The Council are now claiming in a media release that housing and benefits advice session at Foxwood Community Centre (Wednesdays) and Chapelfields (Thursday) will continue.

The statement comes only 3 weeks after the closure of the services was announced following a private meeting involving the Corporate Services Cabinet member see http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=3722

The decision made was that “face to face” service was to be withdrawn and a “telephone hot line” substituted.

The decision was criticised by disability campaigners who pointed out that’s such facilities were unsuitable for deaf people.

However a media release issued today http://www.york.gov.uk/news/latestNews/PR3148 claims that the sessions are to continue.

We understand that an agreement over the installation of telephone contact lines at the community buildings has proved to be problematic and that Council staff will continue to visit the Foxwood and Chapelfields centres.

Advice sessions at the Acomb Explore library have already been discontinued.

An additional service at Westfield Junior School (Childrens centre) on Askham Lane is promised for the new year.

“The housing sessions are for residents – including those who are also council tenants – to talk to estate managers about matters including anti-social behaviour, estate improvements as well as the council’s housing services. No appointments are needed: people can simply drop in every Monday between 1-4pm from 7th January 2013”.

“The finance sessions are for all, in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). They give people weekly opportunities to meet money experts locally to discuss welfare benefits, money management, dealing with debt and returning to work. For an appointment on Fridays between 9.30am-12:30pm with the CAB Family Money Advice at Westfield Childrens’ Centre, ring the CAB on 01904 683 908”.

The coalition government has acted to address the declining quality of roads and footpaths in York.

Problems have been increasing since the Labour controlled Council, announced a £2.6 million reduction in the highways maintenance budget (56%) in February 2012.

Now the City will get a boost of nearly £500,000 over the next 2 years. See http://tinyurl.com/York-highways-grant

The funding will not return investment levels to those seen when the LibDems were in control of the York Council but it should help to address the deterioration evident on some roads.

The roads that will benefit are not yet known and eyes will be turned to the Councils own resurfacing budget which may still be subject to further cuts.

People living in social housing who have a spare bedroom will find any housing benefit claim reduced by about £40 to £80 a month next April under welfare reforms.

Those who are overcrowded, on the other hand, will be able to move to a larger property without any additional financial burden.

The change affects all social housing in the City.

The York Council has now admitted in response to a Freedom of Information request that it will not know who might be affected by the change until February. They are awaiting a “software” upgrade.
This would make it virtually impossible for tenants to relocate to smaller property by the deadline.

The government says the “under-occupancy” penalty will protect taxpayers from having to pay for a two or three-bedroom house for a single person

The change will mean that anyone in social housing – which includes both housing association and council housing – with a spare bedroom will lose 14% of their housing benefit or 25% if they have two spare rooms.

Although there are some one bedroomed properties available in York there is growing concern that some individual tenants are still not aware of the change that is in the pipeline.

Families on the housing waiting list may also have to wait longer before they can move into one of the larger properties which may be freed up by the change.

First buses have confirmed that the bus stop at the Foxwood Lane shops WILL NOT BE MOVED.

Claims that the stop would be relocated were made in the media last week following complaints about buses “stacking” at the new number 4 route terminus. This had affected access to parking and visibility lines at the pedestrian crossing.

It has now been confirmed that a “timing” point will be established on Cornlands Road. This is intended to even out the gaps between services and prevent “bunching”.

The service between Acomb and Foxwood Lane remains at a 15 minute frequency. Cornlands Road to the City centre (via Foxwood Lane) has 8 buses an hour during the day.

Other bus services are not affected.

A national charity will launch England’s first Recovery College in York to support people overcoming alcohol and substance misuse.

Through the college, the Wired Into Recovery charity will train people who are successfully recovering from addiction, to support others going through the recovery process. It follows the principle than an individual can heal themselves, heal their family and heal their community.

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