Bogus highways claim by Labour

Labour would have spent over £600,000 less on road repairs
Labour election promise proved to be “bogus”
Official figures have shattered a Labour claim that they would invest more in road repairs in York.
The figures, compiled by Council officials, show that had Labour budget amendments been successful over the last 4 years, then £608,000 less would have been spent on carriageway and footpath resurfacing.
Commenting LibDem Strategy spokesman Steve Galloway said, “Although the Labour amendments were all defeated, the figures do demonstrate quite conclusively that investing in safe highways is not a Labour priority.
They have a nerve claiming otherwise in their election manifesto.
Even the small increase that they proposed for the current year was at the expense of potentially life saving work on providing anti skid surfaces and in repairing York’s car parks”.
The figures show that the Liberal Democrat Council has invested £52 million over the last 6 years in keeping highways and footpaths in good condition.
“We have made progress in dealing with the backlog of repairs inherited from the Labour Council in 2003. The very bad winter hasn’t helped, but we are on target to clear the potholes before the autumn”

Highways spend by York Council

Easter break for roadworks

City of York Council is reminding residents and visitors that work to improve the A19/1237 roundabout will stop over the Easter weekend and forthcoming bank holidays.

Work to increase the capacity of Rawcliffe Roundabout will stop from Friday 22 April to Monday 2 May inclusive, to reduce congestion over the holiday period.

Night-time road resurfacing is programmed to start later in May

York Barbican

The decision to get the private sector to run the York Barbican seems to be paying off.
Over 600 tickets for the inaugural HUGE charity gig on 10th May have already been sold. The Lord Mayors charities (British Heart Foundation and “Our celebration” ) are set to get a big boost.
……….and we expect more announcements on prestige events at the centre over the next few weeks.

Playgrounds update

The Tedder Road playground has been temporarily closed due to damage to the safety surfacing. It is hoped that it will be repaired in the near future.
A new contract, which will see the area secured at night, is being negotiated
The repaired chain for the pulley equipment on Foxwood Lane is back in the City. It was damaged by the extremely low temperatures experienced in January. it is hoped to refit the chain next week.

Andrew Waller & the Foxwood Lane pulley equipment

Heading for the cells?

From todays The Press
“Detective Inspector Ian Wills of North Yorkshire Police said: “We take the matter of election fraud extremely seriously and will vigorously investigate anybody suspected of electoral malpractice.
“I would urge anybody who has been approached by somebody attempting to influence them to contact the police with information.”
Are any of the 100 or so candidates in this years York Council elections not trying to influence voters? Perhaps Ian Wills meant “intimidate” electors?

Britannia Pub closes?

Shutters have appeared on the Brittania pub on The Green in Acomb.
The security screens are something of an eyesore looking onto what is a Conservation area. So we have made representations aimed at getting the future of the building sorted out as quickly as possible.

2011 The way we are now

The last in our pre election look at the last 4 years in the Westfield part of York

Changes to the Tudor Road Kingsway West road junction were modified following residents representations…….. New operators SMG announced detailed plans for the Barbican reopening. A Morrissey concert quickly sold out…………… The Council house modernisation programme reached an historic milestone with all properties in York now meeting “decent homes” standards. These included a large number that benefited from the “York Pride” enhanced standards agreed in 2003 when the LibDems took over control of the Council.
After some indecision, the majority of residents in the Green Lane terraced area opted to have wheeled bins to store refuse. Most though choose to use plastic sacks to present their rubbish…………. A new sports village was announced for the Hull Road area. It includes a competition standard swimming pool, indoor & outdoor sports and athletics facilities………….. Volunteers set out to deliver our Christmas card to everyone – just as the heaviest snow fall ever recorded hit the area. We turned our attention to trying to keep the salt bins topped up.

York High school won a £4000 grant to restore a nature reserve…………… There was a lot of good news as it was revealed that crime in the City had fallen from 23148 in 04/05 to 14481 in 09/10……… The numbers killed and seriously injured on our roads had reduced from 100 in 2003 to 60 in 2009…………… Homeless numbers were down from 400 to 130 during the same period of time……….. The new Lidl store opened on 3rd February while a Valentines Ball, in aid of the Lord Mayors charities, raised over £10,000……………In the wake of the winter weather a public meeting heard how Yorkshire Water intend to address residents concerns in the future. Better communications were promised although frozen pipes could not always be prevented………….. A 20 mph zone in the Beaconsfield Street was confirmed by the Council and vehicle activated speed signs were erected on Green Lane.
In April works started on the Grange Lane park playground and Sue Galloway announced her retirement from the Council. She is replaced on the LibDem ticket by St Stephens Road resident Mark Waudby who faces the electorate in the 5th May poll….. Over 1060 Westfield residents opt to vote by post in the local elections – the largest number ever.

Works starts on the new Grange Lane park playground

Where the skips are

Rubbish skips for use by local residents only will be located as follows:
Saturday 16.04.11
1 Morrell Court Foxwood 8.30am 9.30am
2 Corlett Court Foxwood 10.30am 11.30am
3 Vincent Way Foxwood 12.30pm 1.30pm
4 Rogers Court Foxwood 8.30am 9.30am
6 Cornlands Layby Cornlands Road Shop area
Saturday 23.04.11
4 St Georges Place Dringhouses 8.30am 9.30am Grass Verge
5 Cambridge St Holgate 10.30am 11.30am Suffolk House
Saturday 30.04.11
1 Don Avenue Dringhouses 8.30am 9.30am
2 Moor Lane Dringhouses 10.30am 11.30am
3 North Lane Dringhouses 12.30pm 1.30pm
4 Burnsall Drive Acomb 8.30am 9.30am Top of hill in car park
5 Jute Road Acomb 10.30am 11.30am Green area
6 Bramham Road Chapelfields 12.30pm 1.30pm