Coronavirus York updates; 6th May 2021

Deaths

There have been no additional hospital deaths announced today.

Test results

Seven positive test results today bring the total up to 12,297

The number of cases in the City falls from 42 to 39.

Rate /100k population reduces to 18.52. Still trending downwards

Neighbourhoods

Little change to infection rates at neighbourhood level today

Vaccinations

Nimbuscare have updated their progress report click

The vaccination rates at neighbourhood level have also been updated.

The area with the highest vaccination rate (at least one dose) is Wigginton (79.53%)

The neighbourhood with the lowest rate is Tang Hall (34.03%)

Tests

  • 4342 PCR tests were completed during the week ending 5th May 2021
  • Of these, 0.7% were positive. This represents a reduction compared tot the previous days figure of 0.8%
  • 3565 “lateral flow” test were also completed on 5th May

Hospital

There has been no change in patient numbers at the hospital today

What’s on in York: New heritage “Euro trail” launches on Sunday

Europe in York, York in Europe TRAIL event map

 

To celebrate Europe Day on Sunday May 9th, York for Europe is publishing a new trail “York in Europe, Europe in York”.

York has always been in the heart of Europe. Whilst Roman Eboracum and Viking Jorvik are all around us, many more countries of Europe have their markers in the city to the present day.

The trail explores York’s wide European heritage – through buildings, businesses, communities, individual stories and belongings.

The trail starts with three key points of York’s European connections, which merit a special visit in themselves: the old trading rivers of the Ouse and Foss, the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, and the National Railway Museum which exhibits our historic and modern rail links across the Channel.

The trail then moves on to highlight 19 individual European countries present in York today, from Italy to Iceland, France to Finland, Portugal to Poland, Sweden to Slovakia and Norway to the Netherlands – allowing of course for the changes of country names and borders over time.  The compilers of the trail offer an “apology” to York’s Romans and Vikings: since they are already visible everywhere, they are side-lined a little to allow the limelight onto other countries.  However, they are still there in some remarkable personal items they left behind.

Sketch maps of the trail as well as a list of the countries in the trail with their numbered sites are attached.

York for Europe hopes that York people will enjoy a different way of looking at their city with perhaps some surprises, that our fellow European residents in York will find their longer history here, and that tourists from mainland Europe will have fun finding out if a bit of their country is built into York.

To access the trail guide go to 

www.yorkeuropean.uk   (click)

https://www.yorkeuropean.uk/trail_info.html

Wates appointed to Castle Mills apartment contract.

See the source imageThe Council has taken a step forward towards delivering the £28 million apartment block scheduled to be built on the former Castle Mills car park site.

A report approved yesterday says,

“In October 2020 the council’s Executive approved the delivery strategy for the Castle Gateway regeneration. As part of this decision, approval was granted to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a construction contractor to build Castle Mills on a two stage tender process.

The first stage of the process is to secure a construction contractor to develop the current RIBA Stage 3 design prepared by BDP to RIBA Stage 4 on Pre-Construction Service Contract Agreement (PSCA) and provide a tender price for undertaking the construction based on that stage 4 design.

The Council received three strong bids following an invite to tender through an open market process, which were assessed and scored on both price and quality, with Wates being the successful bidder. The council will now enter in to the PSCA stage of the contract”.

The officials concerned are keen to point out that the decision does not commit the Council to proceeding with the whole of the Castle Gateway scheme which has been costed at £55 million.

Of this, current plans are for the Council to borrow £45 million.

Council seeks innovative proposals to support local businesses and communities

Image result for build something new gifsThe City of York Council is seeking bids from organisations wishing to access funding from the £220m UK Community Renewal Fund.

City of York Council has been chosen by the Government as the lead authority for the York area and is inviting bids which will support communities, local businesses, create new jobs and support people into employment.

As a lead authority, the council is responsible for receiving bids, selecting the bids that will be sent to the Government for consideration and paying grants to successful projects as well as managing their performance.

The fund has been designed to help support local areas to pilot innovative new approaches and programmes that unleash their potential

Projects proposals are encouraged from all areas of York and should align with local priorities. Proposals should also align with the programme themes:

  • investment in skills – work based training; retraining, upskilling or reskilling; digital skills and inclusion
  • investment for local business – support for new job opportunities; innovation potential; supporting decarbonisation measures
  • investment in communities and place – feasibility for net zero and energy; promoting culture led regeneration and community development; improving green spaces and preserving local assets; promoting rural connectivity
  • supporting people into employment – engagement with local services; addressing barriers to gaining employment; developing basic skills; testing what works in helping people into work

The Government has introduced the fund as it prepares for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, which will replace EU Structural and Investment Funds.

Successful Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021-22 only and projects must be completed by the end of March 2022.

Applicants should note that York is not classed as one of the Government’s 100 ‘priority places’ across the UK. As such, The City of York Council is particularly interested in project proposals that are ambitious, offering fresh ideas.

The deadline for submitting applications is 16 May. The City of York Council will then produce a shortlist of projects for submission to the Government.

The UK Community Renewal Fund Prospectus provides more information on the fund, including assessment criteria.

Further information can be found here.

Councillor Andrew Waller, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning said:

Landmark planning meeting in York to decide future of Beverley House

A decision on the redevelopment of Beverley House on Shipton Road is due to be made next week.

It will be a landmark meeting as it marks the restart of face-to-face committee meetings at the York Authority.

Overall the proposal will provide: 1 x 3 bed apartment, 15 x 2 bed apartments and 5 x 1 bed apartments. The proposal is for senior living.

18 car parking spaces will be provided to the front, with two being mobility parking spaces. 22 secure cycle parking spaces

Beverley House was last used as offices by the Local Government Ombudsman. Previously it had been a Rowntree Trust building.

It has been empty since 2015,

The development may therefore be one of the first to benefit from the governments new “Vacant Building Credit” (VBC) , The VBC applies a financial credit equivalent to the existing gross floorspace of relevant vacant buildings when the Planning Authority calculates any affordable housing contribution which will be sought.

The VBG has the effect of reducing the affordable house requirement to a commuted sum of £206,579.

The VBC was intended to encourage the conversion of unoccupied property for residential use.

The meeting takes place on Thursday 13th May. Details of health safeguards can be found on the agenda papers.