A reportin October 2015 had set out the Council’s preferred strategy.
We said at that time “given the Councils shambolic
record on project management, we doubt if we see any improvements much before
the end of the decade”.
Now a report publishedtoday says the plans have been abandoned.
“due to planning restrictions and financial viability this project has not progressed.
A number of alternative options for the site are being modelled for financial viability and officers expect to present a report to the executive making recommendations for the site early in 2020”.
Tens of thousands of pounds has been spent on maintaining and keeping the empty build secure. With increasing demands for older persons accommodation delays in excess of 5 years, in implementing projects, are simply not acceptable.
Some of the elderly tenants moved out of Oakhaven could have lived out their lives in a home that many cherished.
Some of the affairs of York’s taxpayer funded but independently managed organisation are to be subject to public review next week. The Councils first comprehensive “Shareholder” committee meeting is to look at the results being obtained by several organisations.
These include
Make it York (The tourism and marketing body)
Veritau Ltd – An audit body
City of York Trading – A recruitment and temporary staff agency
Yorwaste/SJB Recycling (Process local waste and refuse)
In the past these bodies have been subject to intermittent “light” scrutiny with many background details contained in “confidential” annexes. Several private annexes are still being reported to next Tuesday’s meeting but fewer than in the past
The meeting is being chaired by Cllr Nigel Ayre who was also responsible for bringing into the public domain reports on the Councils major contracts letting processes.
Make it York (MIY) plans to appoint a new post of “Head of Commercial and Revenue Generation” at a basic salary of £60,000 a year. Performance bonuses could bring the remuneration up to £80.000 pa. MIY failed to recruit to the post at a lower salary earlier in the year. The post has the objective of increasing MIY’s revenues over time such that the company can, in the first instance, become self-funding (relieving the council of its ongoing financial contribution to the business) and, beyond that, increasing the sums available to reinvest in the city.
It is unclear how potential conflicts between commercial targets and York’s traditional values will be reconciled. There have been too many disputes between local traders, visitors and residents in the past few years.
Separately MIY reportsan expected £248,063 loss in the year. This is 6304 above budget expectations. Increased overheads are blamed together with poor merchandise sales in the tourist centre. The organisations new Chair Greg Dyke is due to take over the role in January.
The report touches on the Christmas Market and ongoing difficulties with access for traders (see below).
Veritau Ltd, a company jointly owned by North Yorkshire County Council and the City of York Council, wants to expand. It hopes in future to provide audit services for several additional Council and other public bodies.
City of York Trading Ltd (trading principally as WorkwithYork and WorkwithSchools) was formed in 2011 with the intention of supplying temporary staff to CYC, to schools (in and around the York area) and to other outside organisations. Through City of York Trading Ltd, the reductions in cost to CYC and the return of the profit achieved are designed to assist CYC’s financial position. If CYC had to source staff in the open market, the cost would be substantially higher than current rates paid to the Company.
Unfortunately the reports from this organisation continue to be largely opaque. The shareholder committee is being asked to approve a business plan which is enclosed in a confidential annex. Similarly, the committee is being asked to endorse the appointment of a n additional company director but without the name of the candidate being revealed.
The net cost/return to the Council of this body is not revealed.
Yorwaste/SJB Recycling. The York Council owns 23% of this company. Yorwaste operates Waste Transfer Stations (WTS), Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF), Green Waste Composting, and HWRCs for both NYCC and CYC. It also manages the closed landfill aftercare obligations at several sites including Harewood Landfill (which closed to general waste in March of this year). SJB currently operates three sites (based at Yorkshire Water waste plants) providing green waste composting services to local authorities.
The company is forecasting a loss of over £300,000 on the year. The company blames the impact of a facility closure (Seamer); external commodity prices; and two waste fires for the downturn in its fortunes.
SJB is forecasting a reduced level of profit (£159,000). With 2 of its three operational sites closing it is heavily dependent on achieving a new contract before the end of the year.
Campaign launches by urging drivers to ‘Do one good deed this Christmas – be a designated driver’
Motorists in North Yorkshire are being encouraged to do a very simple good deed this Christmas – volunteer to be a designated driver.
Carnage: The driver of this vehicle was recently convicted of drink driving and other motoring offences following a crash in Ryedale.
It’s part of the county’s Christmas campaign to reduce drink and drug driving, which is being launched today.
Police are encouraging people to be designated drivers both during a night out with friends or colleagues, or to help them get to work the morning after a big night, then asking their friends to return the favour.
That way, everyone gets a night out and no one gets arrested.
Traffic Sergeant Andy Morton said: “While some people we encounter simply don’t care whether they break the law, others have gone out with the intention of ‘just having one’, but the atmosphere or peer pressure gets the better of them.
“We also arrest a lot of people the morning after a heavy session, and many are mortified to learn they’re still over the limit.
“As this is the season of good will, we’re asking motorists in North Yorkshire to do their good deed this Christmas. Good friends look out for each other. Volunteering to be a designated driver for your friends or colleagues just once, and asking them to return the favour, means everyone gets a night out and no one gets arrested. It really is that simple, but it could save a life.”
North Yorkshire Police arrested 123 suspected drink and drug drivers last December.
Many received driving bans of more than a year and were fined hundreds of pounds. Magistrates also gave community orders and suspended sentences to a handful of offenders.
All those who were banned also face sky-high insurance premiums when their disqualification expires.
Dave Winspear Group Manager Prevention for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We often attend serious road traffic collisions where alcohol has been involved. We encourage everyone to have alternative arrangements to get home from any event where they’ve had an alcoholic drink. We’d also like to remind people to be aware of the time it takes for alcohol to leave their system, as there’s a risk you could still be over the limit the following morning.”
North Yorkshire Police will be conducting random roadside checks across the entire county throughout December.
They will also be gathering intelligence about repeat offenders and targeting those individuals.
Help us keep North Yorkshire’s roads safe. If you know someone who regularly drinks and drives, call North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you see an offence happening or about to happen, report it on 999 immediately.
