Houses selling quicker in West York

The spring has seen some movement in the housing market in west York. Recent sales have included properties in Otterwood Lane, Westfield Place, Foxton and Ullswater. Prices have generally been below £200k.

Chain free properties currently listed include a 2 bedroomed property in St James Croft at £140k, a 3 bed property in Kingsway West for £120k along with a 2 bed semi in Wains Road costing £120K and a 3 bed semi in Leven Road is priced at £160k.

Some properties in the City are still being discounted. A 1 bed flat in Peel Street is now available for £110K while a 2 bed terraced property in Upper Newborough Street is available for £112K
A 2 bedroomed property on Eaton Court is advertised at £122K while a 1 bedroomed property in the same street is priced at £115K

Rental prices are stable. A 3 bed house in Barkston Avenue is advertised at £595 pm while £675 will get you properties in either Kingsway West or Danebury Drive.

Even in the same locality the property market can be quite volatile. A property in Lingfield Crescent recently sold for £250k having appreciated at a rate of around 10% pa over 14 years. On the other hand a seller in Fairfield Court faced an annual loss of nearly 8% over a 5 year period of ownership.

More shops in Westfield to become homes?

A trend seems to be emerging where shop units in the Front Street area are being converted into residential accommodation. The numbers concerned are not yet significant but may be a reaction to the large number of empty shop units in the street.

During July the planning applications submitted included 45 Front Street York YO24 3BR – Change of use of part ground and first floor from retail to self contained flat & Floral Elegance 49 Front Street York YO24 3BZ Conversion of ground floor rear into a 1 bedroom flat

Elsewhere applications have been submitted for changes to facia signage and the instillation of condenser units at 75 York Road

Name that tip!

Which York Car Park?

This was the scene today in one of the car parks frequented by visitors to the City.

With the Beckfield Lane recycling centre closed and 33% of Yorks litter bins already scrapped, it was only a matter of time before waste and rubbish became an eyesore problem.

The Council are also planning a further £550,000 cut in waste collection service budgets over the next 18 months with the green waste collections most at risk while “same day” collections may become a thing of the past (collection of recyclables and residual waste will be on different days of the week).

So things are likely to get worse before they get better.

York secures over £400,000 to support young people with learning difficulties and disabilities

City of York Council, Askham Bryan College and York College have secured over £400,000 to support young people with learning difficulties and disabilities after successfully bidding for Department for Education (DfE) funding.

The DfE announced an opportunity to bid against £40m in April to offer funding to support Local Authorities and involve funded providers of post 16 education and training, to whom the capital funding will be transferred directly.

City of York Council has secured £36,200 (and £100,000 council capital spend which was approved at budget Full Council), to create a new learning space and additional places within a new Autism Hub. It is hoped the hub will be placed within the former Oliver House elderly people’s home, which is set to be a new Health and Social Care Hub.

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Parent prosecuted for poor school attendance

City of York Council has prosecuted the parent of four children, aged 10, 11, 14 and 16, who failed to attend school regularly

York Magistrates Court heard (on 28 June) that the youngest child, aged 10, who is registered at a primary school in the city, had failed to attend on 21 out of a possible 142 occasions between October 2011 and February 2012.

The child had an absence rate of over 15 per cent which compares to the city average in primary schools of less than five per cent.

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What’s on in York July – September 2012

For more information on events in York please visit the following web sites
1. Minster http://www.yorkminster.org/calendar/ or tel. 0844 939 0015
2. York Theatre Royal https://www.yorktheatreroyal.purchase-tickets-online.co.uk/public tel (01904) 623568
3. York Barbican http://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk tel. 0844 854 2757
4. Grand Opera House http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/ tel. 0844 847 2322
5. Visit York http://www.visityork.org tel. 01904 550099
6. Yortime www.yortime.org.uk
7. Early Music Centre http://www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=152 tel. 01904 658338

GymFusion 1st July Sun 2:30pm Barbican

Bootham Stray allotments 1st July Sun 12:30pm Bootham Allotments

Michael McIntyre 2nd/4th July Mon/Wed Grand Opera House

‘Learning 4 everyone’ Ongoing Various
Sign up for your Adult Education Course The Autumn 2012 Adult Learning Brochure is now available and you’ll find a huge range of courses to both excite and enthuse you. There are lots of new courses, particularly one day courses, along with many old favourites, so don’t delay, choose your course and book a place via our online booking system. http://www.yorkaded.org.uk/books/autumn_2012_ad_ed_brochure/

The Glory of York 3 July/2nd Sept Blue Tree Gallery www.giulianalazzerini.com/bluetreegallery

Shift Happens iV 5th July Thurs 10:00am Theatre Royal

Hitchhikers Guide 5th July Thurs Grand Opera House

Early Music Festival 6th/14th July Early Music Centre & various http://www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=228

The sixteen 6th July 19:30 Minster

Perform with a Vengence 7th July Sat Grand Opera House

Making your heart a healthier heart! 7th July Sat 09:30 St Johns University

Music Festival York800 7th July Sat Parliament Street www.mormusic.co.uk

Meet the King 7/8 July Sat/Sun 11:00am Cliffords Tower www.english-heritage.org.uk

Festival of the Rivers 7th/22nd July Ouse

River Song 7th July Sat 1300 Tower Gardens, Queen’s Staith and Kings Staith To launch Festival of the Rivers 2012 and York 800 Charter Weekend, York’s first Flotilla will grace the River Ouse. Powered and unpowered craft will form a spectacle as never seen before in the heart of the City.

