

The report being considered tomorrow singularly fails to address the financial disadvantages of “pooling” transport income streams. Even the scale of the risk remains unclear.

Under the current proposals, drawn up by Labour Local Authority Leaders, York would not be a full member of the new authority and would not have voting rights.

The key question to be answered therefore is whether the new arrangements will be better for the people of York?

Or are they just a way of underpinning a “high growth” approach to the future of the City? That’s the 25% increase in size during the next 15 years advocated in the Local Plan published by Labour in April.

A West Riding, Labour, dominated super Council would not automatically be any more sensitive to the needs of a City like York than would the present decision taker who is bunkered in Whitehall.

The Authority would be ruled by a Quango. There is no mechanism for giving residents a say in the running of the new “Council”.

With local elections only 16 months away, there is a worrying absence of broad consensus across the political spectrum on whether, and on what terms, participation in the “Super Council” should be pursued.

Views must be sent to the government collaborate@communities.gsi.gov.uk by 2nd January 2014.

Garage break in arrests.

The Police report that they arrested 2 males trying to break into a garage in the Foxwood area last night.

They are also saying that there has been an increase in thefts from cars parked in Cranbrook Road.

There was a sneak in burglary for an insecure property in Stamford Street. Door was unlocked. The property was later recovered.