New children’s play plan for York to be discussed

A new plan for play provision in York will be considered at a meeting next week.

strimming needed under play equipment in GBrange lane park

Strimming needed under play equipment in Grange Lane park

The City has £415,000 available to invest in new play provision. However, many existing sites are being excluded from consideration for improvement because they have “recently” had investment from the Playbuilder programme, the National Lottery or similar.

That means that 4 sites in Westfield – Chesney’s Field, (Foxwood Lane) Playbuilder 2009/10, Grange Lane Playbuilder & Yorventure 2010/11, Acomb Green Big Lottery Fund 2012 and Cornlands Road 106 and Yorventure – will not benefit.

It seems a shame to us that resources are not to be distributed based on the number of children resident in each area.

Westfield’s newest playground – located in the Cornlands park – is increasingly popular

It does mean though that some playgrounds, like the one in the Tedder Road park, may qualify for an uplift. The absence of a playground aimed at children living in the Kingsway West area has been an issue for a long time so perhaps that neighbourhood also may benefit.

Suggestions are being invited through the summer edition of “Shine”

The report also talks about high usage playgrounds being inspected each week to ensure regular maintenance and repair work is carried out.

Askham Fields Lane being resurfaced next week

City of York Council will be carrying out essential resurfacing works on Askham Fields Lane, Askham Bryan from Monday 23 May.

The work is expected to take up to 5 days to complete, weather permitting. Work will take place between 9.30am – 4pm.

In order to carry out these works safely, a temporary road closure of Askham Fields Lane will be in place. Residents are advised there will be no access or egress for vehicles during working hours except in emergencies.

There will be no on-street parking during these times. Residents who require vehicular access are asked to inform operatives onsite to ensure safety. Vehicular access will only be allowed if it is safe to do so. Pedestrian access will be available at all times.

As with any construction work, there is likely to be a certain amount of disruption. Residents are assured that everything reasonably possible will be done to keep this to a minimum, however motorists should expect some delays and plan their journey accordingly.

The contractor carrying out the work is Specialist Surfacing who will be responsible for safety.

For more information on travelling in and around York visit www.itravelyork.info

York Economic Development strategy report – the unanswered questions

A new economic strategy report is being discussed later this week. It is something of a curate’s egg of a document ranging from an awkward preamble about which of two scenarios we may see over the next 20 years (neither as it happens) followed by a series of rather familiar statements many of which have previously been trailed by the discredited “Big City” lobby.

Sadly, it is another document which is City Centre focused with little comment on the suburbs or indeed most of the existing major employers (retail, tourism, social care, education)

The strategy is right in several areas.

York does need a higher proportion of well paid jobs. It needs “ambassadors” to promote what the City has to offer to the business world. It would be good news if more – well qualified and entrepreneurial – students from local Universities remained in the City after graduation.

It is also time that progress was made on the York Central development (albeit not at the expense of local taxpayers).

A useful analysis of the present York economy is included.

The report is short on the consequences of what is a, faintly disguised, “Big City “ mind-set. It says nothing about the assumptions made on the numbers of replacement and the number of additional jobs that need to be generated in the City.

These are the numbers that drive the Local Plan land allocations, not least in satisfying any demand for additional housing, as well as the impact that growth will have on transport and other infrastructure.

The report strategy is over reliant on borrowing money for investment (by the Council) which, it claims, would be repaid from the additional Business Rates generated by the new developments. This strategy conveniently forgets that successive governments have tinkered with the proportion of Business Rates that they allow local authorities to retain. There is no reason to assume that there would be a consistent approach over the next 20 years.

Local taxpayers could be left with an impossible debt burden (currently already circa £300 million)

It seems irresponsible to agree a new economic strategy just days before a new Draft Local Plan is due to be published.

Both complement each other and should be considered together.

What’s on in York – Lara Williams: Treats

York Explore Library : Tue 17 May : 6.30pm – 7.30pm :

Tickets cost £4 (£3 with a York Card)

May 17_Treats Come meet and hear debut author Lara Williams talk about her writing and what it is was like to create and publisher her first short story collection.

“Dance like nobody gives a crap. Drink like you don’t have a family to go home to. Love because what else is the point.”

So says one of the characters in Lara Williams’ extraordinary debut story collection. Treats is a break-up album of tales covering relationships, the tyranny of choice, and self navigation. This fresh, beguiling new voice paints a portrait of contemporary adulthood, balancing wry humour with a pervading sense of alienation in the digital era.

Williams’ characters struggle with how to negotiate intimacy within relationships and isolation when single, the pitfalls and indignities of dating, dragged down by dissatisfaction. Meanwhile the dilemmas of life play out, including abortion, depression, extra-marital affairs, infatuation, new baby anxiety, bereavement, hair loss, sexual ethics, cats, and taxidermy.

For more information about the author please visit https://larawilliams.wordpress.com/ or http://www.freightbooks.co.uk/treats-by-lara-williams.html

There are a maximum of 50 tickets and can be bought online at http://www.feelinginspired.co.uk/detail/larawilliamstreats-17-05-2016 at any York library.