Come along and have your say on how Cornlands Playground could be improved. On Saturday 18th August we will be holding a community consultation and having a party. Voice your opinion on what you would like to see happen with this large underused green space. Do you want new play equipment, allotments, a community garden. There will be face painting, willow crafts, games and circus skill with Professor Fiddlesticks.

Spread the word!!

Visit the Dig In page on our YWT website (directions can be found there.)
http://www.ywt.org.uk/digin

Please contact Francesca Clair(regular working days are Tuesday, Thursday & Friday) if you want to find out more or get involved

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01904 659570

Strong partnership working ensures North Yorkshire remains the safest place in England

A relentless pursuit of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, supporting victims in the fight for justice and delivering a high quality of service.

This is North Yorkshire Police’s pledge to residents across the county and the City of York.

This effort by the force, together with our partner agencies, is reflected in the national figures released by the Home Office today (Thursday 19 July 2012) which showed that overall crime had reduced by 9% in the 12 months up to March 2012 with a total of 38,716 crimes

To put it in real terms, this equates to 3,750 fewer people and their families in North Yorkshire and the City of York having to face the misery of being a victim of crime.

More up-to-date recorded figures for the period April to July 2012 – the first quarter of the current financial year – show a 13% reduction in overall crime or 1,311 fewer victims in comparison to the same period in 2011.

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With bins being removed, and the recycling facilities in Morrisons car park now often full to overflowing following the closure of the Beckfield Lane tip, not surprisingly litter in the area is an increasing problem.

The weather has also caused a lot of tree detritus to fall onto footpaths.

We urge residents to ring the Council to report problems like this (not least because weekly routine checks of service standards are no longer carried out by the local Councillors).

Telephone York 551551, up to 7pm any weekday.

Labour officials have admitted that they did not consult anyone regarding which litter bins to remove before they implemented their reduction plans a month ago. Now litter is on the increase and the remaining bins are often full to overflowing.

At the Council meeting last week the “Cabinet” member with responsibility for the shambles claimed – in reply to a tabled question – that litter “audits” were being carried out.
He said;
Since the removal of approximately 350 bins during June approximately some 60 enquiries from residents and Elected Members have been received. These enquiries relate to approximately 34 bins locations and 6 general enquiries.
Currently Officers are in the process of undertaking litter audits of locations where bins were removed, as part of the normal NI195 audits. Results of these audits to date are:
74 locations audited
• 23 = B+
• 37 = B
• 13 = B-
• 1 = C
with, on a scale of A-D, A-B being acceptable and below B being unacceptable i.e. only 14 locations were found to be of an unacceptable standard.
Discussions and audits have so far resulted in the re-siting of 5 bins of those remaining and the re-instatement of 5 bins, which had been removed.

You can sign a petition asking for the litter bins to be reinstated here.
http://yorklibdems.org.uk/en/petition/sign-our-petition-against-bin-cuts-in-york

The funds for reinstating the litter bins would come from cutting down on the number of “Cabinet” posts carried by the Council.

http://liberalengland.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/york-in-early-1960s.html

Click to view video

Labour have agreed to an increase in school meals prices. There is continuing concern that not enough is being done to encourage parents and children to opt for school meals.

Ironically Labour Councillors in 2009 – while they were in opposition – tried to reduce school meal prices to £1-05, claiming that the move would make a major contribution to improved health and reduced poverty.

Now that policy has been quietly forgotten

Currently there are 46 schools benefiting from a joint contract with ISS to provide school meals. A further 19 schools make their own arrangements to provide meals.

Around 31% of Primary school children take a school dinner.

At Secondary level that figure falls to 24%.

About 75% of users are entitled to a free school meal because of low income levels.

The council is reporting a huge surplus on its housing account.

A report considered this week says,

“The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) opened with a general balance of 10,398k and the year end position identifies an underspend of £1,491k resulting in an increase in the overall HRA balance of £413k.
There are a number of underspends across the HRA within repairs and maintenance, general management and sheltered housing.

There were further underspends due to slippage within the capital programme and higher than assumed interest on cash balances “

Tenants will be wondering why the programmes to increase car parking provision – like the new off road space at St Stephens Square – have stalled. Clearly money isn’t the issue.

The Council is due to take full control of local housing shortly when the government transfers outstanding (national) debts on Council house building to local authorities.

In return the Council will be able to set its own rent levels and – critically – retain any surplus for investment in existing and new social housing.

It replaces the system run by the last Labour government which saw £5 million a year creamed off the York housing account and transferred to repay debt incurred in other parts of the country.

Government uses fiscal credibility to unveil new infrastructure investment and exports plan

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Chief Secretary to the Treasury have today unveiled a new UK Guarantees scheme to dramatically accelerate major infrastructure investment and provide major support to UK exporters. This support is only possible because of the Government’s hard-won fiscal credibility, which the Government is now passing on to support the UK economy.

Applications open today for UK Guarantees to kick start critical infrastructure projects that may have stalled because of adverse credit conditions. Up to £40 billion worth of projects that are ready or nearly ready could qualify and, subject to legislation, the first guarantees are expected to be awarded in the Autumn. To qualify, these projects must be ready to start in the 12 months following a guarantee being given.

Also from today, a new temporary lending programme as part of UK Guarantees will be available to ensure that around 30 public private partnership infrastructure projects worth an estimated £6 billion in the next 12 months can go ahead.

A major £5 billion export refinancing facility will be available later this year as part of UK Guarantees to support British exporters by ensuring that overseas buyers have the long-term funding they need.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Rt Hon Danny Alexander said:

“The measures we’re announcing today will help work get started on many important infrastructure projects and help our major exporters, providing lasting benefits for thousands of people and a significant boost to the economy.

“This is yet another example of the Coalition working together to put its hard-earned economic credibility to work to increase growth. “

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_62_12.htm

Residents in North Yorkshire and the City of York have the opportunity to ask Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal about the crime and anti-social behaviour issues that matter most in their communities.

Iain, who is the chief officer responsible for delivering Safer Neighbourhoods policing, will be on hand to take questions via a webchat hosted on the North Yorkshire Police website on Friday 20 July 2012 between 12noon and 1pm.

The webchat goes live at 12noon when you can post your questions at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/webchat

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North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 18 July and Tuesday 24 July 2012.

•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
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