Lendal Bridge and Coppergate penalty income admitted by York Council. 11,177 fined in September!

The Council have belatedly published details of the numbers of drivers who have fallen foul of the number plate recognition cameras installed on Lendal Bridge and in Coppergate.

In total during August and September 11,177 drivers were sent penalty charge notices.

This would generate over £600,000 in income for the Council in just 5 weeks.

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Some fines might be reduced for drivers who pay up quickly or who successfully appeal against the notice.

The penalty charge notice numbers are divided fairly evenly between Coppergate and Lendal Bridge although the figures for the latter are only for 3 weeks.

But it is a staggering amount and confirmation of the inadequacy of the signage marking the new restrictions on Coppergate as well as the trial day time closure of Lendal Bridge to private motorists.

The data is contained in an obscure part of the Council web site and has not been officially publicised.

Apparently the web page will be updated monthly.

The figures show no sign of a downturn in the numbers of motorists being caught, so the Councils annual income from the cameras is likely to be several millions each year.

It is much more than would have been raised by putting a congestion charge on the bridge and they do suggest that “road pricing” is what the Labour Council really wants to introduce next.

The publication of the information follows the tabling of a question on the subject at last weeks Council meeting by a Liberal Democrat Councillor.

Detailed information, on the reductions in the number of shoppers accessing the City centre, is still awaited.

A report on the first month of the trial, previously published by the Council, admitted that there had been no significant improvement in journey times for buses – one of the major objectives of the trial

Jobseekers claimant count falls again in York

click for interactive map showing what the LibDems are doing to help job creation in York

The number of people claiming Jobs Seekers Allowance (JSA) in York has again fallen, representing the lowest figure since October 2008.

The Office for National Statistics have released figures today stating that there are 2317 claimants in York, a fall of 134 from last month and of 740 from September 2012.

The claimant count represents 1.7% of the working population and contrasts to the regional average which stands at 4.1%.

The figures are also much lower than the national average which stands at 3.2%.

Edward McMillan-Scott

Meanwhile, York’s Lib Dem Euro MP Edward McMillan-Scott has worked alongside others to secure new EU trade deals with countries like the US and South Korea that are worth an extra £12 billion to the British economy each year.

Edward said: “These deals mean it will be easier for local companies to trade with the EU and beyond – helping to protect local jobs. We are also working to cut back on red tape, to help small businesses.”

All this and millions of jobs across the UK will be put at risk if UKIP and the Conservatives get their way and pull Britain out of Europe.

Residents action group founded in Green Lane Acomb

Blocked gutters in Harold Court

Hedge blocking footpath – Lowfields

Overgrown garage area

Potholes in Acomb car park

Dumping back Beaconsfield Street

Vandalism

Residents living in the Green Lane and Lowfields part of Acomb are forming an action group aimed at getting improvements to public service standards in the area.

The move follow what many residents see as a decline in standards with litter, weed growth, graffiti, potholes and dumping amongst key concerns.

The intention is to have a resident in each street who will promptly report issues to the responsible public authority.

During the winter the group will aim to identify any elderly or disabled residents who are suffering as a result of the Councils decision to reduce footpath de-icing services in the area. They will also be on the lookout for faulty street lights.

In the longer term the Group hopes to persuade the Council to resurface the back lanes in the area.

Residents with issues that they would like to be addressed can contact the group via the following Email address: acombactiongroup@outlook.com

Draft private housing strategy open for comment

City of York Council’s is consulting on its plans for privately rented accommodation in the City.

The private sector housing strategy will be shared amongst landlords, stakeholders, tenants and partners. With 85 per cent of all homes in York either privately owned or rented, this plan will impact on a significant proportion of the community.

White Swan

Earlier this year and in anticipation of the strategy, the council has supported property owners to return or convert buildings back into domestic use – notably the White Swan – as well as helping home owners and landlords and tenants cut fuel bills and maximise energy efficiency.

However the Council Leadership has recently repeated its opposition to converting retail accommodation into residential.

The council has been developing a new landlord accreditation scheme called YorProperty to help raise standards of rented accommodation, which will be a focus of the Landlord’s Fair on 17 October (part of Housing Week) when the draft will also be presented to those attending.

Views of the strategy are now needed. Feedback will be used to shape the final strategy due for publication in the New Year. Complete the short questionnaire at www.york.gov.uk/housingweek The closing date for feedback is 22 November 2014.
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Be alert to the symptoms of bladder and kidney cancers

City of York Council is supporting the NHS Be Clear on Cancer ‘Blood in Pee’ campaign.

The campaign will run from 15 October to 20 November 2013 across England. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the key symptom common to both bladder and kidney cancer – blood in pee – and encourage those with this symptom, even if it’s ‘just the once’, to see their doctor straight away. If bladder and kidney cancers are diagnosed early they are more treatable.

Adverts will appear on national TV, radio and in the press.

Around 65 people in York (1774 people in Yorkshire and Humber) are diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer each year and these cancers account for around 7,500 deaths per year across the country.

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Bizarre twist in footfall pantomime

With the Council resolutely refusing to reveal the reduction in the number of shoppers using the City centre since the Lendal Bridge restrictions were introduced, they have today announced investment in yet more “footfall” cameras.

Many will wonder whether spending money on more cameras can be justified when the authority apparently don’t want to believe the results of its existing two cameras (which are located in Parliament Street and Coney Street).

