Street drinking and green waste collection petitions to be considered by Council

The Council has announced the dates on which two petitions from residents will be considered.

A petition asking for action to control street drinking in The Groves area is slated for consideration on 17^th March

A petition opposing the reduction on winter green bin emptying frequencies will be considered on 18^th March

Meanwhile opposition to Labour’s plans to reduce grey bin emptying frequencies to 3 or 4 weekly is growing.

Many residents have also emailed us to say that they believe that the £35 a year charge that Labour have agreed for emptying any green bin, will lead to more hedgerow dumping.

Markets leave Parliament Street

The York Council is seeking to ban market traders from Parliament Street.

Parliament Street was the traditional home of the York market for many years before it was moved into Newgate. It was refurbished and relaunched as the Shambles market last year.

York Food and Drink Festival

Speciality farmers and continental markets continued to be held on Parliament Street and were generally a welcome addition to the street scene.

Now they are to be shunted into a limited space within the Shambles market.

A report to a council committee taking place on Tuesday says

“The proposals include the refurbished marketplace being the focal point for markets and the sole city centre location where markets will be held – with the exception of St Nicholas Fair – and will accommodate all themed markets.

They also address the need to provide a diverse range of goods while welcoming casual traders, service standards and positively promoting the market.

To support traders in their planning and marketing, the report proposes that from 1 September 2015, traders will have the choice of taking either a four-week or a six-month licence which will be granted for specified days and commodities”.

We have previously recorded that we think the Council missed an opportunity when it invested over £1.6 million in the market refurbishment. There was a chance to reinvigorate Parliament Street while moving -and enlarging – the cycle park which could have occupied part of the Newgate site.

Other areas – such as Duncombe Place and Acomb Front Street – could have been the new home for special events and markets.

Now that opportunity seems to have been lost for ever.

Region’s first tenancy fraud conference to be held in York

Ways to tackle tenancy fraud will be top of the agenda at the region’s first tenancy fraud conference, hosted by Veritau, City of York Council’s fraud investigation service at West Offices, York on Tuesday 10 March 2015.

There, 32 social landlords will be attending the Tenancy Fraud Conference, organised on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humberside Tenancy Fraud Forum.
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York to host sixth jobs fair

City of York Council is inviting jobseekers and residents wanting to improve their skills and qualifications to attend a jobs fair at York Railway Institute on Thursday 19 March from 10am to 3pm.

The event, which has been organised through partnerships between the council, York Learning, Job Centre Plus and Learning City York, looks to bring together local employers to offer advice and the chance to speak face to face to businesses about employment opportunities in the city.

A range of employers will be present at the event, along with learning providers and other agencies offering free advice for people to improve their skills and assist them in their search for employment.

The event will also offer the chance to speak to 60 businesses who are currently recruiting in York, including; Hiscox, PMP recruiting for Nestlé, City of York Council, CGC Events Ltd (York Racecourse Hospitality), McDonalds and York Chocolate Story.

The fair will also have a designated quiet area to enable residents to fill in application forms with the help of some excellent local skills and training providers.

York welcomes Electrification Task Force report

York welcomes Final Electrification Task Force report, which places the York – Harrogate and Leeds railway line in the top tier of recommended electrification schemes.

The Final report of the Electrification Task Force, created in December 2013, will determine how electrification could deliver greater economic growth in the north of England – as part of the emerging ‘Northern Powerhouse’ concept.

Thirty two routes were examined, and grouped into three distinct prioritisation tiers based on their ability to contribute to local economic plans, how they fit with other schemes, and the number of diesel kilometres of running they would replace.

The Final report is available to download at www.railnorth.org/electrification

The 12 Tier One routes are:

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New disability sports clubs springing up in York

A range of new and inclusive disability sports sessions are launching this month for residents who want to take up Boccia, Bowling, Badminton and Wheelchair Basketball in York.

Organised or supported by the council’s Sport and Active Leisure team, these exciting sessions will help offer equality of opportunity for disabled sportspeople in the city.

The activities have been developed in partnership with established and local community sports clubs across the city, who will take on the running of the sessions themselves and embed them within their own regular programme of sports. These new opportunities offer value for money to participants and support the council’s work towards creating financially sustainable health and wellbeing opportunities for everybody across the city.

The development of the new Boccia club is being led by Beth Moulom, a GBR Lions Squad (GBR development squad) player and her mother Liz who is an international coach and referee, who are keen to set up a new competition standard club. Badminton sessions have been requested by the Deaf community in a recent council Deaf and hard of hearing sports survey.

The new sessions are open to all ages and abilities with details as follows:
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