House Fire – Askham Lane, York

Fire appliances from Acomb and York have dealt with a fire in a semi detached house on Askham Lane in York early this morning.

Crews arrived on scene to discover a first floor bedroom well alight.

The fire was extinguished using 4 breathing apparatus, 2 hosereel jets, a positive pressure ventilation fan and a thermal imaging camera.

A first floor bedroom suffered severe fire, heat and smoke damage. The remainder of the first floor suffered severe smoke damage and the ground floor suffered moderate smoke damage.

4 occupants (2 adults and 2 teenagers) in the property at the time of the fire managed to escape prior to the arrival of fire crews. They have been taken to hospital with possible smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is believed to be an overheated electrical appliance.

Witness appeal following serious collision at Carr Lane junction

Police are appealing for a vital witness to come forward after a road traffic collision in York, which left a pedestrian with serious injuries.

It occurred at around 12.15am on Saturday 8 February 2014, at the junction of Boroughbridge Road and Carr Lane.

The collision involved a silver Skoda Octavia taxi, travelling along Boroughbridge Road towards the city, and a 31-year-old York man, crossing the road from Carr Lane towards Ouse Acres.

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£300,000 for Rougier Street flat

Roman House

The prices, of the flats being converted from the bus shelter office block on Rougier Street, have been announced.

The penthouse will cost a whopping £300,000 which is a lot given the somewhat noisy neighbourhood.

There is no parking with the flats but theya re being sold with the latest electronic gadgets including an iPad mini that is interfaced “to allow you to control your home, mood and style in seconds. keep cosy or cool with the ability to pre-set thermostats and adjust heating, make your space light and bright or dark and homely with dimmable LeD lights, and enjoy your favourite music or TV on demand with a cutting edge aV system featuring built-in speakers and cabling for wall mounted LeD TVs”.

The development will have a 24 hour concierge service.

More details can be found by clicking here

Former Acomb kebab house seeks alcohol license

The Council has received an application for a premise license for 2 Front Street (which used to be a Kebab house).

If approved, the application suggests that it would be open between 4:00pm and either midnight or 1:00am.

The application would permit take away sales of alcohol.

Residents have until 4th March to table any objections.

Details read here

Councillor hits out at lack of consultation over Gale Farm Court charges

Gale Farm Court sheltered accommodation

Gale Farm Court sheltered accommodation

Liberal Democrats have criticised a lack of consultation on price increases for residents in sheltered housing who use the council’s warden call service.

At this week’s Decision Session Labour’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services, Cllr Tracey Simpson-Laing, rubber-stamped proposals to increase the charges for residents using the 24-hour support service.

12 months ago Cllr Laing refused to meet Gale Farm Court residents but tried to blame the LibDems for her plans to increase warden call charges

12 months ago Cllr Laing refused to meet Gale Farm Court residents but tried to blame the LibDems for her plans to increase warden call charges

The report admitted that the price increases could “result in financial hardship for vulnerable elderly tenants”.

 

Despite these concerns, no consultation was undertaken with sheltered housing tenants on the proposed changes and there are fears that the first residents will know about the plans is when they receive a letter from City of York Council.

Cllr Lynn Jeffries the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Equalities, attended the meeting and criticised the lack of engagement with tenants. She commented:

“This change will affect some of the most vulnerable residents in York and it is unacceptable that neither they nor their families were asked for their views on the price increases.

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Monk Stray campsite licence application details published

The Council has now published the application that it has made (to itself) for a premises license for the use of Monk Stray.

There are no restrictions on the duration of the license which would allow plays, films, live music (till midnight), recorded music, performance of dance and “anything similar” together with the supply of alcohol for on and off site sales (until 2300 hours)

The application can be read here

Residents have until 24th February to submit any objections.

The Council have so far failed to explain why the event could not have been accommodated on the Knavesmire.

Larger events, such as Royal Ascot at York and a visit by the Pope, have been accommodated there without major difficulties.

Tour de France – York campsite update

The Council has now announced two further campsites on its web site.

They will be at Millennium Bridge and the Designer outlet.
Tour De France finish
Again no consultation has taken place with affected residents and the information has yet to appear on the official TdF website

Official “all day” car parking is being offered at the “old” Askham Bar Park and Ride site for £8. By June this car park will have closed as the new adjacent site will have been brought into use. People will be expected to walk from there to the Knavesmire.

Behind closed doors logo

Mystery also surrounds the costs of repairing highways on the TdF route. No provision has been made in the Councils budget for essential repairs although the whole of the highways network is in increasing need of major investment.

All decisions on the organisation of the TdF locally are being taken behind closed doors.

York College held responsible for death of Lydia Bishop

The jury cleared nursery worker Sophee Readhead of manslaughter by gross negligence and a further health and safety charge.

York College has been found guilty of health and safety failings which led to the death of a three-year-old girl at their on-site nursery.

The College was found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday 6 February 2014 after a trial lasting three weeks, of failing to ensure people not in their employment are not exposed to a risk to their health and safety.

The College is due to be sentenced on Friday 14 February 2014.

Lydia tragically died during her first full day at York College Nursery on 17 September 2013, after a rope attached to a slide became entangled around her neck.

Tour caravan woe for Monk Stray?

Caravan and camping site planned

Monk Stray

Monk Stray

It appears that the York Council are going to approve the use of Monk Stray as a huge camping and caravan site to service the needs of Tour de France visitors.

Although there has been no consultation with local Councillors or residents, notices posted in the area suggest that the facility will be open for around a month.

The actual TdF start event in the City lasts only 2 days.

Most had expected camping facilities to be located closer to the Knavesmire where the start takes place.

Meanwhile the Council is remaining tight lipped on how it proposes to recoup at least some of the £1.6 million that it is putting into the event. At the last Council meeting, details were promised in “January” but they have not emerged.

The York Council taxpayers subsidy is the largest agreed by any Local Authority in the region.

The official Tour web site is markedly silent on issues like car parking and sponsorship.