York Council consultation systems failing

The first residents knew of a plan to extend alcohol sale times at the local Tesco express store on Acomb Wood Drive was when one found a vandalised notice in a hedgerow.

It was unclear where, or for how long, the Council notice had been displayed but the date for representations had already passed.

Late night alcohol sales – in this case the application would allow sales from 7:00am to 11:00pm seven days a week – are an issue in the area where an adjacent pub already supplies on premises needs.

Residents only find out about licensing applications if they happen to access an obscure part of the Councils web site. On the page, they can download the latest list.

There is no option for interested parties to be alerted to changes through text or Email alerts.

We think that the Council needs to up its game on consultation and make use of increasingly sophisticated social media channels.

It still hasn’t rolled out the much-promised personal account system which it claimed would allow every individual citizen to interact with the authority.

6 months after access to litter reports was rolled out – with some success – other service reports are still dogged by inadequate feedback systems.

Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs)

Thanet Road proposed road humps

Worse still is the publicity given to TROs. This is a statutory activity. The Council is required to advertise any proposed changes to parking, access, speed limit and other transport restrictions.

For many years, the draft orders appeared on an obscure page in the local paper.

One would reasonably think that in 2017 the orders would also be displayed on the Councils web site.

It appears not.

Use the search facility on the Councils web site and no TROs are displayed.

It is almost as if the Council didn’t want drivers to find out what they are planning to do!

If objections to an draft Order are received, the Council is required to consider them and make a public decision on each.

One of the TROs currently out for consultation concerns Thanet Road where a 20-mph speed limit – and traffic calming measures – may be introduced.

Anyone searching for Thanet Road on the Council web site will be disappointed.

It is a shame that the Council doesn’t make better use of its web site, Facebook and Twitter together with more traditional methods like noticeboards.

The noticeboards in Windsor Garth and Ascot Way (both close to Thanet Road) have not had any notices of any sort displayed on them for over a year!

Bungalows completed at York Glen Lodge extension

Work to extend a City of York Council sheltered accommodation scheme is progressing well with a ‘topping out’ ceremony for the two bungalows which residents will move into later this summer.

Glen Lodge Housing with Extra Care Scheme is being extended as part of the council’s plans to modernise accommodation for older people in the city with 25 new flats and two new bungalows being built.  Accommodation is being designed specifically for the needs of people with dementia.

As well as the proposed extension, the council has already invested in providing the help and support available to residents – known as ‘extra care’ – so it is available to residents 24 hrs a day, seven days a week. This enables even more people with higher care and support needs to live at Glen Lodge.

Whilst the bungalows are being ‘topped out’ work on the 25 flats is progressing well, the main building is at second floor level and first fit electrics are going into the lower floors.  As part of the works the entrance to the existing building will be re-vamped, allowing easier access for friends, relatives and the wider community to enjoy the facilities at Glen Lodge. Planning consent was recently given for the entrance changes and work will take place in the early summer.

Glen Lodge is seeing £4 million of investment to increase and further improve care services for older people. The work is part of the Older People’s Accommodation Programme which aims to give older people more choice and control about the care and support they receive.
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What’s on in York: Easter Family Festival

Parliament Street (fully accessible)

Fri 14 Apr – Mon 17 April

All day

Free

Visit York Easter Family Festival LogoThere’ll be free children’s activities galore at the York Easter Family Festival!

York’s Chocolate Festival will be returning too for the full four days as part of York’s Easter celebrations with a chocolate market, demonstrations and workshops.

In Parliament Street you’ll find the Little Vikings Easter Activity Tent, with face painting, Easter crafts, drama classes, storytelling, dance classes, forest school classes and computer coding. New inside the tent this year, is a sand art activity, running all day from Friday to Sunday. For two weeks from Friday 7 to 24 April, Parliament Street will come alive with a children’s funfair and Sunday will see the Shambles market transformed with a fun bunny trail, where families can enjoy street food in the new Shambles Food Court.

Families can also follow a new Chocolate Easter Trail, to support the Lord Mayor’s charities. All you need to do is buy a trail card for £3 at the Visit York Information Centre, follow the map to locations across the city and solve puzzles along the way. Each participant will receive a chocolatey treat, generously donated by York Cocoa House and one lucky winner will take home a scrumptious York Cocoa House chocolate egg.

For more information please visit our website.