• The York Council had a gross expenditure of £582.4 million during the last financial year. Of this £79.9 million (14%) was spent on Adult Care services. The amount spent on Social Care increased from £44,731M in 2010/11 to £57,534M in 2011/12 (+29%)

• The Council now has reserves (balances) of £53.9M . General balances stand at £13.4m although some of this is held by individual schools. The Councils useable (General Fund) balances reduced from £7.3 million when the Liberal Democrats left power to £6.4 million after Labours first year in office. The prudent minimum required balances are calculated to be £6.2 million.

• The Council owed around £133 million when the Liberal Democrat Leadership ended in May of last year. This debt had increased to £262.5M within 12 months of Labour taking control of the Councils finances. Of this increase, £121M was the result of Council house debt being transferred from central to local government. This debt will be repaid from rent surpluses (instead of the housing account being creamed off –see below*). York could be completely free of historical housing debt in about 20 years…. less if some of the housing account reserves are used to repay the borrowing.

• The Labour Council has increased the maximum that can be borrowed by the Authority from £192M to £327M. The average rate of interest on all long-term loans at 1 April 2011 was 4.223% and at 31 March 2012 was 3.881%.

• The Council paid over a record £7.726m “tax”* from Council house rents to central government last year. Rents had been increased by 6.4%. There was a surplus on the HRA of £10.811M at the year-end, which is an increase of £1.491m from that originally budgeted for.

North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 25 July and Tuesday 31 July 2012.

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•The Village, Stockton On Forest, York
•A1036 Malton Road, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York
•York Road, Haxby, York
•A1237 Monks Cross, York

(more…)

Proposed changes to eligibility criteria for adult social care support

The York Council are saying that; “On 1st August the Cabinet Member for Health Housing and Adult Social Care will be considering a report on the results of consultation about changing the eligibility criteria for adult social care support. The change would see those with moderate needs being supported by alternative community based approaches, and only those with substantial or critical needs supported through personal social care budgets and services”.
Over 1200 people responded to the consultation, with over 30% of residents who currently receive support from adult social care giving their views. This is an exceptionally high response rate for surveys of this nature.

Unfortunately the Council failed to tell those asking to comment on the proposals that there were alternatives to withdrawing care facilities from dozens of York residents.

A short time earlier the Liberal Democrats had put forward a budget amendment which would have allowed those with moderate needs to continue to receive care. Instead savings would have been made in a range of other areas including the cost of “Cabinet” posts, withdrawal of the planned “free WiFi” services in the City centre and abandoning vanity projects such as the “innovation” fund.

It is hardly surprising therefore that three in every five respondents (61%) a”ccept that the Council will need to change its eligibility criteria to ensure that those most in need of support can be protected”.

The Council has committed that if the decision is taken to change the eligibility criteria no support will be withdrawn from anyone affected without a formal review of their needs with a social care officer. The review will establish if their needs have changed and will look at alternative options for support if the individual remains at the moderate level of eligibility. Carers needs will be included in these reviews.

If the change to eligibility criteria is agreed it would see this local authority using the same threshold as many other Labour controlled authorities across the country. Over 100 elderly York residents would lose their care services under the Labour proposals.

Residents can still make representations.

For more information about registering to speak ,written representations or copies of reports for this meeting please contact the Democracy Officer – Catherine Clarke / Louise Cook Telephone – (01904) 551031 or E-mail – catherine.clarke@york.gov.uk and louise.cook@york.gov.uk

York 800 Flotilla sails back into view

The York Council has announced;

“City of York Council is delighted to announce today (24 July) that the York 800 flotilla, originally scheduled for Charter Weekend, will now take place on Sunday 26 August along the River Ouse in the city centre.

More details of the programme for the day will be available nearer the time on www.york800.com“

The national trading standards e Crime team based in York have issued a warning to Olympic fans after launching an investigation into the supply of ‘fake’ medals from an internet auction site. The medals, which cost up to £29 each, bear unauthorised copies of the five rings logos and are mocked up to resemble the real thing.
(more…)