Footpaths in Carrick Gardens to be resurfaced starting on 15th December

Carrick Gardens resurfacing plan click to enlarge

Work on Tudor Road completed as confusion continues over future of Lowfields car village plans.

The Council will start work week commencing 15^th December 2014 to reconstruct the footway shown on the plan right. This scheme is programmed to take 3 weeks, weather permitting.

The work consists of fully excavating the footway and reconstructing from the ground up in tarmac. Road kerbs are to be replaced at vehicle crossings.

The contractor will be working between 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:00am to 12:30pm on Fridays.

Tudor Road footpaths resurfaced

Meanwhile the Tudor Road footpaths, leading to the rear entrance to the Lowfields school site, have been resurfaced (left).

Mystery still surrounds the continuing delays on work starting on the Lowfields Retirement Village which was supposed to have been fully operational earlier in the year.

The Cabinet member with responsibility for the project is to be questioned again at the Council meeting on 11th December. Previously she has said that confidential negotiations with potential providers were “ongoing”.

After 18 months these must by now have been concluded one way or another?

The project is currently running 3 years behind schedule

14 arrests in unpaid fines crackdown -man fined for cycling on Front Street footpath

York police have been out in force to round up people with unpaid court fines.

During the operation, officers also arrested a 34-year-old man who was wanted on suspicion of burglary, theft from a motor vehicle and failing to attend court.

Officers also interviewed a 34-year-old man who they stopped on Front Street, Acomb, on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs. He was also given a ticket for cycling on the pavement (!)

A 57-year-old man had his car seized and was reported for summons to court after being stopped driving while disqualified.

On Thursday 4 December 2014, Officers, PCSOs, Special Constables and Court Enforcement Officers, arrested 14 people with outstanding fines and recovered £5,553 which was owed to the courts.

York Magistrates’ Court has issued a number of non-payment of fines warrants which have still to be enforced, many of which carry orders for immediate prison sentences.

Thursday’s operation was the latest in a series of planned days of action to locate people who haven’t paid their fines and put them back before the courts.

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Boyes to take over empty superdrug store in Acomb

Boyes have announced they are moving into Acomb, taking over the former Superdrug building which has been vacant for a number of years.

11-15 Front Street

Sue Hunter, who is Chair of the local trader’s group Acomb Alive! established to help local businesses work together, develop the area and support one another, added: “The position of the building close to both Morrison’s and the junctions of Green Lane and Front Street has long cast a blight on the good work we are all doing in the area, particularly the events staged by the smaller, independent traders.

“Having this shop open and doing business again will provide a boost for Acomb in terms of both confidence and footfall. We are all looking forward to working with Boyes and involving them in the activities we are developing for Acomb for the year ahead”.

Andrew Boyes, Director of the Company said: “We are delighted to be moving into Acomb and becoming part of the business community. We have known Acomb well for many years and have made a long-term investment in the building and the area. Boyes is here to stay and we are very much looking forward to becoming a key brand and offering excellent service to local people while attracting additional trade to the area.”

Boyes are planning to renovate their new store over the coming months and are expecting to open their new Acomb premises in Spring 2015.

More pushing and jumping on York Labour ship – now Bayley quits

Helicopter for Bayley

Today’s announcement that local York Central MP Hugh Bayley is to quit at next Mays General Election has taken many by surprise.

He has become something of a “fixture” on the York political scene over the last 20 years. As recently as last summer he said that he would seek another term of office.

Coming so soon after the resignation of the Labour Council Leader, it is inevitable that residents will put two and two together. The extent of the turmoil within the local Labour party is becoming increasingly obvious.

Ironically those in the local Labour party who had positioned themselves to be Bayleys successor have recently been side-lined.

Scott left the Labour Council Group, Alexander is on his way to London under a cloud, Williams has just taken on the Council’s Leadership while others have the odium of failure sitting on their shoulders following four tempestuous years on the York Council.

It is to be hoped that Labour do not try to parachute an outsider into the City.

As the Westfield by election showed, electors do not like to be taken for granted and they are increasingly flexible in their voting choices.

Hugh Bayley became a generally respected figure in the City. He did the routine MP jobs well but chose to locate himself predominantly in London. In later years he was increasingly slipping out of the York scene. He did not entirely evade the kind of criticism handed out to many MPs over issues like the expense claims. He was forced to make an apology over the Union Terrace sale issue and was not shy at accepting hospitality as he drifted into the celebrity circuit in later years.

He will be remembered though as a straight forward kind of person and has done enough for the City to deserve a positive niche in Yorks political history

NB. The York Central Liberal Democrats will be selecting a parliamentary candidate at a meeting being held 15th December. The party is expected to select a York resident to be its candidate in May.