A beleaguered Council Leadership has agreed though that the decline in the numbers accessing the City centre over recent years is higher than in similar City’s elsewhere.

The Labour Leadership was quick to celebrate increased footfall in the run up to Christmas 2011 but since then a huge increase in car parking charges, and steps to further reduce on street parking, have taken their toll.

Now, the way that the Lendal Bridge restrictions have been introduced is already having a major impact on the City’s reputation with visitors and potential shoppers.

The Council seem to be following a strategy based on a new saying, “If you don’t like the facts, spend more money looking for alternative facts”

The Council has not revealed how much it intends to spend on the additional cameras.

York Labour Councillors reveal cunning plan?

Site capacity for new homes – draft Local Plan. click to enlarge

Labour Councillor Dave Merrett seems to have overstepped accepted guidelines when welcoming a planning application for the Our Lady’s school site.

He was quoted in the local paper as supporting a plan to build 56 homes on the site – almost double the number allocated in the Local Plan that Cllr Merrett approved in the spring.

If approved at the meeting on 21st November, the proposal would mean that the green space, school nature reserve and children’s playground will all be lost.

Normally executive Councillors avoid commenting publicly on planning applications once they have been submitted. They allow normal consultation with residents to take place before a cross party planning committee meeting decides on the merits of each proposal.

A public intervention by an executive Councillor could be deemed to be putting undue pressure on the planning officers who work in his department and who will author reports recommending approval or rejection of an application.

Officials are understood to have said already that the density on the development – at 82 homes per hectare based on the existing built footprint- is in excess of what would normally be permitted in a sub-urban location.

Meanwhile the Council Leader is also interfering in the planning processes.

Following on from his public opposition to converting unused shops into residential accommodation, he told the last Council meeting, when questioned about the higher number of housing units coming forward on brownfield sites that,

sessions site

“the important distinction between the positions of the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives it has to be said, is that the other parties believe those living in central wards should have housing built on any spare piece of land anywhere near them and outer wards should continue to enjoy protection against any development anywhere near them”.

“The truth is housing should be built in both central and outer areas where it can be shown to contribute to tackling the city’s housing crisis at the same time as protecting residents’ local amenity”.

In fact over recent months it is central area sites that are seeing high densities proposed with Our Lady’s school only the latest in a long line which includes the former Press offices in Walmgate, the Burnholme club and several dozen others.

The Council Leader may, however, be confused about what constitutes “central wards”.

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NB. The Planning committee will consider next week a proposal to build 59 homes on the former Sessions site on Huntington Road. Of these 20% will be “affordable”

The density of the proposed development is just over 32 dwellings per hectare, and would be more densely developed than the surrounding residential areas. However this figure appears to be in conflict with the figures shown in the draft Local Plan.

The draft Local plan showed only 17 homes being built on this (0.47 hectare) site

Double standards hit Acomb bus passengers.

Acomb Front Street information terminal. Out of order for over 2 years

As the Council starts its project to spend £500,000 on a city centre bus rank, residents of Acomb can be forgiven for thinking that they are the poor relations.

It is now 2 years since the public transport information point on Front Street ceased working.

The Council promise Rougier Street bus stop users “use of lighting and public art to make the facilities generally more attractive, and a better place to spend time waiting for a bus”

Meanwhile Acomb passengers must wait in the rain with no “next bus” displays.

The Council has said that it won’t even “grit” most of the number 24 bus route in winter.

The Council should either bring the information screen back into use or remove it.

It serves only as a memorial to the double standards of a Labour Council which has got its priorities so badly wrong.

Council tenants unhappy with York Council as performance slips

Tenant satisfaction with the way that the Council runs its housing operation has fallen over the last year.

A report, produced by the newly-formed “Tenant Scrutiny Panel”, looks at how the council has performed in the previous 12 months.

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On most measures the Councils performance has declined.

• The number of tenants satisfied with repairs and maintenance fell from 85% to 82% while satisfaction with “the general condition of their home” fell from 83% to 81%.

• Only 55% of tenant adaptations were completed on time compared to 85% the previous year.

• Tenants satisfied with the standard of their new homes fell from 66% to 60%.

• There was an improvement in the time taken to relet empty properties although at 25 days this was worse than is achieved by several other Councils.

• Tenants satisfied with ”involvement in management & decisions” fell from 53% to 51%

• Tenants satisfied with” the outcome of their complaint” was only 34% compared to a target of 70%

• It took longer to remove graffiti.

• Nine out of 10 tenants responding to the Tenant Satisfaction Survey were satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live.

The results mirror the growing dissatisfaction levels revealed by the Councils more general “big survey” the results of which were revealed last month.

To view the full report click here

Residents invited to take part in late night economy consultation

City of York Council is inviting residents and visitors to share their experience of and thoughts on York’s evening and night time economy to support plans to improve its quality and long-term future.

This single consultation will feed into three cross-party council Overview and Scrutiny Committees and, as such, is the first to cover such a broad sweep of interests from leisure to business and the public realm. It will inform work to develop a vision of what the evening and night time economy in York might look like in five years time – to be called Yorkafter5.

Feedback will also add to that gathered from an earlier consultation on proposals for a late night levy and the impact of alcohol on the late night economy.

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