York to get more electric buses

Coalition government awards Councils £2.4m for new green buses

York will get seven new green buses and a pilot scheme to convert a diesel bus to electric propulsion.

Norman Baker MP

Norman Baker MP

Councils across England are gearing up to roll out a fleet of new low carbon buses and retrofit some of their existing models, after the government handed out fresh funding to reduce air pollution.

Liberal Democrat Transport Minister Norman Baker yesterday awarded £2.4m funding to help eight towns, cities, districts and counties improve their bus fleets, including York

York will receive funding for seven green buses and a trial to convert a diesel bus to electric.

Commenting on the fresh funding, Baker said cleaner and more efficient buses benefited both the economy and environment.

“This money will improve air quality in towns and cities across England and cut carbon, which is good for all of us wherever we live,” he said in a statement.

“Schemes like these are a cost-effective way of landing real benefits for the public and the environment.”

(more…)

English Civil war dress 3rd Oct 2013

A costumed, hands-on talk on the fashion and equipment of a 17th century soldier, by Battlefield historian and English Civil War musketeer Russell Marwood

Location: The Council Chamber, Guildhall

Time: 19:30 – 21:00

Cost: £5 Adults, £4 Concessions

Local Battlefield Historian and English Civil War musketeer Russell Marwood will give a costumed, hands-on talk on the fashion of a 17th century soldier as well as a run-down on the equipment he would have taken to war and how it all worked. Also told will be the story of Yorkshire during 1644, a momentous year which saw the Siege of York and the Battle of Marston Moor. Pre-booking advised.

19:00 doors open for a 19:30 start.

To Book your tickets ring 01904 615505.

Grange Lane play area petition – decision next Wednesday

The 251 signature petition which asked for a dog proof fence, poop scoop and litter bins to be provided at the Grange Lane playground will be discussed next Wednesday.

Grange Lane petition. click to enlarge

Grange Lane petition. click to enlarge

Residents collected the petition following problems with dog fouling around the play equipment.

Officials say that there is no money to pay for a fence and, of course, Labour Councillors voted last year to substantially reduce the numbers of litter and dog bins in the City.

It is possible that an existing bin might be re-positioned closer to the playground.

The cost of the fence is put at £7,200. Officials say that the scheme should be one of those funded from the estate improvement budget.

However this totals only £9,500 and must address all the needs of the Chapelfields area.

Some might think that a small reduction in the £1.4 million that the Council is going to spend – in a single day – on the start event for a stage of the Tour de France, might be more usefully be spent addressing safety and environmental problems like these.

Residents may attend and speak on the proposals at the meeting which is taking place at West Offices on Toft Green on Wednesday 9th October starting at 4:00pm.

You must register to speak before the meeting. The deadline for registering is 5pm on Tuesday 8th October 2013. Telephone – (01904) 552062 Laura Bootland.

Written representations must be made by 5pm on Monday 7th October 2013. They should be E-mailed to laura.bootland@york.gov.uk

New Licensing rules for scrap metal dealers come into force in York

York Liberal Democrats have welcomed a new law giving councils greater powers to combat the blight of scrap metal thefts on communities across the country.

Every scrap metal dealer is having to obtain a licence to trade from their local authority under the new Scrap Metal Dealers Act with councils now able to refuse or revoke licences. The Act also makes it illegal for anyone to buy or sell scrap metal with cash and gives councils new powers of entry and inspection and the ability to shut down rogue dealers.

(more…)

Derisory response to Councils road gritting consultation – residents alternatives not published by Council

Only 285 residents responded to the Councils consultation on their future road gritting plans.

This represents only 0.14% of the population and is as clear an indication as possible that York residents are not prepared to answer “loaded” questions.

Only 146 responses were judged by the Council to be “valid” suggesting that many residents had simply told the Council to rethink it priorities.

Petitions, which have been submitted to the Council, have not even been recorded as having been received, while the views of Residents Associations have also been suppressed.

Although officials are recommending that some bus routes – which were scheduled not to be gritted this winter – are returned to the de-icing schedules, local residents pleas that the self help salt bin network be sustained, look set to be ignored at the decision meeting which is scheduled to take place on 9th October .

Many of the salt bins were installed by Ward committees as a result of requests by residents.

Amongst the roads reprieved in the proposals are Bellhouse Way, Ryecroft Avenue and Acomb Wood Drive which may now continue to be gritted. Click to see map

Revised gritting proposals click to see larger map

Revised gritting proposals click to see larger map

However the Dringthorpe estate, the whole of the Kingsway (West) estate, the little Moor Lane approach to Hob Moor school, Danesfort Avenue, St Stephens Road, and part of Chapelfields will not be gritted.

The Council have now admitted that the reduced number of gritting rounds will save only £20,000 a year.

This would compare to the £100,000 that the Council is planning to spend on an” Arts Barge” or the £600,000 reserved to sign new 20 mph speed limits.

Residents may attend and speak on the proposals at the meeting which is taking place at West Offices on Toft Green on Wednesday 9th October at 4:00pm..

You must register to speak before the meeting. The deadline for registering is 5pm on Tuesday 8th October 2013. Telephone – (01904) 552062 Laura Bootland.

Written representations must be made by 5pm on Monday 7th October 2013. They should be E-mailed to laura.bootland@york.gov.uk

Residents in the Middleton Road area are known to be collecting a petition this week which asks the Council to reverse the planned cuts on safety grounds.

40 residents in the Foxwood area – backed by the local Residents Association – have already submitted a petition asking for the existing network of salt bins to be retained.

York Councillors expenses published

click for complete list

click for complete list

The Council has published a list of expenses claimed by Councillors during August.

Nothing particularly noteworthy other than an eye-watering £220 London hotel bill for Cllr Crisp. This was apparently coupled to a visit to Elstree (where they filmed Madame Pompadour in 1927). She also draws a salary of around £1800 a month from the Council.

Tory Councillor John Galvin attended a Local Government Association conference with a whopping £229 registration fee. However, he only costs taxpayers £1100 a month in wages

Cllr Simpson Laing charged taxpayers only £118 for another conference hotel in Manchester (Her salary – £2000 pm).

Looking back to July, Cllr Crisp had also been staying in a London hotel then although on this occasion at a more modest £147 cost.

Commendably Cllr Crisp hasn’t apparently claimed back the travel costs of her regular trips to the capital.