The York Council Leader has rather proudly announced the launch of an “app” for smart phones.

In a media release he urges residents to go to the web site www.smarteryork.com.

Fat chance. That web address doesn’t even exist!

In a spirit of helpfulness we can tell residents that the actual web site address is http://www.smarteryork.org.uk

Whether the cost of developing this new reporting tool can be justified is another matter. The top priority for the Council should be to stop environmental vandalism (Graffiti, fly-tipping etc) in the first place. A quick and efficient clean up is also necessary, but there is little evidence to suggest that York residents are failing to do this using “old fashioned” communications methods such as the telephone, Email or via the Councils web site.

Still, Iphone at the ready, we’ll be trying the new system out over the next few weeks.

NB. This hiccup comes a few days after residents started receiving their Council Tax bills. The explanatory leaflet issued with the demand assured residents that the Councils gross expenditure for the forthcoming year would be a world record beating “£354,937,000,000”.
The equivalent expenditure agreed by the LIbDem Council for 11/12 was, a quite parsimonious, £341,644,000!

The Queen will be visiting York on Thursday 5th April. Extreme delays are forecast, in the City centre and near Micklegate, from 10:00am onwards. Early journeys are advised.

First buses will be operating a revised service level over the Easter Period:

Good Friday, 6th April – A Sunday service will operate on main network services. Park and Ride services 2, 3, 7, 8 & 9 will operate a Monday-Friday timetable.

Easter Saturday, 7th April – Normal Saturday service

Easter Sunday, 8th April – Normal Sunday service

Easter Monday, 9th April – A Sunday service will operate on main network services. Park and Ride services 2, 3, 7, 8 & 9 will operate a Monday-Friday timetable.

Tuesday 10th April – Normal service resumes

It looks like Labour Councillors – with the backing of Lord Mayor and Acomb Ward Councillor David Horton -will try to block any move for a vote on the future of the Beckfield Lane recyling centre at the Council meeting on Thursday.

They may argue that they need more time – and revised financial figures – before they can consider keeping the center open.

It seems likely that the Liberal Democrat motion to keep the centre open will be referred to the Councils “Cabinet” in the first instance. The most likely date for the Cabinet meeting is 15th May.

However, as this is after the Council’s provisional date for closing the centre (16th April), residents will want to be assurred that the centre will remain in operation until the Council has had the opportunity to properly debate its future.

Over 210 people have now signed the “on line” petition which has until 14th April to run.

http://tinyurl.com/Save-the-recycling-centre

Former Coucnil Leader Andrew Waller joins Richard Hill in collecting signatures on the petition

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 28 March and Tuesday 3 April 2012.

•B1257 Newgate Bank, Hawnby
•A19 Crathorne
•A170 Scawton Moor
•Station Road, Thirsk
•B6271 Great Langton
•B1264 Low Worsall
•Guisborough Road, Great Ayton
•B1257 Great Broughton
•Northallerton Road, Brompton,
•Station Road, Thirsk,
•B6271, Great Langton,
•A61, Carlton Road, Carlton Miniott
•A6108, North Stainley
•A629, Low Bradley
•A65, Settle by-pass
•A62, west-bound, Crosshills
•A629, Skipton by-pass
•A59, Beamsley Hill
•A56, Thornton-in-Craven
•A65 Clapham
•A65 Settle by-pass
•A65, Hellifield
•A65 Coniston Cold

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 Council have revealed some of their plans for the £28 million infrastructure fund set up in its budget. £20 million of this is money which will be borrowed increasing the annual interest burden on taxpayers by around £1.8 million (or equivalent to a 4% tax increase).

Against that background, residents might have hoped that the money would be invested to either reduce the council’s costs or to increase its income.

But in reality neither is likely to be the case. It is planning to spend £430,000 employing 2 new officers to administer the fund over the next 5 years.

Apart from tarting up City centre bus stops (at a cost of £2.5 million), the Council expects taxpayers to stump up for a City centre WiFi network and spend more on broadband provision. Both are projects that the telecoms companies should lead on with most customers expecting to have to pay for such services.
There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that migrant businesses would choose York as a base because “free” WiFi access is available on Coney Street!

The Council remains obsessed by spinning a populist line. It celebrates the demise of the ftr project (and 20 conductor jobs) and the closure of its branch office in Acomb. It tries to hide the 56% reduction in highways maintenance expenditure and pretends that the outrage, over the closure of the Beckfield Lane recycling centre, is some sort of inevitable consequence of the national economic situation.

