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The Orbital Route is a circular strategic cycle route around the city delivered by City of York Council in response to feedback from York residents wanting quiet mainly off-road routes between the inner and outer ring road. The Orbital Cycle Route is designed to allow users to ‘hop on’ and then ‘hop off’ to destinations around the city. Destinations are signposted by the already familiar blue signs as well as numbered way markers (ranging from 1 to 26) that can also be seen on the popular cycle route map. With the previous Cycling City York and current i Travel York programmes, a number of infrastructure improvements have been made to plug gaps in the existing cycle route network. This will help to ensure that those making journeys by bicycle can travel all the way around York quickly, easily and more safely.

The Orbital Cycle Route, which is depicted on the York Cycle Route Map, begins and ends at Millennium Bridge and features 26 distinctive, numbered metal ‘way-markers’, which highlight the route at key points around the city. From there, the route heads west through South Bank and skirts around The Knavesmire before crossing Hob Moor. It then continues north along quiet residential streets in Acomb before crossing the River Ouse at Clifton Bridge.

From Clifton Green, the route proceeds up Water Lane and Kingsway North, taking advantage of a newly-built off-road cycle path, before heading onto Crichton Avenue, where major improvements were carried out during 2010. It then joins up with the off-road Sustrans cycle track, known as the Foss Islands Route, and continues onto James Street before reaching the junction with Lawrence Street, where major improvements to the signals and cycle crossings have recently taken place. The route then returns to Millennium Bridge from the east via quiet residential roads close to The Barbican and along the riverside cycle track at New Walk from the Blue Bridge.

For more information about cycling facilities and infrastructure in York, visit the Cycling City York website at: www.cyclingcity.york.org.uk, Later in the year there will be a new website replacing this as part of the i Travel York programme catering for all York’s travel needs and information

Dig up your roots this Spring to find out more about your family tree.

Our learning activities are aimed at beginners and will show you how to access and use local and family history resources and archival materials to trace your ancestors.

Ancestry sessions for beginners

These sessions are aimed at absolute beginners of all ages who are looking to research their family tree.

The aim is to give learners the confidence to begin researching their family history using the Ancestry website, which is available free within York Libraries.
•Tang Hall: Monday 2 April, 10.30am – 11.30am
•Copmanthorpe: Monday 16 April, 9.15am – 10.15am
•Poppleton: Wednesday 9 May, 10.30am – 11.30am
•Haxby: Monday 21 May, 9.45am – 10.45am
•Huntington: Tuesday 12 June, 10.30am – 11.30am
•Bishopthorpe: Wednesday 20 June, 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Introduction to family history resources on the internet

This free session is suitable for anybody who has a basic knowledge of how to use computers, and wants to find out about free family history websites. The sessions will cover Ancestry and other websites for UK Birth, Marriage and Death Records and UK census records.
•York Explore: Saturday 26 May, 2.30pm – 4.30pm

Family history for beginners

This free workshop aims to cover the basics of how to start your family tree, and will introduce useful resources like Civil Registration records, census records and parish registers to get you started.
•York Explore: Thursday 20 April, 10am – 12 noon
•York Explore: Thursday 31 May, 2pm – 4pm
•York Explore: Thursday 28 June, 10am – 12 noon

For more information or to book onto any of the courses, please contact your local library staff.

Spring Fever at Explore Acomb

Thursday 12 April, 2pm – 3pm at Explore Acomb

Stories and activities for 5 – 11 year olds. Free tickets available from Explore Acomb on (01904) 552651 or acomb.library@york.gov.uk . Places are limited so prior booking is advisable.

Spring Fever at Explore York

Monday 2 April, 2.30pm – 3.30pm at Explore York

Stories and activities for 5 – 8 year olds. Free tickets available from Explore York on (01904) 552828 or exploreyork@york.gov.uk. Places are limited so prior booking is advisable.

