Foxwood gardeners triumph!

CC garden produce
As part of the Big Community Challenge which was carried out at Foxwood Community Centre last October, three raised beds were constructed.  These were rented out to local people at the modest cost of £20 for the year.

They have proved very productive with onions, lettuce, potatoes, peas and beans all being grown.  Picture shows local resident Shirley Gumley with some of the produce grown.

Apple and pear trees have also been planted.

Anyone interested in taking a raised bed and who lives in the Foxwood area, should contact Sue Galloway on 01904 794111.

In July Foxwood Residents Association held a garden competition and £200 of prizes were awarded.  The judges, led by Nigel Harrison, commented on the high standard of entries and praised the Residents Association for their efforts which had resulted in 20 entries being judged

York Council paid operators £500,000 to keep Waterworld open during 2014

Pool closed in December despite huge subsidy to contractors GLL

The scale of the problems facing the York Council, as it agonises over whether to include a new swimming pool at the Community Stadium, have become apparent with up to date pool usage figures having now been published.

Swimming pool useage 12 15

The figures confirm that only around 80,000 people had passed through the turn-styles at the Waterworld facility in the 9 months leading to its closure in December 2014. Both Energise (180,000 visitors) and Yearsley (121,843)visitors) were more popular, as was the Sports Village pool which is run without a Council Taxpayers subsidy (although part of the costs of building the pool were covered from the money received from the sale of the Barbican site).

There are many other pools at private sports clubs like Roko in Clifton which are run as commercial operations. It is possible that these facilities have gradually, over the years, drawn customers from the public pools.

The figures confirm a demand for about 500,000 visits per year to civic swimming pools in York.

What is obvious now is that, to spread that demand across four pools, would not be financially viable fro a cash strapped Council.

It also raises question marks about GLL and their ability to manage facilities without a taxpayers subsidy.  In theory Waterworld plus the adjacent gym should have been profitable. That it apparently wasn’t – even when the costs of the adjacent stadium had been removed – will lead to some challenging questions when the next Community Stadium project is considered by the Council on 27th August

GLL were appointed, by the last Council, as the preferred bidder to run all leisure facilities on the City earlier in the year

Cart overtakes horse

cart before horse

The York Council is still publishing agendas for meetings at the same time as the decisions  taken at those meetings are  published.

There have been two instances recorded this week on the Council’s web site

It had been anticipated that the new Council, would put an end to this practice. In effect anyone who wanted to make representations on an issue is still unable to do so.

It really can’t be that difficult to publish a council agenda a week in advance of any decision being taken.

The decisions this week (appointment of an older person’s project officer and the boundaries of the Rufforth and Knapton Neighbourhood Plan) were not particularly controversial.

Nevertheless the Councils democratic and consultation systems do need to be refined

Police unveil latest development in fight against travelling criminals

North Yorkshire Poanpr cameralice has stepped up the fight against travelling criminals with the introduction of a new generation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

As part of a £1m investment in ANPR announced last year, the first phase of the new, moveable cameras – known as re-deployable cameras – has been rolled out across North Yorkshire.

The cameras use the very latest technology which produces enhanced images and the ability to capture distinguishing marks on a vehicle.

North Yorkshire Police are the first police force in the UK to use this model of ANPR camera.

ANPR works by reading the registration number of a vehicle, and after checking the number against a database of information, will issue an alarm if the vehicle is linked to criminality.

It is used by the police to prevent and detect crime, as part of ongoing investigations, post-incident investigations, as well as helping in the search for vulnerable missing people, wanted criminals and to target uninsured and untaxed vehicles. 

(more…)

Guided walks around the cemetery – Sun 9 Aug and Sun 23 Aug

cemetery-photo-1

Sunday 9th August at 2pm – Geology in the Cemetery

An interesting and informative geological walk around the cemetery with Neil Bartlett

Sunday 23rd August as 2pm – Tree Walk

Learn about the cemetery’s trees with Keris McDonald

No need to book, just turn up.

If no price stated, we suggest a donation of £2.50 or, for Friends of York Cemetery and children £1.00.  Includes drinks and biscuits.

Walks meet at the Gatehouse and last 1.5-2 hours and finish with your drink and biscuits in the Chapel.

email : yorkcemeteryvolunteers@gmail.com

web : www.yorkcemetery.org.uk

Tel : 01904 610578