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York Jobs Fair showcases local employment opportunities

US-unemployment-jobs-fair-007City of York Council and its partners are inviting residents to the eighth York Jobs Fair, which will be held at York Railway Institute on Thursday 14 April.

Around 70 organisations will be represented at this year’s event. These include a range of different employers who represent the wide variety of jobs and careers available in York.

Those present will include Network Rail, Primark, National Railway Museum, Royal York Hotel, Hiscox, North Yorkshire Police, NHS York Teaching Hospital and organisations attending the Jobs Fair for the first time, such as Hampton by Hilton and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

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What’s on in York: Poetry by Heart – County contest final

Date: Sat 27 Feb
Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

County finals for the 2016 Poetry by Heart contest featuring students from schools in North Yorkshire and East Riding, with Colin Jackson, producer of Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival as MC, and writer Helen Cadbury, and poet and publisher Pauline Kirk on the judging panel.

Poetryby Heart Logo Ruth 6Poetry by Heart is a national competition designed to encourage pupils aged 14-18 and at school and college in England to learn and to recite poems by heart.  Not in an arm-waving, props-supported thespian extravaganza, but as the outward and audible manifestation of an inwardly-understood and enjoyed poem.

Poetry by Heart successfully engages young people from diverse social backgrounds and all types of school in personal discovery of the pleasures of poetry. Each pupil is challenged to memorise and recite two poems – one published before 1914 and one in or after 1914 or one from a special collection of World War 1 poems as part of the centenary commemorations.. Pupils choose these from the timeline anthology of over 600 years of poetry on this website. In 2015-16, for the Grand Finals, contestants will recite a third poem.

Poetryby Heart Ruth 6The competition is a pyramid of participation from individual classrooms to whole school/college contests, then county contests, regional semi-finals and the grand final, to be held at Homerton College, Cambridge on March 17th – 19th 2016. In the process, pupils foster deep personal connections with the poems chosen and bring poetry alive for their friends, families and communities.

This event is aimed at those aged 11+

Tickets can be booked In person at any library, or phone 01904 552828 or visit www.eventbrite.co.uk.

Police target cyclists without lights in York

In high-profile operation over the next few days, officers will be targeting cyclists in York who cause a danger to themselves by cycling without lights during hours of darkness.
Incident - Cycle

There are many who continue to break the law  and this initiative is designed to highlight the real danger these people cause to themselves and others by not displaying lights on their bikes in the dark.

The initiative will see Police Officers  issuing  tickets for cycling offences and offering advice and education on the dangers of cycling without  lights.   City of York Council  have funded a limited amount of high-visibility rucksack covers and small sets of emergency cycle lights, to support the campaign.  These will be given to children and other vulnerable people as part of this education programme which makes up part of this initiative.

The latest phase of the operation follows the launch of the campaign with a ‘night of action’ in October last year, which saw 36 Traffic Offence Reports issued to cyclists without lights on in just a few hours.
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York successful in Go Ultra Low Cities scheme

car recharging pointYork has been awarded ‘Go Ultra Low’ city status by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles, becoming one of eight UK cities chosen as exemplars for the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles.

City of York Council continues to lead the way regionally, following today’s announcement that it’s the only city in Yorkshire to receive Go Ultra Low cities scheme funding. The Council has been awarded £816,000, following a successful bidding process that will fund an ultra low emission programme including a city wide network of rapid charging hubs. These will provide state-of-the-art, ultra fast, reliable and convenient rapid charging for key vehicle groups such as taxis, private motorists and business users.

So far use of electric charging points in York has been very low.
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Floods latest – Independent Public Inquiry ordered as York Council issues advice on selection of flood damage repairers

Calls for an independent review into the causes of, and response to, the recent flooding in parts of the City have apparently now led the York Council to agree to mount an Inquiry.

The historical Merchant Adventures Hall was one of the victims of ht flooding.
The historical Merchant Adventures Hall was one of the victims of the flooding.

Press reports suggest that it will take a similar format to that of a Select Committee.

What will be critical will be the terms of reference of the Inquiry and the clarity of any written evidence published before witnesses are called.

In our view the Council should encourage written questions and representations using “open dialogue” socal media channels to allow all those with concerns to contribute.

