Appeal following assault at Askham Bar, York

Officers are appealing for witnesses and information following an assault near Tesco at Askham Bar, York.

The incident happened on Monday 8 March at around 11.40am when an 18 year old was assaulted as he left the Tesco store making his way back to York College. It happened on the ramp that leads from the Tesco carpark to the crossing on Tadcaster Rd.

The suspect is described as a white man, of student age, around 5ft 11in in height, with brown hair and of medium build. He was believed to be wearing wearing a light grey hoodie and dark brown skinny jeans and grey trainers.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police. Dial 101, press 2 and ask to speak to PC Darren Cox.

Please quote reference number  12210073613 when passing on any information.

Coronavirus York updates; 15th January 2021

Deaths

ONE additional death announced by the York Hospital Trust today. The fatality occurred on Wednesday.

Test results

ONE HUNDRED and NINETEEN (119) new positive test results announced today. Brings total to 9841

Infection rate continues to decline in the City.

Rate /100k population is now 603.49. Trending down to 500 early next week.

There was a reduction of 114 cases compared to previous days figure.

That is a big improvement but still some way to go before we get back to pre Christmas levels.

Case numbers are continuing to reduce at all levels (City, county, regional and national)

Hospitals

As of 12th January there were 156 Coronavirus patients occupying beds at the York Hospital Trust.

Of these, 6 were in intensive care.

Neighbourhoods

10th January – the latest date on which data was validated – saw reductions in infection levels in many neighbourhoods.

More are now showing in the “blue” category – indicating that they have an infection rate below 400.

There was a reduction in cases in the Westfield area but a small increase in Woodthorpe comparing one day’s figures with the previous.

Residents will be hoping to see a sustained reduction in case levels, in west and north York in particular, next week.

Vaccinations

Across the United Kingdom 3,234,946 people have now had their first dose of vaccine. 443,234 have received their second dose.

Over 300,000 vaccinations are now taking place each day.

No local data has yet been published by the government. The most recent NHS figures (14th Jan) for the regions are

Vaccination centre parking and buses

A new regional vaccination centre is being set up at Askham Bar. It is an extension of the existing facility there and will have extended opening hours

Askham Bar vaccination centre being expanded

First York have issued the following statement about the impact that the centre may have on its services

Askham Bar Park & Ride to help users of new Covid vaccine centre

A section of parking spaces at Askham Bar Park & Ride, operated by First York in partnership with City of York Council, will be cordoned off from Monday 18 January to help users arriving for appointments at a new Covid vaccination centre.

Disabled parking and electric charging points situated immediately behind the Park & Ride building are not affected and the site remains fully operational.

The opening of the vaccination facility, adjacent to the nearby Tesco store, means from today Service 3 buses will begin using the entrance and exit of the main public carpark at Askham Bar as the bus-only lane at the rear of the supermarket will be closed off to allow simpler traffic flow and access to the vaccination point. 

Service 3 will use the Moor Lane Car Park bus stop off the roundabout on the A1036 Tadcaster Road close to the Tesco store in both directions and will not use the Tesco Car Park stop. The change will remain in place until further notice.

Marc Bichtemann, Managing Director of First York, said: “This is a minor alteration that won’t cause any delays for our customers and has been planned out carefully. It’s a further example of the close working relationship we have with the council and other partners in the city to help the community manage life in lockdown. It also demonstrates our joint approach with the council to support the tremendous effort to roll-out the vaccine which will provide a path out of the pandemic.”

He added: “Our drivers are there on the frontline, as they have been throughout the crisis, to ensure key workers and anyone making essential journeys can get where they need to be safely.

“Although we are carrying fewer passengers right now, it is important that everyone continues to wear a face covering properly for the whole time they are on the bus and use a cashless way to pay, if possible.”

Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, City of York Council said: “It’s great to be playing our part and supporting the NHS with the space for this vaccination roll-out. I would like to encourage residents who have been contacted to attend a vaccination centre that this a safe, quick and easy process.

“As we continue to stay home and follow lockdown restrictions, is it vitally important that we maintain smooth public transport services for those who need them for essential journeys and for critical workers.”

First York drivers and other staff have been involved a variety of initiatives for communities across York during the crisis including hospital fundraising, council refuse collection, shopping and prescription pick-up and at the end of last year the company teamed up with Age UK York to support the elderly who have been isolated due to lockdown and Covid restrictions.

“It’s a testament to the attitude and passion of the team to do what they can to help York and local people through this situation and aid the recovery,” said Marc Bichtemann. 

Help and Advice

Call me Mr Shape

The Council is to adopt a pseudonym when it tries to sell any new homes that it builds in York. The decision comes in the wake of research which suggests that many potential buyers regard the Council as a provider of cheap, lower specification homes.

So, the Council will in future market itself as “Shape Homes York”. The revelation comes in a report being considered later this week

The Council’s poor image on housing is easy to understand given the litter and weed infested state of many Council estates. Unnecessary cuts to maintenance regimes have led to a fall in tenants’ satisfaction. This has affected the Councils image more generally.

The report also reveals what is claimed to be a new approach to design and public consultation on the sites that it will develop over the next few years. Around 600 new homes are planned.

