York in national top 5% of apprenticeship take-up

ApprenticeshipLatest Government figures put York in the top 5% of English local authorities for apprenticeship take-up.

They also set the city in the top 10% of local authorities for keeping young people in education or training after Year 11.

Official figures from the Skills Funding Agency and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published earlier this month, show that over the past nine months, the increase in the percentage of York residents starting apprenticeships is in England’s top 5% when compared to all other local authorities.

Government data published on 2 July 2015showed that in the nine months up to April 2015, 1,340 York residents started an apprenticeship compared to 1,300 in the previous twelve months. In York there is a well-established network of training providers delivering high quality training for apprentices. A key lead co-ordinating role is played by the York Apprenticeship Hub based at the council.

For school leavers, the figures show that of all York’s Year 11 students leaving school in summer 2014, 97.4% were continuing their education and training. This puts York in the top 10% of local authorities in England for retaining young people in education or training.

The detail shows that nearly 90% of all post-16 school leavers in 2014 continued with their education at a college or a school sixth form, which puts York in the top 10% of local authorities in England. A further 6.4% of school leavers took up employment with integrated training and/or apprenticeships while only 2% were not in education, employment and training (NEET).
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Latest planning application for the Acomb and Westfield Wards

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards.

Click on the application reference for more details

Acomb

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Location:       144 Beckfield Lane York YO26 5QT

Proposal:       Single storey side and rear extensions and side and rear dormers

Ref No: 15/01443/FUL

Applicant:      Mr And Mrs Lingard      Contact:        Mrs Kate Macneill       Consultation Expiry Date:       3 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Location:       90 Jute Road York YO26 5EW

Proposal:       Variation of condition 2 of permitted application 14/01459/FUL to alter size of velux window

Ref No: 15/01427/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Mark Newton  Contact:        Kevin Bristowe  Consultation Expiry Date:       10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Erik Matthews   Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Location:       Unit 2 Rose Centre Rose Avenue Nether Poppleton York

Proposal:       Change of use of vacant commercial unit (use classB1,B2 & B8) to ballet school (use class D2)

Ref No: 15/01450/FUL

Applicant:      Mrs Donya Keys  Contact:        Mr Garry Barker  Consultation Expiry Date:       10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Location:       178 Beckfield Lane York YO26 5QS

Proposal:       Single storey side and rear extension and porch to front

Ref No: 15/01452/FUL

Applicant:      Miss Janice Wright      Contact:        Mr Jake Clay    Consultation Expiry Date:       10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Location:       96 Albion Avenue York YO26 5QY

Proposal:       Single storey rear extension

Ref No: 15/01516/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Ernest Hammond       Contact:        Mr John Dougal  Consultation Expiry Date:       10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level:

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Westfield

The Council have just received an application to change the use of 8A Acomb Court Front Street from a hairdressers into a “mixed use restaurant (use class A3) and drinking establishment (use class A4) with associated works”. The plans can be viewed here

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Location:       7 The Knoll York YO24 3EB

Proposal:       Single storey rear extension

Ref No: 15/01417/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Tom Adie     Contact Mr Andy Sykes   Consultation Expiry Date        3 August 2015 Case Officer:   Sandra Duffill  Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       275 Chapelfields Road York YO26 5AE

Proposal:       Single storey rear extension

Ref No: 15/01418/FUL

Applicant:      Mr And Mrs Dave Paine   Contact Mr Andy Sykes   Consultation Expiry Date        3 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       6 Lowfields Drive York YO24 3DG

Proposal:       Replacement shed

Ref No: 15/01411/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Michael Mchaffie     Consultation Expiry Date        10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       23 Gale Lane York YO24 3AB

Proposal:       Single storey front, side and rear extensions

Ref No: 15/01558/FUL

Applicant:      Mr And Mrs Brian Henderson      Contact Mr Ian Dykes    Consultation Expiry Date        10 August 2015 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level

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Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received

Welfare cuts to hit 31,000 residents in York

New research has revealed the extent of the benefit cuts that will affect local residents following the recent Conservative Budget. 

welfare cuts

 

New analysis has estimated that in York:

The four year freeze on working age benefits means 31,000 York residents on working age benefits and their families will lose an average of £260 per year.

