Taxis fares should be reduced York Council FOI response reveals.

The York Council has revealed that – according to a well established agreement – taxis fares should be reduced from April.

Petrol graph

Fuel price trends

The Council has – in response to a Freedom of Information request – published the latest index which is used to assess fare level increases.

The formulae was agree in the last decade as a way of stopping the horse trading which took place each year when the taxi trade sought a fares increase.

The table takes into account increases (and reductions) in several costs that taxi proprietors face. These are:

  • Vehicle Maintenance costs (+2.23%)
  • Petrol and Oil (-8.76%)
  • Vehicle Tax and Insurance (+0.51%)
  • Labour costs (+1.62%)

The bracketed figures show the percentage changes in the period from December 2013 to December 2014

The factors are then given weightings.

The formulae for the fare review now due, indicates a reduction of -0.77% in fare levels is required.

Taxi fare formulae. click to enlarge

Taxi fare formulae. click to enlarge

The reduction will be the first since 1998 and is almost entirely down to falling fuel prices.

Passengers expecting a bigger reduction will be disappointed as most of the drop in fuel costs has occurred since the beginning of January (and would impact on next years calculation).

A copy of the calculation can be downloaded by clicking here

Passengers will now be turning their attention to local bus companies who have also enjoyed the benefits of lower fuel prices.

It only seems fair that public transport users should share in the benefits of lower inflation.

Thoresby Road rubbish removed

Council workers have cleared the rubbish from near the flats in Thoresby Road. It had been there for nearly a week.

Sheena and rubbish

Some tenants had been storing surplus items on balconies and in communal areas. Following a recent fire, the Council asked for areas to be kept clear.

Unfortunately a promised rubbish wagon did not arrive to coincide with the clear out. Some residents then added to the pile of rubbish

Perfect Storm

Council official blame a series of factors for the problems. 

Reduced bin emptying frequencies and the closure of the nearest recycling centre on Beckfield Lane contributed.

Many tenants didn’t have their own transport and the skips provided  through the residents association were coming less frequently than  in the past.

Even the Councils paid for bulky rubbish removal service only takes certain types of rubbish.

Things look set to get worse as Labour roll out their £35 green bin emptying charge while their policy of emptying grey bins only once every 3 or 4 weeks could produce a “perfect storm” for dumpers.

Residents can sign a petition opposing further reductions to the bins emptying service by clicking here.

The Liberal Democrats have promised, if they are elected to lead the Council again on May 7th, that they will re-introduce ward budgets. In the past these funds have been used to stage recycling days when a convoys of waste vehicles tour the ward removing unwanted items.

 

 

LibDem candidate takes action over Thoresby Road dumping

Sheena Jackson with some of the rubbish she is getting cleared.

LibSheena Jackson with some of he rubbish she is getting cleared.

rubbish dumped Thoresby flats

Rubbish dumped in Thoresby Road

Liberal Democrat Sheena Jackson has asked the Council to quickly remove rubbish for the front of flats in the Thoresby Road area.

It is believed that some of the rubbish was previously stored in stairway areas causing a fire risk. But it appears that oficials when clearing the area failed to have a skip on hand to take it away immediately.

This led to more dumping.

Litter drift has now added to the unsightly problems.

It is hoped that the rubbish will be removed today.

 

 

Lowfields – Labour refuse to consult local residents on future of site

Behind closed doors logoLabour Councillors continued to obstruct attempts to get at the truth behind the Lowfields Care village fiasco when the Council held a review meeting last night.

Despite revelations yesterday that senior Councillors have known for at least a year that the planned scheme was “unaffordable”, the Labour Council leadership continues to be in a  state of denial.

Meeting minutes revealed that official had blamed “gold plated” building standards for the failure of the project. They had been reluctant to admit the failures because it “could have affected the credibility of the Councils flagship rewiring project”.

The plan had been to keep the mistakes under wraps until after the Council election in May.  But sustained questioning by Opposition Councillors, coupled with the need to respond to Freedom of Information requests, finally forced the public admission last month.

They now hope to sell the site (a valuation of £2 million has been put on it) but appear to have already decided that 100 homes will be built there.

Other than the normal planning application consultation, residents will have no opportunity to influence this decision.

The present Council now only has about 6 weeks to run. Hopefully a more enlightened regime will take over after May 7th.

Only then is the real truth about the fiasco – which is set to cost taxpayers around £1 million – likely to emerge.

(more…)

Only one plot remaining at Hob Moor “Hobstone” development

Only one of the new houses being built on the Windsor Garth development is still for sale according to developers.

Hobstone brochure

The remaining property is a 2 bedroomed house which is listed at £170,000.

14 of the 55 units being built on the site are for sale (the rest will be rented by Yorkshire Housing)

The development has been criticised, not least for it’s high density levels. Originally the site was to have had only 29 units constructed. They would have been restricted to the “footprint” of the old school building.

Completion of the development later this year can’t come soon enough for existing residents living  in the area.

They blame construction traffic for damage to local roads, footpaths, verges and the Moor itself.