North Yorkshire police have issued the following advice

Police in North Yorkshire are supporting National Personal Safety Day 2012 by circulating advice from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s Tech No Chances campaign which offers everybody valuable advice on how to ensure that their technology works to improve their safety not put them at greater risk.

To support the campaign, get involved and receive and share the advice by following the Suzy Lamplugh Trust @live_life_safe or North Yorkshire Police @NYorksPolice on Twittter and retweet to your followers or search for #TechNoChances.

Technology is a wonderful thing that few of us could see ourselves doing without, and when it comes to personal safety, it can be of great benefit. However there can be risks associated with some technology so it pays to take a few simple precautions to ensure that yours works for you, not against you.

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Following a lot of criticism of its leadership during the recent floods, the City of York Council is now co-ordinating support for residents directly affected by the flooding and who are assessing any damage to their homes and any repairs necessary. This includes:

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Abandoned salt bins in Westfield Ward - click to enlarge

Nearly 60% of salt bins currently out on the streets of Westfield won’t be filled this winter. For map see http://tinyurl.com/empty-salt-bin-map

The list of bins that will be abandoned, according to Labour’s plan, include several critical ones including the bins at the top of the Hotham Drive/Parker Avenue hill and others at Chancery Court & Vyner House on Front Street, an area which has many elderly residents.

As reported recently (see http://tinyurl.com/salt-bin-inquiry-Oct-12 ) Labours controversial decision has been called in and will be reviewed at a meeting next Monday.

Residents can register to speak at the meeting

A complete list of bins that WILL be filled (by ward) is as follows
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The British Crime Survey has revealed, by category, the top ten items stolen from vehicles. The most commonly targeted in England and Wales is ‘Exterior Fittings’, according to this Home Office Victim Study. This includes items such as windscreen wiper blades, badges, and trim.

1. Exterior fittings Included wiper blades / badges / trim

2. Valuables Jewellery / cash / handbags / briefcase / purse / wallet / Cheque book /credit cards / clothing

3. Electrical Equipment Sat nav /tv / mp3 / pc / computer equipment

4. Car Radio

5. Other vehicle parts Dashboard / Seats / Steering wheel / parcel shelf

6. Tools

7. Entertainment CD / tapes / video tapes / DVDs

8. Glasses/sunglasses

9. Mobile phones

10. Wheels

Fortunately, motorists can minimise the risk of becoming victims. Step one is to park in properly lit areas monitored by CCTV. Step two is to hide everything from view – even small items of limited value. This is tedious but worthwhile.

Survey results. Click to enlarge

On the day when most passengers will be getting their first taste of the new number 4 and 12 bus service timetables, the results of a survey of passenger views on the old services are published.

They reveal disenchantment with a service that only 12 months ago was one of the most widely praised in the region.

90% say that the buses were unreliable.

82% criticised the lack of space for buggies and wheelchairs, while 2/3 also felt that there was inadequate room for passengers.

The fares were not considered to be reasonable for a service which was erratic.

Only 30% said that the bus got them to their destination quickly.

We will be keeping a close eye on the new number 4 service which is being run more frequently but using single deck vehicles. We fear that there may be capacity issues at peak times.

The York Council has been asked to invest in real time “next bus” information displays at busy sub-urban stops.

Opening Saturday 27 October

An exclusive preview of what is going on behind the doors at York Minster. http://tinyurl.com/Orb-8th-Oct-12

Everyone at York Minster is busy working behind the scenes to build The Orb. When finished, you will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see, at very close range, some of the world’s most important art in stained glass, and to discover an unsung hero of British Art – England’s lost Vermeer or Rembrandt.

This brand new exhibition and the interactive galleries open on 27 October. You can also take the opportunity to visit The Orb at night – at Illuminating York Minster.

With people still falling into our local rivers it is perhaps time to remind readers of the availability of swimming lessons at the City’s pools.

New sessions start on 15th October.

Visit http://www.york.gov.uk/leisure/swimming/lessons/

Bonding warehouse September 2012

The Council Leader is going to be asked some probing questions on Thursday about his project to set up a small business centre in the flood prone Bonding Warehouse. http://tinyurl.com/Bonding-warehouse-Oct-12

The Council Leader has already spent £25,000 from his “Delivery and Innovation” slush fund on the project despite the building being inaccessible for several days because of flood waters.

Hs own Labour group have ridiculed the scheme in a public “twitter” exchange.

Now Liberal Democrat Councillor Carol Runciman has tabled the following question for Thursday’s Council meeting

“Does the Council Leader agree with Councillor Semlyen, Chair of the Economic & City Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee, that the recent floods prove it would be wrong to invest £3.6 million of public money in the Bonding Warehouse?”

It looks like Councillors will at their meeting on Thursday turn down pay rises which could have been as much as 27%. http://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s75776/IRP%20report.pdf

They are right in the current economic climate to do so.

However they should now get on with implementing a system of performance measures which will allow electors to compare the work put in by their representatives when the next elections take place in 2015 see http://tinyurl.com/York-Councillors

The decision not to fill 40% of York’s “self help” salt bins this winter will be under scrutiny at a meeting being held on 15th October.

Residents can register to speak at the meeting full details of which can be found here http://tinyurl.com/Salt-bin-appeal

The controversial decision – taken by a rookie Labour Councillor – has been “called in” for review by LibDem Councillors.

They argue that the decision should be changed because:

• The plans would see overall salt bin provision in York fall from around 369 full bins to around 199. In a bad winter this cut will have a significant and detrimental impact.

• The report states that a thorough review of salt bin locations will be undertaken for the winter of 2013/14. It therefore seems irrational to withdraw the bin provision before this review has taken place and without thoroughly consulting residents or local councillors. The mistakes made over the removal of 1-in-4 of York’s dog and litter bins seem to be being repeated.

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