Elderly in York get active

Residents in City of York Council’s Older People’s Homes have been trying their hand at Boccia, chair-based exercises and parachute games as part of a trial to increase activity levels and wellbeing.

Evidence shows that sedentary behaviours take up 80 per cent of an average 70 year old’s day in a care home, yet regular activity can help reduce the age-related decline in strength, endurance, bone density and flexibility.

The taster sessions, run by the council’s Sport and Active Leisure Team, have proven so successful that fortnightly activity sessions will now be held at each of the council’s Elderly Person’s Homes.

 

Hotel boom ahead of Tour De France?

It seems that some local businesses are taking the Councils advice seriously and are trying to make the most of the weekend of the Tour De France Grand Depart.

On Thursdays the Council Leader said that “our main objectives are to ensure local businesses benefit hugely”.

merchandise_promo

So how much can visitors expect to pay for their trip to Yorkshire on 5th and 6th July? (comparative prices for other summer weekends taken from trip advisor)

  • Cedar Court £302 per night (£243)
  • Park Inn £170 pn (£169)
  • Hotel Noir £236 pn (£161)
  • Royal York £983 pn (£983)
  • Elmbank £123 pn (£117)

Many other York hotels are now fully booked. However many are also fully for most weekends during the summer period!

So there is little evidence to suggest that the kind of excessive price hikes, seen at other major sporting events world wide, are taking place in York

What about camping?

Monk Stray is the only long term (9 days) option still being advertised by Visit York

  • Monk stray will cost £24 a night for a 4 person tent.
  • Parking for a motorhome will cost you £31 a night.
  • The Millennium Bridge site is a little more at £26 a night
  • 5 nights at the Designer outlet will cost £175

Parking is now advertised at £8 per day.

You can buy a Tour T shirt for £13.

 

 

Tour de France “App” launched

TdF app

Amidst growing concern about the escalating cost of staging the Tour de France start in York, the Council has launched a new mobile phone “app”.

It is called Cycle Yorkshire Ride The Routes.

Enabling cyclists to experience the Tour de France route from their mobile, the app is designed around the Yorkshire stages of the Grand Départ and encompasses information on the routes, hints and tips on how to cycle specific sections and general rural cycling road safety advice.

The information is presented in short videos on the app and text (for areas where mobile signal is limited). The film clips show Jamie Sharp (Semi pro rider for Team Hope) cycling each section with Jonathan Cowap (BBC York Radio Presentator) providing the advice and information in the voice over.

The app has been created as part of an ongoing Regional Safer Cycling Project that is the work of a Partnership Team, made up of representatives of every Yorkshire & Humber Road Safety Partnership.

Lead by City of York Council on behalf of the region. Kathryn Mackay, Road Safety Project Officer at City of York Council, said, “The app is aimed at all those cyclists and groups who are coming to Yorkshire to ride all or part of the Grand Départ routes like their professional heroes.

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So how much income will the Tour de France bring into York?

After months of prevarication the York Council has revealed how much of its £1.6 million investment it hopes to recoup from camping, sales and other sponsorship.

The Council Leader said that a business plan had been drawn up earlier in the year; “my expectations on income would have been circa £175,000 directly to the council”.

In a moments panic, he later claimed that the estimate might have to be reduced because of the decision to restrict the opening hours of the camp site on Monk Stray!

Quite how much the Council was planning to charge Monk Stray campers will now be a matter of some local interest.

He went on to say that “our main objectives are to ensure local businesses benefit hugely”.

Some hospitality businesses are already doing hugely well out of taxpayer funded events!

A seemingly endless stream of no expense spared events has been taking place over the last few days.

They culminated in an exclusive dinner last night in Ripon Cathedral which was attended by 2000 people.

Tour De France launch dinner in Ripon Cathedral

Tour De France launch dinner in Ripon Cathedral

NB. Unfortunately the York Council’s Chief Executive failed to attend last nights important Council meeting. Had she been there, she might have been able to advise a floundering Labour Cabinet, on the steps necessary to control expenditure on the “Grand Départ’ before they get totally out of control.

Over 500 rose bushes planted in West Bank Park

West Bank parkThe refurbished rose garden in West Bank Park is being planted with 552 roses ready for a blooming beautiful summer display.

Members of the West Bank Park Heritage Centre and Cafe Group have been helping to plant 37 new beds, featuring seven varieties of rose and 552 shrub roses. The locally-sourced roses include a rich range of colours and the varieties used are Angela, Dearest, Golden Wedding, Heaven Scent, Iceberg, Living Fire and Southampton and have been selected to provide scent and colour throughout the summer.