Dragon Boar race 8th July Sun Ouse

Ebor Vox 9th July Mon Eye of York 800 years to the day since York was granted its City Charter by King John. Evening: Climax of Ebor Vox at the Eye of York, featuring York choirs singing across the city. Unveiling of York800 schools tapestry

A medieval mystery revealed 10th July Tuesday Bedern Hall

Bouncing back to netball 10th July Tuesday York Uni sports centre

Roy Chubby Brown 12th July Thurs Grand Opera House

Medals & Murders 12th July Thurs Dringhouses Library Rosemary Cook, author of ‘The Nightingale Shore Murder’ talks about the unsolved murder of Florence Shore in 1920 – and family history research, true crime and self-publishing

I Fagiolini 12th July Thurs 8:30 & 10:15 pm Minster

Crafts Market 12/15th July Thurs Parliament Street

Race meeting 13th July Racecourse

Lord Mayors procession 14th July Sat City Walls www.yorkwalls.org.uk

Tour of Minster Close 14th July Sat Minster Close www.yayas.free-online.co.uk

Big Band Dance night 14th July Sat Theatre Royal (De Grey Rooms)

Immortal Attitude 14th July Sat Grand Opera House

Summer Fair 14th July Sat 2:00pm Rowntree Park

York Maze 14 July/8th Sept York Maze

Drake’s Eboracum 15th July Sun Mansion House www.mansionhouseyork.com

Showtime 2012 15th July Sun Grand Opera House

Summer Holiday Fun 21st July/2nd Sept Railway Museum

Go Royal at Cliffords Tower 21st Jul – 2nd Sept Cliffords Tower

Beautiful butterflies 21st & 28th July Sat West Bank Park/ Clifton Backies

The York “Bayers” Tapestry 23/24 July Mon/Tues Explore York Library

Big Read with Susanna Gregory 25th July Wed 7:00pm Explore York Library visit http://t.co/lLc1TMtQ for full brochure

Race meeting & musical showcase 27th/28th July Racecourse. Four of the most famous names in music from the 1980’s are set to perform on Friday evening July 27th. Tony Hadley who first achieved international success with Spandau Ballet, Marc Almond, the Sheffield band ABC and Altered Images will each perform following racing. It promises to be a fun filled 48 hours for racing and music fans as the following day popstars turned reality TV stars, McFly will perform

Josef Miltshitzsky, Royal Recital 28th July Sat 7:00pm Minster

York Mystery Plays 2nd – 27th August York Museum Gardens In summer 2012 this bold and dynamic new production sees the plays return to York Museum Gardens, for the first time on this scale since 1988. A 1400 seat bespoke theatre is being built around the ancient walls of St Mary’s Abbey to house this international event, which celebrates the York 800 City charter birthday and the Cultural Olympiad. http://www.yorkmysteryplays-2012.com/

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The Nightingale Shore Murder at Dringhouses Library

Award-winning author Rosemary Cook will be talking about her book, The Nightingale Shore Murder, which tells the true story of the unsolved murder of Florence Nightingale Shore.

Miss Shore was a Queen’s (district) Nurse, as well as an army nurse like her godmother Florence Nightingale. She went to school in York at Middlethorpe Hall in the 1880s. But in January 1920, someone attacked Florence Shore on the London to Hastings train, and she died of her injuries 4 days later. No-one was ever charged with her murder.

But now there are new suspects and a new and shocking theory. A talk about true crime, family history research and self-publishing.

Thurs 12 July, 7pm to 8.30pm at Dringhouses Library

Tickets available from Dringhouses Library, or ring 01904 552 674, or email dringhouses.library@york.gov.uk

Tickets £2, includes free glass of wine.

Edward McMillan-Scott: Politicians left in quandary as EU confronts its financial future

Article by LibDem Euro MEP Edward Macmillan-Scott about the Euro zone problems

DAVID Cameron’s warning of “stagnation” at the G20 summit is aimed squarely at eurozone leaders. Europe is in a state of suspended animation as its most significant joint project – the euro – apparently for now continues to create more problems than it solves.
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Capable Guardian crime busting scheme downgraded

Early Capable Guardian meeting at Acomb Library

We understand that Labour Councillors are refusing to support the Capable Guardian neighbourhood policing project which has made a huge contribution to reducing anti social behaviour and other types of crime in the Westfield and Dringhouses areas over the last few years.

The work is now being subsumed into Ward Committee processes which themselves have fallen into disrepute recently following cuts to funding and reductions in the number of meetings held and the number of newsletters issued.

The Capable Guardian Scheme started in 2008 and initially involved voluntary groups, businesses and public bodies like the Police, Council, and the Safer York Partnership. Resources were pooled to address the incidence of nuisance neighbours,

Later the scheme was developed to encompass a wider range of activities and was credited with the sharp fall in crime seen in the area between 2008 and 2011.

Narrow window for those wanting to take over running Council services.

The York Council executive has taken the decision to introduce a window of opportunity in which expressions of interest to challenge service provision can be submitted. This will be between 1 March and 30 April each year, starting in 2013.

Challenges received could trigger a decision to procure some services on the open market, paving the way for communities to help shape and run local services for the local community.

Unfortunately, by then, services like Beckfield Lane recycling centre and the Acomb Council office will have been long gone.