LibDems demand answers on York Green Belt questions

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling for an urgent update on controversial plans to build 22,000 houses in York.

Labour run City of York Council’s Draft Local Plan proposes building 22,000 houses over the next 15 years, including thousands on Green Belt land. Public consultation on the plan closed in July last year and over 14,000 responses were received – the vast majority in opposition to the proposals.

Green Belt campaign logo

However, eight months after the consultation closed the full responses have still not been published and there has been no opportunity for councillors or residents to publically discuss the plan or the public reaction.

No dates for meetings have been included in the Council’s Forward Programme of decision dates (published this week) which covers all major issues scheduled to be considered during the forthcoming 4 months

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Planning and Sustainability, commented:

“Thousands of residents took the time last summer to study the plans and respond to the consultation. It is ridiculous that eight months later these views have still not been fully published and the concerns raised have not been addressed.

“Labour should immediately publish these responses in full and organise a meeting of the council’s cross-party Local Plan Working Group. They need to give opposition councillors and residents the chance to discuss the issues and their concerns. Labour need to tell residents what is going on and publish a detailed timetable. At the moment residents are being kept in the dark and feel they are being ignored.

“The whole process is being shrouded in secrecy by Labour and in the meantime planning applications on the Green Belt, such as Becks Lane in Strensall, are being approved on an ad-hoc basis. We also know that the council is already talking to developers about building at other key Green Belt sites.”

At the meeting of York’s Full Council next week (Thursday 27th) Cllr Reid will ask the Labour Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability the following questions:

  • When will a timetable of meetings be published at which residents can make representations on the (revised) Local Plan proposals?
  • Why is it taking so long to publish – as promised – the written comments and objections which the Council received following its initial consultation on the Draft Local Plan last year?
  • What is the proposed timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan up to, and beyond, the Examination in Public (Public Inquiry)?

Monk Stray licensing application – background papers published

Monk Stray licensing notice

The York Council has now published details of the event it is planning to hold on Monk Stray as part of the Tour de France.

Details of the licensing application can be found by clicking here

As residents suspected, the licensing application would allow events to be staged on Monk Stray for 14 days (each year). In other words it is not a “one off” event as claimed by Labour spokespeople.

286 representations have been made on the application.

This is one of the highest levels of objection ever received to a licensing application in York.

The Police have insisted that the Council amend its proposals to reduce the area that any event can take place on and to control the sale of alcohol on the site

The decision on the application will be made on Tuesday 25th March at the Guildhall by 3 Councillors (2 Conservative and 1 Labour). The meeting will start at 10:00am and is open to the Press and public. Members of the public are now permitted to record the proceedings of Council meetings

In the event of the application being refused or substantially modified, the applicants (in this case, the Council itself) can make an appeal to the Magistrates Court.

The Council has been criticised for chosing to use Monk Stray for camping and “hub” activities connected with the Grand Départ. Residents have pointed to the University and Knavesmire as better located options.

NB. Liberal Democrats have again tabled questions for the Council meeting taking place on 27th March asking about the costs of the TdF and the likely income that the Council will receive to offset the £1.6 million that it is investing in the event.

The question reads:

“Can the Cabinet Member outline how much additional income the Council can expect to receive from parking charges, rents, leases, licences, sponsorship and similar income streams during and after the “Grand Départ”?”

Lendal Bridge – the saga continues

According to information released by the Council yesterday a decision on the future of the access restrictions on Lendal Bridge will be taken at a meeting being held on 6th May.

However many items on the Councils Forward Programme of decision debates are subsequently put back – some indefinitely.

The Council’s web site has been very “flaky” over the last few weeks with many residents complaining about difficulty in accessing the background papers for meetings with some pages simply “freezing” for long periods of time.

Lendal Bridge in 1868, five years after it was first opened. To pay for the costs of constructing the bridge, a toll of two pence per (horse drawn) vehicle was charged until 1894. A £60 charge was reintroduced by York’s Labour Council in August 2014

Lendal Bridge in 1868, five years after it was first opened. To pay for the costs of constructing the bridge, a toll of two pence per (horse drawn) vehicle was charged until 1894. A £60 charge was reintroduced by York’s Labour Council in August 2014

The Council has so far failed to supply the month 6 progress report on their web site. This was information that they promised to regularly update.

