Community Stadium – unanswered questions to get public airing

Call for business case and Yearsley guarantee

Stadium Project

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for guarantees over the future of Yearsley Pool and more information on the financial plan for York’s Community Stadium.

The Lib Dems have ‘called-in’ the Labour Cabinet’s decision last week to approve plans for York’s Community Stadium.

The decision will now be re-considered at a cross-party scrutiny meeting on Friday 26th September.

Under the latest plans for the stadium and leisure complex at Huntington, total costs for the scheme rise to £37m and the Council will borrow an extra £4m towards financing the project.

The plans have been attacked by users of Yearsley Pool, which could close under the proposals, and York City Knights, whose chairman says the scheme would leave the club “70% worse off”.
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Unemployment numbers down in York

Figures released today (17 September) by the Office for National Statistics have shown the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) has fallen by 42.8 per cent since August 2013.

Today’s figures means the number of claimants in York has fallen for the sixth consecutive month.

The statistics show there to be 1,441 claimants in York, a decrease of 75 from last month.

The claimant count represents 1.1 per cent of the working population contrasts to the regional average which stands at 3 per cent.

The figures are also much lower than the national average which is currently 2.3 per cent.

Today’s figures mean there are 1,010 less claimants than in August 2013.

 

York Council urged to come clean on Green waste charges

Andrew and Green bin

Westfield Liberal Democrat campaigner Andrew Waller is demanding that Labour-led City of York Council comes clean on whether it plans to introduce charges for green waste collections.

He has sought an assurance that ruling Labour councillors have no plans to introduce a charge covering all green bin collections. At present, residents are charged £35 annually for the collection of a second green bin.

Local Liberal Democrats have highlighted a fall in recycling rates, which has been linked to the scrapping of green waste collections between November and March, and the closure of the well-used Beckfield Lane recycling centre. The tip’s closure in 2012 was ordered by Westfield Labour councillor Dafydd Williams when he was the Cabinet member for Environment.

Andrew Waller commented:

“Local residents are rightly angry that the council spent £13,000 on leaflets and stickers telling them that green bin collections are free, when we already knew that because it’s what we pay our council tax for. It would be an outrage if Labour were to now perform a u-turn and introduce charges for all green bin collection.

“Many people I have met in recent months are fed up with the green bin collections stopping before the leaves fall, especially now that they don’t have the option of going to Beckfield Lane tip. People who swept up leaves in public areas were doing the council and public a service by dealing with them before they became a slip hazard – but now their green bins are full from the end of October until March.

“I am concerned that any new charge brought in would lead to a further increase in fly-tipping, which of course costs money to clean up.

“People will not put up with any more decisions being made behind closed doors and so I am challenging James Alexander’s Cabinet to rule it out now. They have taken a service which was part of York’s strength as a green city, and trashed it.”

Andrew Waller to fight Westfield by election for LibDems

2011 runner up needs just 139 extra votes to win critical seat

Andrew Waller head and shoulders

Former Council Leader and long term Westfield Ward representative, Andrew Waller is the Liberal Democrat choice to contest the Westfield ward by election on Thursday 16th October.

A vacancy was caused by the recent death of Cllr Lynn Jeffries.

The impact of the election is likely to be felt far beyond the boundaries of the Westfield ward with the Council currently tied.

23 Labour Councillors face 23 opposition party representatives since another Councillor quit the Labour Group last week.

Who ever wins the by election will influence whether Labour regain an overall majority or whether opposition groups – when they vote together – will be able to defeat them.

There has been some speculation that a LibDem win would mean the Councils Cabinet being restructured to ensure that all parties have a seat round the table.

In 2011 Andrew Waller came within 140 votes of retaining the seat which had previously been held by the Liberal Democrats.

Andrew, 45, was councillor for the ward until May 2011. Since then he has kept in touch with people issuing a regular FOCUS newsletter. He has kept working for the local community and recently completed a 6000 household doorstep public opinion survey.

Andrew lives in the heart of the ward on Askham Lane, and is Treasurer of Chapelfields Community Association (which runs Sanderson House Community Centre), and a School Governor at both the Westfield Primary and York High Schools.

He has worked for Rowntrees and Great North Eastern Railway in the past.

He jointly set up the Acomb Traders Association (Acomb Alive!) which promotes business in the Front Street shopping area.

He has campaigned on local services, including protecting community centres, and Energise Sports Centre.

A keen cyclist, he is often spotted in his distinctive yellow jacket around the ward recording problems that need sorting out.

A fuller biography is available by clicking here

Votes per party AW