Major mistakes were made at Lowfields where bogus promises of a new health centre and police station were included in marketing material. It later turned out that neither was likely to materialise while a proposed elderly persns home has been delayed. Residents became even more hostile towards the council when it was revealed that “replacement” sports pitches (those at Lowfield are being built on) would be provided at a site located some 3 miles away and lacking a public transport link.

The Council plans developments at Askham Bar, Burnholme, Duncombe Barracks, the former Manor School, the former Clifton Without School, and the former Woolnough House sites.

The brownfield (and unused) Askham bar car park site is being slipped down the priority list to allow for early work at Ordnance Lane and Hospital Fields Road.

The Council expects around 40% of the properties it builds to be “affordable”. They will be cross subsidised by market sales by the new “Shape Homes” front organisation. The Council has set up a new department to manage the programme and has recruited a large number of additional administrative staff. The overall cost of the programme is £154 million.

The Council has also published a design manual which they claim indicates how its new homes will look. It includes some high efficiency homes which will have low running costs (Passivhaus)

As the, currently stalled, Lowfield development has revealed, Council propaganda rarely these days accords with reality.

In setting up its own housing building operation, we think that the Council may be overextending itself. 

It is still trying to bring to a conclusion the £42 million Community Stadium project, it announced last week that £20 million would be spent on redeveloping a business club at the Guildhall while the first tranche of work on the £1 billion York Central site is due to start later in the year.

& all that from a local authority which doesn’t even have a permanent Chief Executive working for it at present.

Summer evening Park & Ride service from Askham Bar

 

Users of York’s popular Park & Ride service will be able to enjoy the attractions in the city centre for longer this summer after it was agreed that the timetable should be extended into the evenings for a ten-week trial period.

City of York Council and bus operator First York have agreed that Service 3 buses from the Askham Bar Park & Ride site will operate until 10.20pm on summer evenings.

The move will give visitors to the city more time to enjoy its diverse range of attractions, as well as making it possible for those attending Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, which will be open next to Clifford’s Tower from Monday 25 June to Sunday 2 September, time to catch the last bus back to the Park & Ride site after evening performances.

The last Service 3 Park & Ride bus from Tower Street currently departs at 8.05pm from Monday to Saturday and at 6.05pm on Sundays. For the duration of the ten-week trial, there will be additional departures every half hour up to 10.20pm. The buses will also stop at Rougier Street and at the Railway Station in the city centre.
(more…)

Mixed news on new Park and Ride service

Park and Ride network

It seems that the council has finally received a bid to run its park and ride service. When the contract was first advertised no bids were forthcoming.

In the main the service will continue at it is today.

Key changes include

  • a facility to use contactless bank cards to pay for journeys.
  • Motorists will be able to park overnights (for up to three days) at the Askham Bar and Monks Cross sites (involving the provision of barrier access).
  • New Euro VI compliant buses including the replacement of some articulated single deck buses with double deckers
  • 11 single deck fully electric buses will be retained together with 3 fully electric double deckers

New Alexander Dennis Enviro 400MMC buses proposed

However users face a fare hike from £2-90 to £3-10 with a 10 minute frequency.

A number of enhancements including a late night service are on offer but are unlikely to be accepted for cost reasons.

The new contract will reduce the council’s income to an estimated £80,000 a year.

The Council have refused to disclose the name of the proposed operator.

The new contract will start next year.

Trial Sunday bus service linking Foxwood/Woodthorpe and Askham Bar extended for a month

First have announced that the trial bus which links Foxwood, Woodthorpe & Bishopthorpe with Tesco and Askham Bar will continue to run until the end of January 2017.

The services will run on:

  • Tuesday 27 December 2016
  • Bank Holiday Monday, 2 January 2017
  • Sundays 8, 15, 22 and 29 January 2017

Download Service 500 timetable

The free service, numbered 500, runs with an electric bus, subject to availability, to reduce noise and emissions. It was due to finish on 18th December

500-bus-service

New Askham Bar P&R site: night works

Askham Bar (Tadcaster Road) roadworks

Askham Bar (Tadcaster Road) roadworks

Working in partnership with Balfour Beatty, City of York Council will be carrying out night works for the revised junction at the new Askham Bar Park & Ride site from next week.

A series of night-time closures will be in place from Monday 18 November until Thursday 28 November on the inbound and outbound carriageways along the A1036 from the A64 to Sim Balk Lane.

The carriageway will be closed from 9pm and will be re-opened at 6am. The closures will not take place on the evenings of Saturday 23 November and Sunday 24 November.

Alternative diversion routes will be in place and signed. Access to the Esso Petrol Station will be maintained at all times from the York side of the junction.
(more…)

June completion for A59 Park and Ride works.

Poppleton Bar Roadworks

Poppleton Bar Roadworks

It could be June 2014 before the A59 Park and Ride site near Poppleton opens.

The Tour de France is due to go through the junction on 6th July.

The work was initially held up because of delays in re-routing underground services

Askham Bar (Tadcaster Road) roadworks

Askham Bar (Tadcaster Road) roadworks


The first main traffic management change has just been brought into operation to enable commencement of the subway construction.

The junction changes at Askham Bar will be completed in December with the main site opening in May 2014.

Both opening dates could be delayed if we have a bad winter.