The Councils West area planning committee are being recommended to extend the use of the car park at Acomb Library for use by the ambulance service as a stand by point.

The car park has been in use by the ambulance service since May 2008. The applicant has submitted information “demonstrating that the site is required to meet national targets, the aim is that ambulances are to be with the patient within 8 minutes for 75% of all call outs. This stand-by point contributes towards meeting this national target”.

The supporting information sets out that the permanent siting of stand-by points is no longer part of the long term plan of the Ambulance Service, “the aim is to provide a series of flexible response locations in order to meet their targets, so the building of a permanent base in this location would not be appropriate”.

The meeting will also consider applications to bring back into use the White Swan building in Piccadilly and to convert part of the former Borders bookstore in Little Stonegate into a bar/restaurant.

http://tinyurl.com/Planning-agenda-5th-Dec-12

The costs to taxpayers of the Vic Reeves inspired Wonderland light show in the Museum Gardens – held in November – was over £85,000.

Nearly £60,000 of this came from the Arts Council, with York Council taxpayers picking up a bill for around £26,000.

Ticket sales generated just over £56,000 towards the £125,000 cost of the event.

The figures do not include the value of the time taken by Council officials to organise the event.

Reactions to the show were very mixed!

• UK Snooker Championships 1st/9th Dec Barbican

• Ukulele Orchestra 3rd Dec Grand Opera House

• Woodland workout 3rd/17th Dec 1:00pm Rawcliffe / West Bank Park We will be thinning an area of woodland in Rawcliffe Country Park. This involves cutting down selected trees to create more light and space for other trees to expand and grow bigger. At West Bank Park we will be resurfacing the woodland paths with bark chip and replacing any sections of edging that have gone missing. All tools will be provided – Please come prepared to get muddy! Please contact Jenny Cairns on 07833 436832 or jennifer.cairns@york.gov.uk for more details

• Beyond the barricade at Christmas 4th Dec Grand Opera House

• Ding Dong Merrily 4th Dec 7:30pm Early Music Centre Part of a fortnight of Early Music Christmas Festival

• A Christmas Carol (promenade) 5th/21st Dec The Golden Fleece

• Mostly Autumn 6th Dec Grand Opera House

• Children’s Chapel 6th 3rd Jan York Minster http://www.yorkminster.org/whats-on/2012/12/06/the-children-039-s-chapel-in-york-minster.html

• Carol Concert 7th Dec Minster

• Jimmy Carr 7th/8th Dec Grand Opera House

• Minster Minstrals 8th Dec 1:00pm Early Music Centre

• Christmas Tree-Top Angels 8th Dec Minster. Create your own unique Angel inspired by the Minsters stained glass

• Big Band Christmas Party 8th Dec De Grey Rooms

• Handel’s Messiah 8th Dec Minster (YMS)

• Santas Steam Adventure 8th /23rd Dec NRM Everything is ready for Christmas but Santa has lost his presents! Come and help us track them down at the North Yorkshire Pole. The journey begins in our Station Hall which has been transformed into Santa’s depot. From here Santa’s helpers will climb onboard a beautiful festive carriage pulled by a steam engine to take part in a special interactive story telling adventure. Before the magical steam journey is over, children will meet Santa Claus himself and receive a special present to take home.

• York’s Festive Fayre 8th/23rd Dec Parliament Street York’s Festive Fayre brings a sweep of Christmas traditions with music and decorated wooden huts. Open Daily from Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 9.30am to 6.30pm, Thursday/Friday & Saturday 9.30am to 7.30pm, Sunday 9.30am to (approx 6.30pm) you are sure to find that extra special Christmas gift. Then escape the hustle and bustle and relax in the twinkling haven of the Festive Inne and enjoy a glass of delicious Winter Pimms and other festive offerings.

• Jingle Jog 9th Dec Sun 10:30am York Knavesmire Why not come along and try a festive fun run with a difference, sign up and get your free Santa suit to run your chosen distance in. Two distances are available, a shorter 2km route suitable for participates as young as 2 and as old as Santa Clause himself. If you would like a bigger challenge why not try the 5km route around York’s famous Knavesmire. The fun does not stop with the run, feed the reindeer and try some festive treats – a great family fun day for all. For more information register at 0121 661 5161 www.bhf.org.uk/yorksanta

• Stand up York 12th Dec 7:30pm Barbican

• Rock DJ 12th Dec Wed 6:30pm Door 84 Lowther Street York Arts Academy rock bands, and local young D.J’s get a chance to show what they can do at this exciting performance! All welcome, tickets available on the door – cost £1 For more information contact Ted Schofield ted.schofield@york.gov.uk or 01904 554275

• Robin Hood & his Merry Mam 13th Dec/2nd Feb Theatre Royal

• Sleeping Beauty 14th Dec/6th Jan Grand Opera House

• Carol Concert 14th Dec Minster

• Kate Rusby at Christmas 14th Dec 7:30pm Barbican

• Christmas Crafts 14th Dec Fri 10:00am Rowntree Park Join us on the terrace of the cafe to make your own Christmas wreath. We will use willow to make a frame that you can then decorate with materials collected from the parks. Afterwards why not pop into the cafe for a hot drink to warm up! Cost: Free Please book your place by contacting Jenny Cairns on 07833 436832 or emailing jennifer.cairns@york.gov.uk

• Festival of Angels 15th/16th Dec 10:00am The Quarter The Festival of Angels is a true winter festival, bringing York a winter wonderland of ice-sculptures, stalls, outdoor food and drink, street entertainment. A true Christmas festival, transforming York’s most unique streets into a winter wonderland of ice-sculptures, stalls, al fresco dining and street entertainment. Popular with both visitors and residents, across the streets of the Quarter (Swinegate, Back Swinegate, Grape Lane) through to St Sampson’s Square, Stonegate and Petergate

