A couple of years ago now extensive improvements were made to cycling facilities on Crichton Avenue. Initially an unsegregated area of bitmac was provided on the approaches to the railway bridge. This left cyclists and pedestrians to work out who would use which bit of path.

At the time, the Council felt that this was potentially hazardous and decided – following a trial of a shorter length of shared path at Monk Bridge – that “hoof prints” and cycle logos should be painted on the path. Cyclists then knew which section of path to use.

A recent survey has found that over 90% of users now favour what has been labelled as “pseudo segregation”. It is likely to be introduced on similar parts of the cycle network elsewhere.

It isn’t just salt bins and security patrols that could be hit by Labour’s 90% cut to Ward committee budgets.

Questions are now being raised about the continuing payment of network charges for local CCTV cameras. Cameras like the one in Bramham Road provide a valuable safeguard for local residents.

So far there is no indication whether Labour have budgeted for them to continue.

York City have today beaten Luton Town 2-1 at Wembley to book a return to the Football league.

The result ends one of the most successful weeks in the Clubs history.

Our congratulations to all concerned.

York libraries have launched their “Big City Read” today.

You can download a copy of their brochure here http://t.co/lLc1TMtQ

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The Council have released details of the next set of improvements that they hope to make to the cycle route network in York.

124 potential improvements have been listed in priority order.

The top 10 are:
1. Link from the top of Station Road to Queen Street along the side of the new Council HQ and on via the station car park to Lowther Street
2. Jockey Lane – filling the missing section of off-road path near Portakabin/The Range
3. Holgate Road – a off road link (where possible) from the Iron Bridge to Acomb Road
4. Monkgate – provision of inbound and outbound cycle lanes.
5. Navigation Road to Fishergate Bar – Improvements along Navigation Road, across Walmgate and along Hope Street and linking to new the Hungate bridge
6. Bishopthorpe Road – Link from Green Lane south to slightly beyond the crematorium
7. A1237 – widened and improved facilities across the Ouse and railway line
8. Link from Nunnery Lane end of Scarcroft Lane to Victoria Bar
9. Hull Road/Thief Lane route
10. Micklegate/Bridge Street/Nessgate/Coppergate/Pavement/Stonebow/Peasholme Green route

Further consultation on the programme is promised by the Council.

Haymarket car park closed

Complaints are surfacing about the Council’s decision to – oh so quietly – close the Haymarket car park. It appears that they fear a reaction like that which greeted their attempts to sell off the Union Terrace car park.

Lack of publicity – and direction signage to alternatives – represents poor public relations by the Council.

While Haymarket was scheduled to be sold as part of the aborted new Council HQ project, it would make little sense to sell it at this point in the economic cycle. Together with the adjacent former ambulance station site, the Council should be looking for a receipt in excess of £4 million. That seems unlikely in the present troubled times, although residential property on the nearby Hungate development continues to sell steadily.

The archaeologists have rightly been given access to the Haymarket site for the last 2 years and recently benefitted from another £100k grant which will allow them to finish their work. But that is no excuse for not allowing parking either on Haymarket or on the Ambulance station site (which was levelled about 18 months ago) or a combination of both.

Council taxpayers will be watching the situation closely as the car park generates about £186,000 a year in income. Most of that income is now likely to be diverted to the nearby – privately owned and operated – Garden Place multi storey car park.

Not too far away, is the Kent Street car park which was also sold to the private sector. The new owners have invested heavily in security measures which now make it a 24/7 car park with pay on exit facilities. All day parking is advertised for less than £9 with further discounts available for regularly users.

The discounts don’t, however, yet match the Councils annual £497.50 per year or £52.50 per month, park anytime, season ticket which is still available for the owners of low emission vehicles in the City. http://tinyurl.com/park-cheap.

Members of the planning committee will be considering the proposed conditions and Section 106 legal obligations, recommended by officers, at their meeting on Wednesday 23 May 2012.
In addition, the committee will consider a related application for drainage, landscaping and ecology works mainly comprising new ponds and channels totalling approximately 4,500sqm, together with a mosaic of wet and dry grassland and native planting. Two viewing platforms would be erected for public access.

Wild life reserve

The application has been prompted by the planning application for the community stadium and retail development scheme on the Vangarde (John Lewis/Marks & Spencer) site and at the existing Huntington Stadium.

Officers report, “the development would affect existing amphibian populations within the Vangarde site. In order for the development scheme to be implemented, the impact on amphibians would have to be mitigated.The proposal is for the amphibians to be relocated to an alternative, better, location between Malton Road and the Park and Ride site at Monks Cross. Planning permission for the creation of an amphibian conservation area was granted in August 2011. The landscaping and drainage works for which consent is now being sought include a wildlife corridor between the Vangarde site and the amphibian conservation area. The proposals would provide an informal recreation and education space within the community”.
The decision to approve the stadium planning application means that work on the detailed planning application for a new county standard athletics track, to be built at the sports village at York University’s Heslington East Campus, can also progress.

The Community Stadium will provide a home for the city’s professional football and rugby league teams. It will enable the football and rugby league teams to continue to deliver and develop the extensive range of community programmes with schools, clubs and community groups across the city.

The development will include:

• A new clinical health facility providing outpatients facilities, which will address access and health inequality issues, for example physiotherapy, pain management, sexual health, weight management and blood taking.

• An Institute for Sport and Well-being with St John’s University, focusing on delivering initiatives to promote sport, activity, health, education and well-being for those living and working in York and the surrounding area.

• An independent living assessment centre for people with disabilities and their carers.

• A new child’s play facility and crèche – Creepy Crawlies.

• Improved links and integration of these facilities with the existing leisure centre and a package of improvements to the existing leisure centre (Courtneys/ Waterworld).

• A new 3G floodlit games court aimed at junior football and rugby, for the local community.

• Wider community use of the onsite conferencing and entertainment facilities.

• A new Gateway Explore Library.

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York High school students are being asked to have their bikes tagged as part of a campaign to reduce cycle theft in the City (see right),

The safer York Partnership have issued a statement in support of the campaign, “York is a cycling city, and has a far higher level of cycle usage than in the majority of UK cities. Cycling is good for the city in terms of the environment and the health of our residents. However, a proliferation of bikes can mean rich pickings for any would-be thieves.

Unfortunately over 1000 bikes are stolen each year in York. A significant proportion of these have been left insecure – bikes that haven’t been locked at all, locked inadequately, ‘secured’ with a poor quality lock or locked to themselves or an insecure object.

It is fair to say that in the above cases cyclists make it easy for a thief to walk off with their bike. Cycle theft statistics could be radically improved if people took more care over the security of their bikes. (more…)

Adult learners have been praised for their commitment and achievements in York this week, at the first Adult Education Awards ceremony to be held in the city for almost 10-years.

The awards ceremony ties in with the national Adult Learners’ Week (12 -18 May) and saw almost 100 people from across the city celebrate their success throughout the year. (more…)

Dance sensations Twist & Pulse will help welcome the Olympic Torch to York Racecourse, it has been announced today, after touring the city on 19 June.

One the most talented dance acts around, the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ finalists are among the acts chosen by Samsung to invite the nation to take part in the Olympic Games experience. (more…)