Suicide levels in York – Council acts

antidepressants_suicide A Council meeting will also assess a five year audit of suicides in the city, between 2010 and 2014 which looked at all deaths in York in which the coroner concluded that it was death by suicide.  The audit was conducted in line with national guidance in order to enable better understanding of the pattern of suicide in the city.

The findings highlight the fact that the number of suicides in York is above the national and regional average and looks to inform suicide prevention work and activities and feed into a future suicide prevention plan.

Recommendations on suicide prevention which will be discussed at the meeting will include:

  • ·        Work towards achieving formal ‘Suicide Safer Community’ accreditation
  • ·        Develop a suicide prevention framework for York
  • ·        Undertake a regular programme of suicide audits
  • ·        Develop ‘suicide surveillance’ and real time ‘early alert’ processes to improve the multi-agency response
  • ·        Provide more responsive support arrangements to those affected by suicide
  • ·        Ensure that those people who are affected by suicide are able to have their views and experiences heard

The report follows a conference held last month which launched an ambition for York to be a Suicide-Safer community and part of a Mental Health Friendly County.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care and Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board said: “Suicide devastates the lives of individuals, families and communities. This audit and meeting will look at how we as a city can improve our suicide prevention work and better support our residents. It is important that we talk about suicide and that as a council we continue to work with partners across the city to prevent suicides.”

Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health at City of York Council said: “Every suicide is a tragedy and City of York Council takes the issue of suicide and preventing deaths by suicide very seriously. This audit, which is in line with national best practice, reviews every death between 2010 and 2014 where the coroners outcome was suicide. The audit provides an opportunity to discuss suicide prevention and find areas where we as a city can improve the support available, which will feed into our suicide prevention plan, and I would like to thank officers and partners who supported this work.”
(more…)

Extra Christmas Park & Ride services

There will be extended Park & Ride (P&R) services on Thursdays and Boxing Day.

Park and ride busesIn the lead up to Christmas, the council is working with First York to provide a late night shopping service on all Park&Ride routes every Thursday, with the last bus leaving the city centre on all routes at around 9.30pm. For exact timings visit www.itravelyork.info.

The extended service will run from Thursday 17 November to coincide with the biggest Christmas market in York’s calendar – York Christmas Festival (which includes St Nicholas Fair), which runs between 17 November and 23 December.

In addition to this, passengers will also be able to take advantage of travel on Boxing Day on three P&R routes (standard fares apply):

  • Askham Bar (white line – route 3) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Tower Street at 6.40pm
  • Designer Outlet (red line – route 7) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Rougier Street at 6.40pm
  • Monks Cross (silver line – route 9) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Rougier Street at 6.40pm

All three services will operate at a 15 minute frequency throughout the day for all passengers and will serve all bus stops along the route.

 

To find out more about the Christmas bus offer or to find the best bus route through York, try out the council’s  i-Travel York online Journey Planner at www.itravelyork.info

Crime levels increase by 11% in York in one year. 

The figures have been released today by ONS reveal that in the York safer partnership area 11,997 offences were recorded.

This compared to a total of 10.794 in the previous 12 months.

The latest results cover the period to June 2016.

Overall crime in North Yorkshire increased by 6%.white-collar-crime-1

The largest increases were in

  • Bicycle theft up 35%
  • Vehicle offences up 28%
  • Violence up 26% and
  • Non domestic burglary up 25%

There were reductions in

  • Possession of weapons (down 32%)
  • Theft from person (down 19%) and
  • Shoplifting (down 6%)

There was also a small reduction in domestic burglary

The were 408 public order offences recorded in the City.

The figures are bound to increase pressure on the North Yorkshire Crime and Police Commissioner who was criticised for delaying the recruitment of additional police officers because of budget concerns. Those concerns didn’t materialise, leaving the  force under manned. Recruitment has only recently started again.

With a third of all crime in the North Yorkshire area taking place in York, Councillors should be asking for more officers to be allocated to the City and for the tried and tested Community Constable policing model to be brought back.

Community Constables were allocated to specific wards and got to know local residents and neighbourhood crime black spots. The system was abandoned in favour of centralised units around 3 years ago.

In response to a recent survey in the Westfield Ward, only 15% of residents were able to name a neighbourhood Police or Community Support Officer.

crime comparison 2016

ONS crime comparative figures 20th Oct 2016

 

York Council to discuss “Private Sector Housing Strategy”

rural-housingCity of York Council’s Private Sector Housing Strategy has been reviewed and refreshed following the publication of new evidence, the results of recent council and Government consultation, discussion at the council’s recent health and housing summit and feedback from a council Scrutiny Committee. The strategy is now being submitted for approval, alongside the outcome of the previous strategy 2008-13, to Executive on 30 June 2016, it takes account of:

The new evidence base for private sector stock from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) – including a Health Impact Assessment – has been added to the strategy to ensure it focuses on the issues causing the most impact on the health of the occupants and on maintaining and managing private sector rented housing to a high standard.

The recent government consultation on extending Houses in  Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing, the council’s response to that together with its own proposed approach towards HMO licensing has also been updated in the report. Comments and views made by members of the Private Sector Strategy steering group and of the Scrutiny Committee which met on 9May 2016 to discuss this matter have been taken into consideration.

As private housing forms 86 per cent of the city’s total housing stock, the strategy has been developed with partners since 2003. Achievements during the life of the most recent strategy include: (more…)

York and North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner election result

The was no change as a result of yesterdays election.

The result was virtually identical to that seen in 2012.

PCC advice centre

 

The turnout was slightly higher with 22% voting. However this was influenced by the fact that electors also went to the polls in local elections in two Districts in North Yorkshire.