• Football City v Bristol 15th Dec Bootham Cres

• A Ceremony of Carols 15th Dec Minster (Ebor Singers)

• Create a “Christingle” 15th Dec Minster

• Santa’s Circular Cycle 15th Dec Sat 11:00am Millennium Bridge A circular bike ride to Heslington common via the golf course and the University, approximately 6.5 miles. We will be using mostly off-road cycle paths, tarred tracks and bridleways. This will be the last ride before Christmas and will finish at Rowntree Park Café for refreshments and a Festive quiz! Ho Ho Ho! For more information contact Sarah Prescott on 01904 553377 or Email: sarah.prescott@york.gov.uk or visit www.york.gov.uk/cyclerides

• Musical Family Day 15th Dec Sat 10:00am Canon Lee School

• Community Carol Concert 16th Dec 2:30pm Barbican

• “La Nativite du Seigneur” 17th Dec Minster A meditative organ recital with readings featuring the Minster’s Grand Organ

• A Victorian Christmas 18th Dec 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• Carols by Candlelight 19th /21st Dec Minster (Chapter House Choir)

• The York Waits 20th Dec 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• Football City v Gillingham 22nd Dec Bootham Cres

• Music Night 22nd Dec Jo Ro Theatre

• Festive sing along 22nd Dec Sat 6:00pm Micklegate glass centre http://www.micklegatequarter.co.uk/events/winter-festival

• Nine Lessons and Carols 23/24th Dec 4:00pm Minster

• Cinderella 21st/30th Dec Barbican Starring Dani Harmer

• See in the new year 31st Dec/ 1st Jan Duncombe Place

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The York Council has published details of the prosecutions undertaken over the summer period. They include offences by restaurants, builders and individuals under noise abatement legislation.

Details can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/York-prosecutions

A film showcasing the Ebor Vox activities over the city’s Charter Weekend is now online for residents to view and download. Ebor Vox was the world premier of a choral piece for 800 voluntary singers that saw them, musicians, puppeteers and dancers process through the streets of York.

The 20 minute filmed called Our City – The Story of Ebor Vox, follows the stories and activities of the participants who performed Ebor Vox, a new work by acclaimed composer Benjamin Till commissioned for York 800. It shows the range of activities over the Charter weekend including Flash Choirs and first performance in Dean’s Park as well as the procession with the Civic party and council members.

Click here to view the film http://vimeo.com/54310387

Despite recent concerns about standards at some nurserys in the City a report says that local standards are generally higher than can be found elsewhere in the Country.

A recent Ofsted report has placed York’s Early Years and childcare providers and Children’s Centres significantly above both the national and regional averages. The report also demonstrates an improvement when compared to last years statistics.

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A lot of attention has understandably been focussed on flood defence works during the recent periods of poor weather.

Flood barriers, and countering river overflows, are principally the responsibility of the Environment Agency.

Most of the pipes that drain surface water belong to Yorkshire Water although the Council is responsible for roadside gulleys.

The, then LibDem led, Council in 2008 introduced a programme of upgrade works aimed at dealing with ponding on roads, footpaths and public areas. Over £800,000 has been spent tackling these issues, but there is evidence that a large number of pipes and culverts are still blocked with silt and roots.

Now a new “surface water management” report suggests that a further £5 million is needed to complete the programme.

Worryingly the Council report reveals that recently “ funding for maintenance of highway infrastructure, in particular gully cleaning, has been reduced annually over successive years to a point where it is now mainly a reactive operation. Such routine gully emptying that is carried out is generally not in the areas that suffer surface water flooding”.

With the Council sinking ever deeper into debt, funding this level of investment with be problematic.

The report can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Drainage-in-York. It is due to be discussed at a meeting taking place on Tuesday

The Council is closing its “face to face” benefits advice service which it currently runs at the Foxwood Community centre, Sanderson House in Chapelfields and at the Acomb Explore Library. Instead residents with queries will be offered telephone contact.

Face to face access to the Benefits Service will continue to be available at the Gateway Centre (Front Street) on a Monday.

Our view remains that residents should be able to talk to Council officials at the Acomb Explore Library

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=3722

Legislation exists to help to prevent a range of potentially dangerous/anti-social products being accessible to young people. The products regulated with age-restrictions include alcohol (minimum age 18), cigarettes (18), fireworks (18), knives (18), aerosol paint (16); in recent years trading standards officers have carried out education and enforcement work in all of these areas.

The number of illegal sales has been decreasing over recent years

In future children posing as potential purchasers of restricted items may not tell retailers their correct age. The intention is to force the retailer to ask for proof of age

The report can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/age-limit-sales-enforcement

Confusion surrounds Labour’s plans to build three new care homes in York after it was revealed that one of the proposed sites in Fulford has been abandoned and another in Acomb has been delayed. Meanwhile, questions are being asked after plans were revealed to use the Burnholme School site as an alternative venue and sell the site in Fulford.

In May Labour agreed proposals to close the city’s nine care homes and replace them with state-of-the-art homes at Fordlands Road in Fulford and Haxby Hall plus a new care village site at Lowfield in Acomb. However, just 6 months later the Fordlands plan has been scrapped after analysis revealed concerns over flooding and space. The Burnholme Community College site has now been identified as the preferred alternative. The changes mean that the new facility will not meet the original April 2014 opening date, with the Burnholme site not available until after the school closes in July 2014. Meanwhile, the Lowfield Community Village project in Acomb has also run into problems as the tendering process to select a partner to run the site will now take longer than anticipated and the proposed April 2014 opening has also been scrapped.

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