York Council mystery company beings to lift secrecy veil?

 

City of York trading hompageThe first public meeting of the “shareholder” group set up to monitor the performance of “York City Trading” will take place on 13th January.

The YCT Quango – which uses surplus Council staff resources to back-fill vacancies while also offering contract services to some outside organisations – attracted criticism last year when questions were raised about payments to some Directors.

A report to the group says that turnover for the company was up 6% on the equivalent period in 2014.

The report does not provide any indication of performance against financial targets. A board report is mentioned but is claimed to be “exempt” from publication.

So Taxpayers therefore still have no idea how well the company is actually performing

The last publicly published board minutes – on their web site – for the company cover a meeting held in July

York City Trading also promote a separate web site aimed at potential customers www.workwithyork.co.uk

York Police and crime update

Team Lifestyle Café – open for business again!

Fresh from their success at the North Yorkshire Police Lifestyle Challenge Award Ceremony, Team Lifestyle Café are once again holding a pop-up café, this time to raise money for the victims of the York flood.

Team Lifestyle Café - open for business again!

Luke, Lellie, Jimmy, Ethan and Aidan aged between 10 and 13 are all from York and worked together over the summer holiday to hold a series of pop-up cafés on the Knavesmire to raise money for local good causes as well as to encourage the local community to get together and make new friends.

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A total of 124 people were arrested throughout December by North Yorkshire Police for drink or drug driving

Operation Attention which ran across the festive season, saw an increase of 21 arrests on last year’s campaign – up 20% on last year’s figures. It’s estimated that over 2000 breathalyser tests were conducted by officers throughout the duration of the campaign which ran from 1 to 31 December

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Of the 124 arrests,  32 were made for drug driving with 27 of those as a direct result of new roadside drug wipe screening tests.

The majority of arrests were made as a result of drink driving, with the highest breathalyser reading being provided by a 40-year-old woman from Richmond who blew 180 – over 5 times the legal limit.

Some of those arrested in the early stages of the campaign have now been dealt with by the courts, with two drivers being handed heavy fines and lengthy bans.

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Residents urged to have their say as seven out of ten say they want to increase their contribution to North Yorkshire policing

Residents are being urged to have their say on police funding as seven out of ten respondents to a live survey say they want to increase the amount they pay to North Yorkshire’s force.

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People have just seven more days to take part in the consultation whose findings will play a key part in determining not only how much householders across the county will pay towards their police service, but also the on-the-ground service they receive.

North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan, is responsible for setting the local police ‘precept’ – the amount people pay through their council tax for policing.

She launched the survey to get residents’ views on December 22. So far about 400 people have responded, and she is keen to hear back from more.

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Floods update: York Flood Appeal target raised to £500,000 as calls for Inquiry grow

Appeal now seeking £500,000

Appeal now seeking £500,000

The York Flood Appeal has doubled the target amount that it hopes to raise. The Appeal Committee hasn’t yet made it clear whether this total includes the promised matched funding from central government.

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Meanwhile the Council is being urged to coordinate the use of surplus materials and clothes, donated by residents to help flood victims, but which was subsequently not required.

While some may be donated to other charities, the value of any items sold should be donated to the official appeal fund. 

Meanwhile there have been calls for an inquiry into the flooding. Concerns continue to be raised about the timing and justification for the decision to raise the Foss Barrier and the subsequent effect that this had on east York. 

The fate of the flood report, considered by the York Council’s Cabinet on 9th September 2014, is also likely to be a matter of consideration over the next few days.
Confused messages about York Disaster Fund on Council web site.

Confused messages about York Disaster Fund on Council web site.

York flooding victims to get cash payment

York residents to receive £500 to support clean-up process as part of financial support package for residents and businesses

Swan at window

York residents whose homes have been internally flooded will receive a one-off payment of £500 from City of York Council later this week to help support the clean-up process.Residents who pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit and have been identified as having their homes being flooded* will receive the funding directly in their bank account.

Those paying by other methods will need to collect their payment by bringing photographic ID (e.g. a passport or driving licence) and a proof of address (e.g. utility bill) to the council’s Customer Contact Centre at West Offices on Station Rise. If someone is collecting payment on behalf of a resident, they will need to bring proof of ID and address for themselves, as well as the same ID for the flooded resident.

Residents whose homes have been flooded internally will also be entitled to a Council Tax exemption from 27 December 2015-31 March 2016 inclusive. Residents of all internally flooded properties will automatically receive an updated bill over the next few days.

Anyone who hasn’t received their amended Council Tax bill by 15 January should email council.tax@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 551558.

Refunds will be issued over the next few days to Council Tax payers who are in credit after the flood exemption has been awarded.

There are also a number of other financial support options for residents affected by flooding:

·  The York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS) provides help for residents in financial difficulty to continue to live in the local community. More information about the Scheme is available at www.york.gov.uk/yfas email yfas@york.gov.uk or phone 0808 1685238 (during normal office hours 8.30am to 5.30pm).

· York residents whose homes have been flooded, who are on a low income, have little capital and who are not adequately insured, may be eligible for help from York’s Disaster Fund, a registered charity which was established after flooding in York in 2000. Applications for this will be managed by the council for all customers, including those who do not qualify for YFAS. For more information about how to apply please email yfas@york.gov.uk or phone 0808 1685238.

£240,000 has so far been donated towards the £250,000 target for the York Flood Appeal. Click to donate

£240,000 has so far been donated towards the £250,000 target for the York Flood Appeal. Click to donate

· Up to £5,000 Future Flood Prevention Funding is available for property owners and those who are responsible for maintaining the fabric of a property that has been flooded. This is to improve the property in order to prevent future flood damage. To apply for this please contact the council tax team on council.tax@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 551558.

Businesses which have been affected by the floods are currently being visited by City of York Council representatives.

· Up to £2,500 is available for businesses affected by the floods through the Flood Recovery Fundfor businesses.

Businesses can email business@makeityork.com or phone 01904 554455 to make a claim.

· Businesses which have been flooded will need to apply for an exemption to their Business Rates. Please contact the business rates team at business.rates@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 551140.

· Up to £5,000 in Future Flood Prevention Funds (Commercial)is available for commercial property owners and those who are responsible for maintaining the fabric of a property that has been flooded. This is to improve the property in order to prevent future flood damage. To apply for this please email business@makeityork.com or phone 01904 554455.

Steve Stewart, Chief Executive of City of York Council, said: “We hope that these one-off payments will help York residents and businesses whose homes and properties were flooded to get back on their feet. However, we would still advise people who are covered by insurance to liaise directly with their insurance companies and ensure they employ reputable trades people to undertake work on their property.”

The government has also agreed to match-fund any York flood-related donations made to registered charities, such as the York Flood Appeal. More information about how to donate to the Appeal is available at www.trcf.org.uk/