Residents’ Priority Parking consultation launched

City of York Council will be contacting residents in the areas close to University of York this week to inform them of a new consultation taking place.

The consultation will involve Badger Hill and Newland Park Drive areas in response to parking surveys in the streets close to the campus.

The survey work has been undertaken by University of York to monitor the levels of parking in the areas associated to the University, which has increased non-resident parking in the areas.

The University of York are required to fund this consultation, the introduction of any parking controls and the provision of permits for a scheme due to planning conditions, if it has the support of local residents (meaning that the first permit for each household would be free of charge)

Executive Member for Transport made the decision at the July Decision session (item 11) to take the proposal straight out to consultation of the Traffic Regulation Order to speed up implementation if it has residents’ support.

The proposed ResPark scheme restricts parking within designated areas, known as ‘ResPark zones’, to those people who are eligible to apply for a permit:

  • residents
  • residents’ visitors
  • property owners
  • local businesses

If your home is in a ResPark zone, you may be entitled to residents’ permits and an authorisation card which will allow you to purchase visitor parking permits.

You are also able to apply for a permit on the basis of a business need, or commercial interest in a property within a ResPark zone.

To find out more about ResPark zones currently in place across the city visit the ResPark and Badger Hill Permit pages online.

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Badger Hill primary school wins money for buildings

Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws MP has today announced government money to rebuild Badger Hill school in York.

 The money will come from the Priority Schools Building Programme, a £2bn government scheme spearheaded by the Liberal Democrats to rebuild those schools across the country suffering most from wear and tear. A full list of benefiting schools can be found by clicking here

 Schools included in the programme are now able to start developing detailed plans, and are expected to be completed in the next few years.

 Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws MP said:

“I am delighted to be able to announce money that will allow Badger Hill to make badly needed improvements to their building.

 “School buildings that aren’t up to scratch unfairly hold our children and young people back.  Every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential, and improving Badger Hill will make sure that many more children in York receive a good education.”  

 Local Liberal Democrats say,

 “Last week the Conservatives set out plans to cut school budgets if they are in power by themselves after the election. We am proud that Liberal Democrats are continuing to make the case and win more investment for local schools.

 Elsewhere in the city, work on new primary schools for Carr Infants in Acomb and Lord Deramore’s in Heslington are both due to begin later this year. Already set to be expanded in the City are St Barnabas and fellow PFI- primary, St Oswald’s CE in Fulford, where there has been increased demand for pupil places.

 Only a few weeks ago figures were released which revealed that York faced a major shortfall in school place availability over the next few years.

  •  The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) was established in 2011 to address the needs of those schools in the worst condition across the country.
  • The list of 261 successful schools for the first phase of the programme was announced in May 2012.  Significant work on those projects is already underway. As of 26 January 2015, 15 school buildings are already open, a further 72 have contracts signed and the remaining projects are well into in the development or planning stages.
  •  In May 2014 the Coalition Government announced a further £2 billion for the second phase of the programme.  A list of the schools to benefit from the second phase of the PSBP has been published today, here
  • The government has also today announced £4bn of school maintenance funding to be shared by local authorities across England.
  •  This week David Cameron set out Conservative plans to cut school budgets by up to 10% in real terms, if his party wins an overall majority in this year’s general election.  Liberal Democrats have protected schools spending in this parliament, and are committed to protecting schools, early years and 16-19 education budgets in real terms in the next parliament.