Events to tackle and discuss suicide prevention in York

City of York Council is arranging two events next month as it looks to further York’s work to become a suicide-safer community.

September is the month of World Suicide Prevention Day and the council will hold two events as it continues its work on suicide prevention.

Firstly on Saturday 9 September at 12noon, the day before World Suicide Prevention Day, St Helen’s Church will host a service of reflection for those who have been lost to suicide. The event is open to all who have been bereaved or affected by suicide, regardless of faith or non faith, and enable people to reflect on those lost to suicide with others who have had similar experiences.

Then on Monday 18 September, York will host a suicide prevention conference. The event will offer the chance for people to hear about the work being done in York, the progress made over  the past year and to share views on how the city can become a suicide-safer community. This will be an opportunity for people to have their say on their experiences and where they feel the support available can be improved.

The event will be taking place between 11.30 am and 5pm at York Sports Club on Monday 18 September, and will:

  • Share stories about people’s experiences
  • Outline what support is available to people and how this can be improved
  • Discuss prevention and early intervention
  • Talk about support for people who are bereaved by suicide
  • Discuss community engagement and equality
  • Include a workshop to identify areas which can be improved to help York become a suicide-safer city

Speakers will include professionals and people who have been affected by suicide. To reserve a place please email wdu@york.gov.uk, phone 01904 553017 or via www.yorkworkforcedevelopment.org.uk/cycbooking.
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Flooding in York – where to find information

The government produces maps which show which streets in the City are subject to surface water flooding risks.

Of course, as we saw this morning, other areas can be vulnerable if the capacity of drains is exceeded (and/or they are blocked).

You can access the information here: https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk

Real time flooding maps can be found via this link https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/map

Real time river level gauges can be found here http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map

The York Council’s surface water management plan can be downloaded from this link http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11055/surface_water_management_plan.pdf

New volunteer bell ringers recruited for York Minster

 

Great Peter of York (1927):

York Minster today announced the recruitment of a new band of volunteer bell ringers. The new band will be responsible for the peal of 12 bells at York Minster – widely regarded as some of the best sounding bells in the country.

More than 40 applications were received from bell ringers from York and the wider region.  The Minster is delighted that several members of the former band will ring with newcomers including some talented and experienced young ringers under the age of 18.  The band will be led by head teacher Angela Mitchell who was announced as the cathedral’s new Head of Bell Tower in June.

York Minster plans to have a year round recruitment process that will give experienced bell ringers moving to York and the region, the opportunity to apply to join the team at any time.  Information about ringing at the Minster will also be available for talented bell ringers arriving at York’s universities and colleges this Autumn.

The band will come together for the first time in September for induction.  They will then work with the Head of Bell Tower and the Minster team to arrange their practice schedule and ringing days for the rest of the year.

Recruitment and induction of all Minster staff and volunteers, including the new volunteer bell ringing team, is carried out in line with the Church of England’s Safer Recruitment processes focusing on safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, security, health and safety.

New Scarborough rail bridge pedestrian/cycle improvement to cost £5 million

Plans for an accessible, traffic-free route connecting the station to the city centre could move a step closer next week.

Senior Councillors will consider the response to the recent public consultation over plans for a wider, step-free footbridge adjacent  to Scarborough Bridge at their Executive meeting next week.

Ramps at both sides of the proposed footbridge would mean people in wheelchairs and pushing prams will be able to use the bridge, and cyclists would no longer have to push or carry their bikes up the steep narrow steps.

Widening the bridge from 1.3m to 3.7m would also make for a far more comfortable crossing for the 2,600 pedestrians and 600 cyclists who use it daily.

The consultation carried out in July included a two-day public exhibit in York Station. Of the 142 individual responses, 135 were supportive with only 2 objections.

These positive posponses reinforced the council’s understanding of the issues with the existing bridge, and revealed a strong preference for new steps on the outside of the bridge to avoid the potential ‘pinch-point’ as people joined the bridge deck from the steps.

The new bridge could be in use by January 2019, subject to planning permission and securing funding for the estimated £4.9m costs (!)

The council intends to fund the bridge form multiple sources, including its own capital and local transport funds, the West Yorkshire CityConnect scheme and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership.

The new bridge will do little to improve connectivity into the new York Central site. The original intention had been to install a bridge which would span the east cost main line eliminating “pinch point caused by the bleak Leeman Road tunnel and the river. That idea now seems to have been abandoned.

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Rose Theatre project – further details published

£197,308 rent offered for use of Castle car park

The York Council is being recommended to close part of the City’s most popular car park, next to Clifford’s Tower, between 21st May and 23rd September next summer.

Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre will be Europe’s first full-scale working replica of a traditional Shakespearean Theatre which is modelled loosely on a combination of the Rose Theatre and the Globe Theatre which were built in 1587 and 1599 respectively.

 It will aim to attract 100,000 people over the ten-week season, including up to 20,000 students.

It is unclear whether the lessons of last year’s Mystery Plays have been learned. There, matinee performances mostly sold out while evening mid-week performances were markedly less popular.

The twelve-sided, three storey building will create a theatre experience for approximately 950 people including a standing audience of 300 who will enjoy a “high level of involvement in the show”. With a 100+m2 stage most of the audience are within 15m of the action. Around the theatre there will be a “Taste Village”, show casing local food and beverage as well as an area for free wagon performances.

Four plays: Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Richard III and A Midsummer Nights Dream, will be produced by esteemed UK directors, including potentially a production by York Theatre Royal. Approximately 140 shows are anticipated over a ten-week season.

Ticket prices for adults will start at £12.50

The report details how the Council will be compensated for the loss of parking spaces,

“135 car parking spaces will be needed for the pop-up theatre (out of the 318 available).

Lunchbox will reimburse the Council a total of £197,308:

  • £1,616 per day for the period 28 May to 19 June
  • £1,679 per day for the period 20 June to 4 September
  • £1,616 per day for the period 5 September to 16 September”

The report goes on to say, “There is a small risk that the council will lose £40k of revenue”

The Piccadilly multi storey would remain open in the evening for the use of theatre goers.

On the future of the Castle car park the Council report says,

“One of the key aims of the high-level vision, and the working assumption for the master planners, is that the Castle Car Park is to be closed and replaced with alternative uses”.

 “The temporary part-closure of the car park for the theatre would allow officers to understand the impact of the displacement of car parking on the highway network over a significant period of time without incurring the associated loss of revenue.

 Furthermore, it would also start to break the public perception of this area as a car park and encourage further public debate about its future”.

In effect, it is now clear that the Council plans to close the Castle car park on a permanent basis.

No details are provided of any spin off benefits that could be garnered from staging an “Elizabethan” themed summer in the City.

However, the four yearly Wagon Plays – which date from 1386 –  are due to be staged in the City  next summer.

There is no risk analysis included in the papers assessing any reputational risk associated with large number of visitors failing to find a convenient transport system in operation.

The Councils “free parking space” internet based system collapsed 4 years ago and many of the “on street” information signs have only recently started being brought back into service.

The Council is apparently mindful that part of the (woefully uneven) car park will need to be resurfaced to make it safe for pedestrians (which rather begs the question of the risk posed to current users when they get out of their vehicles!)

So, there is still a lot of work to be done with some risk still attached to what is basically an imaginative project