Acomb Arts Festival Programme confirmed

ADAM festival

The ADAM festival is taking place in the Front Street area on Saturday 20th July,

Check their web site for details of the programme (extracts below) http://www.adamfestival.com/

METHODIST CHURCH
10:00 – 14:00 Cheeky Monkeys (Summer Fayre with Peppa and George pig!)
14:15 – 15:00 SongBox
15:15 – 16:00 Zumba and Bokwa

EXPLORE LIBRARY
10:00 – 10:45 Ross Meikle
11:00 – 11:45 Le Petit Artiste Theatre
12:30 – 13:00 Anneliese Emmans Dean
13:00 – 13:30 Gordon McJannett
11:00 – 11:45 Le Petit Artiste Theatre

PARISH HALL
09:50 – 10:00 ADAM Launch Event
10:00 – 11:00 Circle Dance Ceilidh
11:10 – 12:10 Grand Old Uke of York
13:20 – 14:00 Main Street Sound Ladies Barbershop Chorus
14:10 – 14:30 ADAM Community Choir
2:30 – 13:00 Emily Rowan
14:30 – 16:00 ‘Right Here Right Now 5’, Riding Lights Theatre Company

WORKING MEN’S CLUB
10:00 – 16:00 Rocks and Pops

THE GATEWAY CENTRE
10:00 – 16.00 Ian Cameron, The Auditorium (Ian will be teaching people how to bind books between 11.00-12.00 and 14.00-15.00)
11:00 – 11:15 Gateway Band, The Stage
11:20 – 11:45 Adam Dawson, The Stage
12:00 – 12:15 Gateway Band, The Stage
12:45 – 13:30 Mulholland, The Stage
14:45 – 15:00 Storytelling, The Garden
15:00 – 15:15Gateway Band, The Stage

ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH
10:00 – 16:00 Nature Trail (I)

CAFE 71
10:00 – 16:00 Reuban Mayne

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE
10:00 – 16:00 Rachael Cloughton

TEA ON THE GREEN
Tea on the Green will be open serving hot and cold food and drinks throughout the Festival
10.00 – 17.30 Rob Swallow
10.00 – 17.30 George Hamber
10.00 – 17.30 Hannah Simpson
10.00 – 17.30 John Potter
15.00 – 16.00 Card making demonstration (I)
10.00 – 16.00 Paul Gowland

CARTRIDGE WORLD
10.00 – 16.00 Paul Gowland

Less than two weeks left to fill in York Council public services survey

Time is running out for residents in York to have their say on City of York Council and citywide services and have the chance to win a £100 shopping voucher.

The Big York Survey is an opportunity for people to give feedback on services across the city. The council is encouraging residents to take part and complete the survey, which focuses on a range of topics including York’s economy, communities, protecting vulnerable people, protecting the environment and travelling and transport in York.

Currently over 2,300 residents have responded the survey which can be done online at www.york.gov.uk/bigyorksurvey.

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York Minster Fund Emma Bridgewater Mug now in production!

Mug

Designed and produced by Emma Bridgewater, the new York Minster Fund mug is sure to become a collector’s item.

The first consignment of this limited edition piece will arrive in the Fund office in September 2013 and advance orders are already being taken.

The mug is priced at £20 plus postage and packing (£4 for UK parcel delivery) and we can accept cash, or cheques made payable to the York Minster Fund.

Send to: York Minster Fund Mug, Church House, 10-14 Ogleforth, York. Y01 7JN

The mug would make a perfect gift, so why not take the opportunity for some early Christmas shopping? Your purchase will support the ongoing restoration and conservation of York Minster.

Burglary in The Gallops

Burglar

A shed door has been forced and a bike and sports equipment stolen from a shed in The Gallops. The owners were away at the time.

The Police offer the following advice

Securing your home

If you want to be certain your home is as safe as you can make it, here are ten top tips you should follow:

Fit strong locks to external doors and windows, and make sure they are locked at all times.

Always remove all keys from inside locks, and keep them out of sight and in a safe place.

Fit sturdy deadlocks (British Standard BS3621) to all doors. Euro cylinder locks should bear the new standard TS007.

Make sure your doors and frames are strong and in good condition – wood doors should be at least 44mm thick.

Mark your property – having it marked helps police verify it’s been stolen.

Fit a door chain or bar and door viewer (spy-hole), and use them.

Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding place such as under the doormat, in a flowerpot or behind a loose brick – thieves know to look there first.

When you are out in the evening, leave your lights on and shut the curtains.

Install outside security lighting; if other people can see your property a burglar may think twice.

Keep your tools and ladders securely locked up – a burglar could use them to get into your house.

Three more arrests as burglary crackdown continues

Burglar photo

Two people were arrested at York railway station yesterday lunchtime (11 July 2013) by officers from British Transport Police and North Yorkshire Police.

The pair were searched and officers recovered suspected stolen property believe to be related to burglaries in Scarborough and York, along with a large amount of cash.

The man aged 40 and the woman aged 36, both of no fixed address, remain in police custody for questioning.

As a result of further enquiries, a third woman from York, aged in her twenties, was arrested today (12 July) and is currently in custody for questioning.

All three are being questioned in relation to conspiracy to commit burglary.

Crime prevention advice

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4 out of 5 west York residents oppose Labour’s 20 mph speed limit plans

Nearly 100 formal objections to the Traffic Order, which would create a wide area 20 mph speed limit in the west of York, were received by the Council. This is one of the largest ever responses to the formal advertising of a Traffic Order in the City.

A decision is due to be taken at a meeting which is being held on Friday 19th July in the Council’s West Offices starting at 4:30pm.

