It looks like the Council has finally made the choice of a new car for the Lord Mayor. A new Volvo S80 Nilsson Limousine now sports the famous DN1 registration number. The vehicle is normally famous for its gas gulling 3 litre petrol engine but the 2.4 diesel model comes with stop/start and relatively low emissions at 129 g/km.

There is no doubt that a new vehicle was needed. The aging Vauxhall had long passed its sell by date and was increasingly unreliable. The last LibDem led Council had started the process of replacement and was looking at vehicles like the £30,000 Toyota Prius +, a 7 seat MPV with a CO2 rating of less than 100 g/km and fuel consumption of around 68 mpg.

Ironically Volvo produces a S60 plug in diesel hybrid although this is not yet available with a passenger capacity of more than 5.

The Council leases its vehicles so there should not be much difference in annual expenditure, although some may feel that the opportunity to set an example has been lost.

Hybrids run on battery power on local trips reducing pollution levels. And many of the Lord Mayors journeys are – of course – limited to the York area.

It looks like the crunch Council meeting, which will determine the future of the Beckfield Lane recycling centre, will take place on Monday 16th April starting at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held at the Guildhall. Members of the public are able to register to speak at the meeting.

The number of residents “signing” the Epetition on the Councils web site has grown to 274. This is the largest number ever – by a large margin – recorded on a Council web petition.

See http://tinyurl.com/Save-the-recycling-centre to add your support. The petition will be available until 11th April.

The paper petition now has now reached 2736 signatures.

York garages to offer free catalytic converter marking

On Wednesday 11 April, Safer York Partnership is launching Operation Bonafide to tackle increases in catalytic converter theft in the city.

Developed through the Partnership’s vehicle crime task group this is a joint initiative involving City of York Council Trading Standards and North Yorkshire Police. Following a successful pilot event in February, the partnership are now working with a number of local businesses to offer free catalytic converter security marking for York residents and businesses.

Members of the public can now contact any of the participating garages below to arrange a suitable time for them to take their vehicle along. In addition to security marking they will be given a distinctive window sticker indicating that the catalytic converter on their vehicle has been security marked. Participating garages marked with a * will also provide a free ‘health check’ of the vehicle.

Participating garages:
•North Eastern Tyres & Autocare* Centurian Park, Clifton Moor. Tel. 692500 (CARS ONLY)
•Glen Garage*, 12 Hawthorne Grove, Heworth, York. Telephone 425000 (CARS AND VANS)
•A.G. Motors*, Wheldrake Lane, Crockey Hill, York, YO19 4SN. Tel. 625890 (CARS AND VANS)
•Barker’s Garage*, Keswick Way, Huntington, York, YO32 9QP, Tel. 760020 (CARS AND VANS)
•Huntington Garage*, 67 North Moor Road, Huntington, York, YO32 9QN. Tel. 768808 (CARS ONLY)
•Halford’s*, Foss Islands Road, York (CARS ONLY)
•Drydals Garage, Hospital Fields Road, York YO10 4DZ, Tel. 633809 (CARS ONLY)

The garages will join local scrap dealers in working to disrupt catalytic converter theft by ensuring that any stolen catalytic converters attempted to be sold can be clearly identified through distinctive the distinctive security markings.

Between the 1 November 2011 and 9 March 2012, 40 catalytic converters were stolen in York forming part of a general increase in scrap metal theft. The most commonly targeted vehicles are Mercedes Sprinter vans. Owners of these vehicles are particularly encouraged to take this opportunity to get their catalytic converter marked. This project contributes to police activity under Operation Tornado, a national initiative to reduce metal theft.

Any garages interested in joining this initiative are asked to contact Dawn Clarkson, City of York Council Trading Standards on 01904 551827

Companies with multiple vehicles should first contact PCSO Kathryn Bean, Business Adviser, via e-mail: kathryn.bean@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk to arrange a venue and time for their fleet to be marked.

For more information please see www.saferyork.org.uk

1. Tax changes
Starting tomorrow, Friday April 6, the Liberal Democrat-delivered increase in the Personal Allowance of £630 will benefit 25m ordinary working people. And it will lift an extra 250,000 people out of income tax altogether.

Since joining the coalition Liberal Democrats have:
• Removed more than 1m low-paid from paying any income tax altogether
• Given every ordinary worker an annual income tax cut of up to £330
• Paid the largest ever cash rise in the basic state pension – £275 a year from this week for the full basic state pension (+£500 since we joined the coalition)
And thanks to Liberal Democrats most working age benefits are also increasing by 5.2 per cent to help those who’ve fallen on tough times.

And thanks to the budget delivered in March this year, by 2014, Liberal Democrats will have also ensured that those people working full time on the minimum wage will have seen their income tax bill halved.

2. Tax Credits
Labour oversaw a massive expansion in the cost of the tax credit system, where 9 out of ten families were in receipt of means-tested benefits. Labour’s bill rose from £18bn to £31bn.

It is difficult, but it is fair to ask couples to work 24 hours a week to receive tax credits, given that a single person has to work 16 hours. When you ask a single parent, for example, to work two days a week before they get a tax credit, asking a couple to work three days a week between them is reasonable.

Taking account of the up-rating measures to tax credits announced in the Autumn Statement, around 80 per cent of households with children will see their tax credits awards increase, at least in line with earnings this year.

When you look at the overall impact of the tax changes, the burden of that falls most heavily on the top 20% of the population.

