Tour de Yorkshire – residents briefings

Residents, businesses and local groups are being invited to find out more about the Tour de Yorkshire, at a series of information sessions held across the city.

People can expect to find out more on arrangements for routes, traffic management and travelling around the city for the event on 2 May. Several Tour de Yorkshire drop-in sessions will take place in the entrance hall at the councils West Offices in the run up to the race, including:

• Tuesday 24 February – 10am-12noon
• Tuesday 24 March – 2-4pm
• Friday 24 April – 10am-2pm

In addition, several Residents’ Forums and Parish Council meetings will have information on the Tour de Yorkshire, including:

• Wednesday 25 February, Stockton Parish Council, Stockton-on-the-Forest Village Hall from 7.30pm
• Wenesday 4 March, Haxby and Wigginton Residents Forum, Ralph Butterfield’s School, 7pm
• Thursday 5 March, Dringhouses’ Residents Forum, St Edward’s the Confessor Church, Tadcaster Road, 7pm
• Monday 9 March, Haxby Town Council, Memorial Hall, Haxby, 7.30pm
• Tuesday 17 March, Osbaldwick Parish Council, St Thomas’ Church from 7-pm
• Wednesday 18 March, Huntington Parish Council, Huntington Community Centre, 7pm
• Wednesday 25 March, Clifton Residents Forum, Clifton Green Primary School, 7pm

The Council says: “As we are able to progress our plans we want to inform residents of the best viewing options and how they can go about moving around the city on 2 May. We hope residents and visitors will start creating a plan for their day in advance so they are able to fully enjoy it.”

Council taxpayers are coughing up over £150,000 to subsidise the event which is taking place on a busy bank holiday!

For more information on the Tour de Yorkshire visit www.york.gov.uk/info/200721/tour_de_yorkshire

Woodthorpe school to help out with spring clean in March

Local residents, community groups and businesses will be involved in spring clean over the last weekend of March to carry out an annual city-wide spring clean of York.

During March, the council will focus on supporting hard-working residents committed to keeping their neighbourhood looking – and staying – tidy.

So far, community groups such as the Friends of Leeman Park have committed to spruce up a play ground, Lindsey Avenue Residents’ Association will be encouraging people to recycle even more and the Dunnington in Bloom team will be concentrating their efforts on tidying a layby on the A1079.

Smarter York officers will be working with local businesses to brush up their immediate area as it’s good for business and for the surrounding community.

Pupils at Woodthorpe Primary School are among the York schools being encouraged to spend an hour of the last afternoon of the spring term having a Spring Clean.

Students are also being approached to join in, as well as staff at City of York Council who are being encouraged to go out and help in their own neighbourhoods as part of the ongoing support the council gives them to volunteer to boost the quality of life in York.
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More WiFi in York – Foxwood Community Centre and Sanderson House to get links

York is to continue its digital journey following an announcement that a number of Community Hubs will receive free WiFi in spring 2015.

The WiFi installation is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as part of York’s status as one of 22 SuperConnected Cities and is the latest step in City of York Council’s Digital City campaign.

The free WiFi will be available to residents and visitors while they are in public space. The provision will allow events and seminars to take place and will also help residents communicate with relatives and friends digitally.

WiFi will be installed in the following Community Hubs:

  • 68 Youth Centre
  • Bell Farm Community Centre
  • Burton Stone Community Centre
  • Castlegate 29
  • Clarence Street 30 (Sycamore House)
  • Clementhorpe Community Centre
  • Clements Hall
  • Foxwood Community Centre, Bellhouse Way (due on 25th February)   
  • Melbourne Centre
  • Moor Lane Youth Centre                   
  • Oaken Grove Community Centre
  • Priory Street Community Centre
  • Sanderson Court Community House , Bramham Road    
  • Tang Hall Community Centre
  • Poppleton Road Memorial Hall

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Woodthorpe school report on “pupil premium” success to be discussed next week

Disabled access arrangements also being scrutinised

A report from Woodthorpe primary school, indicating how they have used the LibDem inspired pupil premium funding initiative, forms part of the background papers for a meeting next week.

The school received a supplementary payment of over £130,000 last year which was used to raise the achievement levels of children from poorer backgrounds.

The Woodthorpe review  forms part of a wider report which looks at how the “attainment gap” can be closed across the whole of the City.

A special committee had been told  that, by the age of 19, the gap in attainment between disadvantaged young people (as defined by them being in receipt of Free School Meals at age 15) and their peers in York were among the widest anywhere in the country

Disabled access

The meeting will also receive a report on how access arrangements for people with disabilities can be improved particularly at leisure venues.

 

Bad day for accidents on York roads

Serious collision at Fulford Road, York, woman dies in crash at Bishopthorpe

Emergency services are at the scene of a collision at Fulford Road, York, involving a car and a pedal cycle.

Collision

The cyclist, a woman in her 20s, has received serious injuries.

The road was closed for a short time but has now reopened.

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Earlier a woman died in a village near York.

Officers were called at 11am to Drummond View, Bishopthorpe, where a car had crashed into a lamp post.

The driver, a woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say they are not yet in a position to name her.

Witnesses are asked to come forward by ringing police on 101, asking for the Force Control Room and quoting reference NYP-17022015-0117.

Civic charities receive donation following successful event

The Lord Mayor of York will visit staff from the Bengal Brasserie on Wednesday 18 February to thank them for hosting a charity curry night last month.

Civic Party at Bengal Brasserie charity event

Civic Party at Bengal Brasserie charity event

As part of the visit the Lord Mayor will receive a cheque for the money raised following last month’s event. The hugely successful charity event was organised by the restaurant to support this year’s civic charities.

The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of York Cllr Ian Gillies said: “I am delighted to visit the Bengal Brasserie and would like to thank them for their support of this year’s civic charities. The two charities this year are York Teaching Hospital Charity (YTHC) and York Against Cancer, which look to improve patient care across the city, and I am delighted to receive this donation. I look forward to visiting the Brasserie again to thank them for a great evening and for their support of these two great causes.”