York Council set to quit allotment management

Green Lane allotments among 18 sites to be handed over

Good life

Management of the current allotment service is undertaken by one full-time officer with limited part time assistance from the Council’s Business Support service. Most sites have a voluntary site secretary who, on behalf of the Council, shows prospective tenants around the site, lets plots and deals with simple day to day enquires. A limited number of sites have voluntary tenants associations who run site shops and offer gardening advice and support to tenants.

York has 1250 allotments

The Council is now proposing to hand all 18 sites over to a volunteer managed body. The precise nature of the body has not been confirmed but it is clear that not all allotment holders are sold on the idea. Some said that they would be prepared to pay extra to ensure that a professional management service was sustained.

The main concerns relate the ability of plot holders to self regulate.

It is not unknown for users to become quite exercised over what outsiders might see as relatively trivial issues. The BBC even broadcast a investigative programme in 2013 called “allotment wars” Elsewhere Councils have run for the hills having divested themselves of local allotments.

The allotment service currently runs at a loss of £17k per annum. For 2016/17 direct expenditure is £80k with income expected to be £63k. As a contingency, a fee increase of 27% was approved by the Executive 7th December 2016. The new fees would come into effect in January 2018 which, assuming no price resistance, would balance income and direct expenditure.

Until a couple of years ago all allotments sites had waiting lists. Interest in some sites has waned in more recent months, although residents wanting primeplots will still have to wait

List of allotments in York

Where York’s allotment are located

Deadline for York primary school applications nears

Parents and carers of children starting school this September are reminded to apply for a place before 15 January 2017.

Parents may also apply at the same time for free school meals and, if eligible, their child’s school will benefit from additional funding known as the Pupil Premium.

The closing date for applications for children born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013, is Sunday 15 January 2017. For a place in the reception class at their chosen York state primary school, parents and carers can apply online at www.york.gov.uk/schooladmissions
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Celebrating the 60th twinning anniversary between York and Münster

Munster

York

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the twinning between York and Münster, Germany.

Since 1957 there have been hundreds of exchange visits between the two cities, including civic party visits, school exchanges, choirs, rotary clubs, sports teams and artists. The Lord Mayor’s recent visit to Münster and a new community memory project marks the start of the celebrations.

The Foreign Office approached City of York Council in 1957 to propose the twinning with Münster as part of a process to help re-build relationships between the two countries after World War II.

The 50th anniversary of the twinning was celebrated in 2007 when the Oberbürgermeister (similar to a Lord Mayor position in the UK) and the then Lord Mayor signed a symbolic agreement to recognise the twinning and to commit to the relationship in future.

The current Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress visited Münster in December 2016 where they met their civic counterparts and visited the Christmas markets, to see how they approach and deliver the festive experiences. (more…)

Council offers free stop smoking support to help kick the habit

Want to stop smoking to mark the start of the New Year? From January 2017, City of York Council will be offering free support for all York residents to stop smoking.

The sessions come as a campaign to highlight the damaging effect smoking has on the heart by Public Health England and revealed that smoking accounts for almost 78,000 deaths a year. Stopping smoking can save someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day over £2,500 in a year and the council is asking residents who want to stop to get in touch.

As part of the council’s YorWellbeing service, which looks to help residents improve their health and wellbeing, courses will be provided to help you to change your smoking behaviours, as well as advise you which medications to buy, if necessary.

Recent studies have found that you are three times more likely to quit with help and support and that between two weeks to three months after stopping your heart attack risk starts to drop and your lung function begins to improve.

Throughout 2017 the council will be offering courses to help residents stop smoking. The first course takes place on Wednesday 11 January from 6pm at West Offices, for more information or to book call 01904 553377. Places are limited so residents must book in advance. Following this first course, further courses will take place regularly across the city in the coming months.

If you are pregnant and smoking you are particularly encouraged to get in touch for friendly help and support to quit. For pregnant women the council is also offering 12 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help you through stopping smoking.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “These sessions offer a great opportunity for those wanting to stop smoking to get specialist advice and support. Quitting smoking can have huge benefits on health and wellbeing as well as save residents a lot of money, anyone interested in these courses can call 01904 553377.”

Anyone looking to stop smoking is asked to call 01904 553377 or visit www.york.gov.uk/stopsmoking for more information.

Empty property fraud alert from York Police

white-collar-crime-1

North Yorkshire Police would like to make you aware of a national increase in organised criminal groups currently targeting empty properties in the UK to apply for loans, duping mortgage providers and causing further distress to members of the public.
Criminal networks are identifying empty properties using names on published obituaries and carrying out further research on the Land Registry. Once a suitable property has been discovered the criminal group then organise for fake documentation to be produced, registering on the electoral role and with utility companies. They meticulously work through the legal hurdles until the finances are released by the unsuspecting organisation. The rights to the property actually belong to a completely innocent party who have no idea the crime has taken place until a much later point.

PROTECTION / PREVENTION ADVICE:

There is an increased risk of fraud when:
• a property is empty or has been bought-to-let
• the owner is spending time abroad or is absent
• the owner is infirm or in a nursing or care home
• a relationship breaks down between the property owners/dwellers
• a property has no mortgage

Protect yourself against property fraud:
• Be very wary of mail solicitations claiming great returns, no matter how good they look. Check out the company first. For example, does it have a legitimate street address and landline number?
• If a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
• Owners who are concerned their property might be subject to a fraudulent sale or mortgage can quickly alert the Land Registry and speak to specially trained staff for practical guidance about what to do next by calling the Property Fraud Line on 0300 006 7030. The line is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
• If you have been affected by this, or any other fraud, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk

Investment priorities changing in York City centRE

There have been several announcements about investment in the York City centre over the last few weeks.

Details of a new hotel in Hungate have been released while most of the troubled Stonebow building will become residential with commercial and leisure at street level.

In Piccadilly, the old NCP car park site may be turned into a hotel and flats. Nearby, Ryedale House is set to become apartments.

The Council has rejected interest in building a hotel on the former Reynard’s garage site, controversially preferring a medium term retail option involving the use of shipping containers! This has prompted renewed calls for a planning blueprint for the area to be agreed quickly, followed by comprehensive redevelopment work.

It’s not difficult to see why retail is being squeezed in the City centre.

economy-jan-2017

There are a record number of empty shops in the City with (potential) shopper numbers declining. This can be contrasted with hotel bedroom charges (and occupancy levels) which are at record highs.

Very high sale prices on City center apartments are being achieved .

A two bedroomed flat in the Westgate development sold recently for £245,000. It had previously been sold in 2012 for £168,000 – a 45% increase.

A new 2 Bed flat conversion in Goodramgate is currently advertised for £315,000.

The drift into a hospitality led City centre economy – buoyed by high visitor numbers and more local residents – seems likely to gather pace.

We expect to see more commercial premises including shops being converted into homes.