The move comes at a time when the Environment Agency has confirmed that water entering the control cabin (which was supposedly watertight) on 26th December led to the decision to raise the Foss barrier.  

This threat had not been identified as an issue prior to the recent floods.

It is likely that any Inquiry will want to scrutinise carefully the actions of not only the York Council, but also the Emergency Services, local MPs, the Environment Agency, power and telecoms companies, and the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC)

Inquiry members will no doubt also familarise themselves with the many reports that have been published on the flooding threat in the City over the last few years.

These include: 

Skip Fossgate welcome to YorkshireCouncil reminds flood-hit homeowners to employ reputable trades people
 City of York Council is reminding homeowners to make sure they employ reputable trades people to repair and re-decorate their flood-hit homes.

There are some tell-tale signs which can help spot the difference between a ‘cowboy’ trades person and the genuine thing.

Be very careful about taking on someone who:

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That was the year that was – 2015 in York

January
  • As we welcomed the New Year local Tory Councillor Joe Watt announced his resignation from the Council Group. He was to lose his seat in May. It was to be the first of a series of major changes in local government in York during 2015.
  • There had been capacity problems at the York hospitals A&E departments
  • York Knights lost their training ground and were effectively homeless.Lendal Bridge closure Nov 2013
  • The York Council was rapped by Local Government Association inspectors in a public report.
  • The Lendal Bridge “automatic fine repayment” process was announced
  • Delays in upgrading the Central “Explore” library were set to cost taxpayers an extra £61k
February
  • The Council decided to “freeze” Council Tax levels.
  • Lowfields care village 2011 plans - now 3 years behind schedule
    Lowfields care village 2011 plans – abandoned in 2015
  • All existing Elderly Care homes in York would close by 2019. There was bad news about the future of the Lowfields school site which had been earmarked as a location for an elderly care village.
  • A campaign to invest £500,000 more in Council estate regeneration was launched by the LibDems against a background of problems with parking and deteriorating infrastructure.
  • A proposed York “traffic congestion commission” was shelved
March
  • Falling fuel prices meant that local taxi and bus fares should be reduced. No action resulted.
  • Confusing speed restriction signs on Green Lane
    Confusing speed restriction signs on Green Lane
  • The £6 million highways repair budget was divided up at a “behind closed doors” meeting
  • There had been a 91% increase in car parking charges in York during the previous 4 years
  • The Council was forced to admit that the introduction of 20 mph speed limits had had little impact. In some streets average speeds had actually increased since the signs were erected
April
  • The York Council was failing to repair 67% of street lighting faults within target time
  • Opposition to plans to charge £35 a year for emptying all “green” bins increased with over 1000 signing a petition. The idea was dropped when many of the policies supporters lost their seats at the Council elections in MayGreen bin petition
  • The Clifton Moor – Haxby Road cycle track (along the A1237) was finally opened
  • The Council lost its appeal against having to repay fines imposed on Coppergate. 
May
  • Labour retained the York Central parliamentary seat in the General Election. 350 Askham Lane Focus May 2015 page 1
  • However in the Council elections the LibDems swept to victory in both the Westfield and Dringhouses wards. Labour lost 9 seats and the Council was “hung” or “balanced”
  • Not for the first time St Helen’s Road was closed because of Yorkshire water works
  • Following the Council election results in York, a new coalition took over the running of the City. More transparency and public engagement wa promised although in reality this was illusive during the rest of the year. Priorities would change with vanity projects banished and more to be spent on basic services. However, by the start of 2016 the City was still committed to spending £10 million on a bridge into the York central site, £9 million on a Guildhall redevelopment plan and £8 million propping up the Community Stadium project.
  • York was disappointing 11th is a league table of foreign visitor numbers
June
  • After standing empty for over 2 years the Council decided to sell the  Oliver House home. It will become a set of retirement apartments
  • York Road page 1 click to enlarge
  • Tim Farron – who was latter to become Leader of the Liberal Democrats – visited Foxwood
  • The former airspeed factory and tram dept on Piccadilly was condemned as unsafe. It was later demolished
  • Developers applied to build houses in a copse of trees on Knapton Lane. The application was later refused planning permission
  • House prices in York rose strongly
  • The new Council decided to formally investigate the £187,000 lost on the TdF Grand Departy concert. A report was received 6 months later but most of those responsible for the mistakes had by then left the Council. 
  • Weeds started to overwhelm many public footpaths. The Council blamed its own contractors for failing to apply chemicals at the correct time.  
  • One of York’s new fleet of electric buses caught fire. 6 months later the cause of the fire has still not been explained

