Acomb Toilet closed again

Acomb toilet closed again

Acomb toilet closed again

The public convenience in Acomb has been closed again

Once again no explanation for the closure, or estimated time when the facility will reopen, has been posted by the Council.

Roof repairs were expected to be undertaken during September but there is no sign of active work retaking place on the site this week.

The Council was criticised in the spring for closing the facility without making available a portaloo or an update on the scale and timetable for the modernisation work.

The Council should not only post a notice on the building explaining what is going on, but also update its web site with details and brief the local media.

 

 

 

Ouse bridge weeds in rude good health

Ouse bridge weeds 25th September 2014

Ouse bridge weeds 25th September 2014

Almost 4 months after the weed growth on Ouse Bridge was first reported to the Council they continue to thrive.

The Council agreed in the summer to ensure that they were treated with weed killer but – if the process ever took place – it has proved to be ineffective.

Great shame as the bridge is well used by both residents and tourists and the undergrowth is a poor advert for the City centre.

Hopefully the Council will act before the structural integrity of the bridge is compromised.

We now understand that they are to try to pull the weeds by hand

 

Labour Council first to fail ‘value for money’ test

External auditors have offered only a “qualified” judgement on Labour run York Council’s 2013/14 accounts due to failings in adult social care.

Lowfields care village - 3 years behind schedule

Lowfields care village – 3 years behind schedule

At last night’s meeting of the council’s Audit & Governance Committee it was confirmed that auditors Mazars would only offer a “qualified” judgement on the council’s accounts, specifically their ‘Value for Money’ assessment.

A report presented to the committee said there were “weaknesses in budgetary control and financial management in Adult Social Care services….a lack of understanding and ownership of budgets….and performance information was limited”.

It said “during 2013/14 the service did not demonstrate an ability to address the issues that it faced” and financial arrangements in place were “not strong enough”.

The final announcement comes in the wake of serious delays in a  number of social care projects.

Key amongst these are plans to construct a state of the art centre on the Lowfields school site which would have made the service more efficient.

The project is 3 years behind scheduled and Labour Councillors have refused to reveal why, although no formal contract for the facility has yet been advertised for tender.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and a member of the Audit & Governance Committee, commented:

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Andrew Waller takes action to deal with footpath hazard

Andrew Waller tackles hedge

Andrew Waller tackles hedge

BEFORE - Hedge blocking Askham Lane

BEFORE – Hedge blocking Askham Lane

AFTER - bus shelter revealed

AFTER – bus shelter revealed

 

The bush blocking the Askham Lane footpath has been cut back by Andrew Waller and a team of volunteers.

The path had been blocked by the overgrown hedge for a couple of weeks forcing pedestrians to walk in the road.

The bush also potentially could have damaged passing vehicles.

The overgrown hedge has been reported to the Council several times during the summer with passengers, waiting in the shelter, complaining that they could not see buses approaching

The hedge still needs cutting back further with specialist equipment and we hope that the Council will do that and treat the nettles – which make access to the shelter difficult for elderly people – as quickly as possible.

Labour planning new household waste site charges

Reliable sources in West Offices have confirmed that Labour intend to impose new charges – for non recyclable rubbish -taken to sites like Hazel Court.

Bed dumped in field off Askham Lane

Bed dumped in field off Askham Lane

At the moment residents can take items to the “tip” free of charge.

The proposed charge – unlikely to be admitted by Labour until the Westfield by election is out of the way – follow on from the closure of the Beckfield Lane household waste recycling site and an 13% increase in the cost of having up to 10 bulky items removed by the Council.

Bulky waste removal now costs £36.75p

Second green waste bins are now charged for and Labour are understood to be on the on the brink of introducing charges for emptying all green bins

The consequences of these misguided polices are clear to see with fly tipping an increasing problem across the City (see photo)

Storytelling sessions to inspire a lifelong love of reading

Explore York Libraries are teaming up with Mud Pie Arts Theatre Company, drama specialists for early years and primary school age children, to create weekly storytelling sessions.

