Apparently it cost about £16 per voter to run the elections for Police Commissioner last year. See media report http://t.co/2KAFCyMneE
— Steve Galloway (@SteveGallowayYk) August 16, 2013
Small mercies
The Council has announced supplementary funding for wards judged to be “deprived”. The amounts are tiny compared to the levels allocated to Ward Committees when the Liberal Democrats were in power.
Until 2011 a ward like Westfield could expect to receive around £60,000 a year. It was spent following a ballot of local residents priorities.
The amounts allocated are:
Westfield – £3,326
Clifton – £3,311
Heworth – £3,354
Hull Road – £2,609
Guildhall – £2,200
No indication has been given as to how the money will be spent athough an injection into dealing with weed growth, potholes and litter won’t be amiss.
The decision was taken at a “behind closed doors” meeting.
Huntsman’s Walk footpath petition
Petition being considered on Tuesday
A petition collected last year, which asks for the footpaths in Huntsman’s Walk to be resurfaced, will be considered by the York Council on Tuesday
The petition was organised – by Westfield Liberal Democrats – following a rapid deterioration in the condition of the footpath
The officer report confirms that the path between Tedder Road and Foxwood Lane is in poor condition. It was, however, ranked as only the 96th priority for resurfacing this year.
The petition has now raised the priority of the path to 61st on the waiting list.
The cost of resurfacing the footpath is put at £48,750.
It is likely that the Labour Councillor, who will decide whether to approve the resurfacing, will decide not to give the path a higher priority. It therefore may, or may not, be done next year.
NB. The budget for highway maintenance works was halved when Labour took office at the Guildhall in 2011.
A massive backlog of highways maintenance work is building up.
However Labour have found £600,000 to pay for the introduction of a 20 mph speed limit in west York!
Number 24 bus service saved.
We understand that the Council have let a new contract which will see Arriva run the number 24 bus service.
Existing service 24 click to enlarge
The new service will use the existing route.
Clockwise Ascot Way, St Stephens Road, Askham Lane, Front Street, then Carr Lane, Lindsey Avenue to Railway Station.
The reverse route uses Green Lane. The service is hourly and is scheduled to reach (from Windsor Garth) Acomb, Front Street in 12 minutes and the station in 36 minutes
There has been some criticism of the 24 service in the past because of delays.
Local Liberal Democrats collected a petition asking for the number 24 service – which is subsidised by the Council – to be continued when the existing contract expired in September. The service provides a “lifeline” link for the many elderly residents living in the Windsor Garth/Ascot Way area.
NB. From the end of September, the number 4 will change its route to take in the low numbered end of Gale Lane before turning right into Front Street. It will then loop through Green Lane and Tudor Road to Cornlands Road.
Rubbish skips this weekend Saturday17th August
Although the Council has cut back on the number of amenity skips it provides, several residents associations continue to run programmes aimed at making it easier for tenants to get rid of unwanted items.
The skips are only in place for a few minutes and residents must ensure that they put any rubbish into the skips and do not leave it on the path or highway.
1 Woodlea Ave 08:30 09:30
2 Viking Rd 10:30 11:30
3 Bramham Rd 12:30 13:30 Grange Lane
4 Bramham Rd 08:30 09:30 Community Centre
5 St Benedicts Rd 10:30 11:30
6 Westmoor Flats 12:30 13:30
7 Rogers Court 08:30 09:30
Live traffic congestion map
click for latest update
City centre cycle parking consultation results
Many residents will be surprised to find that consultations were taking place about extending cycle parking arrangements in Goodramgate, King Square, Lendal (exiting parking @ Zizzi’s), Lendal (new parking @ Post Office), Castle Museum, Piccadilly (White Swan), Library Square, Micklegate/Bar Lane.
Nevertheless the Council has approved the new sites in another behind closed doors decision session.
Click here for details and photos.
York housing numbers just don’t stack up
The announcement that 648 “student rooms” are to be provided on The Press office site have raised questions about discrepancies between figures included in the draft Local Plan and subsequent planning applications.
The Press site wasn’t even identified for residential use in the Local Plan.
Within 3 weeks of the plan being published, an announcement was being made that “58 purpose built student flats and 303 studio apartments would be built on the site” (Press 12th June)
Now the actual planning application to be considered next week is for “648 student rooms”.
It’s the latest in a long line of inconsistencies with site densities in actual planning applications being double the Local Plan figure.
It also seems that the Councils “affordable homes” strategy is collapsing. A government inspector ruled that 0% affordable homes were required on the Grain Store site.
The Council had already reduced the number of affordable units required at the Terry’s development and a similar reduction was made at the Hungate and the Barbican.
We now understand that the planning application for the Sessions site has been withdrawn amid speculation that this also will now have less than 10% affordable units.
It looks like the Labour plan, to flood the market with cheap land in the hope that prices would reduce, has collapsed before it has even reached the Public Inquiry stage.
My vote was worth 72p at the last General Election. Yours?
A new web site reveals how much the political parties spent trying to persuade you to vote for them.
In total the parties spent around £34,000 with 60% turning out to vote.
strong>Click here to find out how much they spent on you.
Big retail and housing plans go to York committee next week
Press building, Walmgate
The plan to demolish the existing building occupied by The Press reaches the Planning Committee next week (22nd).
Monks Cross
The plan would see the erection of 1 three storey and 1 four to seven storey block and the conversion of Wards Warehouse to provide student accommodation (648 student rooms and management facilities); the erection of a 3 storey office (class B1), an extension to the Poads Building and the provision of associated cycle and car parking facilities and landscaping works.
The details can be read by clicking here
The application is recommended for approval.
Monks Cross
The extensions to the existing Monks Cross development are described as “external alterations to amalgamate five existing units (nos 3, 4, 5/6, 11 and 12) and create additional mezzanine floorspace to create two non food retail units” Details can be found by clicking here.
The applicant says that one of the new units would be occupied by Primark. The second unit would be occupied by Debenhams
The application is recommended for approval