What’s in a name?

confused1The York Council courted controversy in 2012 when announcing that it was setting up a £28 million Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF)

The controversy centred on the Labour leadership’s decision to add around £20 million to the Council debts by borrowing much of the fund (the rest was to come from the governments “new homes bonus” deal).

Now a report has been published on the Councils “equalities” plan which shows a somewhat cavalier approach to history and consistency.

We are now assured as aprt of a report on “equalities” that the £28 million has been invested in an “Economic Inclusion Fund (EIF)” !!

The fund is actually being used to pay for projects such as:

  • Refurbishment of Kings Square
  • Acquisition of an “Arts Barge”
  • Tour de France start
  • Newgate market refurbishment
  • New City centre bus stops
  • Holgate Road bridge into the York central site (“bridge to nowhere”)
  • Paving a small section of Fossgate
  • Paving the entrance to Hungate

 

Very little of this expenditure has contributed to a reduction in “inequalities” in the City.

When the Council comes to discuss the plan, no doubt someone will point out that the Equalities plan is already over 12 months behind scheduled.

Inventing links to existing – borderline reckless – capital expenditure decisions is disingenuous in the extreme.

Disabled scooter riders seek dropped kerb on Martin Cheeseman Court

Disabled residents living in flats in the Martin Cheeseman Court area have asked the Council to provide a dropped kerb.

Location of proposed dropped kerb

Location of proposed dropped kerb

At present those elderly people, who rely on battery powered scooters to get around, have difficulty getting off the footpath.

Cllr Andrew Waller has been asked to intervene and ensure that a dropped kerb is added to the forward works programme.

New Cornlands play area a hit with children but….

…………litter still a major problem

Cornlands park children playing

The new play equipment, installed by the local residents association, in the Cornlands park is proving to be a success with local children.

Unfortunately the Council have not only removed the dog proof fence but have failed to provide either a “poop scoop” or litter bn.

The result is that the insecure area is a bit of a mess.

Poop scoop bins missing for months

Poop scoop bins missing for months

We’ve asked for a clean up of the whole park, but new bins need to be provided together with some sort of security to prevent access to the play area by dogs.

A similar initiative is needed at the Grange Lane play area

Detritus on playground

Detritus on playground

Litter piled up around perimeter of park

Litter piled up around perimeter of park

 

 

Numbers visiting York Libraries halves?

Note – Story update – Council issues revised figures click here

The number of residents using York’s libraries appeared to half last year as rebuilding works took a toll.

The figures were revealed by the York Council in response to a Freedom of Information request

The relatively new library in Rowntree Park increased its visitor numbers to 89,478 putting it second only to Acomb (117,402 visitors) in popularity

Tang Hall library is being moved to a site at Burnholme College while York central library is closed for a refurbishment project

This, Heritage Lottery Fund funded, Gateway To History project is a £1.77m plan to create a 21st century Archive at York Explore. It will be finished in 2016, although the library should reopen later this year.

The Library service – which is now run by a “mutual society” – costs taxpayers around £2.3 million each year.

The mutual society is member run. Two thirds of members are library users, and one third staff.

Any York resident over the age of 16 can become a member for free, and effectively becomes the holder of one share in the society, worth a nominal £1. You have to apply to be a member: do so by emailing contact@exploreyork.org.uk.

Library users don’t have to be members of Explore to use the services.

Every member can vote on the way Explore is run at the annual general meeting.

At the moment there are about 120,000 registered users of library services

There may be some concern that many library users don’t appear – during the period that 2 libraries have been closed – to have transferred their business to other libraries in the City. Neither the new library management company not the Council, have published a business plan showing the assumptions they made on overall library visitor numbers during and after the rebuilding projects.

With an additional library planned as part of the community stadium project in Huntington, future user numbers are likely to be viewed with increased interest. A return to the steady growth, as seen over most of the last decade, will be the least that taxpayers will expect.