Tomorrow is Family Day 11-3! Clay crafts with York Minster team,labyrinths,@lushcosmetics and the Summer Reading Challenge website are here!
— AcombExplore Library (@acombexplore) August 15, 2014
Cornlands Park
If you can’t do the job yourself claim credit for someone else’s efforts.
Litter still covers the Cornlands playground
The long saga of the condition of the Cornlands Road Park has taken a bizarre twist. Lowther Street based Labour Councillor Gonefora Burton has issued a leaflet claiming credit for the restoration of the Cornlands Road play area.
This will come as news to the dedicated team of local volunteers and Council officials who have been struggling over the last 12 months to raise money for the scheme.
The plans to improve the Park dates back over 5 years when the, then LibDem led Council, realised that improvement could only be made when access to the park was made more secure.
A programme of installing railings around the perimeter was started (the playground had been fenced off a few years previously but was still subject to vandalism and was a magnet for anti social behaviour).
The opportunity to invest more money in the Park came when the developers of the old White Rose pub site agreed, in 2010, to pay nearly £8000 to improve local leisure facilities.
Labour Councillors were elected in May 2011 and one of the first things that they did was to siphon off this money into improved facilities at, private membership, sports clubs.
With the Ward Committee budget also having been cut, this meant that the improvement project was back to square one.
For a short time the “DIG IN” project tried to establish a communal garden within the playground railings. Unfortunately vandalism, and a lack of consistent support, meant that the project was abandoned and the idea of improving the playground for children was revived.
Dog “poo” bags hung in centre of Park
Progress has been made but a major investment in fencing (metal railings to protect the east end of the Park at least) is still needed. If the present three accesses to the Park are retained, then about 30% could be made available 24/7 for dog walkers.
It is to be hoped that the Council restore the poop scoop bin quickly.
It disappeared sometime ago and now “poo” bags are hung on old bit of play equipment.
Ironically Cllr Burton and Labour MP Huge Bayley had a photo opportunity at the park a couple of weeks ago. The area was covered in litter but neither of them, apparently, did anything about it.
The litter was still there on Thursday. (We’ve reported).
All in all, a pretty shabby and opportunist attempt by Labour to claim credit for something that they have contributed little to. They should apologise to the volunteers who they have insulted.
Celebrating Ability for all at Energise Taster Day Tomorrow
As part of the first ever week-long celebration of sports for people with disabilities, a Disability Sports Day is being held at Energise on Tuesday 5 August from 10am to 3pm to sample a wide range of sports and physical activities.
Sports on offer include dance, gym, football, multisports and general swimming. There will be lots of fun and plenty of help and advice on hand as well as guest appearances from Alan Rayment, Para Triathlete and local Para Climber Sianagh Gallagher.
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York “Grand Departy” budget was £228,000.
A response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed that the budgeted costs of putting on the Grand Departy concert at the Huntington Stadium on July 4th was £228,000.
Sparse crowd for Grand Departy
The Council have so far refused to say how much the concert actually cost or what income was received.
Further FOI requests have been submitted but it seems that the Council – which must know by now how much the event cost – are going to hold out until the end of September before providing details.
The Concert was advertised as having a capacity of 10,000 but only a thousand or so turned up with many of the £25 tickets having to be heavily discounted.
It looks like the Council will say all decisions were taken on the delegated authority of one of its Directors although the FOI response does confirm that Cabinet members were fully informed about the events progress at each stage.
Official: Community Stadium completion date –“July 2016” – Cllr Crisp
The responsible Councillor has confirmed an opening date for the new community stadium at Huntington as July 2016 – just a few weeks before the start of the football season.
She confirmed that work will start on site in March 2015.
As the Council has yet to appoint a contractor much less get detailed planning permission – residents, taxpayers and football supporters will be looking with interest at the next stadium report which is due to be discussed on 2nd September
Don’t know Councillor blames Director for “Grand Departy” flop
Cllr Crisp is trying to blame a senior York Council official for the “Grand Departy” failure.
Sparse crowd for Grand Departy
Despite featuring heavily in the pre publicity for the event – when it was assumed that it would be a success – Cllr Crisp now says the decision to hold the concert was taken under delegated powers by the Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods.
