Latest news: see comments below.

Please click on the comments link below to read the latest news on the bike shelter. 

You will have seen the new bike rack shelter that have been installed by the City of York Council next to the Library. Apparently this meets its policy of encouraging library staff and users to cycle to the library.

Both the Millennium Trust and the Bishopthorpe Parish Council have objected to this latest intrusion, installed without any forewarning, and are in contact with the Council over the matter. 

Apparently there has been some internal discussion within the Council, and despite objections, the Council has now requested retrospective planning permission for the shed.

If you think that it is about time that the Council stopped messing about with our village, particularly its Conservation Area for which special rules are supposed to apply: that it should not install a bike facility as there is already one at the library; should not waste its money; or should listen when people say that we should draw up a proper plan for the village centre as has been suggested by the Bishopthorpe@Crossroads scheme, then write or call to object to the planning permission.

Should the bike rack be located elsewhere? 

Ref No: 05/02770/GRG3
Location: Bishopthorpe Library Main Street Bishopthorpe York YO23 2RB
Proposal: Erection of bike shelter

David Gamble tel: (01904) 551657

or fill in the online form at

http://www.york.gov.uk/contact/planningobject.html 

Meanwhile let us recall the Council's own words from its Highways Design guide:

New development should preserve or enhance the architectural or historic character or appearance of Conservation Areas and should respect the character and setting of Listed Buildings and of adjacent Conservation Areas.

New development in village Conservation Areas should generally respect the predominant form of the particular village and a standardised approach to highway design and detailing is unlikely to be appropriate. ... the highway must be designed to reflect the character of the area.

 Last November, the old sundial was taken down from the Bishopthorpe Co-operative building so that it could be restored.   Since then sundial restorer Harriet James has been carefully removing many layers of paint and photographing each stage of the procedure.

Harriet says she found that some of the lower layers of paint seemed to reverse the black and white scheme we are familiar with. The oldest layers were limewash. This photograph shows the dial as we've never seen it before - the plain carved stone face with some traces of paint and the earliest layer of limewash. The re-painting of the dial has now been completed using creamy-white and black paint, imitating the original scheme as much as possible. 

Unfortunately the gnomon (shadow caster) was beyond repair, although photographs have revealed that it had been restored earlier in the twentieth century. A new gnomon is being made. Find out more about the restoration and history of the sundial here.

Dateline Tuesday 21st February, 0830 hours

Today in Bishopthorpe the much disputed bike rack was being dismantled as common sense prevailed.

Going.... 

 and nearly gone...

but only as far as the junior infant school, where the bike rack is being re-erected as further encouragement of green and healthy travel to school.