York police are appealing for the public’s help to trace Robert John Steele.
Steele, age 28, is wanted after failing to appear at court for his trial in connection with the importation of illegal drugs.
Steele, whose last known address was in the Tang Hall area of York, failed to appear at Plymouth Crown Court on 3 April 2013 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He is also believed to have connections in the Leeds area.
York residents have until Wednesday (1 May) to potentially save hundreds of pounds on their gas and electricity bills.
Through the region’s largest ever mass energy switch, residents could save around £115 a year through signing up to the free scheme, which could lower prices and reduce their overall energy costs.
The York Council is set to agree next week to outsource its warden call and equipment loan services.
The enterprise will be employee owned although the Council will retain a stake. It will be the first of its type in the country.
The Council provides a 24 hour monitoring and response service (Warden Call) to approximately 3,000 customers in York.
The Telecare service has over 1,600 customers who have at least one piece of Telecare equipment installed.
The Community Equipment Loan Store provides 46,046 pieces of equipment to people with mobility problems.
Against the background of increased competition, the Council claims that an employee owned company would be more responsive to customer needs
The new organisation will not be a charity. Hence it will have to charge VAT on its services and will have to pay corporation tax.
The financial forecast shows the new organisation gradually slipping into the red over a 5 year business plan period.
Charges increase by about 5% per year and the assumed growth in the number of customers is out between 5% and 8%.
There are currently around 1200 customers who do not pay for the service because they have limited incomes. The Council’s financial contribution gradually reduces over the 5 year period.
Critically, the new organisation would be competing in the commercial sector.
For example O2’s “Help at Hand” services charges £99 for handset plus £20 a month. But this system gives you GPS tracking, one touch button connecting to a specialised support centre and an automatic sensor if you have a fall.
EU legislation normally requires contracts like these to be let competitively. It seems that the Council does not intend to invite tenders.
It is unclear what will happen to existing customers if the new enterprise fails
All in all, this does look to be a risky strategy for the Council to adopt.
The existing services get very high customer satisfaction ratings so the only reason to fundamentally change the nature of the organisation would be to reduce expenditure.
Customers of the service will rightly be anxious about the quality of service that they can expect over the next few years.
Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council. Full details can be found by clicking by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site. Click here.
Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.
• Location: 77 Tudor Road York YO24 3AY Ref No: 13/00948/FUL Proposal: Two storey side extension Applicant: Mr Brett Gilchrist Contact Mr J Funnell Consultation Expiry Date20 May 2013Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level DEL
Council officials are recommending that the City invest £1.7 million of taxpayer’s money in a new Leeds City Region development fund.
The fund is being set up to support economic development in the West Riding, York and Harrogate.
It is hoped that the Revolving Investment Fund will have £500 million available to subsidise the Leeds City Region.
Officials say that, “The Fund would be maintained and grown by investing in commercially viable projects and leveraging match-funding, to gain the greatest returns with which to reinvest in further projects”.
The York contribution would come from the £20 million Economic Investment Fund set up by the present York Council.
This fund has been heavily criticised as it increases the debt costs of the Council.
Taxpayers will have to fund the debt in future years.
There is no guarantee under the new arrangements that the City will ever recover its contribution to the new “Revolving Investment Fund”
The donation from York is in addition to the £500,000 slated to be given to the Leeds “Transport Fund”