Having pandered to the populist notion that the Clifton Green junction was a model of free flowing traffic prior to the introduction of the cycle lane, Labour now finds that it must either jettison its election promise to scrap the lane or it must ignore the advice of the emergency services – and the majority of consultees – and introduce a system markedly more dangerous than exists there now.
Will Councillors accept liability for any increase in accident numbers at a remodelled junction? We don’t think so.

What next in the populist stakes?

Well moving the market onto Parliament Street has been a clarion call for many years. Costs, and frankly the view that such a public space could be more imaginatively used – have inhibited such a change in the past.

But like a school boy with £5 to spend in a sweet shop, it may be a case of lets find some thing to spend £28 million on.

The Council – apparently without any sense of irony – have issued the following media statement:

“Spring is upon us and this means longer opening hours at City of York Council’s Household Waste Recycling centres.

From April 1 the sites will stay open later, to allow residents to use the lighter evenings to dispose of large amounts of recycling, garden waste and other rubbish.

Cllr Dafydd Williams, Cabinet member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said “As the evenings become longer the opening times have been extended to allow residents to make full use of the recycling facilities available. The sites are also open over the Easter weekend too.”

The sites provide a wide range of recycling facilities for household materials including all types of electricals, old textiles, shoes, clothing, wood, metal, garden waste, cardboard as well as plastic bottles, glass, cans and paper. Full details of what you can recycle at each site is available at www.york.gov.uk/waste

Opening times from 1 April until 30 September are as follows:

• Hazel Court: Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 7.00pm, Sundays 8.30am to 4.00pm
• Towthorpe/Strensall:- daily 8.30am to 7.00pm
• Beckfield Lane: Monday to Friday 5.00pm to 7.00pm, Saturday and Sunday: 10.00am to 2.00pm. (1st April – 16th April only!!!!)
• All sites will be open as usual on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.

Meanwhile a total of 2189 residnets have now signed the petition asking for the Beckfield Lane tiip to remain open. These include 580 from residents living in the Westfield Ward which Cllr Wiliams (see above) is supposed to represent. 727 live in the Acomb Ward where the 2 Labour Councillors have also yet to declare whether they will support keeping Beckfield Lane open.

NB. The next distribution of free compost will take place at Yorwaste’s Harewood Whin site, on Tinker Lane, off Wetherby Road on:

• Sunday 1 April
• Sunday 6 May
• Sunday 3 June
• Sunday 8 July
• Sunday 5 August
• Sunday 2 September
• Sunday 7 October

The compost will be available from 9.30am until 2.30pm each day and residents are asked to bring a shovel and bags or containers to take the compost home in.

York police are appealing for information and witnesses following a robbery at the Cooperative store on Moorcroft Road, Woodthorpe.

At approximately 9.30pm on Friday 23 March 2012, three men wearing balaclavas entered the store and threatened two shop assistants with a small metal bar.

They forced the staff to hand over several coloured cash bags containing coins ranging from 5p to £1.

One member of staff was hit with the metal bar but was not seriously injured.

It is believed that a number of people were stood outside a nearby food takeaway at the time of the incident, police would like these people to contact them.

The bags would have been heavy to carry and are coloured red, green, pink, yellow and grey. Anyone who finds any discarded bags or has seen anyone with them is also asked to contact the police.

Investigating Officer DC Mo Mohammed, of York CID, said: “I am appealing for members of the public who were in the Moorcroft Road area on Friday night between 9.15pm and 9.45pm to get in touch. They may not have witnessed the incident but may have vital information which could help the investigation. ”

The suspects are described as white men, all aged in their mid-twenties. The first man was wearing a black, North Face coat, light grey Adidas tracksuit trousers and black gloves.

The second man was wearing a light grey zip-up hoodie with matching tracksuit trousers and black gloves.

The third suspect was wearing a black Nike top with the Nike logo across the front, black trousers and black gloves.

Police have carried out door-to-door enquires and local searches in the area as well as examining CCTV footage.

Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for York CID.

Alternatively, you can pass information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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The Coalition government has announced the third big slice of funding for York’s ailing transport system in less than a year. Hard on the heels of a £20 million grant for 2 new park and ride sites, plus around £4 million for a sustainable transport initiative, the government has agreed to put £2.9 million into improving public transport systems. These are huge sums of money at a time when the economy is still weak and the Council needs to ensure that the investment is prudently managed and that residents are fully consulted about the proposed use of the funds.

