Heating bills halved by gas central heating project for vulnerable York households

 City of York Council is working with Better Homes Yorkshire to help to tackle fuel poverty by installing 19 gas central heating systems in the city thanks to the Government’s Central Heating Fund.
Central heating fund

The central heating fund was launched by the then coalition government in March 2015

One home has already halved its estimated heating costs from the project.

York and eight other Local Authorities, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership are taking a similar approach by identifying residents on a low income living in energy inefficient homes.

One of the 19 York households benefiting from this, is a 46-year-old disabled woman living alone in her own home. Her mobility is such that it makes the safe and regular use of her only form of heating, an open coal fire, impossible.

Her water was heated by an electric immersion boiler. A community occupational therapist referred the resident to Better Homes Yorkshire and to City of York Council’s scheme.
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York supports national survey to ‘Make Safeguarding Personal’

City of York Council’s Safeguarding Adults’ Team has supported a national survey to assess how effective its safeguarding policies are.

The authority has taken part in a ‘temperature check’ by the national organisation, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS), to look at how effectively authorities are involving customers when making decisions about their safety and welfare.

‘Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP)’ – is a national programme which has been running since 2010. The MSP approach requires adult safeguarding practice to be person-led and outcome-focused, aiming towards resolution or recovery. It is a key part of the Care Act, new national legislation which came into force in April 2014.

City of York Council has taken part in the national ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ pilot for the last three years.
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Front Street road closure continues

Front St road closed

Work on resurfacing Front St was continuing today.

Tar spreader on Front St 1145am 15th Aug 2016It is unclear whether a further closure will be required next Sunday but additional sections of carriageway have been marked up for attention.

Shops, businesses and other facilities are open as normal in the Front St area.

Bus route diversions:
  • Service 1 via The Green, Ridgeway.
  • Service 4 via Tudor Rd, Green Lane.
  • Service 5/5A via Gale Lane, Tudor Rd, Green Lane.
  • Service 20 (Monday) via The Green.
  • Service 24 (Monday) via Ridgeway, The Green, York Rd.
  • Service 44 (Monday) via Green Lane.

York starts trials of new goose poop equipment

City of York Council is trialling a new piece of equipment that aims to combat geese mess in Rowntree Park.

The use of the equipment was first suggested 4 months ago 

Poop-machine

This is part of a number of initiatives being put to the test to help develop a suitable long term strategy for the management of geese in the city.

The equipment consists of a trailer which can be attached to a small vehicle. This works by collecting goose faeces by breaking up and sweeping the mess into a large ‘catcher’. It is capable of cleaning an acre of land in 24 minutes.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism said:

“Rather than side stepping the issue we’ve started testing a number of serious options to make our parks and open spaces more pleasant environments.

We know this issue isn’t going to go away overnight and we are looking at long-term solutions, but this equipment could be a good short term solution.”

Residents are still being advised to side step any issues until the machine has cleared a path.

Other trials and initiatives include appropriate fencing to protect flower beds and lawns, discouraging geese by ultrasound audio measures, investigating safe chemicals for geese mess dispersal, and increasing and renewing signage in public parks and open spaces to remind the public not to feed the geese.

Acomb Explore Library popular with residents

Library is brilliant

The library and all the staff are really excellent & informative, very pleasant

Libary results at 15th Aug 2016A door to door survey in the York Road area has found that residents rate the Acomb Explore Library very highly.

35% of respondents  say that they have visited the Library at least once over the last year.

Most have gone to borrow books, but the cafe, children’s area & internet access also attracted a large number of users.

Asked what would prompt residents to visit the library more frequently, respondents said that the opening of a police incident reporting desk and a regular Councillors surgery were both worth considering.

Library staff also attracted a number of complimentary responses (above).

There were 101,000 visits to Acomb Explore Library last year.
Since April 2016 the Library has attracted 36,000 visitors.

The survey was undertaken by the Westfield Ward Councillors team dover the last 6 weeks.