July

  • The Councils ward committee system – which devolves decisions to local communities was revived – with a £1 million potential budget. Community centres were also promised that a support grant would be reinstated.DT art gallery strike
  • Housing and benefits advice services in Acomb were discountined despite assurances given when the Acomb office closed
  • The York Art Gallery reopened and immediately became embroiled in a controversy about discount admission prices for York residents
August
  • There was a murder in Hamilton DriveOuse bridge parapet weeds small 27th Aug 2015
  • A new Quango “Make it York” got off to a bad start. They threatened to remove the Parliament Street fountain without any consultation. Later they were to ban children s entertainment rides from their annual St Nichols Fair.
  • Weeds threatened to overgrow Ouse Bridge…..as they had in 2014.
  • The Community Stadium had already cost £3.9 million. No building work had taken place.
September
  • York could’t decide  between North Yorkshre and West Yorkshire in the devolution debate. In the end they opted for neither.915 colour page 1 Chapelfields Focus Sept 15 A3
  • Micklegate closed for utility works (again)
  • Another Labour Council Group Leader quit. Janet Looker would be appointed the third Labour Council Group Leader in less than 12 months. Jeremy Corbyn became the party’s national Leader
  • Road traffic accident numbers increased
  • With the Huntington Stadium closed, the Council paid out £1/2 million for the Knights match-day and training facilities. The rugby club were not to play any matches at Bootham Crescent during 2015. By the end of 2015 no contracts for the construction of the new stadium had been let.
  • Acomb Library had its most successful year with record numbers visiting
  • The Council published new “housing” figures to inform the new Local Plan. It still failed to discuss how big it actually wanted the City to be.
  • The Council is criticised for continuing to make “behind closed doors” decisions. It struggled to even publish agenda before some matters were decided
October
  • Homeless numbers in York hit a record low
  • Page 1
  • The Council introduced a new “on line” issue reporting system. It flopped but a better system is promised for later in 2016
  • The City’s Lord Mayor attracted national attention for the wrong reasons. York City advertised for a new manager.
  • A new plan for the redevelopment of the Piccadilly area
  • The Council admitted that it was not measuring its own performance on many key public services
November
  • Unemployment levels hit a record low in the City. But average earnings were also down.
  • Concerns about Syrian refugees continued although 4 months after the crisis developed none have yet reached the City. The Press front page plumbed the depths of insensitivity as more details of the bombings in Paris emergedPress front page 17th Nov 2015
  • Delays in the reopening of the Theatre Royal had cost £3/4 million
  • Crime levels were starting to creep up
  • It was revealed that the Councils “free” newspaper “Our City” was costing taxpayers £40,000 a year.
  • Businesses voted to establish a Business Improvement District in York. It will add 1% a year to their rates bills.
  • A revised bus service map was published
December
  • Consultation started (again) on the York Central development1215 colour Chapelfields pages 2 and 3 Focus small Dec 15 A3
  • The Council launched a consultation on public service priorities and Council Tax levels amidst fears of a 3.9% rise.
  • Councillors were given a 15% pay increase.
  • A rat bit an elderly resident in a council care home

…….and then the floods came – the worst since 2000.

The Foss barrier failed, telecoms crashed and even river level gauges stopped working.

The failings had been forecast in a report on the 2012 floodings.

Flooded York. Levels now officially higher than 2012

Flooded York. Levels officially higher than 2012

Flood update: Flood command team stands down

floods childs toyThe multi-agency emergency flood response in York and North Yorkshire has been stood down now that the recovery phase of the operation is well underway.

The decision was taken this afternoon (31 December 2015, New Year’s Eve) by the Strategic Co-ordinating Group chaired by North Yorkshire Police.

