York Council cuts meals for elderly

Lunch off menu at Gale Farm Court, Barstow House etc

Elderly

The Council is stopping  serving of lunch for residents in its sheltered accommodation units.

Potentially all sheltered units are affected and letters have gone out today to affected tenants.

Although the Council claims to have consulted about the planned withdrawal of the service, in reality most residents thought they were being told about changes to how the meals would be provided.

The termination of the service therefore comes as a shock.

It is partly a legacy of the social care budget scandal that became public earlier in the year.

The Cabinet member with responsibility for the service lost her job at that time but now it seems that vulnerable elderly people are the ones who will suffer.

The social side of the mid day meal is particularly valued by many residents of sheltered accommodation who otherwise can become isolated in their own flats.Behind closed doors logo

The decision appears to have been taken behind closed door. There was no public discussion about the options available to the Council and affected residents.

Earlier in the year concerns were raised about hygiene standards at some care homes in York

Sheltered units with extra care  in York include (click for details)

  1. Barstow House
  2. Gale Farm Court
  3. Glen Lodge
  4. Marjorie Waite Court

York Schools get their teeth into York Food Festival

Over 600 children from primary schools across the city will be taking part in the York Food Festival later this month (19-29 September).

The youngsters will take part in hands-on workshops at the Guildhall and in St Sampson’s Square including herb planting with Stockbridge Technology Centre, a ‘Let’s Talk Farming’ NFU Roadshow (www.nfuonline.com/back-british-farming/lets-talk-farming-roadshow/) and Pasta Making with the Festival team.
(more…)

Sporting Memories links with York City Knights

York City Knights RLFC is the latest partner to join City of York Council and the Sporting Memories Network in an initiative to help increase awareness of dementia in the community.

York’s rugby league fans are being encouraged to support the project by sharing their memories at the York City Knights’ ‘End of an Era’ game on Sunday 7 September at 3pm, officially their final league game of the season and their last at Huntington Stadium.
(more…)

The world’s first electric retrofitted double decker sight seeing bus launches in York!

One of York’s renowned City Sightseeing buses has become the first double-decker bus in the world to get an electric makeover, thanks to a government grant.

Electric bus

Electric bus

The City Sightseeing bus, operated by Transdev, will be in operation from September after becoming the first double decker to be converted from diesel to pure electric with lithium ion batteries, similar to those used by mobile phones.

The company got  £75,433 in October 2013 to convert the 15-year old City Sightseeing bus to fully electric drive, after successfully bidding for the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Clean Bus Technology Fund. The bus will travel all day without needing to charge.

Baroness Kramer (LibDem Transport Minister) said: “This is the first electric double decker bus conversion in the World. This Sightseeing bus will not only showcase York’s many attractions, but also the huge benefits that low carbon vehicles can bring to our cities.

“The UK is leading the electric charge when it comes to plug-in transport. I am delighted to see York sharing our vision, fully supporting an industry which is also a driver for economic growth, while bringing important environmental benefits such as an improved air quality”.

The electric retrofitted bus will eliminate the emission of 33 tons of CO2 and more than 535kg of poisonous NOx per year and will also reduce operating costs of the vehicle by more than £20k per year.
(more…)

Traffic arrangements for Sky Ride York

On Sunday 14 September Sky Ride York will take to the city’s historic streets in partnership with City of York Council, British Cycling and Sky.

Due to the size and scale of the event there will be a number of temporary traffic and transport changes to ensure the safety of everyone taking part.

The last similar event caused some serious traffic problems in the City.

Sky-Ride-Cycling-York-2013-5-©-OneOther-345x230

The traffic free route, starting at Clifford’s Tower will see cyclists follow the riverside cycle path before they cross Millennium Bridge taking them past Rowntree Park where the annual Festival of Cycling will be taking place. Riders can then continue along Terry Avenue and Skeldergate before turning left and crossing over Lendal Bridge. They will then ride past the iconic York Minster and weave through the city centre before reaching the hub at Clifford’s Tower.
(more…)

York Council struggles with £3 million overspend prediction

A Council report has pointed to a possible £3 million overspend on its budget this year.

Over budget

The main area of concern is a potential over spend on the direct provision of care packages to vulnerable residents.

These include Non Residential Care Packages (£649k), Emergency Placements (£92k) and Short Term Breaks (£116k).

The Council intends to throw the whole of its budget contingency (£600,000) into this service area but is showing little sign so far of being able to recover from the financial breakdown revealed by auditors earlier in the year.

There is also a continued shortfall from parking income of £400,000.

As the published figures cover the period up to the end of June, they do not include the impact of current parking initiatives, including the charges for Minster Badges, the free parking introduced in late June and pay-on-exit at Marygate.

All of these are now expected to further reduce car parking income