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The calibre of elected representatives can often be revealed by the quality of answers that they give when questioned on Council affairs. None more so than the well paid members of the Council’s “Cabinet” who are required to respond, to back-bench Councillor’s questions at the quarterly council meetings. These questions are tabled in advance of the meeting so there is little excuse for not knowing the facts.

Last Thursday was a case in point when this little exchange took place (see right).

There were a lot of well publicised problems with the Christmas “Grotto” that the Council arranged to be placed in Exhibition Square last year. Some customers were dissatisfied with the experience. Some staff were also disgruntled.

It seems reasonable therefore that residents should be told how much rent income has actually been received from the organisers of the event? Equally one might have expected some thought to have been given to what might be staged next Christmas?

Council members should remember that information can be obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. They have little to gain by prevarication …… other than to raise suspicions that they are trying to cover up some sort of unpalatable fact.

Traffic orders are being advertised which would see new parking restrictions imposed on some roads in the Westfield Ward. Several of these respond to resident requests dating back nearly 2 years.

The Council rather famously “ran out of yellow paint” during the last financial year following budget problems, so the delays to considering new requests were inevitable.

Details of the proposals can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Westfield-TOs

It was agreed by the Council to advertise the Traffic Regulation Orders required to introduction restrictions in St Stephen’s Mews/The Green, Gladstone Street, Kingsway West, 4-12 Grange Lane (Turning Head), Grange Lane and Askham Grove/Askham Lane. If there are no objections raised approval was granted to implement the Traffic Regulation Order.

The streets that were considered for changes were:

1. St Stephen’s Mews/The Green – Agreed junction protection and protection of one side of the carriageway until private parking areas reached.

ST Stephens Mews

2. Clay Place – after consideration it was agreed to take no action at this time but to monitor the situation.

Clay Place

3. Hamilton Drive West – Agreed to No further action.

Hamilton Drive

4. Middleton Road – Agreed to No further action.

Middleton Road

5. Gladstone Street – Agreed for Officer to check the dropped kerb situation near the raised table and introduce any necessary safety measures.

Gladstone Street

6. Kingsway West – Agreed to proposed 10 m extension of waiting restrictions.

click to enlarge Kingsway West

7. 4-12 Grange Lane-Turning Head – Agreed to propose No waiting at Any time. White bar markings to be provided for Number 8 and Number 10 Grange Lane.
8. Grange Lane – after careful deliberation, it was agreed to advertise the proposed No Waiting at Any Time to give better access to driveway access and proposed No Waiting restrictions for turning head and access. It was also agreed to advertise No Stopping on Grass verges restrictions outside Westfield Primary Community School – subject to agreement by the Ward Councillors.

Grange Lane 1

Grange Lane 2

9. Askham Grove/Askham Lane – after discussion agreed to advertise proposed junction protection 10m on opposite the junction on Askham Lane.

Askham Grove

It looks like initial consideration of a proposal to save the Beckfield Lane Recycling Centre may take place as early as next Tuesday.

We understand that an urgent item is being added to the agenda of the Cabinet meeting which is scheduled to take place on 3rd April starting at 5:30pm.

The meeting has been switched from its traditional Guildhall venue to Fulford School, Fulfordgate, Heslington Road, Fulford . The remote venue, and short notice, will make it difficult for any residents wishing to make a representation to do so.

Registrations to speak on this item have been extended until 12 noon on Tuesday 3 April. Residents wishing to speak should contact Democracy Officer: Jill Pickering Contact details: Telephone – (01904) 552061 E-mail – jill.pickering@york.gov.uk

An addendum in the following terms has been added to the agenda in the last couple of hours.

“Urgent Item: Beckfield Lane Household Recycling Centre
The motion to Council, on 29 March 2012, from Cllr Reid requesting a halt to the closure plan for the Beckfield Lane Household Waste Recycling Centre has been referred as an urgent item for consideration at this meeting. An officer report on the associated implications is being prepared”.

