£19,000 was allocated to be spent during the last financial year by the Council in “deprived” wards.

The Council’s web site described the fund as being “designed to be used to commission new services, either from within the Council or from other partners / sectors, to deliver on priorities identified in wards with the highest levels of deprivation. In line with the Financial Inclusion Strategy the credits pot has been distributed to Acomb, Clifton, Heworth, Hull Road and Westfield to supplement the ward budgets”.

The move came in the wake of a decision to reduce Ward committee funding by 90%. This was money that had been allocated to deal with local problems.

It was prioritised through a popular ballot each year.

The Council have now published a list of how they claim the £19,000 pot was used last year.

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Heworth ward – credit pot allocation was £4255 + Hull Road ward – credit pot allocation was £3310 –

• These two pots of money were combined to create confidential meeting spaces within Tang Hall Community Centre to support the delivery of services to support local people with a particular focus on financial inclusion.

Clifton ward – credit pot allocation was £4200 – allocated is a series of grants as follows:

• £1500 to Treemendous in partnership with Clifton RA to plant trees in the ward

• £100 to pay for started costs for a group of parents to meet about volunteering their time to improve Ashton Park

• £1100 to Clifton Parish Church for their Hope Community Cafe

• £1500 to Greenfields Community Garden to promote healthy eating initiatives

Guildhall ward – credit pot allocation was £2791 –

• this was given as a grant to Door 84 to improve accessibility and promotion of opportunities within the community space to local people

Westfield ward – credit pot allocation was £4219 – allocated in a series of grants as follows:

• £1200 to Foxwood Management Committee – Gazebos and storage facilities to enable more community events to take place outdoors and ensure more use of the Foxwood Field.

• £1000 to Chapelfields Community Association – help new groups get established at the centre and help with advertising and equipment

• £1000 to support the ADAM festival, £500 of this money must be spent on young peoples activities

• £500 to Acomb Bowling Club – to help with green maintenance and to produce a newsletter for residents and open for all to try

• £500 to Gateway Church – for a 14 week course for 14-16 year olds helping them to make informed decisions about sex and relationships

There will be some eyebrow raising grants in that list. Essential projects such as servicing salt bins and providing improved parking arrangements seemed to have been abandoned in favour of cosmetic improvements and schemes the success of which will be impossible to measure.

The Council says that the responsible portfolio holder is Councillor D Williams. Funding for the 2013/14 year will be allocated through a decision to be taken by the Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods.

Yet there is no record on the council web site of any decision meeting for the 2012/13 programme of works.

It remains unclear how ordinary residents can influence the use of the funds available in their ward

Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council. Full details can be found by clicking the reference below or by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site.

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.

Ref No: 13/00843/FUL Location: 1A Plantation Drive York YO26 6AD Proposal: First floor extension to side, single storey side extension and loft conversion with additional window to rear Applicant: Miss E Savage Consultation Expiry Date: 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

Ref No: 13/01071/FUL Location: 71 Albion Avenue York YO26 5QZ Proposal: Two storey side and rear extension and single storey rear extension and porch to front (resubmission) Applicant: Mrs E Duffy Contact: Mr Peter Goss Consultation Expiry Date: 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

In a snap poll, conducted in the Acomb area, 80% of respondents have come out against closing Lendal Bridge to private cars at the present time.

Most of the other respondents were undecided on the issue.

The poll was conducted by the Liberal Democrats over the weekend as part of their reaction to the new Local Plan published by the Labour led Council 3 weeks ago.

The Council is due to decide this evening whether to introduce the ban on private car access between 10:30am and 5:00pm – effective from August 2013.

But there has been no consultation with residents or traders on the issue.

It has been pointed out that the A1237 – one of the alternative routes for motorists – will be heavily congested at that time because of ongoing road works at the A59 junction.

The poll result reflects the numbers signing petitions on the Council’s web site.

By Tuesday morning 609 residents had signed in opposition to the bridge closure

A rival petition, supporting the closure, had attracted 103 supporters

The Liberal Democrats had called for a more cautious approach to major decisions like this one and the equally unpopular plan to introduce a Citywide 20 mph speed limit.