Last few places available for latest Nordic Walking course in York

Limited places are available for City of York Council’s latest Learn to Nordic Walk course and residents are being urged to book in advance so they don’t miss out.

Nordic Walking is one of the fastest growing activities in the UK and at the end of the course participants will receive a Nordic Walking UK Freedom Card, which will enable them to attend Nordic Walking groups anywhere in the UK, including several in the York area.

The course starts on Friday 20 April and sessions will take place every Friday for four weeks from 10am until 11am, meeting at the Rowntree Park Reading Café.

The cost of the course is £25, and booking is essential as places are limited. Nordic Walking poles will be provided to all participants.

Residents can book their place by calling 01904 553377 or emailing yorwellbeing@york.gov.uk.
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York Knights rugby and skateboarding sessions popular in Foxwood

Activities for younger people held at the Foxwood Park over the Easter break have proved to be popular The event was organised by teh York Knights Rugby Foundation and was sponsored by the local Ward Committees.

Counciillors Sheena Jackson and Andrew Waller welcome the skateboard park to Foxwood

Westfield Councillor Sheena Jackson and Dringhouses counterpart Stephen Fenton join in the rugby session on the Foxwood Park

Acomb Bowling Club blow

Front Street green space threatened.

Acomb Bowling Club

Acomb Bowling Club want to quit their Front Street home and sell the land for a housing development. A planning application submitted over 3 weeks ago has only just been published on the Councils web site.

Reference           18/00586/FULM

Address Acomb Bowling Club Front Street York YO24 3BZ

Proposal              Erection of 11 dwellings following demolition of existing buildings

This is not the first time that this area of open space has been threatened. Over 10 years ago the club was also on the brink of folding.

At that time York Council officials were instructed to offer to buy the land. The intention was to use the car park associated with the site to supplement the parking available at the Acomb Explore Library.

The bowling club would have continued to enjoy use of the greens for a nominal rent.

The Library would have been expanded onto land, already owned by the Council, at the rear.

The intention was to provide flats above a “one stop shop” facility incorporating a extension to the library.  It later transpired that officials had failed to close a deal for the club site.

The scheme was quietly dropped when the incoming Labour administration decided in 2011 to centralised customer contact facilities at West Offices in the City centre. The Councils existing “Acomb Office” was closed.

The new coalition administration was invited in 2015 to look again at how the areas of land to the rear of the library – including the bowling green – might be used in the future but progress has been slow.

The Bowling Club application may reinvigorate the need for a comprehensive development brief for this part of Front Street.

Residents have already criticised any attempt to reduce still further the amount of green space in the Westfield area. It already has the lowest proportion of open space and sports pitches of any sub-urban ward.

The Councils plans to build on the Lowfields playing fields will make the situation even worse.

Residents can object to the planning application by emailing planning.comments@york.gov.uk quoting reference 18/00586/FULM.

Library precinct plan 2011

What’s on in York: Sofa to Saddle

Apr _4Sofa 2 Saddle

York Sport Cycle Track :

Thu 5 Apr :

6.30pm – 7.30pm :

£20

The Sofa to Saddle course is a new 8 week course to get you back into cycling again and gaining the confidence you need to cycle independently.

It will be starting on Thursday 5th April at 6.30pm at York Sport. The first two sessions will be based at the track to build confidence and get to know your bike again.

The course will cost £20 and you will receive a free t-shirt at the end.

The course is designed to use your own bike.

For more information or to book a place please call Hannah Reeder on (01904) 551431 or hannah.reeder@york.gov.uk.