The full agenda and supporting reports for the meeting can be found here http://tinyurl.com/York-Cabinet-3rd-April

The meeting may also have a copy of the paper petition available for consideration. The Epetition has until 11th April to run.

If the vote at the meeting goes against keeping the recycling centre open then the item can be “called in” for discussion at an all party scrutiny committee.

Answers to Council questions. Click to enlarge

Whatever happens, there will still be a discussion on the issue at a future full council meeting as the petition signature numbers now trigger an automatic debate.

Meanwhile, the answers given by the Council Leadership to questions about the Beckfield Lane situation have been published (right). They give little optimism about the commitment of the Council Leadership on resident consultation or their willingness to listen to alternative views.

The 2700 signature petition aimed at keeping the Beckfield Lane Recycling Centre open was handed in to last night’s Council meeting. Councillors had been lobbied by local residents as they arrived for the meeting (right).

Presenting the petition Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Reid said,
“Beckfield Lane Household Waste and Recycling Centre is a well used facility in Acomb Ward which serves the needs of the west of the city”
The petition has been signed by residents from across the whole of the west of the city, many from the villages of Rural West such as Poppleton, Rufforth and Copmanthorpe. Not surprisingly the bulk of the support has come from the Acomb, Westfield and Holgate Wards but it has also been signed by residents from Micklegate, Fishergate, Guildhall and Clifton.
Closure of the site will force residents to drive much further, many through the City Centre, in order to dispose of their waste all adding to poor air quality and traffic congestion. Yes, there is a small minority who will cycle but that is not feasible for most of the waste that is currently taken to Beckfield Lane. Many won’t even bother to drive to Hazel Court and will either put waste into their grey bin or, even worse, fly tip. Both of those will decrease the amount recycled, some thing that increased under our administration. Increasing recycling was indentified in your (Labour) budget to achieve your savings target.
I would have assumed that in the run up to the budget Labour would have received all the financial information needed, including the cost of maintaining and, if necessary, improving Beckfield Lane and we could be having a debate tonight. If that is not to be the case then, taking into account the support for the site from residents, at the very least the closure of Beckfield Lane should be postponed until Council is able to debate it.
I also call on the Leader not to start any property sale until the final decision is made”.

Later in the meeting a Motion proposed by Cllr Reid to keep the centre open was referred for Cabinet consideration without a debate.

As the numbers of residents petitioning the council has passed both the Epetition and paper thresholds, it is now required by its constitution to consider the issue formally.

This means that the timetable could now look something like this:
• 4th April – Scheduled “Cabinet” meeting (Beckfield Lane may be added to the agenda as an “urgent” item)
• 12th April – Last date to sign the Epetition on Council web site
• 16th April – Beckfield Lane Recycling Centre scheduled to close
• 15th May – Earliest the “Cabinet” is likely to discuss the issue
• 19th July – Next scheduled Council meeting

In reality it is only the Council leadership who are resisting at least a stay of execution for the site. Some Councillors have indicated that they are prepared to attend a special Council meeting to discuss the issue.
Lobbying is likely to intensify over the next couple of weeks.

Residents also have until 12th April to add their support to the petition on the Councils web site (although it will not be available over the weekend because of scheduled “downtime”)

Beckfield Lane already has, by a margin, the largest number of supporters for an Epetition ever collected via the York Council web site.

The latest concert by The Micklegate Singers celebrates love in all its variety, with a programme of 20th and 21st century music including Paul Mealor’s anthem for the Royal Wedding. The concert also features stunning pieces by Swingle, Whitacre, Grainger and Buchenberg, folk tunes and even Gregorian chants.

Tickets are £10 or £6 for concessions and can be bought on the door or in advance from the Minster Box Office.

Held in the gorgeous Chapter House of York Minster, it promises to be a romantic, atmospheric evening for both visitors to York and lovers of choral music.

Prices Adults: £10 Concessions: £6 Contact Joanne Wozencroft Tel: 07786183601