Government figures released on Thursday show that crime in North Yorkshire and the City of York has been reduced by 9% during the past year.

This confirms the area as having the joint lowest crime rate in England, with 46 crimes per thousand population.

Public confidence in North Yorkshire Police and local authorities’ ability to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour has also increased.

The Office of National Statistics report, “Crime in England and Wales, year ending September 2012”, includes the following results for the North Yorkshire Police area:
• Overall crime reduced by 9% with a total of 36,791 crimes – this equates to 3,500 fewer victims of crime in comparison to the same period last year.

• Violence against the person reduced by 8% – total 7,109

• Sexual offences reduced by 7% – total 555

• Robbery reduced by 32% – total 134

• Burglary reduced by 11% – total 4,615

• Offences against vehicles reduced by 2% – total 3,182

• Other theft offences reduced by 10% – total 11,138

• Criminal damage reduced by 11% – total 6,355

• Drug offences reduced by 11% – total 1,980

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• York Residents Festival 26th/27th Jan Various A chance for York citizens to enjoy free and discounted entry into some of York’s world class attractions

• Rugby League Knights v Hull 27th Jan Sun Huntington Stadium

• York Dance Works 27th Jan Sun 3:00pm Barbican

• Get stuck in Mon 28th Jan 1:00pm West Bank Park This task is to check the condition of the nest boxes in West Bank Park and to repair those that can be repaired. We will also be able to make some new ones and install them in time for nesting season.contact Jenny Cairns on 07833 436832

• Stand Up York 31st Jan Thurs 6:30pm Barbican

• Paloma Faith 1st Feb Barbican (sold out)

• Images of Auschwitz 1st Feb – 15th Feb York Explore Library

• Football City v Morecambe 2nd Feb sat Bootham Cres

• 20th Century Choral Masters 2nd Feb 7:30pm St Michael le Belfrey

• Moscow Ballet The Nutcracker 2nd/3rd Feb Barbican

* • York Bayer Tapestry 2nd Feb Sat 10:00am `Art Gallery

* • Upholstery master class 2nd & 3rd Feb 9;00am Rogues Atelier

• Dolly Parton Musical 4th/9th Feb Grand Opera House

• Home-Start schools concert 7th Feb Minster

• Little Mix 8th Feb 7:00pm Barbican (sold out)

*• Ales N Tales 8th – 15th Feb Various pubs

• Anton & Erin go to Hollywood 9th Feb 3:00pm/7:30pm Barbican

• Rugby League Knights v Swinton 10th Feb Sun 3:00pm Huntington Stadium

* • Wellies and waders 11th Feb 1:00pm Rawcliffe Country park

* • Harry Hill 11th 12th Feb Grand Opera House

• Rita Ora 12th Feb Tues 6:30pm Barbican

• Ladies 5 a side football 12th Feb Tues & weekly York Sport Village

• Rumours of Fleetwood Mac 13th Feb Grand Opera House

• Russell Kane 14th Feb Grand Opera House

• Steve Knightly 15th Feb Early Music Centre

• Guinness World Records 15th Feb Fri 7:00pm Barbican

• Billy Fury Story 15th Feb Fri Grand Opera House

*• Could you be a Viking warrior? 16th Feb Sat 11:30am York Explore Library

• Football City v Barnet 16th Feb Sat Bootham Cres

• JORVIK Viking Festival 16th 24th Feb Various

• The Rat Pack 16th Feb Sat Grand Opera House

*• York: Capital of the North 16th Feb onwards Yorkshire Museum

• Toy Story: come and play 16th Feb onwards Castle Museum

• The Nolans 16th Feb Sat 7:30pm Barbican

• The Ratcracker 17th Feb Sun Grand Opera House

• American Wrestling 18th Feb Mon Grand Opera House

• Ex Dubliners 18th Feb Mon 7:30pm Barbican

• Fit @ 50 18th Feb Mon 9:30am Energise Cornlands Road

• Moscow State Circus 20th/21st Feb Grand Opera House

• Viking Family activities 20th Feb Minster

• Heimkoma 20th Feb Minster

• Minster of Mystery 22nd Feb Minster (visit to undercroft works)

