Secret decisions on bus shelters and road improvements

Following the move not to allow Cabinet members to take decisions in “private” sessions, the gap has been filled by Council officials who are queuing up make the most use that they can of their “delegated” powers.

Rougier Street

This week, the much delayed project to replace the (admittedly odious) bus shelter on Rougier Street next to Roman House was formally shelved.

Developers had been planning to convert Roman House into flats. There were concerns that a new shelter might be damaged during building works.

It now appears that the flats project has been abandoned and new owners are looking into providing a hotel on the site.

The scheme is being funded by the – time limited – “better bus fund” . This is the same fund that the Council misused to subsidise their ill fated Lendal Bridge adventure.

With little prospect of the development on Rougier Street starting in the near future. it would have been sensible to divert the funds into sub-urban areas where bus stop and information facilities have had little improvement during the last 4 years.

Instead officials decided to mothball the project. (Their decision rather strangely refers to the shelter being located in the Skelton ward !!)

St Leonards

Separately – and not yet formally reported to the Council – we understand that improvements to the Theatre Royal bus stop have also been suspended. Apparently English Heritage were concerned that the works might endanger the adjacent listed buildings.

The improvements to the Theatre frontage include glazing the area between the columns.

It appears however that these glazing panels – rather than filling in the gaps in between the masonry – will actually be recessed further back.

This raises concerns that a litter trap – or worse – is being constructed.

Clifton Moor

Clifton Moor link foot and cycle path click to access

Plans to connect the two sides of the Clifton Moor retail park are being redesigned following the opening of the DFS store.

A new combined cycle/foot path has been approved. The costs will be born by developers and land owners.The design is reproduced right

Burdyke Avenue plan click to enlarge

Burdyke Avenue

Obstructions on Burdyke Avenue have been causing delays to local bus services. The Council plan to install a parking lay-by with associated parking restrictions. Telecoms equipment in the verge means that the project will cost £55,000.

The plan doesn’t provide any additional parking space and an alternative, which would have utilized gardens for parking, does not appear to have been fully explored.

Estate car parking is an increasing issue.

Labour slowed the improvement programme when they took office in 2011. Until then most wards had allocated money for dropped kerbs, lay-bys and off street parking near flats.

The installation of matrix reinforcement on verges was also being developed as a way of protecting them.

In a further leap back into the dark ages, it appears that the convention that the spokespeople for each Group represented on the Council (together with local ward members) are given the opportunity to comment, before delegated decisions are taken, has also now been abandoned.

Irony of secret decision on “information governance” officer appointment lost on Council?

Council officials decided a week ago to appoint an additional officer who will “lead on the Council’s transparency and information governance arrangements”.

The decision to appoint the officer was taken behind closed doors.

No previous information about the proposal was published.

Such information as there is on the duties of the new appointment can be read here.

It appears that providing “customer feedback” will be a part of their role.

Council officials grabbing power as decision making vacuum continues at York Council?

Following the unprecedented attack on the Knights rugby club by a Council official, changes are being made to the way in which decisions are taken at the York Council.

Sadly it appears that more are to be delegated to Council officials with the controversial Sarah Tanburn being given powers to decide key transport issues.

The Council’s forward programme has recently been changed to prevent the Cabinet member (Levene) from holding meetings to consider several items including changes to the Rougier Street Bus “Interchange” (next to Roman House) and the Holgate Road (Iron Bridge to Acomb Road junction) Cycle Scheme

While the Cabinet member decision meetings were far from ideal (single members meetings rarely are) at least agendas were published in advance and residents had the opportunity to comment.

The best that residents can hope for, under the delegated decisions scheme, is for the agenda and decisions to be published on the Councils web site AFTER the meeting has been held.

The Council’s constitution hasn’t been updated to reflect the reduction in the number of Cabinet members and many believe that the process for appointing them (at the discretion of the Council Leader) has not yet been formally completed.

