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

Local Lib Dems have vowed to fight to protect leisure facilities in York, after it emerged the Labour group were considering the closure of the city’s largest swimming pool.

Last week local Labour Leader James Alexander said the pool was too expensive to run and highlighted claims that the city was oversupplied with swimming facilities.

This is not the first time that Labour have looked at closing Yearsley pool. In 2002 the Labour group proposed closure and the pool was only saved after Liberal Democrats campaigned to keep it open and won the subsequent election in 2003.

Yearsley is the only long course pool in the city and so is a unique attraction for the increasing number of fitness swimmers. Closing Yearsley and replacing it with smaller pools would mean the city would be without a pool that meets the needs of those people who swim for fitness.

In contrast to Labour’s failure to invest anything in the city’s pools during their time in power, the Liberal Democrats have invested £11m over the last 8 years and have secured more than £7m more through innovative partnerships like the one with the University of York that will deliver the new sports village pool.

Part of that £11m of investment has seen more than £1m spent on improving Yearsley Pool. These improvements have been welcomed by residents and the refurbished pool is now attracting record numbers of visitors. The number of visitors to Yearsley pool has risen by 40% since 2005

It is now becoming clear that no service in the city is safe from Labour, libraries and swimming pools are already under threat and those are only the ones we know about. Labour should be honest with the public about the full scale of their proposed cuts.

We will shortly be arranging a petition to help fight the closure of Yearsley and will post details here as soon as I have them. 

Lord Mayor and local Councillor Sue Galloway will be officially opening the new Lidl store on Thanet Road.

The ceremony will take place at 8:00am on Thursday 3rd February.

Lidl is a supporter of the British Heart Foundation charity.

First details have emerged of the planned Grange Lane park playground.

Residents were given a chance to express their opinions at the Sanderson House meeting on 13th December.

Now the design is being refined before installation work starts in the early spring. The scheme incorporates the “pulley” which proved to be the favourite piece of equipment with respondents to our recent residents survey.

NB. Official tests have now confirmed that there is no contamination hazard at the former tip site to the rear of Westfield Place.

Metal railings will be erected on the Vesper Drive side of Bachelor Hill starting on Monday 17th January.

The work is intended to stop people “short cutting” from Vesper Drive into the amenity area. The railings will be similar to those provided on the opposite side of the hill.

That may be the last of the railings programme for now as residents, in the recent Ward Committee budget ballot, did not give a high priority to the scheme for 2011/12.

Further work may be possible in later years if neighbouring residents continue to report trespassing problems.

1. Improvements to street lighting at identified areas throughout the ward
2. Ward Fund to increase Leisure facilities & opportunities for teenagers throughout the ward
3. Ward Fund to make repairs and improve security at play areas
4. Ward fund the replacement and new dog bins and litter bins as identified by residents.
5. Ward Fund for reducing waste and have a quarterly recycle and refuse lorry for street pick ups throughout the ward.
6. Ward Fund for tree management throughout the ward at identified areas.
7. Ward Fund to increase play facilities and play sessions for 8 – 13 year olds throughout the ward.
8. GRANT to Active York to support young people in developing their opportunities in their chosen sport,
9. GRANT to Street Sport York to provide 10 x 2 hour sports sessions throughout the ward for young people.
10. Ward fund for improvements to car parking facilities throughtout the ward
11. Ward fund for improving and cleaning cycle tracks (eg removal of broken glass and detritus)
12. GRANT to Age Concern to help with the costs of Room Hire to be able to offer increase services to the Elderly
13. Create footpaths on verges at various locations identified
14. To install 5 a side sized goal posts in Grange Lane Park
15. Ward Fund for installing cycle barriers at appropriate locations around the ward to prevent cycling on the footpaths
16. Ward Fund to increase facilities and opportunities for older people throughout the Ward
17. Ward fund to replace and improve ageing street signs throughout the ward
18. GRANT to York Rotters to promote composting with young people and to teach children ‘compost the mini musical’.
19. Improvements to Dijon Avenue amenity area with trees and shrubs

Each list to be worked down until Ward budget is exhausted.

1. Ward Fund for tree management throughout the ward at identified areas.
2. GRANT to the Friends of Acomb Green to put on another summer fete on the Green in Summer 2011 and make improvements to the Green.
3. Ward Fund to make repairs and improve security at play areas
4. GRANT to Age Concern to help with the costs of Room Hire to be able to offer increase services to the Elderly
5. Ward fund the replacement and new dog bins and litter bins as identified by residents.
6. Ward fund for improving and cleaning cycle tracks (eg removal of broken glass and detritus)
7. GRANT to Active York to support young people in developing their opportunities in their chosen sport,
8. Ward Fund to increase facilities and opportunities for older people throughout the Ward
9. Ward Fund for reducing waste and have a quarterly recycle and refuse lorry for street pick ups throughout the ward.
10. Ward Fund to increase Leisure facilities & opportunities for teenagers throughout the ward
11. Ward Fund to increase play facilities and play sessions for 8 – 13 year olds throughout the ward.
12. Ward fund to enhance Front Street with more planters and flower tubs
13. Grant to Chapelfields Outta School Club for help with new equipment and running costs.
14. Ward Fund for installing cycle barriers at appropriate locations around the ward to prevent cycling on footpaths.
15. GRANT to Street Sport York to provide 10 x 2 hour sports sessions throughout the ward for young people.
16. GRANT to York Rotters to promote composting with young people and to teach children ‘compost the mini musical’.
17. Complete the resurfacing of the back lane at Gladstone Street
18. Ward fund to replace and improve ageing street signs throughout the ward
19. Install 5 a side sized goal posts in Grange Lane Park

Each list to be worked down until Ward budget is exhausted.

Not another comment on the weather but news that 2 additional streets in the area now enjoy the protection of a ban on cold calling. The ban means that salespersons should not call unannounced and attempt doorstep sales.

The 2 new streets are:

A majority of residents living in a street have to agree before a ban is introduced. One of the aims is to discourage “opportunistic” burglaries.

How to minimise disruption during poor winter weather.