The move means that York can now expect to get the cashless “smartcard” payment system that was trialled in South Yorkshire 3 years ago. We have no doubt that – everything else being equal – the convenience of this system would boost bus usage in the City.

What is markedly less convincing is the Councils intention to borrow £1.6 million which it will spend smartening up City Centre bus stops. The taxpayer simply can’t afford this kind of expenditure at a time when key public services are being cut. The 56% reduction in highways maintenance, which will be bad news for pedestrians and cyclists, has still not been adequately justified by the Council leadership.

Residents are also angry about the way that road works on Blossom Street have increased some bus journey times by as much as 1 hour. As usual the Council – and particularly the lethargic Labour Councillors representing affected wards – failed to manage this contract effectively and with minimal disruption.

News that the 20 conductors – who were used on the number 4 bus service – have now been sacked by First means that this service will be subject to further delays as drivers struggle to issue tickets on what is the busiest route on the York bus network. Services should have been left as they were until the smartcard had been introduced and a modern, low emission, bus procured for use on the route.

The Unthanks with Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, 17 August 2012

Aled Jones, 12 October 2012

Two major music acts have just been confirmed to headline an exciting musical year at York Minster. The Unthanks and Aled Jones will perform in the Nave, with The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass on 17 August at 8pm and Aled Jones on 12 October.

The two concerts are part of a year-round calendar welcoming international artists, talented local musicians and also composers, in the spotlight during the 8 Wonders season at York Minster.

Described by The Guardian as ‘Haunting, original and magnificent’ Mercury-nominated Tyneside band The Unthanks have a peerless approach to folk music. Their paradoxical journey of staunch traditionalism and sonic adventure continues with a collaboration with Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band. The Brass Band are National Champions of Great Britain and regarded by many as the best and most consistent public subscription band in the world.

With a focus on the song-book of the coal-mining industry, The Unthanks will sing material from their past and current repertoire with arrangements re-imagined for the massed ranks of “Briggus’, as well as material specially written and arranged for this project. Following a show-stealing performance at The BBC Folk Awards The Unthanks and Brighouse & Rastrick’s performance will feature new works from their soon-to-be released album.

Loved by the nation originally for his pure treble voice, Aled Jones recently celebrated over 25 years as a household name and his career is going from strength to strength. Aled currently has 29 albums to his name – selling over 6 million to date – and has been a presenter on ‘Songs of Praise’ for over 10 years.

Performing in Cathedrals has been a part of Aled’s life since his days in Bangor as a boy chorister. This tour sees Aled visit the length and breadth of the country. Despite visiting many Cathedrals regularly on Songs of Praise, this is going to be Aled’s first comprehensive live UK Cathedral tour.

Also new for 2012 at York Minster, Lunchtime Organ Promenades are being introduced for the first time in spring, allowing visitors to experience the power, but also the astonishing range of the Minster’s organ by including some surprising popular tunes. The first concert, on 27 April, features a double act of Director of Music Robert Sharpe and Assistant Director of Music David Pipe with selections of popular music. Concerts will be performed from the Minster’s organ in the Nave, allowing visitors to see the organist in action or simply listen while strolling around York Minster. The series continues every Friday at 1:10pm through 1 June and features organists from around the country.

Following on, York Minster’s popular evening Summer Organ Festival will be Jubilee-themed this year. Details on performers and music to be released soon and the concerts are scheduled for Saturdays at 7.00pm, starting 28 July through 15 September, but will include some established favourites in addition to a more experimental repertoire.

The music concerts are part of the many events, services and activities taking place in York Minster throughout the year, celebrating the 8 Wonders of York Minster. They start with the Wonder of Easter: the solemn majesty of York Minster’s traditional services, including Holy Week, with its Choral Evensong. This is followed by a week of holiday activities for families, and Tower Trips with an unusual chocolate theme.

Details of all the events and services taking place are available from York Minster’s website, http://www.yorksminster.org with regular updates also available on Facebook (www.facebook.com/yorkminster.org) and Twitter (twitter.com/York_Minster).

Tickets for The Unthanks are available now from the York Minster Box Office, boxoffice.yorkminster.org / 0844 939 0015. Tickets for Aled Jones go on sale Friday 23 March at 9am and are available from www.gigsandtours.com / 0844 811 0051 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk /0844 826 2826.

For further information about upcoming events at York Minster or about the 8 Wonders of York Minster, contact Lisa Sinclair: 0844 939 0014 ext. 2480, 07785 615457.