Lendal Bridge

As we predicted when the “trial” started the Council intends to continue the restrictions on access to Lendal Bridge for an indefinite period.

There is no item in the Councils forward programme of meeting topics so a decision before June is unlikely.

The latest figures on the Council web site show that most Park and Ride bus services are talking longer to complete their journeys. No data has been produced for other bus services.

No information on bus passenger numbers has been published although total passenger journeys in 2013 showed a further reduction on 2012.

The number of shoppers in the City centre has reduced

Other road users – particularly those living near the city centre – have found journey times doubling.

Meanwhile over 60,000 motorists have been fined on Lendal and Coppergate. Many of these have been visitors who have vowed never to return to the City.

Labour Councillors have now stepped up their campaign of misinformation.

They say that there were forecasts of gridlock. Few said this because (between 10:00am and 4:30pm) there is spare capacity on most of the highways network in York for most of the week.

Some predicted traffic chaos in some circumstances such as poor weather conditions. In a generally mild winter, they were proved right.

Labour have claimed that the LibDems included in their 2011 Local Transport Plan proposals to close Lendal bridge. Actually the reference was to a trial closure of Ouse Bridge (which has many more bus services using it and which does not form part of the ring road). But this would only have happened after proper consultation.

Labour claim that “traffic congestion will increase three fold in 10 years“.

But their transport spokesman made the same claims a decade ago and, of course, it hasn’t happened. Drivers have found different ways of getting to their destinations and at different times of the day.

They don’t rush lemming like to the nearest traffic jam.

Congestion levels in York have been fairly stable now since 1998.

It would be a strange Council that argued that “something has to be done“, then promptly decided on a course of action that actually makes things worse for the majority of travellers.

Reopen Lendal Bridge Now!

Lib Dems reveal York Council budget plans

Council Tax would be frozen and £3million of service cuts would be reversed under budget plans revealed by York’s Liberal Democrat Group.

The proposals, which will be tabled at City of York Council’s budget meeting on Thursday, would see a new £500,000 community fund created for residents to spend locally plus extra investment to boost recycling and tackle climate change.

LibDem budget plan would eliminate poor road surfaces in York

LibDem budget plan would eliminate poor road surfaces in York

The Lib Dem plans would see the controversial £3.3million ‘Reinvigorate York’ scheme – which funded the unpopular King’s Square revamp – cancelled and a reduction in funding on a new multi-million pound council IT project. Labour’s new £70,000-a-year ‘Head of Transformation’ would also face the axe and the number of Cabinet Members would be reduced.

Main Points of the Lib Dem amendment:

  • Accept the government’s grant to freeze council tax for all households in York.
  • Reverse £3million of Labour’s cuts to areas including community centres, youth services, children’s centres, social care, support to carers, grants to voluntary groups, litter and salt bins, road gully cleaning and road repairs.
  • Keep the ‘Minster Badge’ discounted parking scheme for residents which Labour plan to scrap.
  • Set-up a new £500,000 community fund for residents to spend on local priorities under a revamped Ward Committee system.
  • Cut borrowing for schemes such as ‘Reinvigorate York’, Labour’s new 5-year £6.1million IT project, and the proposed ‘Digital and Media Hub’.
  • Make savings by scrapping Labour’s ‘Delivery and Innovation Fund’ and ‘Economic Infrastructure Fund’, reducing Cabinet Members by two, and removing the Assistant Director of Transformation and Change post.
  • Extra investment to boost recycling by reviewing facilities at Towthorpe and in the west of York, introduce a new scheme to cut overall council carbon emissions over the next 10 years, and reinstate winter green bin collections.
  • Reduce cuts to youth and children’s services in 2014/15 and restate a commitment to stop Labour’s plans to close children’s centres after 2015.

(more…)

York and North Yorkshire mobile safety camera locations week commencing 26 February 2014

Below are the enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing Wednesday 26 February 2014.

All safety camera locations are published on the force website along with an explanation of the various route types.

You can view the results of the safety camera enforcement activity on this web page Deployment and results. Up to date data for the previous week is uploaded every Tuesday and can be interrogated by route and date ranges.

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York Council budget choices – Parties refine proposals

It is becoming clearer what each individual party group will propose when the York Council budget is decided on Thursday.

Both Liberal Democrats and Tories look likely to back a freeze on Council Tax levels.

Labour though are likely to overrule this as they still have a small majority on the Council.

The real interest will be that this could be the first glimpse of what may be in store for the City after the 2015 Council elections.

2014 Budget choices Click to enlarge

2014 Budget choices Click to enlarge

Labour is likely to lose its overall majority then, so some of the changes in priorities will probably become a reality in little over 12 months time.

The main differences between the parties are likely to revolve around how much money they believe the council should borrow.

Interest payments have spiralled over the last 3 years so the postponement of some “vanity project” capital schemes will be on the cards.

Last minute attempts to halt the roll out of 20 mph signs and more ANPR “spy” cameras are likely.

Both opposition parties are likely to call for the immediate reopening of Lendal Bridge.

The LibDems will seek to have the £1.3million, gained through camera fines, used to bring road surfaces back to an acceptable condition.

We will update the list as and when the details of budget amendments become public.

Government scheme to see £1 million reduction in York Business Rates

£1000 a year benefit for York businesses

List of qualifying business types. click to enlarge

List of qualifying business types. click to enlarge

The Government announced in its Autumn Statement on 5th December 2013 that it will provide relief of up to ￡1,000 to all occupied retail properties with a rateable value of ￡50,000 or less in each of the years 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Potentially as many as 1700 York businesses could benefit

The purpose of this new relief is to support the ‘high street’ which has been affected by changes in consumer spending preferences such as online shopping. The relief is temporary for two years from April 2014.

A wide range of businesses could qualify for the reduction (see list right)

Areas like Front Street in Acomb are likely to benefit from the scheme.

It will be necessary for any business wishing to claim this relief to make an application to the council and complete a state aid declaration form.

Police appeal for hit and run witnesses….Volunteers sought

Cyclist injured in York hit-and-run collision

Police are appealing for witnesses after a cyclist was injured in a road traffic collision in York.

The cyclist, a 33-year-old woman, sustained a head injury when her bike collided with a car at the traffic lights on the junction of Rougier Street and Station Road at around 6.15pm on Sunday 23 February 2014.

The driver of the car – a small, dark-coloured hatchback – did not stop at the scene of the collision and continued along Rougier Street.

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Looking for voluntary work? – North Yorkshire Police needs you!

North Yorkshire Police is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join the organisation to help support the delivery of policing services to its communities.

The force already has 120 volunteers working in a number of roles and is looking to recruit another 100 before July 2014.

Volunteers work alongside police officers and police staff, supporting their work to keep the communities a safe place to live and work.

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