Key York cycling statistics results from 2010:

• Overall cycling levels are up on a baseline year of 2008 by between +10% and +16%.

• A larger percentage increase is generally seen on the on-road sites +15% compared to off road +10% .

• Limited surveys of bridges have shown a +16% increase with Millennium Bridge being the busiest river crossing.

• There is only limited data (2 years) available for the more minor off road routes including a cordon based around Clifton Moor. These show a small decrease of –1% in cycling numbers 2009 to 2010.

• Some 80% of commuting cycling trips make use of on road facilities, 20% use the off road (mainly riverside) routes to access the city centre.

• Blossom Street is the busiest on-road radial cycle route (1775, 12-hour two way flow) followed by Bootham (1550, 12-hour 2 way flows).

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the busiest cycling days whereas Sunday is the quietest.

• Hob Moor and Cinder Lane show high levels of cycling during peak periods, 70% of trips during the peak, 30% off peak. In comparison Naburn Bridge has a more even split with 53% during peak 47% off peak – more leisure cycling.

City of York Council, Yorkshire Housing and the Homes and Communities Agency have agreed a deal to buy two private housing developments that had stalled due to the poor market conditions.
The Rise at Pately Place, Acomb, was to provide 23 apartments for open market sale, but following the credit crunch several housebuilders were unable to complete the homes leaving an unfinished building development in the hands of the receivers.
The original planning permission for the scheme was granted under the pre-2005 affordable housing policy, where developments under 25 homes did not have to provide affordable housing. However, all 23 homes will now be available at affordable rents through Yorkshire Housing. Six of the homes are prioritised for council and housing association tenants who would like to ‘downsize’ from a family
house to an apartment releasing larger homes for families on the housing waiting list.
Yorkshire Housing has also bought 27 apartments at Birch Park, Huntington, 10 of which will also be prioritised for tenants wishing to downsize. Birch Park initially had 43 affordable homes secured under the council’s affordable housing policy but the development stalled in 2010 because of the lack of sales on the open market. By working with the housebuilder, work has progressed, and 102 of the homes are now for affordable rent or discount sale, increasing the scheme’s affordable housing from 22 per cent to 50 per cent.
”This is a great example of the council working with its partners to ensure that developers are able to keep building in difficult market conditions as well as providing high-quality new affordable homes. Creating affordable housing has provided developers with the certainty of sales and enabled them to continue the development against a backdrop of a challenging private housing market”

There are still some parking issues to be resolved in this part of Ascot Way.
The car park will be marked out this year, which hopefully will ease some of the conjestion, also a ‘resident only parking’ sign will be installed.

Opening times April to September

• Monday  to Friday 5.00pm to 7.00pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 10.00am to 2.00pm

If you are a householder bringing your own waste to the site using using a car and trailer you will need householder permits to access the sites. We do not allow any vans or large vehicles onto this site.  Traders are not allowed to use this site.

Some alarmist literature has been circulating in the area claiming that Police patrols are being cut. That isn’t true in Westfield although there has been a police reorganisation which sees the “Neighbourhood” and “Reactive” policing teams now headquartered at the Acomb Police station.

Our Neighbourhood policing team continues to be:

PC  Colin Park – Gale Lane, Foxwood and Woodthorpe 

PC  Mark Antonelli – Chapelfields, Kingsway West and Dringhouses

 PCSO Chris Simpson – Chapelfields 
PCSO Grace Holohan – Front Street 
PCSO Laura Nunnen – Gale Lane/Cornlands Road (inc. York High) 
PCSO Chris Upton – Kingsway West 
PCSOs  Richard Tempest & Stacey Gibson- Foxwood

 Lindsey Stamp is the local Sergeant and Phil Cain the Inspector

You can contact the Neighbourhood Policing team by telephoning 0845 60 60 24 7

Residents who wish to report an incident in person can visit the Acomb Police station.

The current desk opening hours – which is manned by volunteers – at the Police station on Holgate Road are:

Monday 10:00am – 12:00 noon

Tuesday 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Wednesday 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Friday 2:oopm – 4:00pm

Saturday 10:00am – 12:00 noon

Closed Thursday and Sunday

1. The Winter Fuel Allowance is continuing at exactly the same level as previously: £300 for households with someone over 85 and £200 for households with someone over 60.

 

2. The ADDITIONAL payments of £50 for households with someone over 60 and £100 for households with someone over 85, which were introduced in the 2008 budget and extended in the 2009 and both 2010 budgets will not be continued for this winter.

 

3. The Comprehensive Spending Review permanently increased to the rate of Cold Weather Payments to £25 per 7 day cold period (from £8.50).

