
What’s on in York: Market and lights switch on this Saturday in Acomb

The York Council has announced that it will help to fund 3 projects which support the governments initiative to help “High Streets”.
Two of the projects are located in the Westfield ward
The York BID will get an additional £27,300 for York City Centre Cleaning
The Friends of Acomb Green will get £4,500 for a Community Clean Up Day
Acomb Alive gets a £1,200 boost which is to be used for improving seat furniture.
The Council says that it is supporting the extension of existing grant beneficiaries as there “wasn’t time to seek fresh bids before the governments deadline”.
The York Council is planning to offer its old Christmas decoration lights, no longer required for the City centre, to Acomb and Haxby.
Front Street Christmas lights
The lights have become surplus to requirements following the decision by the York Business Improvement District (BID) to invest heavily in their own displays. These have already been reinstalled on the Bar Walls in preparation for this year’s festivities.
Christmas lighting in Front Street has improved significantly in recent years thanks to the efforts of local traders and residents.
Acomb Front Street is changing rapidly as the effects of the recession wear off and the efforts of the local trader’s organisation Acomb Alive bear fruits. There are few empty premises in the area while some independent traders may also be set to benefit from budget changes announced on Monday.
City centre lights
But there may be a feeling that the “hand me down” lights proposal once again fails to recognise what is needed to give Front Street a major lift. Residents, in survey after survey, have criticised the uneven surface in the pedestrian area and have called for a holistic solution.
This would involve the owners of the private forecourts, which would have to be incorporated into any paving scheme, cooperating. In turn this could only happen if a full time precinct manager were to be appointed and funded by the Council.
That initiative doesn’t seem to be any closer.
Meanwhile the Council is considering commissioning more reports into the ailing City Centre retail economy. They have been shocked by the decline of Coney Street as a shopping destination, although they claim that the “high street decline” is less pronounced in York than in other City’s.
Visitor numbers – who are not necessarily shoppers – have increased over the last 5 years.
Nevertheless parts of the City, including the Councils own Guildhall building, are looking shabby and need urgent attention.
Acomb Bowling Club
The Council has told the proposed developers of the Acomb Bowling Club green on Front Street that they need more time to come to a view on their proposals. They say that there are access and other problems associated with the proposal to build 11 houses on the site.
comment on planning application
The news came after it emerged that a petition, signed by pensioners in an adjacent block of flats, and objecting to the loss of green space had been lodged with the Council. The pensioners were also concerned about potential noise nuisance from the site.
Sport England have also sounded a warning about the plan highlighting the continued erosion of sports pitches in the Acomb area.
Concerns have also been raised about the impact on the local bat population and other wildlife in the area.
The Council’s own heritage officer has pointed to the historical significance of the site. It is thought that there may be important archaeological deposits in the area.
Comment on Planning application
Although the balance of comments is against the development in its present form, perhaps surprisingly local amenity societies, Ward Councillors and adjacent property owners have so far failed to make their views known.
The proposals – which could jeopardise plans to bring derelict land to the rear of the Library back into use, while providing much needed accommodation for older people – are a particularly poor piece of incremental planning.
Hopefully a more coherent plan for this part of Front Street will emerge now.
Looks like we are down to only two empty retail units on Acomb Front Street.
Latest shop to announce its arrival is “Hop and Glory”
There have also been several applications to convert the empty space above shops into residential accommodation over the last year.
Still a long way to go, but the signs of regeneration are growing
Great display of flowers greets Yorkshire in Bloom judges as they visit Acomb
Final call for entrants to the Foxwood in Bloom contest. Judging on Thursday as 22 homes battle for cash prizes
Volunteers have cleared fly posting from local kiosks
The pub, church hall and library all have brackets and planters
Watering is a big job for volunteers from Acomb Alive