York Mansion House set to celebrate Chinese New Year

 York Mansion House is holding a series of special cultural workshops and events on Saturday 24 February to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Guests will be able to venture through the Mansion House and learn about York’s rich civic history, as well as coming away with a new Chinese cultural skills from calligraphy to Taiji (Tai’chi).

As well as these events the Mansion House, the York BID and Make It York have teamed up to install Chinese lanterns throughout the city, along Stonegate, Coney Street, Blake Street, Davygate and on the front of the Mansion House.

Workshops include:

  • 11am – 12pm: traditional Chinese painting workshop (Dining Room)
  • 1 – 1.30pm; 2 – 2.30pm: Calligraphy (Dining Room)
  • 1.15 – 1.45pm; 2.15 – 2.45pm: Zither (State Room)
  • 1.30 – 2pm; 2.30 – 3pm: Tea ceremony (18th Century Kitchen)
  • 1.45 – 2.15pm; 2.45 – 3.15pm: Taiji ‘Tai’chi’ (State Room)

Workshops are free to join with the price of admission! People can sign up for workshops at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chinese-new-year-workshops-at-york-mansion-house-tickets-43165303585?platform=hootsuite 

The workshops are supported by the Leeds Confucius Institute and with local traditional Chinese artist Danny Ha.
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York Council asks for comments on changes to Fossgate traffic flows

 City of York Council is asking for opinions on recent efforts to reduce traffic on one of the city centre’s busiest and best loved streets.

Last September, the council made Fossgate a pedestrian priority zone, except for access and cycles from 8am – 6pm and reversed the flow of traffic on an experimental basis.

Much of the traffic using Fossgate before the changes was breaking traffic regulations by using the street at times when general traffic was prohibited. The aim of the traffic flow reversal was to reduce the number of vehicles in this busy pedestrian area.

With the trial reaching six months on 17 March, the council’s executive member for transport and planning can decide whether to make the arrangements permanent after taking into account any objections.

If you have an opinion on the changes which you would like the executive member to consider when making the decision on whether the experiment should be made permanent, contact highway.regulation@york.gov.uk before 4:00pm on March 17 with your name, contact details and details of your objection or reasons for support.

If the decision is taken to make the arrangement permanent, the council will work with the local community to develop the designs for the layout and signage in the area for delivery later in the financial year.
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Just when you thought is was safe to go outside again

Local Plan consultation booklet set to hit doormats over next 10 days

 

York residents are being urged to look out for a special booklet landing on doormats over the next 10 days.

Its yet another “consultation” on the Local Plan.

There have already been at least 7 separate opportunities for residents to comment over the last 5 years. The most recent came latest summer. Not surprisingly the response rate to each consultation has gradually reduced and consultation fatigue has set in. The lack of response to objections  – mostly dismissed off hand by Council officials – means that the latest booklet may be ignored by many.

Yet in many ways it is the most important, as the comments will go to an independent inspector who will hold an “examination in public”. This is a kind of Public Inquiry.  It is the only chance that residents get to present their case to an experienced official who should balance arguments objectively.

The booklet explains how residents can tell the government what they like and dislike about the city’s proposed Local Plan – the document which determines how the city develops over the next 15 years and beyond.

The Council has spent over £12 million during the last 15 years on drafting the Local Plan. Despite this the Plan has yet to be adopted as policy.

The ‘York’s Local Plan – how to make your comments to government’ – booklets are being distributed ahead of a consultation running from Wednesday 21 February until midnight on Wednesday 4 April.

The city is required to have a Local Plan to support York’s economic growth and determine how the city changes, including where new homes and jobs are created.

Residents’ views from two recent city-wide consultations in 2016 and 2017 have helped to shape the final proposals. The council is stressing that this final consultation is different.

The results of this consultation will be submitted directly to the government ahead of an Examination by a planning inspector.

The booklets will be delivered to every household in the city alongside – but not inside – another local publication.

If you haven’t received your household’s copy by Monday 26 February, please request one through localplan@york.gov.uk or call 01904 552255.

The axe man cometh

The Council has now appointed a contractor who will lop trees in the Council owned section of Acomb Wood (to the rear of Osprey Close/Hawkshead Close/Pheasant Way).
Residents met with Councillors and officials late last year and tagged the (mainly self seeded) saplings which needed to be removed.
The work should benefit the remaining trees and reduce problems with overhanging branches.
The contractor hopes to start work during the fortnight commencing 8th March. The work should take about 6 days to complete, subject to weather conditions. The timetable avoids the bird nesting season.

Elsewhere, on little Green Lane, the same contractor will lop dead branches from trees. Residents met with Councillors at a site meeting in September and discussed what work needed to be done to the trees.

The work should benefit the trees and should also reduce problems with overhanging branches. The work should take about a week to complete, subject to weather conditions.