Speed cameras on Tadcaster Road this week

Mobile speed camera sites confirmed

The police have confirmed the lest of sites a which its mobile camera vans will be operating for the next week Click They include:

Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York – Community concern
B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington – Community concern
Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York – Community concern
Strensall Road, Huntington, York – Community concern
A64 Westbound Malton by-pass – Community concern
A64 Westbound Tadcaster by-pass – Killed or seriously injured
A64 west-bound, Heslington York – Killed or seriously injured
A64 west-bound, Street Houses, Bilborough – Killed or seriously injured
A64 west-bound, Wharfe Bridge, Tadcaster – Killed or seriously injured
A64 west-bound, Whitwell Hill – Community concern

Communities urged to bid for money to set up renewable energy schemes

York residents and community groups are being urged to bid for a share of the £10m Urban Community Energy Fund.

The fund provides grants and loans to support urban communities, like York, to develop renewable energy projects.

Grants of up to £20,000 are available to help develop ideas into projects. The fund also will provide loans of up to £130,000 to develop projects through to the planning stages and to be in a position to attract funding to deliver the project.

The following groups are eligible to apply for the fund: (more…)

York Council accounts still not certified

The Councils Auditors have still not certified completion of the York Councils accounts for 2013/14.

The accounts attracted alot of comment when the auditors came to the conclusion “that the Council had proper arrangements in place to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources, except for weaknesses in budgetary control and financial management in Adult Social Care services”

While taxpayers have been told that action is being taken on that issue, it now emerges that Mazars cannot close the file on last year’s activities because of an outstanding objection from a taxpayer about the Lendal Bridge fine issue.

The concern may be addressed if the Council agrees – as expected – a general refund of fines collected on Lendal Bridge when it meets on 11^th December 2014.

In the meantime a report from Mazars is due to be considered by the Councils audit committee on 10^th December

York swimming pools attendance figures shock

Yearsley still second most popular facility in City

Waterworld – closed by the York Council this month

Figures released today, by the York Council under Freedom of Information legislation, cast further doubts on the wisdom of jettisoning the Yearsley swimming pool.

The figures reveal that last year Yearsley had 118,611 users compared to 110,231 at Waterworld (which has now been closed by the Council) and fewer again at the new York Sports Village.

The latter, in its first full year of operation, had 110,218 customers making it the least popular swimming facility in the City.

Swimming pool attendances and subsidy costs Click to enlarge

The new pool does, however, seem to have attracted some additional customers as total swims in the City (excluding private and school based pools) rose from 508,125 in 2012/13 to 522,65 last year.

The figures also reveal that swimming receives a £1/2 million subsidy each year from taxpayers. That is relatively modest comparison to historical investment levels.

While Yearsley is the most expensive pool to operate, it doesn’t enjoy any cross subsidy from other activities – like fitness and studio work – which accounted for most of the income at the other pool sites.

Without the cooperation of Nestle, who own the surrounding land, it would be impossible to increase the range of sports catered for at the Yearsley site.

All in all, closing both Waterworld and Yearsley and replacing the facilities with a single – sports village style clone pool – does increasingly seem to be a major misjudgement by the Council.

Residents are clearly looking for a wider range of water activities and locations in the City.