Had the consultation leaflet issued by the Council included a simple “yes or no” survey form then the response is likely to have been much higher.

Many residents did not receive the leaflet. The Council claimed to only have delivered 13,000 leaflets to the 20,000 homes in west York.

240 residents signed up to an Epetition opposing Labour’s plan

Public opinion polls in the area have consistently shown that over 80% of residents are opposed to the plan which will cost taxpayers over £600,000 to implement.

Accident levels after 20 mph speed limit introduced in Portsmouth and Oxford. click to enlarge

Accident levels after 20 mph speed limit introduced in Portsmouth and Oxford. click to enlarge

The Press are running their own “on line” poll on the issue click here

An officer report which will be presented to a decision meeting scheduled for Friday 19th July (4:30pm at West Offices & open to the public) raises even more concerns about the effect that the change could have on accident numbers.

In two Cities (Portsmouth and Oxford), which “pioneered” wide area 20 mph speed limits, the total number of road accidents continue to increase (see left).

The trend in York – which mirrors the national trend – has been for accident levels to fall over the last 5 years.

Perhaps even more surprisingly, the report reveals that even those residents in Bristol who identified speed as a major concern believe – after a brief honeymoon period – that the problem had actually worsened since the City introduced the 20 mph limit.

60% thought that the new limits hadn’t made roads safer.

Post 20 mph speed limit Bristol residents views click to enlarge

Post 20 mph speed limit Bristol residents views click to enlarge

There can really be no reason to press ahead with the new limits other than stubborn political dogma.

The £600,000 is desperately needed to improve safety on roads which do have high accident records. In particular, to improve enforcement of the existing 30 mph speed limit on some roads.

Residents have two final opportunities to persuade the Council to pull back from the brink.

Written representations can be emailed to the following address with a request that they be circulated at – or before – the decision meeting laura.bootland@york.gov.uk copied to cllr.dmerrett@york.gov.uk .

The representations should be made before 5:00pm on Wednesday 17th July

You can register to attend and speak at the meeting. You must register before 5:00pm on Thursday 18th July. Telephone Laura Bootland on (01904) 552062 to register

As Cllr Merrett has publicly said that he intends to press ahead with the new limits and overrule residents views, it is likely that opposition Councillors will “call in” any such decision for further consideration.

Residents demand that Councillors stop plans to build on Green Belt land

Residents prepare to lobby Councillors at last nights meeting

Residents prepare to lobby Councillors at last nights meeting

A steady stream of residents attended a Local Plan “drop in” session organised by Westfield Ward Councillors yesterday evening.

Most were opposed to plans to build on Acomb Moor and on land located between Wetherby Road and Knapton.

The latter had been scheduled for use as a “Showman’s Yard” but now the owners are understood to be seeking residential use instead.

Residents were delighted when Cllr Lynn Jeffries offered her support for their campaign.

She will hand in a petition which advocates confirming the Green Belt boundaries which were agreed by the Council in 2011.

The petition will be presented to next weeks Council meeting (18th July).

The petition reads;
“We the undersigned object to the proposals in the council’s Local Plan for the development of land lying between the existing urban area and the ring road. We wish to see this land retained in the “Green Belt” Instead we believe that the Council should concentrate any new buildings at previously developed, but now unused, sites such as Terry’s, Nestle South, British Sugar and the area behind the railway station.

We specifically object to the inclusion of part of Acomb Moor as a development site (H9) in the Council’s Local Plan. We believe that site should continue to be included in the Green Belt as it protects the rural setting of the western approach to the City and avoids the dominance that any buildings near the Great Knoll would have on the surrounding area. The Moor is an important informal recreation amenity for local residents and this should be recognised in the Local Plan”. ENDS

Festival of the Rivers

Festival_of_the_Rivers_brand

The Rivers Festival returns in July with a wide range of cultural and leisure activities to celebrate York’s rivers and – The Ouse and The Foss!

Family-friendly fun and games will be taking place on and besides York’s rivers when the River Festival starts on Saturday 13 July and flows through until Sunday 21 July.

◦Galtres Parklands Festival presents a weekend of music, merriment and mayhem with a Pirate theme in St Sampson’s Square (13-14 July)

◦Rowntree Park Birthday Party (13 July) lights up the south bank of the Ouse,

◦Dragon Boat Races on the River Ouse (14 July)

◦The annual York Canoe Race (20 July).

And if that line-up isn’t enough to float your boat, there’ll be a fishing competition, York Canoe Club have organised a Kayathlon, a Cardboard Canoe Race and ‘come and try it’ canoe sessions too.

Rubbish skips this weekend Saturday 13th July

Although the Council has cut back on the number of amenity skips it provides, several residents associations continue to run programmes aimed at making it easier for tenants to get rid of unwanted items.
The skips are only in place for a few minutes and residents must ensure that they put any rubbish into the skips and do not leave it on the path or highway.

1 Woodlea Ave 08:30 09:30

2 Spurr Court 10:30 11:30

3 Cambridge St 12:30 13:30 Catesby House

4 Bramham Rd 08:30 09:30 Community Centre

5 Oldman Court 10:30 11:30

6 Bellhouse Way 12:30 13:30 Community Centre

Toy Bus ditched by York Council

A Labour Councillor made a final decision on Wednesday to scrap the Toy Library Bus service.

It looks like its final visit to Kingsway West will take place on 15th July

As a partial replacement, some toys will be carried by the Mobile Library in future.

Usage of the Toy Bus had dropped following a decision by the Council to stop promoting its availability.

Nevertheless, several hundred residents responded to a public consultation exercise about its future.

The decision has been “called in” by Liberal Democrat Councillors and will be debated next week. Click here for details