Alley closed, parking restrictions, ResPark etc – Summary of recent Council decisions

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Nunmill Street Bishopthorpe Road

Introduction of alley gate

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Osbaldwick Lane (school  entrance)

Enforcement action on parking on zig zag lines

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Malton Avenue and Irwin Avenue

Proposal to introduce a Residents Parking Scheme

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Newborough Street

Introduction of no waiting at any time restrictions on Newborough Street associated with the Burton Green Development.

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Nunthorpe Drive, Nunthorpe Crescent, Nunthorpe Gardens and Nunthorpe View

Introduction of a Resident Parking scheme

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Huntington Road

Action to prevent parking on the footway adjacent to the zebra crossing at 197 – 215 Huntington Road. Option A – Agreed to advertise a proposal to prohibit waiting on the verge/footway for the full length of the zig-zag carriageway marking with limited parking for the lay-by area.

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Shameful lack of maintenance on Chapelfields garage areas

Marston Avenue garage area

Marston Avenue garage area

Labour Councillors plan to spend Thursday siting in a room on Front Street hoping that residents will come along and “tell them what is wrong”.

If they want to know. all they have to do is take a walk round the area.

On Chapelfields, for example, despite the Council having a record high surplus on its rent account (£13 million!), garage areas have been abandoned and are now overgrown and pothole riddled while some have become dumping grounds.

York deserves much better.

Salt bins – 121 fail to find new parents

snow_wardensThe Council has admitted that only a handful of threatened salt bins have found new sponsors.

The remaining 121 bins are now set to be removed.

  • 31 salt bins are being taken over by Parish Councils
  • 6 are being adopted by Residents Associations
  • 2 others have been sponsored by other groups

Meanwhile the last Council meeting heard that the total number of “snow wardens” in the City has increased to 208.

Their postcodes can now be viewed on a map (click here)

The spread of “snow wardens” across the City is very uneven.

Flooding risk in York

click to update

click to update

A flood warning has been issued by the Environment Agency.

River levels are not expected to increase to those seen in 2012.

Detailed river levels can be found on the EA web site http://tinyurl.com/Ouse-catchment

The best indicator remains the real time CCTV camera which records river levels on Kings Staith (left).

There is a significant risk if the top of the no entry sign disappears under water!

 

Eat in, take away – preferably both?

Good company, great food, Christmas crackers and all the trimmings are usually the ingredients for a great meal out during the festive season. But what about the food hygiene rating? Whatever your recipe for eating out this Christmas, make sure you choose one of the 1,604 of eateries in City of York with a rating of 3 or more.

Green lable

There are over 800 establishments in York with the highest hygiene score of 5. They include the Acomb Explore Library.

Currently there are 4 premises with a zero food hygiene rating in York.

Look out for the green and black food hygiene rating stickers displayed on windows and doors to find out how businesses in the City of York area are doing. If you can’t see a sticker, then ask staff or check online at www.food.gov.uk/ratings

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme rates food businesses on their hygiene standards, based on inspections carried out by officers from the City of York Council, Food and Safety Unit. Businesses in the area are rated on a scale ranging from 0 which means ‘urgent improvement necessary’ to a top rating of 5 which is ‘very good’.

So, whether you’re planning a festive meal out with family, friends or work colleagues or just grabbing a quick lunch when out Christmas shopping; don’t just consider the menu – make sure you check the hygiene rating too!

£89,000 spent on Christmas lights but no Christmas tree collection in York this year

Anyone buying a Christmas tree this year faces a trip to the recycling centre in January.

treeturnercopy1

Alternatively the Council say you should “replant the tree in your garden”.

In previous years, Christmas trees have been collected from peoples homes when green bins were emptied. The Labour Council has, of course, scrapped the green bin collections, so we guess that some trees will end up dumped in hedgerows around the City.

Any trees which are returned to recycling centres will be turned into compost.

The Council has, however, found £89,000 during the last 2 years to spend on Christmas decorations in the City centre.

The decorations can be seen in Parliament Street, Davygate, Coney Street, St Helen’s Square, Stonegate and Micklegate.

Lamp post lighting is at Station Rise, Bridge Street, Lendal Bridge and Museum Street.

Mini Christmas trees are also installed in some of these streets as well as the Shambles and Goodramgate.

Traders in sub-urban locations have, however, lost out again.

Unlike previous years, the Council is not offering “free parking” on any day or evening in the run up to Christmas.

The Park & Ride service is operating without charge on Boxing Day from 3 sites.

Most of the Park and Ride buses operating yesterday evening – during the extended shopping period in the City Centre – were running empty.

1 abandoned dog per month is destroyed in York

A dog is for life not just Christmas

christmas_dog

Several families will be giving or receiving dogs this Christmas.

New figures published by the York Council – together with the alarming dog attack in Leeds – should provide food for thought.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Council has revealed that over the last 12 months it has collected on average 1 dog per day Monday to Friday (there is no weekend service).

Over 50 % of dogs are returned to the owners.

In the period January to September 2013 on average 1 dog a month was destroyed 2 because of very old age / ill health meaning that it could not be re-homed.

7 were of a breed (Staffy / Staffy cross) that no carer was prepared to take.

Kenneling stray dogs costs about £30,000 a year in York

Those dogs who are re-homed go to a mix of national charities or specialist breed rescue centres for further re-homing or long term care, or to individuals / families for permanent adoption.

Many charities are looking for good homes for dogs and cats that they receive during the festive period.

Click below for links.

Save money by switching energy supplier – York “bulk buy” scheme

York residents are being offered a FREE service which could lead to big savings on their gas and electricity bills.

electricity-meter

City of York Council has partnered with energy switching expert’s iChoosr to make it easy and simple for residents to consider switching their energy tariffs.

Supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York’s Citizens Advice Bureaux and Age UK York – the Save Money by Switching Energy campaign launches on 10 December and will enable York residents to register to assisted scheme with just four easy steps and help reduce their energy bills by switching their providers.

Step 1) Anyone who pays a household energy bill and who is interested in saving money by switching energy suppliers can register for FREE from the 10 December. Registration is easy but they will need a copy of their recent energy bill to complete the process.

Step 2) Registration closes on the 17 February 2014 and then the council’s switching partner iChoosr will gather everyone who has registered together and invite energy companies to offer their best prices for energy to everyone in the scheme.

Step3) Residents will receive tailored details on the new tariff offer secured by the scheme from 28 February 2014. They will also see exactly how much money they could potentially save by switching if they accept the offer.

Step 4) At this stage residents can choose to accept the offer or not. There is no obligation to accept and there are no fees or charges if they don’t switch. They simply get a new offer that could potentially save them money on their energy bills.

Similar switching schemes run by other councils have seen yearly savings of between £60 – £200 per household. The council also piloted a similar scheme earlier in the year and this helped over 300 people consider switching. On average those that did switch were set to save £140 from the scheme.

The council’s switching partner iChoosr will gather registered users together and invite energy companies to offer their best prices for energy to everyone in the scheme. This is all done independently by iChoosr.

Those who sign up can receive a personalised offer with details on the new tariff secured by the scheme and will see exactly how much money they could potentially save by switching if you accept the offer

To find out more or to register click here . If residents do not have access online please visit City of York Council’s customer service centre at West Offices or call us on 01904 551550.