Have your say on Burton Stone Community Centre’s future

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

The council is inviting local residents and interested parties to have their say on plans for Burton Stone Community Centre and proposals for new community facilities.

The discussions come two years after the, then Labour controlled, Council announced that the centre was to be leased off.

At an open meeting on Tuesday 29 March, City of York Council will set out how other areas of the city have seen communities benefit from redevelopment of out of date buildings. The first stage of consultation will focus on residents’ local needs for community venues and suggestions for future development of the site.

Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for the Environment said: “The council has given a clear commitment to the residents of the Clifton area that there will continue to be a community base in their neighbourhood. Last July, the council restored £70,000 to support council run community centres to show our commitment. We are now launching a consultation with existing user groups and local residents to discuss a long-term plan so that they have facilities fit for the 21st century.

“Community facilities have an important role to play in local neighbourhoods and in this first stage of consultation we want to understand local residents’ needs for community space. This is a vital step in developing fit for purpose options for the area, which can be sustained in the long term.

“We would therefore encourage any interested residents to come along and give us their views and suggestions for use of or development of this site.”

Users and representatives from current user groups, including societies, charities and sport, fitness and wellbeing groups have been invited to a separate consultation meeting.

Whilst Burton Stone Community Centre will continue to be operated by the council for the next 12 to 18 months, its condition is deteriorating and maintenance will drain resources. The council is therefore keen to work with the local community to find a long-term solution which will make best use of available funds.

Further information is available online at www.york.gov.uk/burtonstonecc . The open consultation meeting takes place from 6.30-7.30pm at Burton Stone Community Centre, Evelyn Crescent on Tuesday 29 March. Residents who wish to comment can also email their views to Andrew.laslett@york.gov.uk or send them to Andy Laslett, City of York Council, at West Offices by Tuesday 31 May.

Burton Stoned?

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

Another Labour project seems to have gone belly up.

Plans to turn the Burton Stone community centre into a self funding operation appear to have stalled.

The Council said last year that it hoped to use the centre to provide specialist day activities for adults with learning disabilities. The transformation of BSCC into a “Learning Disability Activity Centre and Inclusive Community Centre” was expected to start October.

The specialist use meant that some long term users would have had to find alternative premises.

One group collected a PETITION containing nearly 3000 signatures and handed it to City of York Council.

York Coronary Support Group was spearheading a campaign to persuade City of York Council to continue to fund the Burton Stone Lane Community Centre.

The group had provided fitness exercise classes for three days a week at the Burton Stone Lane community centre for the previous 24 years but has been told plans to change its use will mean its work could no longer continue.

Since the change in Council control in May, there have been no further statements about the future of the centre.

There are 4 other community centres in York which have lost their council support this year (Bell Farm, Tang Hall, Foxwood and Chapelfields). Most are hoping that the promised Council budget review on 16th July will see at least a small grant reinstated.

York Council petitions update

The York Council is to consider an update on 10 petitions received from residents at a meeting taking place on 12th January.

They concern:

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

  • Speeding on Peter Hill Drive
  • Future of Burton Stone Community Centre (2)
  • Installation of speed humps on South Bank Avenue
  • Objections to development site H30 (Local Plan)
  • Need for 20 mph speed limit on Walmgate/Navigation Road
  • Future on York Deaf Society
  • Future of Youth Advice Centre in Castlegate
  • Winter Green Waste collection
  • Future of Groves Chapel
  • Objections to plans to build on Earswick Green Belt (Local Plan)
  • Request for Residents Only parking in Nunthorpe Grove
  • Road safety in Strensall
  • Future of Yearsley Pool
  • Travellers site fees

For more details click here

Petitioners are able to attend the meeting and speak in support of their petition.

The Council has changed the way that it now deals with residents petitions.

The new system involves reports being made to a public Council scrutiny committee.

It is much more transparent than the old system where petitions handed to Council often disappeared from public view for months and sometimes years.

York Council set to increase charges by 3 times inflation rate from Jan 1st

Labour have published a list of the increases in charges that they intend to make from the end of the month.

Bulky waste removal charges increase to £40.

Bulky waste removal charges increase to £40.

Most are around 5% (compared to the current inflation rate of 1.3%)

But there are some huge increases included.

The Burton Stone Community Centre hire charges are set to increase by 25% (main Hall). There will be a suspicion that this increase is a further attempt to drive out users who have already petitioned against the Councils plans for the centre.

Bulky household waste collection charges will get a 9% hike. It will cost £40 to get rid of up to 10 bulky items. Again this may be connected with Labours plans to charge for green bin emptying and to reduce the frequency of bin collections.

A full list can be seen by clicking here. No consultations on the proposals have taken place and the Council’s papers don’t include any indication of the number of users which each service has.

The council claims that the price increase will raise additional income of £146k  in 2015/16. This is mainly from Bereavement Services (£88k) and Registrars (£25k).

Labour will consider further increases in prices in January when car parking, care services and planning charges will be amongst those under consideration.

Increased charges. Click for full list

Increased charges. Click for full list