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York Council’s “Allo, Allo” approach to Tour de France

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Organisers are playing down rumours of a big overspend on the local budget for the Tour de France. Some estimates say that crowd control costs are now likely to be twice the original estimate.

On Thursday the Council Leader has been asked to report to a full Council meeting what income the City has obtained to offset its £1.6 million expenditure on the event.

Tomorrow the Licensing committee will decide whether to permit Monk Stray to be used for camping and other activities connected with the event.

Yellow flowers aim for City in July

Cyclists and yellow flowers

Residents of York, famed for its cycling culture and yellow blaze of daffodils on the city walls, are being invited  to get growing and help welcome the Tour de France on 6 July by Planting the City Yellow.

Anyone who wants to get gardening and brighten the city can dig in as part of the city’s arts and cultural festival called York: Be part of it.

Thanks to local sponsor Aldby Field Nurseries, 1,500 packs of French marigold seeds, compost, a seed tray and instructions will be available free to residents keen to start sowing.

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Monk Stray licensing application – background papers published

Monk Stray licensing notice

The York Council has now published details of the event it is planning to hold on Monk Stray as part of the Tour de France.

Details of the licensing application can be found by clicking here

As residents suspected, the licensing application would allow events to be staged on Monk Stray for 14 days (each year). In other words it is not a “one off” event as claimed by Labour spokespeople.

286 representations have been made on the application.

This is one of the highest levels of objection ever received to a licensing application in York.

The Police have insisted that the Council amend its proposals to reduce the area that any event can take place on and to control the sale of alcohol on the site

The decision on the application will be made on Tuesday 25th March at the Guildhall by 3 Councillors (2 Conservative and 1 Labour). The meeting will start at 10:00am and is open to the Press and public. Members of the public are now permitted to record the proceedings of Council meetings

In the event of the application being refused or substantially modified, the applicants (in this case, the Council itself) can make an appeal to the Magistrates Court.

The Council has been criticised for chosing to use Monk Stray for camping and “hub” activities connected with the Grand Départ. Residents have pointed to the University and Knavesmire as better located options.

NB. Liberal Democrats have again tabled questions for the Council meeting taking place on 27th March asking about the costs of the TdF and the likely income that the Council will receive to offset the £1.6 million that it is investing in the event.

The question reads:

“Can the Cabinet Member outline how much additional income the Council can expect to receive from parking charges, rents, leases, licences, sponsorship and similar income streams during and after the “Grand Départ”?”

Tour de France updates

Community artwork of the ‘Road Through York’ to celebrate the Tour de France

Residents with an eye for the bigger picture are invited to book to join in the  community painting collaboration called the “Road Through York”. The project aims to create an enormous painting in which hundreds of local people have had a hand and which “will help welcome the Tour de France to York”.

TdF

A painting by local artist and art tutor Karen Winship features York landmarks and will be scaled up and broken down into 320 panels. Each metre-squared panel will be painted by individuals joining in the project, who will see their work laid out when the completed montage, totalling 320 square metres, is exhibited on the Knavesmire on 6 July for the aerial cameras to film and relay to the world.

Any individual or any organisation who wants to join in and make its mark on the Road Through York must email theroad@york.gov.uk or call 07990 774 420 to secure a place at a number of painting day s organised throughout the coming weeks. Find out more at http://www.experiencetherace.com/ .

Information Meetings

In the face of bitter opposition from local residents the Council is now saying that  the proposed spectator hub will “be sited at the northern end of the Monk stray near to the A64, away from the majority of residents, with access from Malton Road. It will have a temporary infrastructure of toilet, washing and water facilities and it’s likely to have a food tent offering breakfasts and camping supplies.”

On Thursday 10 April, from 5.30pm at the Rowntree Park Reading Café, there will be a second dedicated TdF information meeting. There, people can expect to find out more about routes and traffic management, about camping and caravanning, plus information on the cultural festival called York: Be Part of It, and plans for the exciting spectator hubs where people can enjoy the celebrations.

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Win a chance to Experience the Race in York!

City of York Council is giving cycling fans across the globe the chance to experience Stage 2 of the 2014 Le Grand Depart in style if they win a once in a lifetime prize worth £400.

The lucky winner will receive a two night luxury glamping experience for two people, two tickets to the start at York Racecourse, a selection of Experience the Race merchandise and £50 to spend in York Designer Outlet.

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