Grand Departy heading for huge loss?

With Groupon now advertising Grand Departy tickets for £20 each (a 32% discount) there are growing concerns that the “10,000” capacity event could be a major flop.

Concert organiser Cllr Crisp facing difficult questions

Concert organiser Cllr Crisp facing difficult questions

Councillors are understood to be asking just how big a bill taxpayers may have to pick up?

The event – to be held at the Huntington Stadium on 4th July – always looked to be an afterthought.

It is sadly too typical of a council that has over-extended itself once too often.

They need to come clean about how many tickets have actually been sold?

Council choir tours residential homes

City of York Council’s staff choir will be touring council residential homes in York to celebrate the Grand Départ with a good sing with residents.

Cansing! is make up of council staff who enjoy making music, and some 20 choir members will give their time to visit City of York Council’s residential homes at Willow House, Woolnough House and Grove House on Saturday 28 June. They’ll sing a variety of songs to give residents a taste of the build-up to the Tour de France coming to York on 6 July.

Ted Schofield, chair of the choir, said: “We sang at Willow House before Christmas which went down really well with the residents. It gave us the idea of taking part in York: Be Part of It and bringing old favourites like ‘Daisy, Daisy’ and other cycle-themed songs to bring a flavour of the tour to these communities.”

Cansing! was founded in 2010 and has sung in York Minster, on BBC Radio York, at York Carnival as well as in their own concerts.The choir can be heard rehearsing every Thursday lunchtime in St Helen’s Church, St Helen’s Square, York.

Desperate Council halves Huntington Stadium concert ticket prices

Council concert organiser displays sense of humour

Council concert organiser displays sense of humour

As we revealed yesterday, the Tour de France concert, scheduled for the 4th July, is being snubbed by York residents.

Now the Council has halved the cost of a family ticket – down from £100 to £50.

The offer also includes a ticket to the Grand Depart event at the Racecourse and will run until Monday 16th June.

What residents who have already paid the full price for tickets will think of this discount remains to be seen.

The concert features a group called “Loveable Rogues”

Tickets are on sale now from http://www.ticketline.co.uk/ and http://www.exeriencetherace.com/, and will be available from Visit York on Museum Street in York city centre by Friday (13th June) of this week

The Council has declined to say how many tickets for the event have been sold to date.

Meanwhile it looks like Bradley Wiggins – expected to be one of the main attractions for those attending the  Tour de France start – may not now be competing this year

Tour de France banners going up

Tour de France WINNER

Part of the welcome for the Grand Départ in York will be a series of five-metre long banners hung around the city created by hundreds of residents as part of a partnership project between City of York Council and the Quilt Museum and Gallery.

The creative talents of local people young and old have been harnessed across the city where cloth banners have been painted involving over 50 community groups and organisations.

Groups including the Samaritans, St Leonard’s Hospice, the Retreat, Haxby Road after school club, Heslington Rainbows and Holgate Windmill have seized paint brushes to do their bit to celebrate the Tour de France to York. Using stunning banner templates created by volunteers at the Quilt Museum and Gallery and, working alongside community artists, groups have created a bright and beautiful collection of banners.

 

Huntington Stadium – concert doubts

 

Huntington Stadium

Huntington Stadium

The York Council has yet to confirm whether the Huntington Stadium can be used as a venue for a “10,000 capacity” concert on 4th July.

Ticket sales for the event – headlined by Russell Watson – are reported to be “sluggish”

Objections to the license application for the site had to be with the council by last Thursday, but no response has yet been published.

Increasing the capacity of the Stadium from just over 4000 to 10,000 will present major transport and logistical problems.

The Council has however announced that the Stadium will become a “spectator hub” for an event on 6th July.

It replaces the planned “hub” on Monk Stray which was dogged by procedural problems, and eventually had to be abandoned amidst a torrent of objections from residents.

It is unclear what the residents of Huntington will make of the likely impacts these major events will have over what would, in any event, be a busy shopping weekend in the Monks Cross area.

We said a few months ago that the Council – despite allocating a jaw dropping £1.6 million to fund the Tour de France Grand Depart event in the City – had underestimated the skills and manpower necessary to maximise the success of such an event.

 Those doubts still remain

Lib Dems welcome Monk Stray U-Turn

Monk Stray

Monk Stray

 

 

Liberal Democrat Councillor Nigel Ayre has welcomed the news that Labour run York Council has withdrawn its attempts to install a permanent 8 metre gate onto Monk Stray from Stockton Lane.

 

The surprise annocument came this afternoon just hours before the council’s Planning Committee was due to debate the application. It was believed that the gate was being put in to allow large vehicles to access the site during next month’s Tour De France, when Monk Stray will be turned into a ‘Spectator Hub’.

 

However, over 70 local residents had objected to the application citing concerns that the gate would change the character of the historic public space, lead to the loss of grass land, increase traffic problems on Stockton Lane and would lead to regular large scale events on the Stray. Concerns were also raised by Cllr Ayre that removing historic hedgerow would break regulations.  

 

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Heworth Without, commented:

 

“I am pleased that officers have listened to local concerns and taken the sensible decision to withdraw this planning application. With significant local opposition and many unanswered questions it was the logical thing to do.

 

“However, this is another embarrassing episode for the Labour Cabinet Member and her plans for Monk Stray. It has been one blunder after another. First Labour’s attempts to get a licence to hold events every year on the Stray was defeated, then the Caravan Club pulled out of hosting camping on the site for the Tour De France, and now the plans to install a gate before the Tour have been withdrawn.

 

“The mistake that Labour has made at every step is to propose half-baked plans before consulting with local residents. Monk Stray is a much valued open space that belongs to the people of York. Labour seem to have completely forgotten this.”

 

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Full details of the withdrawn application can be found here: http://modgov.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=814&MId=8121

 

 

Tomorrow crunch day for latest Monk Stray plans

Monk Stray

Monk Stray

 There are fears that a gate onto Monk Stray could end up costing taxpayers thousands despite local residents saying they don’t want it.

Labour run York Council wants to install a permanent 8 metre timber gate onto Monk Stray from Stockton Lane.

The gate would allow largevehicles to access the site during next month’s Tour De France.

While York Council was forced to cancel plans for camping on Monk Stray when the Caravan Club pulled out of running the site after opposition from local residents, the Stray will still host a ‘Spectator Hub’ for the Grand Départwith thousands of visitors expected.

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Council holds onto VIP tickets for Tour de France start event

 

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A Freedom of Information request has failed to force the Council to reveal who will get the 40 “VIP” tickets that it has reserved for the Tour de France start event at the racecourse.

In addition 200 “freebie” tickets are on offer  “for a specific viewing area” while  a further 5000 community tickets for the racecourse are being offered as “prizes in competitions”.

When tickets were put on offer to the general public they were all snapped up within hours.

The event is being paid for by Council taxpayers.

It will come from the Council’s £1.6 million budget for the event.