Royal British Legion pop-in sessions

The drop-in sessions will take place on the first Wednesday of each month. Sessions will start on Wednesday 7 September from 10am-1pm.

There will be a wide range of information on hand at the sessions, including:

· Financial advice and assistance

· Health advice with the support of key partner organisations

· Employment guidance and information about employment support grants

· Information about the Royal British Legion ‘handy van’ service which provides help for small jobs and repairs around people homes

· Information about Royal British Legion breaks centres and holidays.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Economic Development and Community Engagement, said: “The council has strong ties to the Armed Forces in the city through the York Armed Forces Covenant and I hope these sessions will help members of the Armed Forces, reservists, veterans and their families to get any additional information and support they may need.”

To attend a session, please go to the Citizens Advice Bureau desk in West Offices. For more information visit www.britishlegion.org.uk

More concern over Community Stadium project

The proposed operator of the Council’s indoor sports facilities is under fire in some parts of the Country over safety standards.

Private Eye magazine 2nd Sept 2016

According to Private Eye magazine (right) Greenwich Leisure has been slow to respond to complaints of tainted water in one of its pools in Swindon.

Greenwich Leisure is a not for profit “community interest company” which ran the Waterworld leisure centre on behalf of the council before it was demolished as part of a larger project to build a new community stadium.

Use of Waterworld declined rapidly and the, then Labour led, authority made additional subsidy payments to the operator between April and November 2014 to keep the pool open.

The payments were later subject to an auditor’s report.

Greenwich Leisure were appointed as the preferred contractor not only for the Stadium and associated swimming pool and sports centre but also the Yearsley pool and Energise sports centre on the other side of the City.

We reported in August 2014 that increasing costs were threatening the future of the Community Stadium complex. Things have deteriorated further since then with planning permission for additional commercial development now subject to a Judicial Review.

It has been clear for several years that the increasing size and complexity of the project has jeopardised not only the interests of taxpayers but has even brought into question whether some sports facilities in the City may also now face closure.

Recently the Council agreed to subsidise the use of Bootham Crescent by the Rugby Club until the new stadium has been completed. It is unclear how much this will cost taxpayers.

The York Council has yet to comment on the reports about swimming pool safety.

York Council to ramp up buying and selling plans

Castlegate

It looks like the Council will be selling its premises at 29 Castlegate later in the year. The building has been in use as a youth drop in centre for several years and before that housed a photographic gallery.

Closure of the youth centre provoked a strong reaction and the Council abandoned its plans to sell the building in 2015. However, a new home for youth activities has now been found at Sycamore House and it seems that the Council will resurrect is plan to sell the building to the York Civic Trust (who run the adjacent Fairfax House and which needs the space to expand).

A meeting on 24^th November will discuss how to ensure that taxpayers get the best possible deal out of the change.

Leeman Road

Elsewhere the Council is expected to discuss in October whether it can buy the Unipart Rail site on Leeman Road. The site is one that will eventually be redeveloped as part of the York Central project.

The Council has so far failed to identify an investment model to drive forward land acquisition in the area. It has allocated £10 million in its capital programme to fund an access route into the site but many taxpayers are unhappy that this risk is not being born by commercial partners – or government agencies – who stand to profit from the development.

Piccadilly

Castle Mills car park

It seems likely that the Council will fund the demolition of its Castle Mills car park on Piccadilly which is described as being in “poor condition”. It is likely to be replaced by a surface level car park until such time as the regeneration of the area actually moves forward.

Regeneration of the Coppergate/Piccadilly area has been stalled for over 15 years.

New 30 hour free childcare offer for York families

York is one of eight areas across the country to be chosen following huge demand from local areas to take part in delivering the offer a year early. The offer means that an additional 15 hours free childcare is available for many working parents of three- and four-year-olds in the area, as long as they earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage.

The eight areas that were chosen to lead the way – including York, Wigan, Staffordshire, Swindon, Portsmouth, Hertfordshire, Newham and Northumberland – are involved in getting the programme’s delivery right, so that the rest of the country can hit the ground running in September 2017.

In York, 166 providers have signed up to the pilot. This represents 72 per cent of the city’s schools, day nurseries, play groups, childminders and independent schools committing to the programme.

The 30 hour free childcare offer builds on the investment being made in childcare – rising from £5 billion to £6 billion per year by 2020. The aim is to make it easier for parents to work and earn more in the years before their children start school and will also provide a financial boost to working parents who already pay for childcare. Parents will also be able to reserve places ahead of time – before their child turns three – to ensure their working patterns are not disrupted.

Parents or providers interested in finding out more about what this offer means for them can visit: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education

Lesley Calvert is the manager of Funfishers pre-school and out of school club, a charitable provider based on the Fishergate Primary School site. She said: “I think the programme will be of positive benefit to working parents who have to manage childcare bills. As a setting, I’m confident that through working with other providers and the local authority within our partnership, we will make the pilot a success and enable its rollout in September 2017.”

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