Witness appeal after serious collision on Skeldergate Bridge, York

Police are appealing for witnesses after a serious collision on Skeldergate Bridge in York.

The collision occurred at about 12.25am in the early hours of Sunday 11 October, when a black Toyota Auris, believed to be heading from Tower Street towards Skeldergate Bridge, collided with a female pedestrian on the bridge.

The pedestrian received serious injuries, and remains in a stable condition in hospital. The driver of the car was uninjured.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Traffic Constable 17 John Kendall, or email john.kendall@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. Please quote reference number 12150180032.

York beating relative poverty? Latest figures are encouraging

The latest deprivation statistics which can be viewed on the North Yorkshire open data site reveal that no York neighbourhoods are now ranked among the 10% most deprived in the country.

The Kingsway West area – the subject of an innovative anti poverty initiative by the then LibDem led Council – is one of those that has now climbed up the league table.

Deprivation is measured on a number of indices where 10 is the best that can be achieved. These are: Income (Kingsway 2), Employment (2), Barriers to housing and services (2), Crime (2), Education, skills and training (2), Health and disability (1), Living environment (6), Income affecting children (2), Income affecting older people (2).

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire there are nine deprived areas (in the bottom 10% in the country) in Scarborough, one in Harrogate and one in Selby

Middlesbrough, Knowsley, Kingston upon Hull, Liverpool and Manchester are the five local authority districts with the largest proportions of highly deprived neighbourhoods in England. More details can be found by clicking here

Homeless numbers hit record low in York

The number of residents accepted in York as being “homeless” was down to 105 during the last financial year.

Homelessness peaked at 460 in 2003 and has fallen gradually each year since then.

On 31^st March, 65 people were living in temporary accommodation – again an all time low.

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The figures have been published at a time when the Council will on Monday have its first public discussion on a decision made by the last Labour controlled Council to fit armrests on several City centre benches. Initially the arm rest were welcomed particularly by the elderly and people with disabilities who found that the rests made it easier to get up from the seats.

The modification was agreed without consultation and in a “behind closed doors” decision typical of the way that the last Council did its business. It later emerged that the change was intended to prevent people lying down on the benches and had been targeted at “street drinkers”.

The new Council is right to debate the issue in public. It is removes the armrests it will face criticism from disability campaigners. If it doesn’t, it will be accused of targeting vulnerable homeless.

Rather more constructively the same meeting will also discuss refreshing the City’s “Homeless Strategy”

NB Council house rent arrears gradually increased under the last Labour Council. The total amount owed went up from £431,231 in 2011/12 to £529,016 by the end of March 2015