The new Our Lady’s Queen of Martyrs School on Hamilton Drive is rapidly taking shape. The £5.5 million investment replaces the old school on Windsor Garth. Originally scheduled for completion this month, a January opening date now seems likely.
Thoughts are now turning to the future of the redundant Windsor Garth site. The Councils local development plan assumes that the site will be developed for housing. However, in the current economic climate, an early start seems unlikely. Efforts need to be made to avoid the problems with vandalism which dogged the former Lowfields school site when it was vacated last year.

In response to requests, this is the letter the York Civic Trust are sending to their members.

Extraordinary nonsense is being circulated by the Director of York Civic Trust. In a letter to members he describes the new community stadium development at Monks Cross as the “biggest single threat to the City centre in recent years”.
It isn’t, of course, and those who have subscribed to the Trust over the years will be wondering whether their money is being well spent?
We thought that it might be invested in preserving the fabric of our ancient City not promoting paranoid fantasies.
The two new stores that are being built – and which will help to fund the stadium – are a John Lewis (which doesn’t currently have an outlet within 25 miles of the City) and a Mark and Spencer home furnishings shop. While it is true that the latter will replace the Piccadilly/Coppergate outlet, that was always on the cards. Like it or not, when shoppers buy bulky comparison goods these days, they look for a good choice in a location easily accessible by private transport.
There are now few household goods outlets of this sort located in York City centre (or any other city centre for that matter).
The Civic Trust Director might have been on firmer ground if he had focussed his attack on the, completely separate, planning application which aims to increase the size of the existing Monks Cross retail centre by around 50%. The type of retailer attracted to such an expansion might indeed directly compete with a City centre which relies – successfully – on a mix of iconic visitor attractions, a unique streetscape plus exceptional, and generally specialised, shopping choices.
It offers an incomparable atmosphere which has seen the shopping area withstand the recession better than other cities.
The Civic Trust quote the support of the Dean of York Minster. As far as we can see The Dean hasn’t publicly got involved in this argument, no doubt choosing wisely to act more cautiously than his counterpart at St Pauls! They also claim the support of the York Conservation Trust – the Morrell inspired body that does excellent conservation work but which offers little insight into modern lifestyles and the compromises that have to be made sometimes to promote new amenities.
The Trust question whether the stadium will be a “community” one. They offer no justification for their scepticism. They describe the stadium as a “rework” of the existing stadium. That is untrue. It will be completely new. They argue for sequential testing, yet fail to recognise that was one of the principle reasons why Monks Cross was selected as the best location for a stadium.
So the Trust now ask us to write to the Planning Officer to give our views on the proposals. Some refinements to the submitted plans may have to be made, but we hope that residents will indeed take the opportunity to record their support for the development.
It is one of those “once in a lifetime” moments.
If lost, because of distorted arguments fuelled by vested interests, then say goodbye to modern stadium facilities in the city and possibly professional football as well.

Come along to get your early Christmas presents from the Explore Acomb Christmas Craft Fair on 19 November 2011, 9am to 4pm.

Stalls include homemade cards, glass ornaments, jewellery, stocking fillers and many more.

Free entry, with car parking available. Our cafe will be open all day.

For more information contact the library staff on (01904) 552651 or Acomb.Library@york.gov.uk. Local crafts people please note that stalls are now fully booked.

York Maze Fireworks Spectacular
Bonfire night at the York Maze is always a blast. Described as a “Firework Spectacular” the show promises an enormous “guy burning” bonfire, fire jugglers, music and impressive fireworks.
The show goes on from 4pm until 10.30 pm.
Sadly this event sold out very soon after ticket release so you may have to rely on returns.
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Poppleton Bonfire & Firework Spectacular
The Poppleton celebrations always go all out, with a hog roast, mulled wine and live music joining the impressive bonfire and fireworks. This party promises to be packed with lots of family fun and great atmosphere.
Adult tickets are £7.50 and children are £3.50.
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Fireworks Night at the Global Centre –
Following the success of last years Bonfire Night the Global Centre promise that this years will be “bigger and better”. They promise a bonfire, inflatables and refreshments.
Tickets are priced at £5 for Adults, Children £2 (Under 5′s go free). Parking is an additional £2 and they promise tickets on the door.
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Yorkwalk Guy Fawkes Trail
Although this isn’t the traditional celebration of Bonfire Night, it is a “back to basics” journey through our streets in homage to one of our cities most controversial sons.
The tour begins at The museum Garden Gate at 7.30pm and will lead you on a candle lit tour of Guido’s York.
This is a fascinating, historical alternative to your typical bonfire night.
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Fangfoss Bonfire
For an old fashioned, well-executed village bonfire this is the one for you. Only ten miles outside of York this bonfire is in aid of Jubillee Park. Not only are there traditional refreshments available but also Guy competitions and pumpkin carving competitions. Guests are told to “expect mud” so wrap up warm, put your wellies on, and become part of this wonderful community – albeit for one night.
Tickets range from £5 for adults and £2.50 for kids. This one is perfect for the families.
Guests are free to arrive fro 5.30pm and all competition entries must be submitted by 6pm.
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AATCHB’s Guy Fawkes Spectacular
Here is another alternative to your traditional fireworks. New cocktail bar “And All that Could Have Been” on Goodramgate are offering an honest celebration of York’s most infamous son.
They have a bonfire night themed cocktail list that’s full of flames, bangs, whistles and flashes!
Indoor fireworks are to be served at all tables and complimentary toffee apples will be given to all guests upon arrival.
Drinks such as the “Blue Moon Blazer” – a whiskey punch poured, ON FIRE, between two silver cups are set to warm any November reveller.

