Hundreds of items of York property permanently protected from thieves

More than 600 bikes, tools and gadgets in York have been marked as part of an innovative new project to deter burglars and protect property.

Dot peen property marking

Since the roll-out of four new ‘dot peen’ property marking machines three weeks ago, dozens of people have attended drop-in sessions across the city to get their valuables permanently marked.

Every year, police recover hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stolen property from the hands of criminals, but all too often there is no way of identifying its rightful owners. Being able to trace the ownership of the property not only helps people get the property back, but it can also provide evidence that is vital in securing convictions.

Dot peen marking involves using a tungsten carbide-tipped pin to indent an object with dots to create a visible, permanent unique number. The unique number will be entered onto the national Immobilise property register database, vastly increasing the chances that it will be reunited with its owner if it is lost or stolen.dot-peen-chassis-component

The dot peen machines have been funded by North Yorkshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, and Safer York Partnership.

So far, officers have marked 497 garden and allotment tools, 165 cycles and 25 assorted gadgets such as cameras, mobile phones and laptops.

Drop-in sessions have been held at City of York Council’s West Offices, York District Hospital, community events across the city and the allotments at Low Moor, Bootham, Strensall, Howe Hill and Hempland Lane.
(more…)

York Council slipping further in debt

The York Council’s debts increased from £118.3 million to £128.8m at the end of March 2015.

D4NT09 Council Tax bill 2013/2014 for property dwelling band F with 25% discount for sole adult resident

D4NT09 Council Tax bill 2013/2014 for property dwelling band F with 25% discount for sole adult resident

In addition £140.3m was owed on the Council housing account.

The debt represents part of a £317.4 million capital investment programme commitment (which is partly offset by fluctuating revenue balances).

The Council had decided to spend an additional £83.2 million in the current year. Borrowing will peak at £204.3 m.

It remains to be seen how successful the new coalition leadership will be in pulling back this potential additional Council Taxpayers liability.

The inherited labour programme committed between £13.9 and £26.6 m in expenditure in subsequent years (excluding housing)

12% of Council Tax in the City is now spent on debt charges (interest plus principal repayments)

Details can be found by clicking here

York Council supine, confused and incompetent – Auditors report into York Older Peoples care plan

It is generally accepted that the greatest ongoing financial challenge faced by local authorities is the additional costs which they will face for looking after increasing numbers of elderly people in society.

Two reports into residential care provision in the City have been published over the last 24 hours.

An auditors report  lifts the lid on the collapse of the last Labour Council administrations plans to establish two super care homes in the City.

The second report, which will be considered by the Council’s Executive on 30th July, tries to identify a “way forward” for ailing social care services in the City.

The detailed auditors report from Mazars simply confirms what most interested residents had already worked out.

Extract from auditors report click to enlarge

Extract from auditors report click to enlarge

 The Council had neither the skills nor processes available to manage a complex £30 million project which was hamstrung by political posturing from 2011.

 Initially time was lost as Labour Councillors sought to appease trades union interests, while later the three responsible Cabinet members (Simpson-Laing, Cunningham-Cross and Alexander all of whom lost their seats in the May elections) failed for 3 years to get to grips with a project that had effectively stalled.

As we pointed out at the time, refusing to answer questions at Council meetings on the project, on spurious grounds of commercial confidentiality, was simply a smokescreen for the indecision which heralded the complete collapse of the project.

Reports had been presented to various Cabinet meetings but the auditors confirm  but “There is no evidence of discussion in these key areas at Cabinet”.

In total over £350,000 of taxpayers money was wasted on the project with the subsequent delay also costing taxpayers around £300,000 a year in subsidies to keep existing arrangements in place

Mazars audit report concludes with comments on the new business plan. They say

“The operational and financial modelling aspects have not been finalised and this is an area which requires further development”.

Despite this comment, a second report will be presented to next week’s Executive meeting which proposes a revised plan.

There are worrying omissions from the report.  It is muddled and makes the mistake of not setting out, early on, basic demand assumptions. It is questionable whether many of the criticisms in the audit report have been heeded (not least the need to consider all options at every stage in the process)

 324 pages of documentation have been sent to Executive members to consider covering a wide range of important topics. The agenda is far too long to be considered at one sitting. To avoid the mistakes of the past, new Councillors would be wise to defer some items to a special meeting.

Few issues are more worthy of reflection that the Older Persons Homes strategy.

The new approach seeks to replace a project which became a major embarrassment for the Council.

  • It concerns the most vulnerable members of society.
  • It is potentially hugely expensive.
  • The “business case” implies additional borrowing. (The Council needs to reduce its debts not increase them).

The business case claims there will be ongoing revenue savings. Maybe, but the bigger picture needs to be addressed (including increasing expenditure on non residential care services).

The report implies that some existing frail residents may have to move home twice within a couple of years?

The full capital costs and revenue consequences (divided between debt financing and other costs) should be tabulated. At the moment only top level revenue consequences are listed.

The programme management costs are ridiculously high

The Lowfields issue

Lowfields Site

Lowfields Site

Redevelopment of the built footprint of the Lowfields site will be developer led but must be aimed at older people (not starter homes as the officer report suggests).

The site is ideally located near to the kind of essential amenities that older people require. Refocusing on an elderly care village approach will also minimise traffic issues in the Lowfields area.

The layout should include some “downsizing” homes aimed at over 50’s (thereby releasing family accommodation elsewhere) but otherwise needs to provide a mix of styles and tenures (flats, bungalows and sheltered accommodation with some communal facilities). The setting should be respected with the former school playing fields being conserved and enhanced.

One of the weaknesses of the officer report – which seems to rest on a misplaced loyalty to the grand designs of the previous regime – is that provision for older people on the west of the city is given little consideration.

Acomb residents want to remain to a setting with which they are familiar and where most of the friends and family will probably continue to live.

A cautious and discursive approach is required from the Council new Executive

Executive: Impact of financial inclusion work in the city

An annual report outlining the impact of advice and support to residents on improving their financial situation will be discussed by City of York Council’s Executive on 30 July.

The report provides an update of the financial inclusion work carried out by the council during 2014/15. The Financial Inclusion Steering Group aims to help ensure that local people have knowledge of and access to appropriate financial services, allowing them to make more informed choices to achieve and maintain financial stability.  (more…)