• Miss Saigon 22nd Feb 2nd Mar Jo Ro Theatre

• ELO Experience 22nd Feb Fri Grand Opera House

• Milton Jones 22nd Feb Fri 8:00pm Barbican

• Comedy Night 22nd Feb Fri Racecourse

* • Viking incursion 23rd Feb Sat 2:00pm York Explore Library

• Music from the Movies 23rd Feb Sat Racecourse

• York Guildhall Orchestra 23rd Feb Sat 7:30pm Barbican

• Roy Orbison & friends 23rd Feb Sat Grand Opera House

*• On your bike 18th Feb Fri 9:30am Huntington school • Dance on Yorkshire 24th Feb Sun 7:00pm Barbican

• Rugby League Knights v Halifax 24th Feb Sun 3:00pm Huntington Stadium

• The Soldiers 24th Feb Sun Grand Opera House

• Yiddish Twist Orchestra 26th Feb Tues 7:30pm Early Music Centre

• The Woman in Black 25th/2nd Mar Theatre Royal

*• Silver sparkles 25th Feb 25th Mar 7:00pm Huntington School

• Make do and mend 25th Feb 7:00pm York High School

• Goodnight Mister Tom 26th/2nd Mar Grand Opera House

• Paving the way 26th Feb Tues Rowntree park

• Shout it out 26th Feb 7:00pm Fulford School

• VentureFest 28th Feb Racecourse

• Symbols and legends 28th Feb Thurs 5:30pm York Explore Library

• Beuno lingo Italia 28th Feb 7:00pm Fulford school

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The Energise leisure and sports centre which is located on Cornlands Road has issued a statement saying;

“Bigger gym, More equipment, More classes and now it has been confirmed that the monthly Beactive membership will remain the same price until at least 1st April 2014!!!!”

This weekend, residents have their first opportunity to step inside City of York Council’s new offices and customer centre, created from York’s first railway station. When it opens to the public in March this year, the sympathetically and creatively restored Grade II* listed building will provide a modern and welcoming new customer centre and offices for the council and partner organisations.

On Saturday 26 January, residents can call in from 10am – 4pm and on Sunday 27 January, it’s open for viewing from 11am – 3pm.

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York and West Yorkshire has been delegated money to invest in improving local transport systems.

The DfT published indicative funding levels for the Local Transport Bodies taking these decisions and confirmed the geographical areas that these bodies will cover, of which West Yorkshire and York will receive £60 million in the period up to 2018/19. In addition, as part of the City Deal, the West Yorkshire and York area will receive a further £123m over the next 10 years up to 2024/25.

From 2015, each Local Transport Body will be allocated funding according to the number of people living within its boundaries. This is a change from previous arrangements, where local areas bid for a share of a central funding pot, putting forward specific schemes for consideration

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After very long delays some of the faulty street lights in the Foxwood area have now been repaired.

Residents have thanked the LibDems for “highlighting” problems in streets like Burgess Walk and Corlett Court.

The Council have issued the following statement, “Regretfully we have had to cancel the Behind the Scenes tours of the City Archives planned for Saturday 26 January because of staff illness.

We are looking to re-schedule these tours to take place in the February half-term holiday next month, and will publicise the new date on this website.

We are very sorry to have let down everybody who has already booked on these tours and we hope that they will be able to come along when we re-arrange them in February”.

Click here to view the performance tables for York schools as published by the Department for Education.

As always, caution needs to be exercised in interpreting data of this sort.

York schools are continuing to excel at Key Stage 4.

The Key Stage 4 School Performance Tables show that many York schools achieved excellent results and are well above national averages. And within this overall picture, there has been real individual pupil success.

The tables show that in the academic year 2011/12, 88% of young people in York achieved five or more A* to C grades, an improvement of 4 percentage points from last year. The percentage of pupils gaining five or more A*–C grades, including English and Maths GCSE, is 63%, which is also an improvement of 1 percentage point from 2011. Both these results place York in the top 20 per cent of Local Authorities in England.

Whilst the overall results have improved, results for those pupils eligible for free school meals have increased significantly for the 3rd successive year in a row, demonstrating the positive impact of government initiatives such as the “pupil premium” to narrow the gap.

A York resident has called for an independent inquiry into the costs incurred by Councillors and officers who attended the launch of the Tour De France in Paris. It has been claimed that they shunned an offer of free travel by sponsoring organisation “Welcome to Yorkshire”.

The recent media coverage of the attempts by some Councillors to “hide” the travel expenses that they are incurring has led to calls for greater transparency at the Council.

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 23 and Tuesday 29 January 2013.

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
•Beckfield Lane, Acomb, York
•Green Lane, Acomb, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, Acomb, York •A171 Jugger Howe opposite Springhill Farm
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