At the last Council meeting the Councillor also said that she didn’t know how much the concert had cost.
However the figures will emerge through a Freedom of Information request unless the Council publishes them voluntarily.
Sky Ride is coming to York! Sunday 14th September likely to be busy!
Thousands of people are set to pedal their way around York on Sunday 14 September on traffic free streets in a celebration of all things cycling during Sky Ride York.
Sky ride participant forgets York pothole menace
Last years event was not without incident so hopefully lessons will have been learned fro 2014.
Sky Ride York is set to be a brilliant day out. There will be music and entertainment, competitions and above all, a great traffic-free route to ride around the centre of York. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how old your bike is, or how fast you ride – at Sky Ride York there’s something for everyone.
Sky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy said: “We want more people to enjoy riding a bike – that’s why Sky and British Cycling have teamed up to bring you Sky Ride. We’ve made it easier than ever to get out on your bike and spend quality time with your family and friends.
“Sky Rides close towns and cities for big bike events so you can ride safely on traffic-free streets, with a huge festival atmosphere and loads to do both on and off the bike. They are great fun and a great way to get on your bike.”
Everyone who registers their free place online will receive a Sky Ride lanyard that unlocks a fantastic bundle of on-the-day benefits and goodies. What’s more, the first 1,000 people to register at goskyride.com/York will also receive a limited edition Sky Ride gift on arrival at the event.
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Tour de France and Commonwealth games to be shown on a big screen in York
Residents will be able see all the action from the final two stages of the Tour de France on a large screen in St Sampson’s Square this weekend.
As cycling fever moves up a gear in Yorkshire after the grandest Grand Depart the Tour de France has ever seen, residents and visitors will be able to see all the action from the final two stages on a large screen in St Sampson’s Square this weekend.
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York Community Stadium – 2 year delay confirmed
2016 opening date now in doubt
The latest timetable for the construction of the new community stadium at Huntington confirms that it is running over 2 years behind the timetable set by the new Labour council when it was elected in 2011.
The previous LibDem administration had identified a way of funding the £14 million project and it had been expected that construction would take place alongside the new John Lewis store which opened on 10th April 2014. That part of the project had been delayed by 6 months following the discovery of Great Crested Newts on the site.
The Councils timetable showed a completion date of June 2014 just early enough to allow the football club to move from Bootham Crescent this year and well before the start of the rugby season.
Council papers now reveal that final tender papers are only due to be received this month and that the Labour Cabinet is therefore unlikely to award a contract before its meeting on 2nd September 2014.
It could then be 4 months before a planning application is submitted. Although the principle of the stadium use has already been established, there is likely to be a 3 month delay before the proposal reaches the Planning committee in March.
March 2015 (just 2 months before the next Council elections) was the absolute firm date given by the present Council Leader for a start on site – but that new looks increasingly unlikely.
Construction work will take two years, so there is now doubt about whether the stadium will be ready for the start of the 2016 football season.
The delays also impact on the running of other major leisure facilities in the City – such as Energise – which the Council wants to include in an all encompassing management contract.
NB A question on the progress being made with the leisure contracts was tabled at the last Council meeting but no response from the responsible Cabinet member has yet been published.
Big York Challenge coming to Foxwood?
A large number of volunteers are likely to descend on Foxwood in the autumn.
Their aim will be to complete the renovation of the Foxwood Park and regenerate the area to the rear of the Foxwood Community Centre.
Community centre playground
The volunteers will be part of the “Big Community Challenge” team which has been set up by York Cares. Click here for more information.
Currently a door to door survey is being conducted aimed at finding out residents priorities for the area. In particular residents are being asked whether a small part of the Foxwood Park should become a dog walking area (with dogs banned from the rest of the park).
There is also a suggestion that the, little used, playground to the rear of the community centre should be converted into a garden and/or allotments. The playground has to be maintained by volunteers and is currently only open when an event is taking place at the Centre.
The Centre itself is under some financial pressure because of Council cuts but is confident that the “make over” will help to encourage more volunteers to support the facilities
Details of the Centres activities can be found by clicking here