How to make a real difference when you go to vote tomorrow

No this is not advice on which candidate or party to support.

Lets face it there are no majorities of ONE. So you make a personal decision when you vote.

……..but why not take a little extra time on your way to the polling station and take a look around.

Is your neighbourhood in good order?

Are the street lights working?
Is there litter on the streets?
Are there potholes on the paths and roads?
Are there signs of graffiti or vandalism?
Are the street signs legible?
Are trees and hedges trimmed?
Have the litter bins been emptied and the salt bins filled?

All little things but together, if well maintained, they can make a noticeable difference to a neighbourhood.

Just make a note of a defect and this time report it for attention yourself. Don’t expect someone else to do it for you.

Take control of your neighbourhood*.

Pubic service issues can be reported via this link (click) or by Email to ycc@york.gov.uk

It doesn’t matter if there is some duplication. Most outstanding problems are a result of residents assuming that someone else will report them. The Council are generally pretty good at dealing with day to day issues but only if they know about them.

Then next week irrespective of whether your candidate has won or not you will at least get a sense of satisfaction when a small local issue is rectified.

*Not sure if that sounds Borisonian or Marxist but either way

Young people give back at Christmas

Young people working with City of York Council’s Youth Justice Service are supporting a charity project which allows them to give back to the community.

Selby-based charity Spirit of Christmas is organising its fifth Christmas party in York for children whose families are suffering financial hardship.

Acting as ambassadors for the charity and working alongside their supervisors, the team of young people are wrapping gifts for the event and which have been selected to match the children’s ‘wish lists’.

The team is also decorating the venue including transforming one of the rooms into Santa’s grotto, and then helping host and run the party for 120 guests.

Besides introducing Father Christmas to the guests, each will have a snack box, enjoy music and games, dancing elves and access to a free book stall where children can take as many books as they like books to encourage reading.

Amanda Hatton, corporate director of children, education and communities at City of York Council, said: “Reparation is so important to our youth justice work and gives young people who have offended in the past an opportunity to make amends in a constructive and lasting way.

“This is a very worthwhile project, and I hope the rewards of helping disadvantaged children and their families will make Christmas all the more special.”

Ronnie Munro, chair of Spirit of Christmas, said: “We try to recruit volunteers from all backgrounds, give them a sense of belonging to our group and the wider community, and help them feel that they are respected and appreciated.

“The efforts of the young people will, I’m sure, help them to feel good about doing something for others.”

Anyone interested in supporting the project can contact Spirit of Christmas at ronnie@spiritofchristmas.org.uk

Lowfields care home set to be ditched

It looks increasingly likely that the Council will abandon its attempt to find a developer who is prepared to provide and run an elderly persons care home on the Lowfields site.

Part of the old school building section of the site has been reserved for the provision of a new care home since 2010.

It was announced earlier in the year that no tenders had been received for provision of the home

The Councils own resources are tied up in other projects including the Lincoln Court redevelopment (see below).

A report to a meeting next week says that the greatest demand for older people is for independent living one bedroomed flats and bungalows. Some of these are already schedule to be built at Lowfields but it seems that more may now be provided on the reserved care home site.

Such a decision would be in line with the plans announced in 2010 but it is unlikely to impress those who have been affected by the indecision of the last 10 years. .

A Council report published yesterday says,

“The planning approval for the Lowfield Green development includes outline approval for an 80-bed care home. It had originally been envisioned that a care home developer would be procured to build on the site, with the Council buying 25 dementia and Nursing care beds back at the Council’s Actual Cost of Care rates.

A procurement exercise to deliver this failed to attract any compliant bids.

At a similar time, Officers were completing research with our older residents about their accommodation preferences.

This research highlights residents desire to live independently with care and support available where needed. Officers have since been working to establish how best to develop Older Persons’ Accommodation on the site, which will support those with care needs and also complement the surrounding high-quality mixed tenure accommodation.

A report is expected to be presented to the executive in spring 2020”.

The change of approach is the latest in a series of reverses which have affected the controversial development. Residents strongly opposed building on the sports pitch at the site.

The Council responded by offering inducements including a local Police station and health centre. Neither materialised.

Plans for a “communal” housing development are also in delay.

Work on building houses on the sports pitch section of the site are expected to start in January, although its is now thought that building works, across the whole site, may continue for 5 years or longer.

We revealed yesterday that the Council is also set to abandon its plans to build a new care home on the Oakhaven site.

The same report provides an update on the Lincoln Court redevelopment