New Festival of the Passions, Early Music Festival and Handel’s Messiah for 2013
York Minster has announced details of its most impressive ever year of music with the launch of the 2013 programme of concerts and performances, which includes a new Festival of the Passions in March, participation in York’s Early Music Festival, a Summer of Music and rounding the year off with a performance of Handel’s Messiah in December.
Labour Councillors have said that, in future, neighbours will NOT receive a notification from the Council about any planning applications that they receive.
Instead they will depend on residents seeing the notices which should be displayed on a nearby lamppost.
We think that such a system is highly fragile.
We will therefore report on this web site the applications received each week for the Westfield Ward. Most are likely to be routine domestic extensions, many of which are likely to be uncontroversial.
Full details can be found by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site. Click here.
The Council is also scrapping one of its three planning committees.
The application received this week:
Hot on the heels of the announcement of prohibitive parking charges which will shortly be introduced in the City centre, the Council has now indicated its plans to evacuate the whole area!
City of York Council has published and shared its city centre evacuation plan “to assist the emergency services and the council manage an orderly evacuation in the event of a major incident.
The police and fire service routinely clear small public areas surrounding an incident to preserve life and evidence, but when there is a major event it may be necessary to isolate a larger area.
To help them do this, the plan details how to clear part of or all of the area within the Bar Walls”.
This city centre area has been divided into three areas with 24 numbered zones. Click here
Castle short stay car park
Labour Councillors are proposing on Thursday massive increases in car parking charges in central York.
The biggest hike could come for those who shop in the City centre.
The last Liberal Democrat Council introduced discounted parking charges specifically aimed at encouraging shoppers back into the city centre.
The project saw a 20p (per 30 minutes) discounted “on street” charge introduced on Micklegate – a street where local traders had been under economic pressure. The aim was to encourage local residents to “drop in” to businesses like newsagents and hairdressers for quick purchases.
Car parking charges in York – click to enlarge
Now Labour are proposing a 50% increase in the” on street” charges for the area.
The designated “shoppers car park” at Fossbank will also see a rise. The charge, which was 80p an hour in 2011, is being increased to £1 an hour from 1st April 2013. This represents a percentage increase of 25%.
There have been no discussions with trader’s representatives about the changes which were “hidden” within a 400 page report presented to the Council’s last “Cabinet” meeting.
All car parking charges are being increased by at least 4 times the inflation rate.
Local residents who hold Minster badges – entitling them to a discount parking rate – fare particularly badly. They will have seen a 36% increase at standard stay car parks (up to £1-50p an hour) while short stay users face an increase to £2-10 per hour (a 24% hike over the last 2 years).
Elsewhere in the Council’s draft budget, the introduction of “pay on exit” car park charging has been quietly shelved while substantial increases in charges for ResPark areas are planning for 2014.
The Boundary Commission has now published the consultation responses it received when asking for the comments of local residents.
Responses were received from the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Green parties (The Conservative Party did not respond)
2 Councillors and 1 MP sent comments as did 6 Parish Councils and 22 residents.
Overall this was a pretty disappointing response rate although generally interest only increases when specific proposals are tabled. That will be the next stage in the process.
There was strong support from a significant proportion of residents and York Central Liberal Democrats for the introduction of single member wards throughout the City. Single member wards were also favoured by the only Conservative Councillor to respond and had the support of some Parish Councils.
There was some support for the re-introduction of annual elections (although this did not form part of this stage of the consultation).
There were some inconsistencies in the responses. Local MP Hugh Bayley argued that Parished and non Parished areas should not form part of the same ward. He then went on to support a Labour proposal to merge Heslington, Fulford and part of the (non Parished) Fishergate ward!
Labour also made a bloomer in saying Foxwood Lane was the existing boundary of the Westfield Ward (with Dringhouses). In fact the boundary currently follows a line from the Acorn sports field to Acomb Wood. Labour wanted Bellhouse Way to be the new boundary.
All the responses can be viewed here
The Boundary Commission are expected to publish draft proposals for new ward boundaries in April 2013.
As previously reported, local residents are planning to hold an arts festival in Acomb on Saturday 20th July between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
The group have now launched a web site (click here) on which updates will be posted.
The organisers are very active and “tweet” details to residents on most days of the week.
Over 20 acts have already agreed to perform at 6 venues including Acomb Green and the pedestrian part of Front Street.
Recently they have been asking for help with organisation and want to hear from choirs and anyone able to run arts workshops.
They can be Emailed at Adam_Fest@Mail.com
Labour run City of York Council has admitted that jobs will be lost under plans to remove libraries from public ownership and cut funding by £450,000.
Earlier this month, the Liberal Democrats launched a survey on Labour’s controversial plans which have been dubbed ‘privatization’ by UNISON and attacked by staff. The plans would see a ‘community benefit society’ takeover the running of the library and archive service in York.
Labour had previously admitted that libraries could be closed under a relocation programme and job losses were likely. Now, the first details of the cuts are emerging. As part of Labour’s £450,000 budget reductions, a total of 19 posts will be lost with 7 members of staff leaving altogether and another 12 moving elsewhere under plans to abolish Saturday Assistants and Reading and Information Advisors.
Most people in York believe that the York Council should not outsource the management of it’s Libraries to a “social enterprise” organisation.
These are the views expressed so far in an online poll which poses the key question that the Council have so far not been prepared to ask residents.
You can add your vote by clicking here
The York Council, is refusing to say how many complaints it has received from employees who feel that they have been bullied or intimidated by Councilllors.
A reply to a Freedom of Information request (DETAILS CLICK HERE) reveals only that there have been several complaints about Councillors bullying or intimidating employees.
Any employee who feels that they are being harassed can (and should) ask for such issues to be considered by the Standards Committee.
The Councils reluctance to admit that there have been problems is symptomatic of the authoritarian, secrecy culture that has engulfed the Authority since Labour took control in 2011.
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York’s Labour Council are proposing changes to the Towthorpe Recycling Centre that could include reducing regular opening hours or even closing the site completely over the winter.
York Liberal Democrats believe the current opening hours and service levels should be maintained.
To show your support please sign our petition here