A recent Urgency committee meeting even failed to make routine changes to Council committee membership.

All in all, the Groups currently represented on the Council need to agree a system which ensures that any decisions which are needed, before the all out election scheduled for May 7^th, are taken in an open way and that they reflect the wishes of the York Community.

Foreign trip curbs to be introduced by York Council

Opposition Councillors move to reduce travel costs as taxpayers complain

The concerns expressed by many York residents, about the amount being spent on foreign visits and travel by both Councillors and officials, are to come under the microscope.

The move comes after Labour lost overall control of the Council.

In the main the initiative is aimed at the payment of travel expenses incurred directly by the York Council but it has been suggested that this will be extended to cover other organisations that the Council has representation on and, in particular, those that receive significant Council grant funding.

Any new process will not put an outright ban on travel.

Rather a case for foreign travel will have to be considered by a public session of the all party Urgency committee (which meets each week). The expectation is that the aims of any travel will have to be identified and, later, that a note will be published indicating what was achieved by the trip.

The move is part of a raft of changes being proposed by opposition Councillors which could transform the way that the York Council does its business.

They aim is to make the Council more open and more sensitive to local residents views.

A key feature would be an end to “behind closed doors” decision making meetings.

The costs of foreign – and indeed UK – travel, have been a cause of criticism ever since Labour took control of the Council in 2011.

Previous stories – Click link to access

Cabinet approves £25,000 jaunt to Cannes

Labour Councillor’s Strasbourg trips

Shamed Labour Councillors publish expenses claims

York MPs travel expenses

York Councillors travel expenses exposeds

Foreign travel fails to broaden Social Services report

Labour Cabinet runs up £4000 travel bill.

More about foreign trips

York Council spent £5747 on trip to Cannes

Day out in Scotland

Day out in London

More 20 mph speed limits slipped through by Labour 3 days after losing York Council control.

Strong Police objections overruled in “behind closed doors” decision

Papers published today confirm that a Council official has nodded through the introduction of 20 mph speed limits on 3 more roads in the York area. The decision meeting took place on 21^st October but no notice of the meeting was given to opposition Councillors.

The roads concerned are:

Heslington Road (part of)
Hospital Fields Road (full extent)
Broad Highway, Wheldrake (part of)

The Police objected to the proposals saying, in a strongly worded letter, that they would not be able to enforce the 20 mph limit.

Their objection – which can be read by clicking here – points out that average speeds are below 30 mph anyway and that at least one of the roads is not “residential” in character.

In another, the Police question whether the change proposed might actually increase speeds near a school increasing, rather than reducing, accident potential

It is possible that the changes do have the support of local Ward Councillors.

But the expectation was that the new Council would immediately stop the practice of holding private “decision” meetings before subsequently publishing – sometimes days later – agendas and supporting papers.

Residents have a right to make additional representations on proposals if they chose. They can’t do so if a decision has already been taken.

The opposition group Leaders seem to have been out manoeuvred on this issue – and a similar one concerning TransPennine Express and Northern Rail franchises where there is no sign of any opposition influence.

Opposition Councillors will need to raise their game quickly on the newly balanced Council.

York will expect open decision making and genuine consultation from now on.

More about those foreign trips

It seems likely that one of the consequences of Labour losing their grip on the Council – and its PR staff – will be more openness about what is happening.

Secrecy has shrouded the costs – and objectives – of foreign trips made by both Councillors and Officials since 2011.

Nationally the consequences of events such as MIPIM are increasingly under the microscope.

“Property developers wining and dining town hall executives – a jaunt so lavish as to be almost comic” http://t.co/1383GXt08J

— Politics in Brum (@politicsinbrum) October 14, 2014

2 more Councillors quit Labour in York

Two more Labour Councillors (David Scott and Ken King) have sensationally quit the Labour Group at tonight’s Council meeting.

It means that, as we approach the Westfield by election poll next week, the number of Labour Councillors has fallen to just 21.

