York Council election results

Will be updated as results come in

and the final result sees Labour retain its 3 seats in the Hull Road ward.

Labour have picked up their expected three seats in Heworth.

Well that will be the icing on the cake for the LibDems. Winning back Rural West – a Tory stronghold – with a huge swing. Means former Tory Leader Chris Steward has lost his seat and the Tories will finish with only 2 seats in total. That is their worst result since 2003 when they were wiped out. The LibDems will finish with 21 seats, 3 short of an overall majority.

Another big win for the LibDems. Tory Leadership hopeful Stuart Rawlings and Transport boss Peter Dew both lose their seats.

No change in the Guildhall ward although sitting Labour Councillor James Flinders has lost his seat the more experienced Fiona Fitzpatrick. Current Labour leader Janet Looker has retained her seat albeit with a small majority.

LibDems retain their 3 seats in Huntington. Up to 16 seats in total now. Keith Aspden in line to be new Council Leader.

LibDems comfortably retain the 4 seats in Westfield.

LibDem gain from the Tories in Strensall. Tony Fisher, who represented the area several years ago, tops the poll. Paul Doughty becomes the only Tory so far to retain his seat. Danielle Mason, wife of Ashley the Councillr for Dringhouses, polls well in her first contest.

.. and there will be tears. Lord Mayor elect Keith Myers loses his Acomb seat to Labour. It happened once before, ironically also in the Acomb Ward, in 1975 when Labour Councillor Peter Gales lost his seat. Peter Gales never made it into the Mansion House. Who will assume the role later in May is anyone’s guess. There may not even be a Conservative with the necessary experience – and inclination – to take over the demanding role. Rotten thing to happen to a hard working Councillor.

Labour retain their two seats in the Clifton Ward. No Independent candidates this time, unlike 2015.

Well we said that it might be a good night to be an Independent. John Galvin retains his seat in Bishopthorpe with a 33% share of the vote with Carole Green as a close runner up. Ironically Carole Green was standing for the Green party. Last time she contested the seat as an unsuccessful Independent candidate. The Conservative vote fell by 28%

…and the LibDems retain the three seats in the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward. One of only two UKIP candidates in York, performs poorly.

Little change in Micklegate although Labour have gained the seat vacated by Independent Johnny Hayes. Greens take the third seat for the second successive election.

and that the first victory for Labour in York today. They retain the 3 seats that they won in 2015 although none of their present candidates were on the ballot paper then. Very poor performance from the Tories and the LibDems who polled much better in last years by election. Other than Westfield, this was the only ward in which the LibDems had a realistic hope of taking seats in the York Central constituency.

Huge 27.5% swing from Tories to LibDems see the party take all three seats for the first time since 2007. On course for he best election result in the City for 12 years.

First surprise of the day and the first seat to change hands. Christian Vassie takes Wheldrake from Independent Suzie Mercer (who was elected in 2015 as a Tory with a big majority. Christian Vassie was a councillor for the ward until 2011.

& the first conservative is elected in Osbaldwick. It was a Tory seat so no real surprise, although the LibDem share of the vote will disappoint them in a ward that they used to hold. Independent Mark Warters retains his seat.

and Nigel Ayre wins very comfortably in Heworth Without. Another sitting Councillor re-elected.

Fishergate election result much as expected with the Greens holding on to the tow seats

Wouldn’t draw too many conclusions from the first two election results. Both small wards with well know local candidates as victors. Turnout better than feared but still well below 50%. May be lower in urban wards. LibDem vote up in one ward, down in the other. Tories major losers (as elsewhere in the country). Maybe better prospects for Greens in Micklegate and Guildhall. We will see.

Big swing to the LibDem Group Leader in Fulford. Has overcome some troubling and unjustified harassment over the last couple of years.

The Comanthorpe Ward has been won by Independent Councillor David Carr. He was comprehensively ahead of the Tory and LibDem candidates. It could be good news for the other Independent candidates, particularly those fighting small rural wards Former Green Councillor Lars Kramm down in 4th place.

Speed cameras still focus on York southern by pass

The latest results from the county’s speed safety camera vans reveal that the proportion of drivers exceeding speed limits is stable.
Safety camera van

In York, the vans have concentrated their activities on the A64 southern by pass, where it is not unusual for several dozen speeders to be identified

On one day in February – the latest month for which stats are available – 29 speeders were caught on the A64 westbound near Fulford

North York’s Police are not publishing results as quickly as they have in the past

A separate programme of speed checks, which measures the average speed of vehicles on problem roads, hasn’t been updated this year. These checks involve the use of static equipment. They do not identify individual vehicles.

Roads in the York area waiting for checks – and subsequent remedial action – include:

  • Hawthorn Terrace
  • Hamilton Drive (20 mph)
  • York Road, Dunnington
  • Ox Carr Lane, Strensall
  • Bracken Road
  • Salisbury Terrace
  • Ullswater
  • Lords Moor Lane, Strensall
  • Church Lane, Bishopthorpe
  • Alcuin Avenue
  • Bad Bargain Lane
  • Osbaldwick Lane
  • Temple Avenue
  • Fourth Avenue
  • Towthorpe Road
  • Scarcroft Road

Most of these roads don’t have any recorded injury accidents. None are routinely checked by the enforcement camera vans.

And that remains the problem with the vehicle speed limit enforcement. The expensive camera vans may be influencing average speeds, but the police make no attempt to demonstrate this.

They don’t even publish comparative stats showing the trend in the percentage of speeders at regularly monitored sites.

Within the next few years it is likely that all new vehicles will be fitted with technology which will not only confirm the prevailing speed limit on a dashboard display, but also offer the opportunity for remote enfacement.

That may be a challenge for civil liberties but it could finally rein in the 100 mph plus drivers whose behaviour often irritates other motorists.

Speed/Safety camera results
Vehicle average speeds on York roads

What’s on in York; Events at Acomb Explore Library on Saturday

Book sale

Acomb Explore Weekly Booksale

May 4th @ 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Acomb Explore

Free

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legp

Lego Club

May 4th @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Acomb Explore

£0.50

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Craft Club for adults

May 4th @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Acomb Explore

Free

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