The increase in CWP was a temporary measure introduced in the previous Government’s “energy package” for winter 2008/9, later extended in September 2009 for winter 2009/10. It was widely expected that this increase would not be continued in the Spending Review, given that Payments the previous winter cost the Government more than six times the amount they had budgeted. However, the Spending review surprised many by making this increase permanent.  

When introduced in 2008 the increase in Winter Fuel Allowance was described as “an additional one-off payment”. 

 Winter Fuel Allowance is quite inefficient as it is paid to everyone over 60 regardless of income and whether or not it is actually cold. They are also paid to British pensioners living in other European Union countries.

We’ve had a number of enquiries about the new inflation linked state pension entitlements.
Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said: “We’ve taken a decision to restore the link with earnings and increase the basic State Pension by the highest of prices, earnings or 2.5 per cent. This triple guarantee will ensure that pensioners can expect a decent offering from the state in retirement.”

The Basic State Pension will increase by £4.50 to £102.15. Pensioners on a low income will benefit because most people who receive Pension Credit will get a £4.75 increase in guarantee credit. Cold Weather Payments will be permanently increased from £8.50 to £25.

The majority of working age benefits will increase by 3.1 per cent.

The new benefit rates will apply from the week beginning 11 April 2011.

New Energise swimming pool

Continuing our pre election look at what has happened in the Westfield area over the last 4 years. Today we reach 2009.

Winter

The new York High school opened. Everyone who saw it was deeply impressed by both the building and the enthusiasm of staff and pupils. 

96% of residents in the Green Lane area applauded the bulky refuse collection service……. Improved illumination on the Askham Grove/Tennent Road snicket was requested………. Crime levels had fallen by another 6%……. Recycling rates hit 45%…….Roads to be resurfaced over the forthcoming year included Forrester’s Walk and part of Bellhouse Way.

Spring

Labour caused a shock by reviving their idea of building on the Green Belt land lying between Chapelfields/Askham Laneand the ring road. It was subsequently voted down by LibDem and Tory Councillors.

Park and Ride user numbers topped £3 million…… Crime prevention was the top concern of residents living on Askham Lane.  Respondents were also opposed to  development on greenfield sites.

Author Freya North attracted a sell out audience at the Explore Library………

Work started on providing security railings on Bachelor Hill. Some residents wanted the snickets on The Reeves closing although views were very mixed…….. 170 people took up training opportunities as a result of the Kingsway Project…. Traffic speed monitoring equipment was deployed on Foxwood Lane.

Summer

York High got a “good” marking from independent inspectors following a visit in June……… 73% of residents said that they didn’t want to see the land between Westfield and the ring road developed.

Acomb Explore’s “big read” was C. J. Sansom’s Sovereign much of which was set in York……… Improvements were made to the fencing around the new High School playing field and the new Energise swimming pool was scheduled for a November opening.,

City of York Council’s Neighbourhood Services team put out 60 additional barrier baskets, 40 extra flower tubs, alongside 50,000 bedding plants and 120 hanging baskets…….. Improved management of Hob Moor nature reserve was announced with creeping thistles being removed by volunteers.

Autumn

York High announced their best ever exam results which eclipsed better known schools in other parts of the City.

 Self issue book machines are installed at Acomb Explore library,….The Council bought derelict land to the rear of the Acomb Explore Library with the intention of building an extension to replace the Acomb Office. The bowling club is allowed to use the adjacent land until it is needed. ………..A CCTV security camera was installed near the shops on Chapelfields……. There were fewer joblessyoung people in Westfield as figures in the rest of the City increased. Part of the success is put down to the Kingsway Project.

Residents say yes to securing the Cornlands Road park at night. The long procedure to cease the “right of way” commences as a supermarket company puts in a bid for the White Rose site.

A new playground aimed at 8-13 years olds is announced for Foxwood Lane………… There is a similar plan for the Grange Lane parknear Chapelfields but this will later be delayed.

The new York Energiseswimming pool on Cornlands Road was to have 400,000 users in its first year of operation.

Work on the new entry routes to the railway station has started. They will provide two seperate links. One from near the sorting office on Leeman Road, the other from the Holgate Road area. The latter will provide a safe alternative to the busy Blossom Street/Queen Street junction.
The work is expected to be completed by July.

The roadworks at the A19 roundabout are due to finish by the end of May. The improvement scheme is aimed at reducing congestion at the roundabout by constructing additional feeder lanes. These will ease journey times for left turning vehicles and also for those traveling west to east.
The full benefits, for traffic traveling towards the west on the by pass, will only be realised when improvements to the A59 roundabout are also completed.
The contractors will be suspending work during the Easter period (Friday 22nd April to Monday 2nd May) to minimise delays.
During the rest of the construction period lane closures are likely during off peak times (9:30 – 4:00pm) and some congestion is possible during those hours.