Detectives investigating a burglary at a shop in York city centre are appealing for some potentially vital witnesses to come forward.
Sometime between 5.50am and 6am on Tuesday 18 February 2014, thieves broke into the Cornish Pasty Bakery on Colliergate and stole a safe containing a quantity of cash.
Following extensive enquiries officers have established that the suspects were loitering outside the shop prior to the incident.
Nunnery Lane restricted to a single lane between Clement St & Victoria St from 08:00hrs till 18:00hrs on 23/02/14 due to electricity works.
— York Travel (@york_travel) February 7, 2014
Come along tomorrow to our book sale starting 9am to browse our selection of withdrawn stock and exciting special price books! #booksale
— York Explore (@YorkExplore) February 21, 2014
Labour decided last year to scrap all collections between October and April as one of their economy cuts.
Many gardeners pointed out that November was often a month when a lot of green waste was generated.
Meanwhile Labour are now trying to sell extra green bins to residents with large gardens.
Despite the growing interest in food self sufficiency, the York Council now restricts free collections to just one bin per property.
Many gardeners are thought to have disposed of surplus green waste through their grey bins, partly accounting for the increase in the proportion of York’s rubbish going to landfill (and the financial penalties that result for taxpayers).
The Council statement reads.
York police are investigating a spate of tyre slashing in the city and are appealing for help from the public to trace the suspect.The vehicles include a Ford Fiesta parked on Clifford Street, a Volkswagen Bora parked on Victor Street, a Nissan Micra and Ford Focus both parked in All Saints Comprehensive School car park, a Volkswagen Passat parked in Buckingham Street, a Toyota Avensis parked in East Mount Road, and a Ford Ka and Toyota Yaris both parked in Lower Friargate.
A Labour Councillor has claimed in the media that residents should not be consulted over wide area 20 mph speed limits. She says that most are in favour of the scheme.
The claim comes at a time when some residents are reacting angrily to having expensive signs erected on short cul de sacs where it is impossible to accelerate to even 15 mph.
In some areas, signs have already been vandalised.
The Councillors comment can only inflame public opinion and fails to acknowledge that, in some areas where the new limits have been imposed, the number of accidents recorded has actually increased.
The new Council, which will be elected in 2015, will have the unenviable job of deciding whether to throw good money after bad and have the signs removed.
Common sense says that the programme should be suspended. This would potentially save around £200,000 – money which could be spent on targeted accident prevention work.
The results of the new limits, already rolled out in west York, could then be assessed before the policy is thoroughly reviewed.
NB. In a poll of all residents living in the Westfield and Dringhouses wards, only 5% of respondents say that they favour a “wide area” 20 mph speed limit.
Damaged road hump
Residents have started a petition aimed at increasing the amount that the York Council invests in resurfacing roads and footpaths.
Speed humps and road surfaces in Hamilton Drive, Middleton/Stuart Road, Windsor Garth, and Ascot Way are crumbling into disrepair.
Residents say that they are a particular danger for cyclists although some car drivers have also started to complain about damage to tyres.
In addition many verges have been destroyed by vehicles during the extended period of wet weather. Things have got worse since the Council abandoned its programme of providing lay-bys and verge crossovers through Ward Committees.
Damaged verge
Money is available to pay for repairs as the Council is getting around £2 million a year in “new homes bonus” income from developments like the one starting on the nearby Our Lady’s school site.
It is also sitting on £1.3 million in fines income raised through camera enforcement of the Lendal Bridge/Coppergate restrictions. This money must, by law, be spent on “transport”.
Residents say the funds should be invested in highways repairs.
The Council will decide on Thursday how much of its budget to allocate to highways repairs.
The budget allocation had been nearly halved during 2013 compared to the amount being spent in 2011.
It was reported yesterday that the number of claims against the Council, for damage caused to vehicles during 2013, had increased compared to the previous year.
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Teenager charged with assault on a police officer: http://t.co/pvBjKDfHtl
— The Press (@yorkpress) February 20, 2014
It looks like the York Council will underspend its budget for welfare payments during the current financial year.
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The budget was delegated to the Council by the government replacing – in part – the Social Welfare fund.
It is intended to make emergency payments to less well off people who encounter unexpected expenses.
The York scheme is called the York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS). Its explanatory booklet says that the YFAS can be used to help with, for example:
• Expenses and household items to help you move out of residential care or stay in your home
• Rent or council tax payments
• Financial assistance in an emergency.
By the end of January nearly half of the Council’s £315,000 YFAS budget had not been committed.
A total of 1062 payments had been authorised with the authority saying that 176 of them were made to people aged under 25.
Given that the budget is not being fully spent this year, it is surprising that the Council announced last week that it will to add another £100,000 to the payments that it intends to make next year
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Meanwhile many fears about Council Tax income are proving to be unfounded.
The York Council had collected 85% of monies due by the end of December. The same percentage as in 2012.
However the number in arrears with their Council Tax payments had increased from 5556 in 2012 to 7040 in 2013.
Of these 2601 were receiving Council Tax support (formerly known as “benefit”)
Perhaps surprisingly the numbers who had been referred to bailiffs had fallen from 3996 to 2902
The Council is budgeting next year to collect an additional £1/4 million through “further improvement of collection performance”.