Some may think that this suggests that some “cleansing” of the data is already underway.

Nor has the Council published the results of its survey of residents opinion  or details of the “public opinion poll” which they announced earlier in the month

The first debate and vote on the future of Lendal bridge will come at the Council meeting taking place on Thursday 27th March. The Liberal Democrats will propose that the ANPR cameras are switched off immediately.

They will also be pressing Cllr Merrett to answer the questions that he evaded at the Council meeting held in December.

The questions ask for information on,

“a)  The number of appeals lodged each week since the beginning of August against PCNs issued for contraventions of traffic restrictions on Coppergate and Lendal Bridge

b)  The number of appeals which have been successful each week

c)  The total revenue that the Council has received so far from PCNs following the introduction of the new restrictions on  Coppergate and Lendal Bridge

d)  The weekly changes to journey times (all modes of transport) on each arterial road and on each section of the inner ring road since the introduction of the new traffic restrictions

e)  The numbers of accidents reported on roads in the City centre comparing the last 6 months with the equivalent period in 2012/13

a)  The latest air quality monitoring reports for key sites in and close to the City centre, including the Leeman Road area, and comparing these with last year?”

£13 million surplus on York Council Housing account leads to “peer review”

One improvement, which we understand has now got the go ahead, will be aimed at dealing with parking problems on Hammerton Close

One improvement, which we understand has now got the go ahead, will be aimed at dealing with parking problems on Hammerton Close

A review of the, York Councils, Housing Business Plan is being put off until July.

The new plan was to have been revealed at a “Cabinet” meeting scheduled to take place next month.

Instead, apparently the Darlington Borough Council are to be involved in a “peer review” of Council Housing management in York. Darlington is also a Labour controlled local authority.

The delay will come as little surprise to many tenants  who have complained about lack of progress with much needed  estate improvements.  There is a long list of outstanding work including many requests for improved car parking, better security, renewal of fencing and upgrades to communal areas.

It appears that, despite the backlog of work, this years (2013/14) estate improvement budget  may not be fully utilised.

The Councils decision, not to use some of its £13 million surplus to buy additional Council homes on the open market, should be scrutinised.

NB The Council have again put off considering a report on how to deal with parking enforcement problems on Council estates.

The issue was first scheduled for consideration last autumn, but is now unclear when – or even if – the matter will be debated.

Mobile safety (speed) camera sites York and North Yorkshire week commencing 19 March 2014

Below are the enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing Wednesday 19 March 2014.

The safety cameras are now more visible then ever before with each of the three vehicles bearing the same hi-vis livery as North Yorkshire Police’s marked vehicle fleet.

All safety camera locations are published on the force website along with an explanation of the various route types.

You can view the results of the safety camera enforcement activity on our web page Deployment and results. Up to date data for the previous  week is uploaded every Tuesday and can be interrogated by route and date ranges.

Safety camera van The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the following sites at various times over the coming week. Cameras will not be in use all day, every day. The locations were accurate when this news release was produced.

Due to operating constraints, our mobile safety camera locations may change without prior warning.

Due to operating constraints, our mobile safety camera locations may change without prior warning.

A64 eastbound, Islington, Tadcaster
A64 westbound, Street Houses, Bilborough
A64 Westbound, Wharfe Bridge, Tadcaster
B1228 Dunnington, Lodge Elvington
Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York
Strensall Road, Huntington, York
Church Lane, Wheldrake
Millfield Lane, Poppleton York
Greenshaw Drive, Haxby
A64 eastbound, Heslington, York
A64 westbound, Heslington, York
(more…)

5200 York families now entitled to tax free childcare

Tax-free childcare to be increased to £2000 per child
key_childcare

A major new childcare package to help millions of parents with the cost of living and give children the best possible start in life was unveiled by Nick Clegg today.

The new tax-free childcare scheme, announced by the Liberal Democrats last year, will be increased from £1,200 to £2,000 per child and the scheme will be brought forward to Autumn 2015.

This means that working parents earning at least £50 per week, will get 20% off the cost of childcare up to a limit of £10,000 for every child under the age of 12.

Those working part-time, on maternity leave or starting their own business will also be eligible for support with their childcare costs.

More click here