And we have stopped the wealthiest in society receiving child tax credit to ensure the money goes to the people who need it. Under Labour, people earning more than £60k, which includes all MPs, were receiving this benefit.

Today’s Royal visit has clearly been a huge success with the highlight for many being a being a meticulously organised service at York Minster. Some Maundy money recipients were visibly moved to tears at the end of the ceremony.

On the streets, excellent weather brought out more than the expected 15,000 onlookers with public transport systems at full stretch in the morning period.

Many streets were choked with visitors by noon.

A memorable day for many and one that should help to boost the City’s tourist economy.

More at

http://tinyurl.com/Queen-in-York

With over 15,000 people expected to visit York tomorrow to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen and The Royal Party visiting the city, motorists are being advised to avoid driving in the city centre and use public transport where possible.

There will be a blanket road closure of the city centre on Thursday 5 April between 10am and 1.30pm. The closure will mean certain areas of the city centre will be closed during this time.
Visitors are being advised to use Park and Ride services, public transport or alternative travel such as cycling into the city centre. All public transport services will be affected and delays are expected throughout the day.

Blue Badge access and accessible parking will be limited. Only accessible parking in Colliergate and King’s Square will be unaffected.

Restrictions will also be in place on the evening of Wednesday 4 April throughout parts of the city centre. Shop deliveries, loading and unloading will be affected on Thursday 5 on Blake St, Duncombe Place and High Petergate, which are closed from 9am.

The City Walls between Baile Hill and Lendal will be closed all morning and will reopen at 11am; and the City Walls between Monk Bar and Bootham Bar will reopen at 1.30pm.
Access to Micklegate will be restricted until 7pm, as residents and retailers hold a street party to celebrate The Queen’s visit.

Further details can be found on the following web site:

http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/royal-maundy-service-york-minster-and-visit-york-5-april-2012

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 4 April and Tuesday 10 April 2012.

•A64 Malton by-pass Malton east and west-bound
•A64 Seamer by-pass Scarborough
•A64 Seamer Road, Scarborough
•A64 between Whitwell Hill and Barton Hill
•A64 between Barton-le-Willows and Jinnah
•A1039, Filey Road at Flixton
•B1427 Queen Margaret’s Road, Scarborough
•B1249 at Staxton Wold near Staxton, Scarborough
•A165 Reighton by-pass between Sands Road and Hunmanby Road
•Stoney Haggs Road, Scarborough south-bound towards Seamer
•B1249 Foxholes to County Boundary
•A64 east-bound carriageway Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound carriageway, Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
•Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
•Beckfield Lane, York
•Green Lane, Acomb, York
•Ryecroft Avenue, Acomb, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•Strensall Road, Huntington, York
•York Road, Haxby, York

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the above sites at various times during the dates stated. Cameras will not be in use on the above routes all day, every day.

The momentum generated in December 2010 by the launch of a trial low emission bus service in York, has disappeared following an admission at the last Council meeting from the York Councillor – with responsibility for the bus service – that he doesn’t know when similar vehicles will run regularly in the City.
The problem can be traced to deteriorating relations over the last year between the Council and bus operators.

Already we have seen the ftr withdrawn from the City and with lead-in times on new low emission vehicles at over 12 months, there seems little chance of seeing an eco bus fleet on the York streets much before 2015. Other City’s are working in partnership with bus operators and are already securing slots in the manufacturing pipeline.

It is ironic that the setback comes at a time when the Council is saying that it wants to reduce pollution levels in the City centre. It agreed a strategy for doing so at a meeting yesterday. However, it will have little impact unless new technologies are harnessed.

Labour are saddled with a public transport policy which relies on the franchising of bus services across the City. This is an expensive and time consuming option which could come to nothing if affordable tenders are not provided by bus companies.

In the meantime partnership working is breaking down with investment leaving the City and heading for the easier trading conditions which can be found in West Yorkshire.

At tonight’s “cabinet” meeting the Council’s Leadership confirmed their plan to close the Beckfield Lane recycling centre on 16th April.

8 speakers attended the meeting to ask for the centre to stay open but none of the Labour Councillors present were prepared even to discuss the option.

So the scene is now set for a special Council meeting to take place at which a final decision will be made.

The meeting also decided to remove the cycle lane from the Clifton Green Junction. The decision will mean around £20,000 more being spent on remodelling a junction to introduce a layout markedly more likely to increase the number of accidents, according to professional advisers

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a suspicious fire in York.
Officers were alerted by the fire service at around 4pm on Monday 2 April 2012 after a flat caught fire on Thoresby Road in the Acomb area of the city.

Police believe that the blaze was started deliberately and are appealing to anyone with any information to come forward.

Officers are particularly keen to trace a man who was seen running away from the scene of the fire just after the incident occurred. He appeared to have soot on his face and was spotted heading onto St Stephens Road and then turning left onto Cornlands Road.

Acting Detective Sergeant Fionna McEwan, of York CID, said: “Fortunately nobody was injured in this incident, however deliberately starting a fire is a serious offence and we need to find out who is responsible.

“A man was seen running away from the scene of the incident and I am appealing to anyone who can help to identify him to contact the police or Crimestoppers with information.

“If you saw the man or have any information that can help the investigation please get in touch as soon as possible.”

Anyone who can help officers with their enquiries is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 2 – and ask for Fionna McEwan or York CID.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference number 12120052457.