So just how well has the City centre economy fared this year?

St Nicholas market popular this year

Traders in York are saying that they have had a very good period in the run up to Christmas.  The St Nicholas market has attracted coachloads of visitors, while the Christmas lights displays have been generally applauded.

Special events like the display in the Museum Gardens have added to the festive spirit.

The number of people on the streets  has been high during late November and December although the final figures won’t be known until after the holiday.

But, of course, everything is relative with overall visitor numbers, as measured by “footfall” cameras, broadly the same as they were 7 years ago.

There are of course peaks and troughs. There was distinct peak, for example, when the Tour de France visited York in 2014. But that boost was largely transient.

Some will point out that there are parts of the City centre which have been neglected. Duncombe Place is an unexploited opportunity, particularly at Christmas time, while Exhibition Square (outside the Art Gallery), is too often a deserted and windswept place.

Parliament Street remains a visual embarrassment made worst this year by the ugly shipping container village.

Footfall in Coney Street has shown the biggest fall with long term empty shop units mainly to blame.

Nor does footfall always translate into economic activity although several attractions, including The Minster and Merchant Adventurers Hall, are reporting a 5 year high in visitors.

January and February may give a more realistic set of figures on which to measure whether the City centre is bouncing back from the recession and changes to shopping habits.

We hope that it is.

Footfall trend in key shopping streets

Footfall in Parliament Street

 

 

Extra bin collection in York – Reminder

Every household in the city will get a black bin or sack collection next week and after Christmas.

City of York Council has organised the extra black bin collections to help households manage the extra waste over the festive period.

Residents need to put their black bins out on their usual black bin collection day next week. With no normal collections over Christmas week, residents are also being urged to check which week their recycling collections are due.

There are also special arrangements for anyone whose bins would be collected on New Year’s Day – these will instead be collected on Friday 29 December.

The Christmas arrangements in full are:

Monday 18 – Friday 22   December

·         Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day

·         Recycling collected as normal

Monday 25 – Friday 29 December

·         No normal recycling or bin collections

Monday 1 January

·         All collections due on Monday 1 January collected on Friday 29 December

(including the extra black bin collection)

Tuesday 2 – Friday 5 January

·         Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day

·         Recycling collected as normal

Councillor Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for waste, said:

“This extra festive black bin collection shows how the council is working residents to help with waste and recycling, and encouraging people to reduce waste.

“I’d like  to wish everyone a happy Christmas, and remind them to check their calendars, our website and household waste centres to see just how much – from trees to wrapping paper – can be recycled.”

Residents can check their collection days using:

  • ·         the  calendar which the council distributed to households across the city in October and November
  • ·         online at www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup
  • ·         get free alerts to smartphones or tablets by downloading the OnePlanetYork app from itunes or google playstore.

The city’s household waste centres are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s day.  To check what can go in your recycling boxes, visit www.york.gov.uk/waste

Bad week for traffic congestion in York

It’s been a bad week for traffic congestion in York. Mostly seems to be down to road works with some – like the installation of a new pedestrian crossing on Thanet Road, near the Foxwood Lane junction running several days behind schedule.

The Councils twitter links seem to be off the pace with neither @iTravel nor @york_travel ‏offering much help.

You can check traffic conditions before setting out by visiting this web page https://roadworks.org/

Click for update

Three party contest for York central seat

With nominations now closed, York will see its first 3 party parliamentary election contest since February 1974.  The absence of Green and UKIP candidates means that there will be a clear right/centre/left choice for voters.

The three candidates are:

  • Nick Love (LibDem)
  • Rachael Maskell (Labour)
  • Ed Young (Conservative)

In 1974 Labour won the seat (on slightly different boundaries). Labour have only lost once since then but face an uphill task on 8th June not least because of their poor national image.

It’s a new recycling day in parts of York

It looks like most residents in affected streets have put their recycling out for collection today.

This is the first day of the new recycling calendar in York which in some areas means that recycling is collected on a different day from green bin emptying (which also starts again this week).

Collections started at 7:00am

Green and grey bin emptying dates have not been changed.

For background to the changes click here

You can check which is your recycling day by clicking here

 

 

 

Rubbish and recycling collections in York over Christmas and New Year

christmas-tree-recycling-trash-fl-560x400All households in York will have a rubbish collection the week before and the week after Christmas (weeks beginning 19 December and 2 January).

There are no rubbish or recycling collections during the week beginning 26 December.

We are also taking extra festive recycling too including greeting cards, paper, wrapping paper (non foil), cardboard, plastic bottles, tins or glass. All you need to do is place them in separate untied clear bags or open boxes with your recycling, or simply take them to a recycling site.

Real Christmas trees and wreaths can also be taken to our recycling sites at Hazel Court HWRC or Towthorpe HWRC.

It’s important that your bins or boxes are presented by 7am on the day of your collection, but no earlier than 7pm the evening before.

To check your collection dates visit www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup . Rubbish and recycling calendars have been sent to all households and can also be downloaded via the ‘refuse look up’ link. Or, to get alerts sent direct to your phone to remind you of your next collection day download the free One Planet York app.

If you live in the city centre and St Nick’s collects your recycling, you will receive details about those service changes soon.  Collections due on Monday 26 December will be done Thursday 29 December and collections due on Tuesday 27 December will be done Friday 30 December.All other days will be as normal.

To find out more about what can be recycled and where, visit: www.york.gov.uk/recyclin

York backs national homelessness campaign

 City of York Council is supporting national Homelessness Awareness Week (30 November to 8 December 2016) to highlight the support and advice available to people to help them into secure homes.

This annual week of social, educational and awareness-raising events across the country, aims to highlight homelessness and the continued efforts of organisations and staff to support people at risk of homelessness or who are homeless.

Here in York, a multi-agency partnership continues to call for people to support the city’s homeless charities who tirelessly support people off the street all year round. The partnership asks people not to give direct to anyone on the streets but to please donate direct to the expert charities.

For the campaign, an easy and safe way of giving to local homeless charities is being promoted and people who wish to help are asked to give £3 by texting ‘York33£3’ to ‘70070’.
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Which school in York?

School childrenAll admissions authorities in the City of York area are consulting parents and carers on new policies and the number of places available for the school year starting in September 2018.

The consultation includes all admissions policies for church schools, academies and local authority maintained schools, and includes the planned number of places available at each school in the year of entry to primary, junior, secondary schools and sixth forms. The views of parents, carers, schools as well as governors, teachers and other interested parties are being sought before the closing date of 16 December 2016.

The fairness and accessibility of information available, application processes, planned admission numbers, admission policies and oversubscription criteria are all currently being consulted on. All comments from participants will be forwarded to the relevant admissions authority for their consideration before the arrangements are agreed.
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