4 out of 5 electors in York failed to cast their ballot. 

Ex Factum seeks York’s lost amphitheatre!

The legend of where York’s long lost Roman amphitheatre lies beneath the city is to be battled out at Ex Factum!gladiators_1689905i

This one-off event is recruiting teams to pinpoint where this legendary venue could be, on Thursday 9 June.

Gladiators fought, rebels were executed and the Emperor may have addressed the VI Legion in the city’s amphitheatre. Now, some 2,000 years after it could have been built, City of York Council, York Museum’s Trust and AOC Archaeology Group are inviting ten teams to join Ex Factum and pitch their brilliant and best theories of where the amphitheatre’s remains could be.

The team that gets the biggest thumbs up from the public for its most convincing and entertaining arguments will win Ex Factum. The top team will have the chance to research its idea for the arena’s location in greater depth with the help of a professional archaeologist who can unearth specialist resources and share trade secrets.

Anyone – inquisitive residents, experts in the field or informed amateurs – is invited to take part in the Ex Factum search in any of three ways:

• Put together a team to argue the case to an audience on 9 June at the Yorkshire Museum. You will have just eight minutes to convince the audience where the amphitheatre is and how it can be found. If the team wants an archaeologist to help them, they’ll be given a professional mentor – just like that well-known talent show! With places for just 10 teams available, tell us why yours should be chosen before the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday 18 May. Choose a likely location to explore and register the team’s details on www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com

  • • Create a poster – A2 maximum size – showing where the amphitheatre is located and what it looked like. There will be special Roman prizes for the best posters/ drawings for the under 10s, under 18s, and over 18s. Submit the finished poster or drawing before Thursday 26 May at 5pm.
  • • Vote for your favourite location – either by joining the audience at the Yorkshire Museum on 9 June at 6:30 pm – book your free tickets at www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com – or vote remotely on the website.
    All the details of how teams can sign up and posters can be submitted at www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com . Here too, tickets can be booked to the presentation and voting event at the Yorkshire Museum on 9 June at 6:30pm is set out. A stash of information sheets and links to further resources can also be found at the website.

Councillor Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said:
(more…)

Happy New Year York

Happy new Year MinsterWe’ll get over the flood problems quickly and make a fresh start!

and below our favourite “stories” from 2015

Today’s riddle for seniors… Here is the situation:

You are on a horse, galloping at a constant speed

On your right side is a sharp drop-off.

On your left side is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you.

Directly in front of you is a galloping kangaroo and your horse is unable to overtake it.

Behind you is a lion running at the same speed as you and the kangaroo.

What must you do to get out of this highly dangerous situation?

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

Get off the merry-go-round and go home, you silly old bugger!

Gone but not forgotten

Gone but not forgotten

 

and finally

Once upon a time there was a king who wanted to go fishing, so he  called the royal weather forecaster in for a weather update for the next few hours.

 The weatherman assured him that there was no chance of rain in the coming days.

 So the king happily went off fishing with his wife, the queen. On the way they met a farmer on his donkey. Upon seeing the king the farmer said, “Your Majesty, you should return to the palace at once because in just a short time I expect a huge downpour in this area.“

 The king was polite and considerate, he replied, “I hold the palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an extensively educated and experienced professional. Besides, I pay him very high wages. He gave me a very different forecast. I trust him and I will continue on my way,” and so he did.

 However, a short time later torrential rain fell from the heavens and the King and Queen were totally soaked.  Their entourage chuckled upon seeing them in such a non-regal condition.

 Furious, the king returned to the palace and gave orders to fire the weatherman at once!

 Then he summoned the farmer and offered him the prestigious role of royal forecaster.

 The humble farmer said, “Your Majesty, I do not know anything about forecasting. I obtain my information from my donkey. If I see my donkey’s ears drooping, it means with certainty that it will rain.”

 So the king hired the donkey and cut out the middle man – a fine enduring tradition in rich circles.

 And thus also began the time-honored practice of hiring asses to work in the government’s highest paid and most influential positions!

 

Flooding in York – latest from the Environment Agency

Flood Warnings have been issued for the River Ouse at York for Skeldergate and Peckitt Street, St Georges Field, and Riverside Properties.

The current river level at the York Viking Recorder is 4.26m or 13 feet 12 inches and slowly rising. Levels are expected to peak between 4.3m or 14 feet and 1 inch, and 4.4m or 14 feet 5 inches during Monday.

We will see showery rain on Monday and we are expecting further rain overnight into Tuesday.

Our Incident Response teams are on 24 hour duty.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update this forecast as new information becomes available.

Situation last changed 7:45am Monday 07 December 2015

Ouse 0932 7th Dec 2015

Latest York Flood alert from the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency has issued an update saying that flood levels could reach 4.5 metres by Monday afternoon.

They are not expected to reach 2012 levels.

The flood warnings for the River Ouse at York riverside properties and St George’s Field remain in force due to rising levels on the Ouse in response to rain in the upper catchments. The current river level at the York Viking Recorder is 3.62m or 11 feet 11 inches. We are expecting the River Ouse to rise during Sunday. Currently we expect the peak to be during Monday afternoon and evening at around 4.2m to 4.5m or 13 feet 9 inches to 14 feet 9 inches. Our Incident Response teams are on 24 hour duty. We will continue to monitor the situation and update this forecast as new information becomes available. 

Situation last changed 10:03am Sunday 06 December 2015

Follow the environment Agency on Twitter https://twitter.com/EnvAgencyYNE

Live York river level gauge here https://twitter.com/riverlevel_1900

click to access live cam

click to access live cam

Serious flooding can be expected if the top of the no entry sign disappears underwater.