People causing anti-social behaviour over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period can expect a swift response from North Yorkshire Police.

As well as having extra patrols out to deal with problems quickly, police are asking everyone to play their part to ensure that Halloween and “mischief-night” pass off peacefully and that people don’t use the nights as an excuse to cause anti-social behaviour.
Young people are reminded to take personal responsibility for their actions and not to cause people undue concerns. Some people find ghosts and ghouls calling at their homes distressing.
Parents are asked to make sure they know where their children are and what they are doing. They are also asked to make sure that youngsters know the dangers of playing with fireworks, not only to other people, but also to themselves.
And shopkeepers are being urged not to sell items that can be misused to cause damage, such as cans of shaving foam, flour, eggs and matches, to young people.
North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will be working together to ensure that any illegal fires are quickly extinguished and those responsible for starting them are dealt with rapidly.
Sergeant Daniel Spence, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Police will not tolerate any behaviour that causes problems in our communities and will deal with those responsible robustly.
“As well as stepping up patrols across the county, officers have also been visiting schools to explain to pupils that not everyone enjoys this time of year and it can raise the fear of crime.
“People out ‘trick or treating’ should remember throwing eggs and flour at buildings, writing graffiti and other acts of vandalism will be regarded as criminal damage and that anyone caught will dealt with accordingly.
“I would also like to ask that if you have an elderly or vulnerable neighbour that you keep an eye out for them and check that they are alright.”
“If you don’t want people visiting your home to trick or treat, you can download a poster from our website to display in a window.”
If you would like to download a poster please visit www.northyorkshire.police.uk/crimeprevention and then click on the special occasions link.
Useful information
Firework Facts
It is illegal for under 18s to buy fireworks, shops should refuse to sell to people under 18 and ask for proof of age if there is any doubt.
It is against the law to carry or use adult fireworks if you are under 18. An adult firework is any firework except a cap, cracker snap, novelty match, party popper, serpent, sparkler or throw
down
Under the Explosives Act of 1875, It is illegal to let off or throw a firework in a public place.
It is illegal to sell fireworks form unregistered/licensed premises.
Don’t light fireworks after 11pm, or midnight on 5 November, 1am on New Year’s Eve, Diwali or Chinese New Year.
No one of any age should be in possession of a category four firework unless you are a professional display organiser.
If anyone believes they have information about the illegal sale, use or possession of fireworks, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247. Or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Some Safety Advice for Children
Do’s
Only trick or treat in your own neighbourhood unless you’re with an adult
Stay in well lit areas where there are plenty of houses
Make sure an adult knows the area you plan to visit and what time you’ll be back
Look out for ‘no callers please’ posters and respect your neighbours
Keep to pavements and trick or treat on one side of the street before crossing safely to the other side – don’t criss-cross
Don’ts
Don’t cut through back alleys, ginnels or fields, and don’t trick or treat too far from home
Don’t go alone – take an adult with you or stay in a group
Wait to eat any treats until you get home so that an adult can check them

Fireworks can be great fun, but they can be very dangerous if not used correctly. That means checking that they conform to stringent safety standards. Fireworks that are safe will contain at least one of the following markings: BS 7114, BS EN 14035, BS EN 15947 (these are safety standards that set out specifications and test procedures for fireworks) or be marked with the ‘CE’ mark.
Residents are advised to make sure they buy their fireworks from a reputable shop.
One person should be in charge of setting off the fireworks and whoever does should ensure that they have taken all of the necessary precautions. This means reading any instructions in daylight and not consuming alcohol until they have finished setting off the fireworks. On the night they will need a torch, a bucket of water, eye protection and gloves and a bucket of soft earth to put fireworks in. They will also need suitable supports and launchers if they’re setting off catherine wheels or rockets. Remember that it’s illegal for anyone to set off a firework between 11pm and 7am (except on bonfire night when the time is extended to midnight).
Although fireworks are fun for us, they are not fun for animals. Most animals get very scared by the lights and noise, so pet owners should take precautions to protect their pets when fireworks are likely to be set off.
The best thing is to keep your pets indoors if possible. This includes bringing in pets that are normally kept outside, such as rabbits or guinea pigs. Closing windows and doors and trying to drown out the noise of the fireworks as much as possible can be helpful.