This includes 28,000 working people whose families will have to make up an average £280 shortfall per year in working tax credits. 740 York residents in the Employment and Support Allowance work related activity group, considered only temporarily too ill to work, will lose a further £30 per week as their allowance is brought down to the level of Jobseekers Allowance (for those unemployed but considered fit to work).

Other measures include:

  • cutting the household benefit cap to £20,000
  • limiting Child Tax Credit to 2 children for children born from April 2017
  • ending automatic entitlement to housing benefit for 18-21 year olds
  • limiting child tax credits to 2 children
  • reducing the amount of tax credits anyone with an income of more than £3,300 can receive

Cllr Sheena Jackson, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Westfield, commented:

Cllr Sheena Jackson

Cllr Sheena Jackson

“These measures will mean big reductions for the poorest residents in York, particularly those who are too ill to work and those in work but unable to make ends meet. It will often be the local council that will have to pick up the pieces when people have nowhere left to turn.

“It is not possible to address the deficit without looking at the welfare bill; however, these cuts will cause problems for many local residents in York.

“We’re now seeing the Tories jump at the chance to implement all those measures that the Lib Dems stopped them from doing in Government, forcing those already struggling to make ends meet to shoulder a £12bn saving.”

 

£1m spending power proposed to be devolved to new ward committees in York

The return of ward committees with devolved power and budgets will be put to the cross-party Communities and Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee on 27 July.

Ward committees may consult on investing in more off street parking

Ward committees may consult on investing in more off street parking

Then, on 30 July, Executive will consider the report which recommends significantly increasing wards’ share of a funding pot of £925,000. This could be used by the revised ward committees to allocate to projects such as street clean-ups, or grants to voluntary groups and, for the first time, to fund road repairs and to add more local capacity to the adult social care voluntary sector.

These proposals aim to be the first steps in devolving a number of funding streams to wards, and asks officers to identify further budget areas which could be localised.

The Executive will be presented with a set of options for the make-up and remit of ward committees.

They will be chaired by local councillors and at them, local residents will help decide collectively which projects will be supported to tackle local issues, to improve the council’s accountability to residents and to provide opportunities to influence services at the local level.

The number of times the new ward committees will meet and the degree of consultation they engage in will be considered, as will be the level of officer support allocated to them and their activities.

Ward budgets will be looked at too. The proposal is to devolve additional budgets to wards to create a single, enhanced pot for each ward which can be used flexibly to meet their priorities and to develop community initiatives which could reduce reliance on central council services. The new, revised ward committees will have a significant overall increase in budget.

The process for allocating highway improvements will be partly localised through the new ward committees. It is proposed to transfer £125,000 from the annual highways maintenance budget and £125,000 of Local Transport

Plan capital to create a £250,000 ward highways programme, and an allocation made to each ward from this.
In addition, the enhanced pot could be made up of:

  1. a ‘Ward Grant’ of £150,000 (subject to council budget decision) allocated to each ward committee on a per capita basis.
    More litter bins may be provided
    More litter bins may be provided
  2. a ‘Pride in York Fund’ totalling £450,000 (subject to council budget decision) made up of £250,000 on a one-off basis and £200,000 per annum on a recurring basis. Wards that receive the highest amounts from the Pride in York Fund will receive additional officer support to help them develop schemes and initiatives.
  3. a ‘Community Care Fund’ of £75k per annum (from the Adult Social Care Community Development Fund and subject to council budget decision) will be devolved to wards, on a per capital basis, over two years to support the prevention or delay of people needing to access formal care packages and statutory support.

Examples of initiatives that ward funding could support include:

  • Helping a community group to take on management of a local project e.g. looking after a piece of local open space
  • Undertaking a local clean-up
  • Supporting affordable and accessible transport options so people are able to access services.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Economic Development and Community Engagement, said:

“These proposals increase the money for ward committees to spend to nearly £1million. They begin the process of devolving power and budgets to local residents and community groups.

We want to give wards this enhanced pot of money so they can genuinely tackle local priorities and develop community initiatives.
“We also want to build on local spending on highways and are asking council officers to explore further budget areas which could be devolved to wards in the future, for example, public health budgets alongside a clear and transparent approach to ward spending.”