Liberal Democrat Councillors launch petition to reduce proposed Community Stadium parking charges

Liberal Democrat Councillors have launched a petition calling on the Council to reverse the proposed increase to parking charges at the York Community Stadium.

The new £10 charge was agreed by Tory Executive member Peter Dew at a meeting which took place 3 weeks ago.

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Under current proposals, fans travelling to park at the Park & Ride facilities to reach the Stadium may be charged £10 to park, increasing from the current £5 price.

This will be in addition to some spaces reserved for the sports clubs, continuing Park & Ride services and free parking at the Vangarde Shopping Centre, which will be limited to two hours on all match days.

If approved, local councillors are concerned that fans travelling to the Community Stadium will seek alternative or cheaper parking in nearby Huntington, increasing local traffic in the community and on-street parking on matchdays.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors for Huntington and New Earswick have voiced their concerns at the proposals and have now launched a petition calling for a reduction to the proposed fare increase.
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Bats and hedgehogs at risk through Council developments

The Council has now published on their web site the comments of their Ecology and Countryside officer on the plan to extend Lincoln Court.

Comments of Council ecology officer March 2019

Contractors are currently ripping out the hedge on the school boundary of the site.

The officer states that a replacement hedge must be provided as part of any redevelopment.

There are also concerns about the displacement of bats.

One item, relating to the movement of small mammals like hedgehogs,  will be of particular interest to local residents who are concerned not just about this proposal but also the plans for the nearby Lowfields site.

There a developer (Yorspace) is planning to replace the existing railings with a close boarded fence. Effectively such fences hinder the free movement of hedgehogs

The Ecology officer hasn’t commented on the Lowfield proposal although the wildlife issue has been highlighted by the Lowfields Action Group as part of their objection.

 

York Council announces launch of EU Settlement Scheme pilot

City of York Council has announced they will take part in the second phase of the national EU Settlement Scheme pilot.

York is the one of only four North East areas taking part in the scheme; the other three are Stockton on Tees, Newcastle and Hull.

The EU Settlement Scheme is a Home Office initiative which allows EU citizens living in the UK to apply to the scheme if they wish to continue living in the UK past 30 June 2021.

The second phase of the EU Settlement Scheme tests the application process ready for when the scheme opens fully to the public by 30 March 2019.

EU Citizens can choose whether to send their details to the Home Office, use an android app, or make an appointment at York Register Office for a cost of £14, to verify their identification.

The appointments are ideal for residents whose mobile phone or other device doesn’t have near field communication (NFC) and the resident is eligible to apply for settled status during the pilot phase.

Appointments can be made at York Registration Service, York Register Office, 56 Bootham, York, YO30 7DA, for Mondays and Tuesdays between 1pm – 4.30pm at a cost of £14 (including VAT).

Applicants must bring ID and be able to provide a valid phone number and email address. To make an appointment, call 01904 654477.

Businesses are able to bulk book appointments for large groups of employees or arrange for Register Office staff to visit their premises if more convenient.

For further details about making an appointment www.york.gov.uk/EUSettlementScheme or to find out if you’re eligible to apply, visit (Home office link)

Pauline Stuchfield, Assistant Director Customer and Digital Services, said: “This can be an unsettling time for some of our York residents and as a council, we want to ensure that applying for the EU Resettlement Scheme is straightforward and relatively stress-free.

“Residents from the EU who would like to settle here are welcome to contact the Register Office and arrange an appointment. We’re standing by to help.”

What’s on in York: Great British Spring Clean

Please note activities in the Foxwood and Westfield part of the City will continue through March and most of April.

Events which are already scheduled include:

  • Saturday 30 March  – 10.30am – noon meet at Foxwood Lane/Beagle Ridge Drive shops to tidy this area
  • Sunday 7 April – 2pm – 4pm – meet at pumping station on Foxwood Lane to clear Chesney Fields
  • Sunday 14 April – 2pm – 4pm – meet at junction of Herman Walk with Sherringham Drive
  • Monday 15 April – 10.30am – noon – meet at Acomb Wood shops

Poor research or something more sinister?

A few days ago, Labour issued a statement condemning the City of York Council for agreeing to sell off Bootham Park Hospital. Only problem was that the Council had never owned the hospital site. Decisions about its future rest with NHS property, a central government agency.

Labours 2014 plan to develop land on Moor Lane

Now Labour candidates in Dringhouses and Woodthorpe are trying to blame the local coalition for the proposal to build near to Askham Bog on Moor Lane.

It appears that the candidates – who in fairness appear to have little local experience – do not realise that it was a Labour controlled Council that first identified the site for development when they published their version of the Local Plan in 2014 (it is still available to be read “on line”).

The previous version of the Plan, agreed by the outgoing LibDem led council in 2011, had retained the site in the Green Belt.

An incoming Labour administration adopted a “Big City” approach to development and earmarked large areas of Green Belt for development. They wanted to grow the size of the City by 25%. This included building on the land at Moor Lane.

Later the plan was jettisoned when Labour lost control of the Council following a by election in the autumn of 2014.

Labour on social media Mar 2019

The latest version of the Local Plan – backed by the ruling LibDem/Tory coalition – protects the Moor Lane site from building.

Not withstanding this, developers are still trying to use the 2014 draft Local Plan as leverage to get planning permission for the site before the final revised  Plan is implemented  by central government.

It takes a particularly thick brass neck to accuse your opponents of responsibility for a mistake that your own side made.

NB. Labour have published their 2019 local election manifesto. In it they promise to build hundreds of new houses each year many of which will be in new “villages” on the outskirts of the City. The new “villages” will be located on what is now Green Belt land.