Now it begins – Westview Close decision set to erode York Green Belt

The first successful appeal against a refusal of planning permission in the York Green Belt will see 8 additional homes built in Westview Close in Acomb.

Westview Close

The application, from Hogg builders, was originally rejected by the York Council.

Subsequently the Council published its, now infamous, draft Local Plan in April which sought to build on land previously recognised as being part of the Green Belt.

Now an Inspector has used that as an excuse to allow the Westview Close development to go ahead.

Click here to see the full decision.

Labour also want to build on the adjacent land – the former Civil Service Sports Ground.

The ruling bodes ill for the future of the City.

Rubbish skips this weekend Saturday 24th August

Although the Council has cut back on the number of amenity skips it provides, several residents associations continue to run programmes aimed at making it easier for tenants to get rid of unwanted items.

The skips are only in place for a few minutes and residents must ensure that they put any rubbish into the skips and do not leave it on the path or highway.

1 Cambridge St 08:30 09:30 Suffolk House
3 Ostman Rd 12:30 13:30

York GCSE results

Pupils, parents and teachers are celebrating today!

Whilst it is being reported nationally that results are down on last year, York pupils have bucked this trend with schools showing a 4 per cent improvement on last year’s results.

Provisional results show that 67 per cent of young people achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths GCSE, compared to 63 per cent last year.

This result is the highest ever for the city. Fulford school, Huntington school, Archbishop Holgate’s school and All Saints school all achieved over 70 per cent.

York Police and crime update

Fight against York burglaries continues

York police are continuing their campaign against house burglaries in the city with another arrest, and the hunt for a suspect.

A 45-year-old man from York, was arrested just after 3.30am on Wednesday 21 August 2013, on Newton Terrace on suspicion of a burgling a house in the street.

Click here for more information

Fixed penalty fine levels increased

Police fine

North Yorkshire Police is reminding drivers of the increase in fines for motoring offences announced last week as they continue to support a European-wide crackdown aimed at improving road safety.

• a non-endorsable offence (where the driver does not receive points on their licence) £30 fixed penalty notice has risen to £50

• an endorsable (where points are given) £60 and non-endorsable fixed penalty notice has risen to £100

• an endorsable £120 fixed penalty notice has risen to £200

• the fixed penalty notice for driving with no insurance has risen from £200 to £300

Click here for more information

Ice and snow clearance cuts – Only 10 days left to record objections

click to access larger interactive map

click to access larger interactive map

The Council’s “consultation” on its plans for the future of its network of salt bins concludes on 1st September.

Click to see a list of existing bin sites across the City.

Most of the existing salt bins are scheduled to be scrapped.

In the Foxwood area of the 11 bins currently on the streets, only 4 will remain.

Overall in Westfield the number of bins will be reduced from 40 to 21. Only one bin will be provided on Front Street despite the high volume of use by elderly people.

Roads on a gradient like The Green/St Stephens Mews will lose their bins altogether while St Stephens Road and Thoresby road will also have no bins.

Many roads face a crisis as they are being cut from the routine gritting list.

These include bus routes like St Stephens Road and the whole of the Windsor Garth, Ascot Way and Danesfort Avenue area.

Part of Bramham Road will also not be gritted routinely.

The Council’s “survey” is full of loaded questions. Click here.

Many residents are simply writing on the form that cuts in ice clearance are unacceptable and will jeopardise safety.

Instead the Council should abandon some of its costly vanity projects such as the £600,000 plan to introduce a 20 mph speed limit.