Partner agencies in the Tactical Co-ordinating Group – Silver Command – run from North Yorkshire Police’s Force Control Room in York, will return to their organisations to get on with the recovery work from the severe flooding which hit York, Selby, Cawood, Tadcaster and Malton on Boxing Day and in the days that followed.
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Nestle £100,000 boost to York Flood Appeal

Money pouring in to Flood Appeal. Total tops £141,000 by 2:00pm

York Flood Appeal

Businesses or individuals who wish to donate to the appeal should contact Jan Garrill, of Two Ridings Community Foundation or go online at http://www.trcf.org.uk/

Click here to make on “on line” donation

Nestle, one of York’s largest employers, has today (Thursday 31 December) donated £100,000 to the York Flood Appeal – taking the fund to £137,000 in just 48 hours.

The appeal, which was only launched on Tuesday, will help York residents affected by the flooding to get back on their feet.  Funds will provide essential household items, such as carpets and washing machines, and the costs of living in temporary accommodation or paying for extra heating.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé UK and Ireland said: “As one of York’s biggest employers it has been very concerning to see the effect of these floods on the local community. We want to join those who have rallied round to support the relief effort, including many of our employees, and we have already been able to provide food, drink and other supplies. We now hope this £100k donation will help the York Flood Appeal provide vital support to those in need at such a difficult time.”

The York Disaster Fund – a local charity established in 2000 in response to the floods that year – set up the York Flood Appeal. The Two Ridings Community Foundation, the local community foundation for York, North & East Yorkshire is hosting the appeal on behalf of the charity.

Steve Stewart, Chief Executive of City of York Council, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response from both businesses and members of the public who have offered their time, donations and financial assistance to give relief to the people directly affected and the communities around them. We thank Nestle for this generous donation, which will undoubtedly go a long way to helping York residents get back on their feet.”

Anyone needing to apply to the fund should get in touch with City of York Council on 01904 551550.

For advice and support on the York floods visit www.york.gov.uk/floods

Floods updateKnavesmire Road
  • River levels continue to drop and local flood warnings have been downgraded.
  • Some drivers are now venturing onto the Knavesmire Road. The official advice is not to drive into flood water because of the danger of underwater obstructions, missing manhole covers etc.
  • B1222 @ Naburn is still closed (1300hrs Thursday)
  • Traffic lights at Walmgate Bar and on Foss Islands Road (Morrisons) are still not working

 

Floods update: Message from York Police

floods childs toy

York, Cawood and Selby are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding, with rivers expected to peak during the evening and early hours of tomorrow morning.

North Yorkshire Police are requesting that visitors to the area, or those wanting to view the floods, do not visit York or Selby district at this time and delay their visit until flood risk has passed.

DCC Tim Madgwick, Gold Commander said:

“We would advise people not to visit the affected areas of York and Selby at this time of high risk. Many major routes into York and Selby are currently flooded and travel in and around these areas is very challenging.”

“Routes that are open and passable are critical to emergency services to access to those who need support. We would ask people who do not need to travel to York , Selby and Selby district to delay their visit until the flood risk has passed.”

“The risk is being constantly monitored through a multi-agency approach. As flood waters are currently rising, we expected a clearer picture of maximum levels tomorrow, when they peak.”

“To residents and business owners – if you are contacted by emergency or support agencies and asked to evacuate your property, we realise the inconvenience and disruption, but please be assured that all risks will have been assessed and the decision to evacuate will have been made with your safety and best interest in mind.”

The latest flood warning information can be access here  https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/map

You can also follow @EnvAgencyYNE and #floodaware on Twitter for the latest updates. Or call Floodline on 0345  9881188.

Keep up to date with the weather forecast and weather warnings at  www.metoffice.gov.uk or tune in to your local BBC radio station.

York residents are region’s most active

santa1 fitness

York is in the top spot for the proportion of active people in Yorkshire and Humber and is among the UK’s top ten per cent of local authorities, according to Sport England’s latest figures.

Over 41% of York adults do one or more 30+ minute sessions of sport a week: the highest in the Yorkshire and Humber region and up nearly five per cent since the survey began in 2007.

Over 28% of York residents also perform extremely well when it comes to achieving three 30-minute sessions of sport or active leisure per week. This was the second highest result in the area and up from 26.9% in the last survey.

York now ranks in the top ten per cent, or 31st out of 325 Local Authorities where residents achieve 3 half hours of physical activity a week. The results have been released by Sport England following their Active People Survey 9, which monitors levels of physical activity undertaken across the country over the last two years.
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