Report those potholes

Residents are urged to report any dangerous potholes on their local road or footpath before the bad weather sets in.

Potholes invariably get bigger in icy conditions.

Reports can be made “on line” 24/7 using the “report it” web site https://www.york.gov.uk/reportproblems click

The Council have been busy today relaying the road surface at the top end of Foxwood Lane. The carriageway there had been subject to repeated problems with potholes. They posed a hazard for cyclists in particular

We’ve reported a pothole that was developing on the surface of the road in Walker Drive

City centre temporary road closures for New Year’s Eve

Road closures which prohibit vehicles will be in force from 22:00hrs on 31 December 2018 to 05:00hrs on 1 January 2019 on the following streets:

Duncombe Place
High Petergate (Bootham Bar to Duncombe Place)
Minster Yard
Blake Street.

The taxi rank on Duncombe Place will be temporarily relocated to Exhibition Square (St Leonards Place) from 22:00hrs on New Year’s Eve. The head of the temporary taxi rank in Exhibition Square will be at bus stop ‘ED’. The small taxi rank on the other side of St Leonards Place next to the Bar Walls, will also be closed from 22:00hrs. Signage will be in place to advise that the ranks have been moved, and to show the position of the temporary head of rank in Exhibition Square. All taxi ranks will revert to their normal locations when Duncombe Place is reopened at 05:00hrs the following morning, 1 January 2019.

In addition, no waiting or parking will be permitted on either side of Blake Street from 20:00hrs on 31 December 2018, or on Duncombe Place from 06:00hrs on 31 December 2018. The taxi rank will operate as usual.

Normal footstreet hours will resume after the Christmas markets on 26 December, and then after the new year festivities on 1 January. These prohibit vehicles in the footstreet areas from 10:30hr until 17:00hrs.

People attending the event are reminded to please behave considerately to allow everyone to enjoy the occasion. Please do not bring glass into the area and take any rubbish home.

For more information about the changes visit www.york.gov.uk/citycentreaccess

Superintendent Lindsey Robson, commander for the York and Selby area, said: “In the rare event of getting caught up in a weapons attack, we urge you to follow the Run, Hide, Tell advice. Run to a place of safety rather than surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go then hide and don’t confront. Finally, and only when it is safe to do so, tell the police by calling 999. (more…)

6 taxi/private hire vehicles ordered off the road in York following safety checks.

Joint operation ensures taxi passengers’ safety in York

A series of checks on taxis and private hire vehicles in York has been carried out as part of a shared operation to ensure the vehicles are providing a safe service to passengers.

The multi-agency operation ran twice in November and December, and involved officers from taxi licensing partners including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Over the two operations, a total of 25 private hire vehicles and hackney carriages operating in York were stopped and checked. Vehicles licensed by York, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield were inspected.

All vehicles underwent full mechanical examinations for defects by the DVSA at the council’s MOT test centre at Hazel Court or at the roadside, to check they were driving were safe to carry customers on the roads. Checks were also made to ensure that the drivers were properly licensed and insured.

As a result, six vehicles were ordered off the road by the DVSA and had their licences suspended. Four of the six suspended taxis and private hire vehicles were licensed by City of York, three of which were suspended for a period of 4 – 8 days, with one vehicle still off the road.

The vehicles were suspended due to the following faults:

defective tyres
tyres fitted to the front axle of different sizes and no operable spare
defective or inoperative headlights
an illuminated engine warning light
defective coil springs.

A further twelve drivers were advised to repair minor vehicle defects and several others were also warned by enforcement officers about breaches of licensing conditions.

Anyone with concerns about the conduct of drivers or the condition of their vehicles should email public.protection@york.gov.uk so the council’s public protection team can investigate.
(more…)

York man sentenced for Council Tax fraud

D4NT09 Council Tax bill 2013/2014 for property dwelling band F with 25% discount for sole adult resident

An investigation carried out by City of York Council has uncovered and successfully prosecuted a serious case of Council Tax fraud of almost £6,000.

Christopher Cuinu (aged 52) of Blossom Street, York, claimed Council Tax Support on the basis of being unemployed, obtaining £5882.41 from the public purse over a six year period.

Veritau, the council’s fraud investigation service, carried out an investigation into his claim for a reduction to his council tax liability.

The investigation was conducted following claims that Mr Cuinu owned and managed a café in York for a considerable period of time and fraudulently sought unemployment benefits.
(more…)

Recycling – changes on their way?

The government has announced plans to try to increase the proportion of items which are recycled. They are promising a weekly collection of food waste although how expensive this might be, and what impact it may have on the operation of the North Yorkshire waste incinerator, remains to be explained.

Rightly the government is focusing on plastics. There is still much more that can be done to take plastics out of the waste stream. One idea is to make sellers responsible for the recycling of packaging.

In York we have seen at least one step backwards in recent years as shops like Cartridge World have ceased trading. Most toner cartridge sales are now made over the internet with few companies offering a return service of single empty cartridges.

The York Councils “A to Z” of recycling lists only one outlet where empty cartridges can be taken for reuse (Office Outlet on Foss Island Road ) although there are other like Tesco on Tadcaster Road which are not publicised.

It really does little to help the environment if people must drive several miles to recycle relatively small items

The Council needs to update its web site and modernise signage at Hazel Court.

The plan to establish a Reuse and Salvage centre also needs to be revived. It was scrapped by the Labour controlled Council in 2011.

A more enthusiastic approach to using street scrap merchants might also result in less waste.

BBC stats indicating the percentage of plastics by type which are currently recycled