Children disappointed as “Make it York” bans Christmas rides

The traditional children’s Carousel has not been provided in the City centre St Nicholas Fair this year.

Despite assurances from the organisers “Make it York“ (MIY) – who banned the long standing Warringtons ride from St Sampson’s Square – that a ride would be provided on the “Eye of York”, no such alternative has emerged.

The QUANGO claimed that the Carousels space was needed for stalls shuffled along Parliament Street to accommodate an outdoor bar labeled a “TiPi”.

It appears that the organisers didn’t seriously pursue the plan to extend the Fair onto areas like Duncombe Place. This would have had the added advantage of reducing the congestion which can sometimes be evident on Parliament Street where space for shoppers is limited.

With the St. Nicholas Fair only a couple of days old (it runs until 23rd December) further concerns are emerging about the management of the event (which we understand has been sub-contracted by MIY)

Yesterday road closures planned for Church Street and St Sampson’s Place had not been signposted.

Tipi bar

As expected evening ban on traffic in Davygate – where several food outlets are located – was not being enforced.
Reports are also emerging of a disturbance in the “TiPi” bringing into further doubt the wisdom of putting more alcohol on the city’s streets.

There will be some serious questions to answer about where the money raised by rents from stalls (understood to range from £4000 to £20,000 for the duration of the Fair) will actually end up.

It seems unlikely that the vapid oversight arrangements that the York Council – which wholly owns the MIY organisation – has introduced will successfully lift the veil of secrecy which seems to permanently surround the activities of this organisation.

Former York police station, occupying a prime site, is being used for storage

The Ministry of Justice has revealed that it is not planning to sell or lease the former Police station on Lower Friargate in York.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request the Ministry confirmed that the Magistrates Court had taken over the whole of the building complex after the Police moved out in April 2014.

The building is now being used for “storage”.

It is linked to the adjacent Magistrates Court building and any redevelopment would require substantial remodeling to ensure that the Court remained secure.

York police station being used for “storage”

It had been hoped that at least part of the site might be incorporated into a comprehensive redevelopment. It would have provided an opportunity to supplement the 14 homes now scheduled to be built on the adjacent former Fire Station site.

The Ministry claims that the gloomy buildings are not “boarded up” but as the photo above shows their appearance reflects poorly on the nearby Conservation area.

The Ministry claims not to be able to separate the annual running costs of the building from those of the adjacent (Listed) Magistrates Court.

The building is managed by the Courts and Tribunals Service which, for over a decade, has fallen outside the local government influence. The service is responsible to a government Minister – currently Shailesh Vara MP.

York launches Breathe 2025 campaign to inspire a smokefree generation

City of York Council is urging people and organisations across York to sign up and support Breathe 2025, a new campaign to inspire children to grow up smoke-free and protected from health harms caused by tobacco.

click to view video

While the region has the highest adult smoking prevalence in England (20.1% compared to an England average of 18%), only one in eight 15-year-olds smoke and the proportion of young smokers is dropping.

Within the next decade there could be a generation of children that don’t smoke. .

City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health Councillor Carol Runciman said: “We want children who have started school this year to be the pioneers of a smokefree generation: today’s five year olds can be smokefree at 15 when they are preparing for their GCSEs and so can all the year groups following them.

“They can be smokefree when they leave school or college and as adults. Breathe 2025 is about how all of us can inspire and help them to make that happen.”
The campaign is being run by a collaboration of partners across Yorkshire and the Humber, including City of York Council and Public Health England.

People and organisations are being asked to show their support by going to the campaign website or Facebook page and signing up to one or more simple, practical actions. This could be pledging to watch and share the Breathe 2025 video, or promising to display a Breathe 2025 poster. There are a range of simple actions to choose from, as individuals or on behalf of an organisation such as a school, GP or local business.

Councillor Runciman continues: “Giving children and young people the best start in life is a priority for City of York Council, parents, family members and many other organisations and communities in York – and not smoking is a great start so please go to the Breathe 2025 website and show your support.”

City of York Council’s Interim Director of Public Health, Sharon Stoltz said: “Evidence suggests that if young people don’t start using tobacco by the age of 26 they will almost certainly never start, so we have a great opportunity here to transform the health of our region and we can do it within the next 10 years.

“It is estimated that smoking in York costs society around £50.1m annually and smoking breaks cost businesses in York £24.2m each year. Around one in two smokers die from a smoking-related illness. If we can prevent young people from smoking that’s not just an investment in their health as individuals, it’s an investment in a healthier future for everyone.”

The Breathe 2025 website is at www.Breathe2025.org.uk

Stags, hens, geese and horses to be scrutinised by York Council

But still no sign of a review of basic service standards

The agenda for the Councils environment committee has been published.

After last months revelation that virtually no performance management information is being gathered by the York Council on services as basic as overgrown footpaths, damaged play equipment, fly posting and dog fouling, many would have expected that any so called “scrutiny committee” would promptly investigated the missing data.

It seems not, as the committee continues to sail safely within its comfort zone.

So they will be:

Considering an update on the “horse bailiff” service – 4 horses were seized last year when “fly grazing”. There have been no instances this year. The Council spends £40,000 a year on this service
Receiving a report from the “stag and hen party scrutiny review task group”. Among the, less than earth shattering, conclusions reached by the group were that stags/hens were only a small aspect of the drunken behaviour problem sometimes evident on the City centre, that the number of hens visiting the City outnumbered the stags (!), that lack of late night public toilet facilities is an issue and that work to draft an “alcohol strategy” had stalled.
Getting feedback from the Friends of Rowntree Park on “Goose Management”.