The opposition parties at the Guildhall can now muster 25 seats, with the prospect of adding a LibDem gain in Westfield to the total.

Either way though Labour have lost their majority.

The 2 former Labour Councillors are understood to have highlighted the authoritarian Leadership of James Alexander and his ruling cabal as the reason for their decision

The change should open up the way for all party participation across all committees and even the decision making “Cabinet”.

It will make it difficult to spin news releases to the advantage of the Council Leadership and the culture of secrecy at the Guildhall and West Offices should be swept away.

The next couple of weeks will be a major test for all the Group Leaders at the Guildhall.

The City does need a robust process as it approaches important decisions on at least two key issues;

How to further refine the Local Plan &
What budget to set for next year.

It is difficult to see how the present Labour Leadership can survive the events of the last few hours.

The Councillors who quit have apparently also vowed to lift the lid on some of Labour’s behind closed doors tactics.

York Labour hypocrisy over anonymous tweets

It is almost beyond belief that Labour Councillors are trying to get the respected head of a local mental health charity sacked because they disagree with his political views.

They have accused him of using a pseudonym to make critical comments about Labour polices and personalities.

It is a glimpse of a totalitarian state mentality to which many of the current York Council Leadership subscribe

“Agree with my views or we will target you” seems to be their mantra.

No wonder that so many former Labour Councillors have chosen to jump ship to escape from this suffocating authoritarianism.

It would not be so bad if Labour Councillors themselves did not use false names to promote their views – and belittle their political opponents – on the local Press web site.

Residents would be amazed to find out just who is responsible for such vindictive, and often untrue, vitriol.

The Press can address this issue by insisting that – just as it does on its letters page – people use their real names when posting on line.

It might mean that some public servants are discouraged from criticising Labour politicians but there are other independent channels – including this web site – where whistle blowing is an option for the faint hearted.

In the meantime Labour should withdraw their attack dogs from their voluntary sector targets and reflect that it is their commitment to secret decision making that has led to the frustration felt by many York residents.

It is no wonder though that many residents choose not to reveal their true identities and views to the City’s Stalinist rulers.

Decisions affecting traffic in every part of the City taken in private session by Labour Councillor

Traffic and parking decisions nodded through at behind closed doors session.

The man responsible for the secrecy was Labour Councillor David Levene.

Over 50 proposals for changes to parking restrictions and other local traffic management measures were decided last week.

Residents had no opportunity to influence the decisions with papers only being published on the Councils web site AFTER the meeting had concluded.

Labour Councillors representing areas like Westfield failed to make any representations on the plans which potentially affect dozens of local residents and hundreds of drivers.

This is the kind of secrecy and indifference that should disappear when Labour lose the Westfield by election and with it their Council majority.

The background reports can be read by clicking these links

Acomb

Bishopthorpe

Clifton

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe

Skelton Rawcliffe Clifton Without

Strensall

Westfield

Wheldrake

Grand Departy costs – York Council says it won’t release details until after the Westfield by election poll has taken place

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Three months after a party took place at the Huntington Stadium, the Council still claims that it does know how much income it received from ticket sales.

The budget costs of the 5 hour event were revealed as £228,000 in a response to a Freedom of Information request in August.

It beggars belief that the Council does not yet know how much the event cost and what bill Council Taxpayers will have to pick up.

In an internal review, of responses to an FOI request from former Council Leader Steve Galloway, the Council has admitted irregularities with officials apparently having incorrectly quoted national legislation to justify a cover up.

They have also apologized for delays in dealing with correspondence.

But they now say that a report will only be made to the Council’s Cabinet on the details of the flop in November; 2 months after it was originally scheduled.

A question on ticket sales has been put on the agenda for the Council meeting taking place on 9^th October by Cllr Nigel Ayre.

This is the kind of obstructive secrecy that will be swept away if Labour lose their majority after the by election poll which takes place on 16^th October.

The Council’s email to Steve Galloway says;
(more…)

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