Road works on Thanet Road and St Helen’s Road 19th/20th November

  • road works
  • Thanet Road, York will be closed between its junctions with Chaloner’s Road and Eason View, York (ii) Railway View, York between its junction with Thanet Road and a point 10metres north east of the said junction from 0900hrs on 18th November until 2400hrs on 19th November 2015 for carriageway resurfacing works.  Additionally, the ‘ONE WAY’ direction of traffic flow in Eason View is suspended during the period of physical closure to allow two-way traffic flow in the said road when the closure is put into effect. During the works period vehicle movements between Easson View and St Helen’s Road will be controlled by two-way traffic signals. It is envisaged that the closure will be put in place in two phases, with on day for each phase during the works period. An alternative route for diverted traffic will be signed during the works period.
  • St Helen’s Road, York will be closed between the respective western property boundaries of No.’s 5 and 12 St Helen’s Road from 0001hrs on 20th November until 2400hrs on 26th November 2015 for carriageway resurfacing works. It is envisaged that the restrictions will only be put into effect between 0900hrs and 1600hrs on Friday 20th November 2015. An alternative route for diverted traffic will be available:

    from the eastern closure point via St Helen’s Road, Tadcaster Road, Moor Lane, Chaloner’s Road, Thanet Road and St Helen’s Road.
    from the western closure point via St Helen’s Road, Eason View, Chaloner’s Road, Moor Lane, Tadcaster Road and St Helen’s Road.

  • Details of other road closures can be found by clicking here

York businesses asked for feedback on Public Protection services

City of York Council is asking businesses which use or would like to use its Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing services, how they’d like to see them develop.

Click to take part

Click to take part

These Public Protection services deliver a number of the council’s regulatory duties which include hygiene inspections of restaurants, take-aways and other food premises, as well as ensuring that health and safety requirements are met, and that businesses comply with pollution control measures.

Trading Standards are part of these services; its work ensures that businesses trade fairly with consumers and the products they supply are safe, while Licensing services address the controlled sale of alcohol, and issue street trading, taxi and a variety of animal licenses.

The survey asks questions about the speed of teams’ response times and invites any other feedback on the service from enforcement, business advice and support services.
Businesses are asked to respond to the survey before 31 December 2015.

The survey is at https://www.york.gov.uk/consultations and scroll to Public Protection Review. Also at this link is a survey asking businesses questions on working with the council.

A survey on making York a more “business friendly Council” closes on 20th November. Click here to take part

York launches Breathe 2025 campaign to inspire a smokefree generation

City of York Council is urging people and organisations across York to sign up and support Breathe 2025, a new campaign to inspire children to grow up smoke-free and protected from health harms caused by tobacco.
click to view video

click to view video

While the region has the highest adult smoking prevalence in England (20.1% compared to an England average of 18%), only one in eight 15-year-olds smoke and the proportion of young smokers is dropping.

Within the next decade there could be a generation of children that don’t smoke.    .

City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health Councillor Carol Runciman said: “We want children who have started school this year to be the pioneers of a smokefree generation: today’s five year olds can be smokefree at 15 when they are preparing for their GCSEs and so can all the year groups following them.

“They can be smokefree when they leave school or college and as adults. Breathe 2025 is about how all of us can inspire and help them to make that happen.”
The campaign is being run by a collaboration of partners across Yorkshire and the Humber, including City of York Council and Public Health England.

People and organisations are being asked to show their support by going to the campaign website or Facebook page and signing up to one or more simple, practical actions. This could be pledging to watch and share the Breathe 2025 video, or promising to display a Breathe 2025 poster.  There are a range of simple actions to choose from, as individuals or on behalf of an organisation such as a school, GP or local business.

Councillor Runciman continues: “Giving children and young people the best start in life is a priority for City of York Council, parents, family members and many other organisations and communities in York – and not smoking is a great start so please go to the Breathe 2025 website and show your support.”

City of York Council’s Interim Director of Public Health, Sharon Stoltz said: “Evidence suggests that if young people don’t start using tobacco by the age of 26 they will almost certainly never start, so we have a great opportunity here to transform the health of our region and we can do it within the next 10 years.

“It is estimated that smoking in York costs society around £50.1m annually and smoking breaks cost businesses in York £24.2m each year.  Around one in two smokers die from a smoking-related illness.  If we can prevent young people from smoking that’s not just an investment in their health as individuals, it’s an investment in a healthier future for everyone.”

The Breathe 2025 website is at www.Breathe2025.org.uk

Amber warning for delivery drivers in York City centre

Parking ticket
North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council and the York Retail Forum have joined forces to warn delivery drivers of the dangers that can be caused from driving and parking inappropriately in York’s city centre.

The new campaign follows a call for action from retailers and businesses after two incidents took place within a matter of weeks of each other, which saw historic buildings damaged by large delivery wagons, partly due to obstruction on the footstreets by other vehicles.

Yesterday the “Make it York” organisation – which is now responsible for “managing” the city centre  – was criticised for proposing further restrictions on delivery times in Davygate which could make congestion worse.  Parking arrangements in Kings Square had also been criticised.

Backed by the Retail Forum and Make It York, the new campaign issues a warning to delivery drivers to be careful and considerate of pedestrians, businesses and other vehicles.

If not, they could be fined.

North Yorkshire Police and the council already work side-by-side to monitor and take action against those who flout the law, but are stepping up enforcement action to increase safety in the city centre in the busy lead up to Christmas.

From December, drivers which are caught breaking the rules will be given a warning style ‘ticket’ [artwork attached] which will act as an advance warning. Should drivers re-offend they could be given a real Penalty Charge Notice by North Yorkshire Police or the council.

The campaign asks retailers and businesses to sign up to five key aims:

Kings Square parking problems yesterday

Kings Square parking problems yesterday

  1. Support this initiative and feedback views and ideas to Make It York.
  2. Communicate to their delivery providers about this initiative
  3. Consider the size of vehicle servicing their business and consider future ways of limiting vehicles to less than 7.5 tonnes.
  4. Ensuring vehicles do not block or damage pavements or roads and move on immediately after loading and unloading is complete.
  5. Review the timings of deliveries to enhance the customer experience especially in the late afternoon and early evening period to encourage people to stay in the city longer.

Behind closed doors York Council decision rules out new parking curbs near Gale Lane/Front Street junction

Dozens of traffic and parking decisions affecting whole City taken at secret session
Gale Lane Front Street click to enlarge

Gale Lane Front Street click to enlarge

The Council has published a report reviewing parking arrangements near the Gale Lane/Front Street junction.

The report follows complaints about obstructions being caused to traffic generally, and bus services in particular, by vehicles parking on the carriageway and adjacent footpaths. Some of the problems were apparently being caused by delivery vans visiting the Gale Farm surgery.

The request for action were turned down at a secret meeting with the reports only being published publicly after decisions had already been taken.

Sadly this continues the practice of preventing residents from making representations, before decisions are taken, started in 2011. Despite public claims from the Council Leadership about their commitment to open government, this practise has still not been changed.BehindClosedDoors 2015

There is really no reason why agendas and reports can’t be published at least a week before a meeting takes place. This would give affected residents an opportunity to write to the Council giving their views, if they chose to.

Changes to traffic arrangements in every ward in the City were considered by the same meeting (and not pre publicised).

Click the links below for details
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