York is one of the best places to live in the country

The Happy City Thriving Places Index measures the ‘drivers of wellbeing’ in 150 areas in the country, including health, income, education, economy, place, recycling and emissions. These drivers are also reflected in the One Planet York framework, which is supported by partners across the city.

York’s scored particularly well for education and learning (fourth highest in the country); participation – based on volunteering levels and voter turnout – (third highest nationally); health and low levels of risky behaviours (second highest nationally) and high levels of employment.

Overall the city was rated in the top 16 per cent of most ‘liveable’ places in the UK.

The report comes as City of York Council publishes ‘A Year in York’, celebrating some of the work that the council, residents, businesses and partners have done over the past 12 months to help make the city one of the best places in the UK to live, work and visit.

The council is calling on residents and partners to showcase some of the great partnership working that’s going on across the city by sharing images on social media with the title #togetheryork.

A year in York is available by clicking here

Waste recovery park generates electricity from rubbish

A waste recovery park for North Yorkshire and York is now fully operational and set to generate enough energy to power 40,000 homes a year from rubbish that would previously have gone into landfill.

The start of full service at Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP) near Knaresborough began this month following a rigorous testing period.

The facility has the capacity to treat up to 320,000 tonnes of waste each year and will divert more than 90 per cent of waste from landfill, as well as further increasing recycling.

It is the result of a partnership between North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council to process waste over the next 25 years. Most of the waste treated will come from households in North Yorkshire and York.

AWRP processes waste through a mechanical treatment plant, which separates recyclable and organic materials. Organic material is fed into an anaerobic digester, which will treat up to 40,000 tonnes a year to generate renewable energy. The remaining waste is used to generate electricity, enough to power at least 40,000 homes. Even by-products will be treated and recycled into aggregate for roads and reprocessed metal.

Treating waste to produce energy rather than sending it to landfill helps with global warming. It will reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 12,000 cars off the road overnight.

AWRP will be operated by infrastructure firm Amey following a successful three-year construction programme.

(more…)

What’s on in York: Apprenticeship recruitment event on Thursday

What’s on in York: York Literature Festival at York Explore Library

Presents Joy Rhoades & Elizabeth Buchan

Date: Thu 8 Mar
Time: 6.00pm – 7.30pm
Cost: £7

Elizabeth Buchan and Joy Rhoades have both written acclaimed novels set in the shadow of the Second World War. Join them as they discuss the fact and fiction of the war and the stories that inspire their writing.

Presents Class Murder with Leigh Russell: Ten Stops in Ten Cities

Date: Sun 18 Mar
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Cost: £5

Join Leigh Russell, author of the internationally bestselling Detective Geraldine Steel mysteries, and Anna Wallace, from BBC Radio York.

Presents Little Nephews

Date: Mon 19 Mar
Time: 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Cost: £5

Adam Stock examines why we continue to be fascinated by Nineteen-Eighty Four and why it is still so relevant in 21st century

Presents Carole Bromley & Anneliese Emmans Dean

Date: Sat 24 Mar
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Cost: £4

Join Carole Bromley and Anneliese Emmans Dean for a fun-filled morning of listening to and writing fantastic poems.

Presents A P Winter: The Boy Who Went Magic

Date: Sat 24 Mar
Time: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Cost: £4

Join AP Winter, author of rip-roaring fantasy adventure, The Boy Who went Magic for magic, spooky chat and some hands on creative writing.

Presents a Historical Fiction Panel with Sarah Maine, Pamela Hartshorne and Tim Murgatroyd

Date: Sat 24 Mar
Time: 3.00pm – 4.30pm
Cost: £6

Three York-based writers discuss their work and the art of writing engaging historical fiction.