City of York Council will receive an extra £1.5m to help meet shortfalls in school places, thanks to the Coalition Government. The Government announced today that it would be providing an extra £500m to help local authorities manage pressures from changing populations.
The funding comes in the form of capital grants, which are not ring fenced. Local councils will be able to decide how to spend the additional money.
The extra money comes on top of £800m of funding announced in December, which was already twice the normal level of support. This means that, in 2011-12, a total of £1.3billion will have been allocated to fund additional school places across the country.
The funding was welcomed by Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Reid, who chairs the Learning & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee. The committee is currently carrying out an investigation into the effect of changing populations of York’s schools.
Councillor Reid said, “As the city’s population changes schools can face major fluctuations in the number of young people in the local area. This puts pressure on resources as well as the space available in classrooms.”
“The Learning & Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be looking at this issue in detail over the coming months and I would hope that the Cabinet will involve the Committee in looking at how to spend this money.”
“York has excellent schools and this money should help to ensure that children are able to get a place at a school near them.”

Most residents will be pleased that John Lewis have made a planning application to open a store near the new Monks Cross stadium. The store will sell clothes, home and electronics goods.
Negotiations with the company have been ongoing for over 2 years.
The second of the large retail units being provided by local developer Oakgate will be occupied by Marks and Spencer who announced some time ago that they would not be extending the lease on their Coppergate home furnishing store.
The alternative to John Lewis – a move for the Sainsbury’s supermarket – would have presented the Councils planners with a major problem as the released store space would have already had permission to sell goods which were in direct competition with the City Centre.
The arrival of a new high quality retailer in John Lewis means that the City will be able to attract shoppers who otherwise might have headed for Sheffield and Newcastle.
The Oakgate proposal represents the culmination of 5 years work aimed at providing a new home for the City’s football and rugby league clubs. It is the only viable option although perhaps inevitably vested interests will seek to muddy the water. The “alternative” stadium plan announced a few weeks ago is a “spoiler” relying as it does on building on green belt land and interfering with a scheduled ancient monument (a roman fort).
John Lewis had previously indicated an interest in occupying space at Coppergate 2 – a development which ultimately failed to get planning permission. The new application is an opportunity that the City should grab quickly.
It is a shame that some people associated with the York Civic Trust should choose to publicly attack the proposals. Their business is conservation and they will lose friends quickly if they use the media to lecture important stakeholders on their business plans.
There are opportunities to improve the City centre and make it even more attractive to visitors and shoppers. Major extensions of pedestrian friendly streets are possible and off peak (10:00am – 4:00pm) shoppers car parking discounts are possible using the new generation of smart card payment options. But that requires the council to have a City Centre Action Plan in place and unfortunately they continue to dither on their strategy.

North Yorkshire mobile safety camera routes between 2 November and 8 November 2011
North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety camera pilot has recorded 4,742 speeding offences during the first three months of operation. The six-month pilot was launched on 1 July 2011, with the intention of improving road safety across North Yorkshire and the City of York. This week the van is likely to be in Green Lane.
North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between 2 November 2011 and 8 November 2011.
A64 Malton by-pass Malton east and westbound
A64 Seamer by-pass, Scarborough
A64 Seamer Road, Scarborough
A1039 Filey Road at Flixton
Stoney Haggs Road, Scarborough southbound towards Seamer
A629, Low Bradley
A65, Settle By-Pass
A62, westbound, Crosshills
A629, Skipton by-pass
A59, Beamsley Hill
A171 Jugger Howe opposite Springhill Farm
B1460 Castle Road, Whitby
A169 Whitby to Pickering Road near to Goathland
A169 Whitby to Pickering Road at High Horcum
A170 Scarborough to Thirsk Road at Snainton
A171 Mayfield Road, Whitby
B1249 Staxton Wold, Staxton, Scarborough
B1249 Foxholes to county boundary
A1039 Filey Road at Flixton
A165 Reighton by-pass
A64 Malton by-pass Malton east and westbound
A64 between Whitwell Hill and Barton Hill
A64 between Barton-le-Willows and Jinnah
Northfield Farm, Cobcroft lane, Cridling Stubbs
Brayton Lane, Brayton, Selby
Barff Lane, Brayton, Selby
B1257 Newgate Bank, Hawnby
A19 Crathorne
A170 Scawton Moor
Station Road, Thirsk
B6271 Great Langton
B1264 Low Worsall
Guisbrough Road, Great Ayton
B1257 Great Broughton
Northfield Farm, Cobcroft Lane, Cridling Stubbs
Skipwith Road, Escrick
A63 Hemingbrough
Church Lane, Wheldrake
Northallerton Road, Brompton,
Station Road, Thirsk,
B6271, Great Langton,
A61, Carlton Road, Carlton Miniott
A6108, North Stainley
A64 Eastbound carriageway Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
A64 Westbound Carriageway, Bowbridge Farm, Tadcaster
Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
Beckfield Lane, York
Green Lane, Acomb, York
The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the above sites at various times during the dates stated. Cameras will not be in use on the above routes all day, every day. The above locations were accurate when this news release was produced.