Make it York, Parliament Street & the Carousel

Anyone wishing to sign a petition asking the York Council and “Make it York” to ensure that traditional children’s Christmas rides remain available in the Parliament Street area should click here

Members of the public ride a carousel adjacent to the 'St Nicholas Fair' Christmas market in the city centre of York, Northern England on December 3, 2014. AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

Members of the public ride a carousel adjacent to the ‘St Nicholas Fair’ Christmas market in the city centre of York, Northern England on December 3, 2014. AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

The petition asks the York Council and MIY to:

Take action to ensure that any major changes initiated by “Make it York” or other Quangos operating in the City are subject to consultation with residents. In particular we petition that the traditional children’s rides, provided during the period leading up to Christmas, be retained on either Parliament Street or St. Sampson’s Square, unless an alternative location, which is both acceptable to the operators and equally accessible for users, can be found.

Background

“Make it York”, a company wholly owned by the Council but run by an independent Board of Directors, has announced that the  children’s rides traditionally provided during the St. Nicholas Fair period leading up to Christmas, will not be allocated a pitch in the Parliament Street area this year.

This ban includes the iconic Carousel ride.

The space may be used to accommodate a licensed bar.

No consultation with residents or most Councillors has taken place, no effective public scrutiny process for “Make it York” decisions has been introduced nor have any performance measures – for the public events that it may organise – been published.

York Council taxpayers need to be involved in the decision making processes for organisations that they help to fund including “Make it York”, the “York Museums Trust” & the York Libraries and Archives Mutual Company.

The petition should also be available on the Council’s web site shortly

 

A level results are higher than last year for York students

Exams

 Children’s Services leaders in York today  are congratulating A level students across the city on achieving an excellent set of results that builds on last year, and that will maintain York’s position above the national average.

Provisional results for York school sixth forms and York College show that the very high standards of previous years have been improved upon with increased numbers of students gaining three A levels, and initial results for the city indicate that attainment is likely to be well above national levels.

York school sixth forms – All Saints RC, Archbishop Holgate’s CE, Fulford, Huntington and Joseph Rowntree – and York College are reporting strong results with many ‘best ever’ performances. Early results for the schools show that across the board there has been an overall increase on last year’s results for both A* to B grades, and A* to E grades, bucking the national trend which reports a small fall.

In York school sixth forms:

o   The proportion of young people achieving three or more A levels has increased by three percentage points, as has the proportion achieving three or more at grades A*, A or B

o   The average grade achieved per A level entry has also gone up.

These provisional results suggest that York’s students continue to perform well above the national average.
(more…)

Travellers fail to leave Moor Lane site

Caravans remain despite notice to leave

Caravans remain despite notice to leave

Travellers who are occupying council-owned land on Moor Lane have failed to leave the site despite being issued with a ‘Direction to Leave’ notice last week.

The notice expired on 10th August.

Legal avenues are now being pursued, beginning with the matter being brought before Magistrates later this week.

The issue is being pursued by the Councillors who represent the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward

Greens estate agents boost for Foxwood residents

York’s fastest growing estate agent has teamed up with Foxwood Residents Association to help them with their work in the Foxwood area.

 Picture shows Simon Cartwright handing over the cheque to Shirley Gumley

Picture shows Simon Cartwright handing over the cheque to Shirley Gumley

Simon Cartwright, owner of Greens, is giving Foxwood Residents Association a percentage from all  house sales completed in the YO24 area. 

On Friday he handed over a cheque for £80 to Shirley Gumley Chairman of Foxwood Residents Association.

Shirley said, “This is a very welcome boost for us and the money will be put towards providing more crocus bulbs in the area.  Foxwood is becoming well known for its spring crocus displays and we want to continue that project.”

Simon added “Being a local estate agent is about helping build community and I feel very strongly in being part of this process.  Foxwood Residents Association are doing great things for the area and I’m proud to help them achieve their goals.”

 

Greens have already sponsored waterproof jackets which Foxwood gardening group wear whilst working in the area.

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York Minster auction – own some history!

auctionfeat

Date: Fri 14 Aug
Time: 12.30pm
Venue: York Minster – Dean’s Park
Cost: From rock bottom, the sky’s the limit

Your chance to own a piece of York Minster as stone, timber and special fabric from the cathedral’s Great East Window goes under the hammer this summer. Visitors can bid on up to 100 lots of stone which have been removed from the Minster during restoration works, while at the same time supporting ongoing conservation works at the cathedral.

For the first time this year, bidders will also have the chance to buy a special fabric copy of a stained-glass panel from the screen which covered the Great East Window, which was put in place after all 311 pieces of the 600-year-old glass were removed for conservation and restoration in 2008. The digitally printed screen is a near life-sized replica of the Great East Window and ten pieces, each showing a complete panel from the window, will be auctioned on the day.  

In addition, the auction will include a selection of parts of the 14th century oak ribs and bosses from the vaulted roof of the South Transept, which was destroyed by fire more than 30 years ago in 1984. 

A brochure will be available at the auction with brief descriptions of the items on sale. A certificate of authenticity will be available with each item purchased. 

Purchased stones will need to be removed from the site by 4:30pm on 14 August. (Removal/carriage can be privately arranged with ‘One man, one Van’ who will be on site on the auction day.)