Cuts to North Yorkshire Police being made by the Tory-led government go too far and too fast - meaning that 200 police officers are being lost.
We've been out on the streets across the city to talk to residents about their concerns, and support Labour's Yorkshire-wide campaign against such harsh cuts to the police. The video above was taken during arecent camapign session in Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without ward.
You can find out more about the campaign, and add your support, over at the Yorkshire and Humber Labour website - just click here.
City of York Council have announced that, alongside Amey, the streetlights partner, work has now started the biggest overhaul of streetlights in York since the Victorian era.
Following approval from the Full Council budget meeting on 23 February to allocate £1million funding to replace streetlights, works are now underway across the city to replace columns, which were removed because they were structurally unsafe and posed an immediate risk to the public.
Cllr Dafydd Williams, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods at City of York Council, said: This programme of works is the biggest overhaul of streetlights in York since the Victorian times.
“We’ve allocated £1 million in this year’s budget to upgrade and replace streetlights that are in need of urgent repair. We’ve also taken into account that a lot of York’s streetlights are antiques that help to provide York’s unique character. So, it’s important that they are replaced right and in order to do this we’re working closely with the Reinvigorate York team on all lights being replaced within the city’s walls and conservation areas.”
According to information provided by the council:
Extensive work has already been undertaken including a citywide survey last year to test over 9,000 steel columns.
As a result of this survey a replacement programme of works has started this month, which will see approximately 1,100 concrete and steel streetlights replaced.
The work to assess the safety of the city’s lighting columns will continue, but works to replace around seven per cent of the total light stock has now begun.
Works are scheduled to take place in each of York’s 22 Ward areas on a priority basis, and the programme of replacement works is estimated to be complete by late summer.
In order to preserve York’s unique character the Reinvigorate board – established to improve and enhance the quality of the city’s public spaces – will meet shortly to discuss and agree the best approach for the types and styles of streetlights to be used in the city centre and the other 34 conservation areas across the city.
The streetlights in conservation area locations will be replaced within the scheduled time and are estimated to start in June or July
The replacement schedule is on the council’s website at: www.york.gov.uk/streetlights and notification signs will be placed in all Ward areas to inform residents of when works will start.