Acomb Explore Library

Acomb Explore Library

These lively, fun sessions are based on a different picture book every week which will be explored through games and role-play for children aged two to five year olds.

Each week children will be encouraged to discover book characters and objects hidden in a specially-made hollow book, which will be used to lead the games and activities.

The session will end with that week’s story being read.

Frances Postlethwaite, Explore Library’s Children and Young People’s Librarian, said: “carer will also get ideas of fun things they can do with reading at home. Each week there will be a different story and different activities”.

The aim of these sessions is to encourage and develop a love of books and reading early in life through active participation and play in an exciting and fully immersive way. The sessions are for a carer and child

Starting tomorrow, there will be 10 sessions offered per term, with a charge of £2 per child per session.

The sessions will take place at Explore Acomb Library, Front Street, Acomb, York YO24 3BZ from 1.30 – 2.30 pm and the dates for this first half term are:

  • Thursday 25 September 2014
  • Thursday 2 October 2014
  • Thursday 9 October 2014
  • Thursday 16 October 2014
  • Thursday 23 October 2014

Places can be booked in person at any Explore York Library or ring Explore Acomb Library to book over the phone. Tel 01904 552661

First bus service changes from Sunday 28 September 2014 – full details

Most services affected including numbers 1, 4 , 5/5A, 12, 13/13A and a new 14 service

Bus terminus to be moved from Front Street to reduce traffic congestion. Bus will wait on Acomb Green

Bus terminus to be moved from Front Street to reduce traffic congestion. Bus will wait on Acomb Green

First say the changes are being made to improve the reliability and punctuality of services

The 5 service will now terminate at Acomb Green rather than Front Street (to reduce congestion problems)

New timetables are available here.

Details below
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Changes to the 13a Acomb bus service

The Council has announced that the 13A bus service – which provides a link from Tudor Road, Front Street and Green Lane to the City centre via Holly Bank – may be scrapped.bus-stop1

The service was only introduced about 12 months ago and had been criticised by residents in Tudor Road for only providing a one way link to essential services in the Front Street area.

There was no prior consultation with passengers about the threat to end the service.

We understand that, from Monday 29 September, the 13a Acomb to York bus service will be subsidised by the York Council.

Ominously the Council also says

“The council is currently in the process of reviewing its portfolio of subsidised bus services in order to deliver significant savings in this area for 2015/16, which was agreed at the Budget Council in February.

A consultation on all bus services in York will start soon and more details will follow shortly. However, until this review has been finalised, the council will continue to subsidies the 13a until it considers where savings need to be made across the city”.

The move followed a decision by First York to review the operation of the hourly 13a bus service to Acomb due to low usage.

First apparently claim that there are insufficient numbers  to run the 13a service on a commercial basis.

The council has agreed to continue financing the operation of this service, at around £1,000 per week from the council’s transport budget. This will provide a 13a service for customers operated by First on behalf of the council.

We think that another operator would be able to provide the service for a much lower subsidy and would expect the Council to advertise the contract quickly and take the opportunity to address the concerns of Tudor Road residents.

From Monday the majority of the 13a service will operate as per the current timetable although the following journeys will no longer be in operation:

  • 7.15am: Acomb – York Station
  • 7.54am: York Station – Acomb
  • 4.57pm: Acomb – York Station
  • 5.36: York Station – Acomb
  • 6pm: Acomb – York Station

Previous 13a journeys between York & Haxby will continue to be operated by First but will be renumbered 13.

For further information on bus service changes and for bus timetables, visit www.itravelyork.info/buses, call 01904 551400 or visit the Bus Information Point in the Travel Centre at York Station.

Askham Lane bus shelter overwhelmed by undergrowth

Askham Lane bus stop

Askham Lane bus stop

Passengers sheltering at the stop on Askham Lane are – for the second time this year – in danger of missing the bus.

Bushes now completely block the view of oncoming traffic while nettles make using the shelter a potentially painful option.

Earlier in the years volunteers form the local residents association cleared a path to the shelter but the York Council really should strim round the waiting area and cut back adjacent bushes on a routine basis.

The situation is particularly difficult for the many elderly people who use the seat in the shelter.