Shared Health and Safety service planned for York and North Yorkshire

HealthSafety-CutbacksA proposal to create a shared Health and Safety service for City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council to help simplify and streamline teams will take a step forwards next week.

If approved at a public meeting on Monday 9 May, York’s Health and Safety (H&S) staff could be seconded to NYCC to deliver services to both councils.

The service is provided by a team of highly qualified and skilled individuals who lead on specialist areas such as fire safety, education, construction and social care.

A recent review highlighted the benefits a shared service could bring to both authorities including sharing good practice, skills and experience, avoiding duplication,  whilst retaining high calibre H&S professionals and maximising and developing both services and practices, through a coherent single structure.

There have already been a number of good examples over the last year which has demonstrated how well each authority has supported each other. This includes introducing a shared Head of service, providing support during periods of unprecedented demand,  joint training on issues such as fire risk assessment, safety of water systems and ensuring play equipment in schools is safe.

The proposals aim to build on this success and include implementing short-term arrangements that would last no more than a year, during which an options paper and business case will be prepared.

Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for the Environment at City of York Council, said: “Nationally councils have found benefits from working together on the provision of specialist services like Health and Safety. It’s important we continue to build on this success with North Yorkshire and York, which can be achieved by integrating our staff with their experience to provide greater capacity for both authorities, greater flexibility to respond to changing priorities, working on joint initiatives and new working methods and by sharing best practice.”
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Current York Council consultations

Licensing variations

DrunksA consultation on a proposed review of City of York Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy has opened.

At the Licensing Committee meeting on 25 April, it was agreed to pursue North Yorkshire Police’s request to amend the local authority’s current policy. Published in 2014, it includes a ‘Special Policy’ which relates to applications for the variation of a premises licence or club premises certificates.

The police believe these variations to licensed hours or style of operation can have as much impact locally as granting a new license. To give these variations greater weight and to reflect that they can significantly change the nature of the original license conditions, the force has requested that the policy’s ‘Effects of the Special Policy’ section is changed.

This section of the policy currently reads:
5. “Application for the variation of a premises licence or club premises certificate due to a change of style of operation:

Any application for the variation of style of operation which is subject to relevant representations will be considered on its own merits having regard to the promotion of the licensing objectives

6. Application for the variation of a premises licence or club premises certificate resulting in an extension of the premises and increased capacity:

There will be a presumption to refuse such applications, where relevant representation are received and where the increase in capacity would undermine the licensing objectives unless the applicant can rebut the presumption that the granting of such a variation would undermine the licensing objectives.

7. Application to vary the hours of operation attached to a premises licence or club premises certificate:

All applications that seek to extend the licensed hours will be considered on an individual basis. No different policy will apply in this area as opposed to the rest of the city.”

The a new form of words proposed is:

5.  “The following variations are considered to be material:

• change in style of operation

• physical extension of the premises that increases capacity

• extension of hour of operation

and therefore, there will be a presumption to refuse such applications, where relevant representations are received [deleted and] unless the applicant can rebut the presumption that the granting of such a variation would undermine the licensing objectives.”

Views can be sent by email to: licensing.unit@york.gov.uk or posted to Licensing Section, City of York Council, Eco Depot, Hazel Court, York YO10 3DS.

Other current Council consultations
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Westfield Ward Committee meeting scheduled

Foxwood Community Centre

Foxwood Community Centre

The next Westfield Ward Committee meeting has been scheduled to take place on  Wednesday, 22 June 2016 at 7.00 pm. The venue will be the  Foxwood Community Centre on Cranfield Place.

It will be the first opportunity since last October for local residents to quiz elected representatives and officials on progress being made with ward budget priorities.

Over £50,000 was made available to spend in 2015/16.

The budget for Westfield ward in 2016/2017 is £53,266. Part of this money (£17,180) comes from the highways budget, and has to be spent on improvements such as resurfacing, footpaths, cycle-ways and lighting. 

The other part of the budget (£36,086) may be used for community, environmental and social care projects.

Residents have already given a view on priorities for the area with the following changes being proposed:

  • Trim back overhanging trees and bushes
  • Provide more off street car parking
  • Improve communal areas and around traffic islands (weed removal, resurfacing, railings, etc.)
  • Improve security (CCTV, target hardening etc.)
  • Provide more litter bins
  • Provide more “poop scoop” bins
  • Subsidise Community Centres
  • Subsidise events for elderly people
  • Subsidise events for children and teenagers

The Council has been asked to update the Ward pages which appear on its web site.  

In some cases the news section hasn’t been updated since last year.

The links to local Residents Associations also reveal that key information – such as the dates that skips will be visiting – has also not been updated.