The Foxwood Residents Association has been awarded a prestigious Britain in Bloom award.
They have been named as “Thriving” in the It’s Your Neighbourhood category of Yorkshire in Bloom.
It is only the second time that the Association has entered the competition.
They were particularly praised for the work that they did on the “Garden of the Year” competition.
Figures for August released today by the Council will confirm many residents experiences.
The time being taken by the Council to answer telephone calls is ridiculously high.
In some cases, residents have had to wait for 20 minutes for their call to be answered.
Many Councils routinely publish on their web site quality of service stats covering basic services such as the time taken to deal with issues. The York Council fails to do so.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Council has now admitted that the maximum time that telephone callers had to wait, during the week commencing 5th August, was:
Between 8:00am and 9:00am 3:52 mins (maximum waiting time for call to be answered)
9am-10am 11:30 mins
10am-11am 09:22 mins
11am-12am 08:34 mins
12am -1pm 12:32 mins
1pm -2 pm 11:56 mins
2 pm-3pm 20:22 mins
3pm -4pm 10:27 mins
4pm -5 pm 10:03 mins
5pm -5:30pm 16:21 mins
The failures have prompted calls for the switchboard to remain open for an additional hour to deal with the backlog.
It is likely that many callers will have abandoned their attempts to get through.
The figures suggest that the quality of service being provided by he Council has declined since it moved into its new “state of the art” West Office building
The Council have admitted that they should have collected the medical waste put outside a property in the Holgate area last week.
They say that their records have now been updated.
They have also apologised for the delays in answering calls to the Councils switchboard.
We understand that they are experiencing unprecedented levels of complaints mostly arising out of the waste collection shambles.
Meanwhile Councillor Levene, who is responsible for waste collection, has “tweeted” to York Liberal Democrats claiming that the non collection of recycling on Chapelfields Road yesterday was “explained on the Council web site”.
In reality neither neither Chapelfields Road nor recycling is mentioned on the web site.
In a separate development, some residents trying to use the “report it on line” system to report a missed bin have not been able to do so. It appears that the database has not been updated for the new collection rounds.
This rather suggests that management simply don’t know what is happening on York’s waste collection rounds?
Both the Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council are understood to have in Belgium when the crisis peaked at the beginning of the week.
Good comparator table here comparing mental health stats in York with the rest of the country.
York comes out relatively well on most measures other than in the provision of settled accommodation.
Free school meals for infants 'was price for Lib Dem support of Tory tax plan' – Guardian http://t.co/EgzPwGE8NB
— libdem_news (@LibDem_News) September 17, 2013
Parts of the Woodthorpe and Westfield wards have not had their bins emptied today.
It is the seventh working day of the new bin emptying regime. The crisis is now being blamed by the Council on a “work to rule”.
The Council are bullying the local media into not reporting the problems which today meant that bins in the following street have not been emptied.
Green Bin :
Recycling not collected in Chapelfields Road today. Not mentioned on Council web site.
◦Bramham Avenue
◦Marsden Crescent
◦Marsden Avenue
◦Grange Lane
◦Hotham Avenue
◦Barkston Grove
◦Askham Lane
◦Askham Grove
◦Apple Blossom Court
◦Westfield Place
◦Branton Place
◦Sandringham Court
Black Bin :
◦Alness Drive (Part)
◦Tarbert Cres
◦Deveron Place
◦Halladale Close
◦Torridon Place
◦Ashmead Close
◦Etive Place
◦Tarbert Crescent
◦Coeside
The Council says that it will return tomorrow (Wednesday) to these properties.
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards. Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
Acomb
Ref No: 13/02986/FUL
Location: 1A Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BS
Proposal: Bay window and canopy to front
Applicant: Mrs Juliet Powell Contact: Mr J Funnell Consultation Expiry Date: 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level: DEL
Ref No: 13/03048/EIASP
Location: British Sugar Corporation Ltd Plantation Drive York YO26 6XF
British Sugar site
Proposal: Scoping opinion for proposed residential-lead development at former British Sugar site, Plantation Drive
Applicant: Neil Jones Consultation Expiry Date: 4 October 2013 Case Officer: Jonathan Kenyon Expected Decision DEL
Westfield
Ref No: 13/03017/FUL
Location: 100 Tennent Road York YO24 3HG
Proposal: Single storey rear extension
Applicant: Mr Filatov Consultation Expiry Date 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level DEL
Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.
York’s sixth annual family fitness day will be getting everyone up and active at Rowntree Park on Saturday 21 September from 12noon to 5pm. The Just 30 Fair aims to inspire people of all ages to try new sports and fitness activities and discover more of what’s available in York.
The Just 30 Fair is set up to encourage everyone to do just 30 minutes exercise every day for a happier, healthier lifestyle. If you would like to find out more about how to get fitter and more fabulous, then this event is for you! We’ve invited over 30 sports clubs, leisure facilities, organisations, gyms and individual tutors and coaches to advise you and give out information: whatever your interests, abilities or levels of fitness there will be something to help get you up and more active. They’re all there to welcome and encourage you do Just 30!
Most organisations will be staging try-it sessions, demonstrations and mini-games to join in. Professional sports clubs like York City FC will be there alongside community clubs offering sub-aqua, aikido, bowls, volleyball, dance, yoga, running, boxing, kendo, Nordic walking, zumba and tennis.
For the first time, basketball, wheelchair basketball, and hula hooping will be part of the Fair this year, offering everyone the chance to have a go.
While limbering up for their race, are the mascots from the city clubs! Yorkie from York FC, Ronnie Rhino from the Leeds Rhinos, and Kernal, Fluffy and Donut from York Maze will challenging last year’s winner Snappy Crock from SNAPPY in a hilarious race of the sporting mascots. The race starts at 2pm
For further information about the Just 30 Fair visit www.york.gov.uk/just30 or call Neil Gulliver from City of York Council on 01904 553377 or email neil.gulliver@york.gov.uk.
The planned residential development on the former British Sugar site off Plantation Drive has taken a step forward.
click for full report
The owners have submitted a scoping document which will lead to the production of an environmental impact assessment which is an essential precursor to an outline planning application.
The latter is now expected to be lodged in early 2014.
The new development is expected to be a predominately residential led scheme, of up to 1300 homes comprising family housing at a medium density together with
• A retail centre comprising Class Al/A2/A3/A4/A5;
• A multi-use community hub (with potential for uses such as a health centre, crèche, public hall, primary school, changing facilities associated with any intensive sports uses on the site);
• Provision of open space/green infrastructure;
• Access via a new link road through Former Manor School site, Plantation Drive and Millfield Lane; and
• Demolition of the Former Manor School buildings as necessary.
The report warns of potentially harmful levels of methane and carbon dioxide on the site.
However no signs of protected wildlife species, such as Great Crested Newts, have been discovered. A “bee bank” is under threat.
The report also describes how transportation, landscape, noise, air quality and other impacts will be assessed.
A primary school teacher from York has been jailed after admitting to a number of sexual offences against children.