As the horse bailiff doesn’t appear to have much work to do, is it possible he will be used to seize any stags, hens or geese found fly grazing around the City?

The meeting will also consider a report on restrictions in the use of advertising “A” boards.

This has been on the Councils agenda for 15 years or more, but it became a more prominent issue three years ago. The Council is still trying to work out how an “A” board licensing system might be implemented. Progress is not expected until next year.

In the meantime the present free for all will continue.

York Council urged to tackle long term complaints

Cycle barriers on Teal Drive snicket still need painting

Untidy entrance to former Lowfields School with redundant salt bin

Dumping at Kingsway kick about area has now mostly been removed

More dumping next to paper banks at Acomb Car park

Longest ouytstanding issue - Self seeded bush on Foxwood Lane blocks footpath and should be removed

Longest outstanding issue – Self seeded bush on Foxwood Lane blocks footpath and should be removed

Time for leaves to be swept up. The Green and little Green Lane reported for action

Litter in over gronw hedge - Tithe Close snicket

Litter in overgrown hedge – Tithe Close snicket

Little Green Lane garage area – worst case of Council neglect?

Railings around Thanet Road sports area need painting

Long life weeds still blighting Ridgeway

School Street carriageway resurfacng still needed

Salt mines introduce overtime working as York Council claims it is among the UK’s top social landlords

Appaling neglect on York Council estates

The City of York Council has issued a media release saying that it will “shortly publish and share its annual report for 2014/15 revealing that it is among the UK’s top-performing social landlords”.

All tenants and leaseholders will receive a copy.

The report is noticeably silent on complaints about the poor maintenance on garage and communal areas, lack of parking provision and insensitive housing management practices which even Councillors are unable to break through.

Salt pile for use by York Council Housing management officials

The report, apparently produced by the “Tenant Scrutiny Panel” of six council tenants, looks at how the council has performed in the previous 12 months and shows that York is one of the best-performing local authority landlords in the country in a number of areas*.

The claims include scores “revealing that just under nine out of 10 tenants responding to the Tenant Satisfaction Survey were satisfied with the overall service we provide, and that 81% were satisfied with their repairs and maintenance service. Just over eight out of ten were satisfied with the overall appearance of their neighbourhood”.

“One highlight of the past year has been the work on Le Tour Way, off Beckfield Lane which completed in 2015, and which is the second development of new homes built as part of the council’s house building programme. It is a mixed development of nine apartments for tenants aged 55 and over, a further nine council houses and nine more houses for market sale”.

“Developing ‘Community Hub’ services to tenants have progressed with a new community facility opening at ‘Space 217’ on Lindsey Avenue. It offers sessions for tenants to meet estate managers and open-door events with money and employment advisors”.

“12 council homes had loft conversions built for growing families, 665 families were given advice that prevented them becoming homeless, 40 flats were sound-proofed and we evicted 33 tenants who did not pay their rent”.

The future holds a number of challenges for the service which will be addressed alongside considering how to improve service delivery in the coming year.

The claims contrast with our experience of Council housing management in the City over the last few months.

The department now seems to take little pride in local neighbourhoods and regularly turns a blind eye to issues.

The result is that many estates are deteriorating
(more…)

York residents encouraged to ‘Know Your Rights’

As part of this year’s National Consumer Week, 2 to 8 November, the York Council’s Public Protection team is raising awareness of new rights for consumers when purchasing goods and services.

The Week, themed ‘Know Your Rights’, aims to give consumers more information about the Consumer Rights Act which came into force on 1 October 2015. The act clarifies how long consumers have to reject goods and limits traders to just one attempt to repair goods. For the first time, it includes specific rights when digital content, such as computer programs, are faulty.

The new Consumer Rights Act states that services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill and within a reasonable time for a reasonable price (where this has not been agreed beforehand).

Goods must now be:

click to access

as described and the same as an sample or model shown beforehand
of satisfactory quality, meaning fit for all usual purposes, safe and reasonably durable
fit for any particular purpose made known
installed correctly, for example in the case of fitted kitchens.

Consumers may now:

reject faulty or mis-described goods for a full refund within 30 days of purchase or delivery, or ask for a free replacement or free repair when outside of the 30 days
require goods to be re-installed correctly for free
reject goods which remain faulty after a single repair is attempted, or chose to keep them and obtain a reduction on the purchase price
request a repeat performance of the service
reduce the price of the service to reflect the non-performance.

The Council said: “The new Consumer Rights Act offers more protection to consumers and it is important that they are aware of their rights which will help them to obtain the quality of goods and services they require.

“The council’s Public Protection service also provides support to local businesses to help them understand the implications of the Act and comply with the new legislation.”

For more advice on consumer rights or to find out more about the support which can be given to local businesses contact the Public Protection team on 01904 551525 or email public.protection@york.gov.uk

Further information about the act is also available for businesses at www.businesscompanion.info and consumers at www.citizensadvice.org.uk

York Road Oakhaven older persons home plans announced

Will be replaced with an “extra care” facility.

Oakhaven site plan – click to enlarge

Following a public consultation exercise, the Council is being recommended to go ahead with the conversion of the Oakhaven care home site on York Road into an “extra care” facility.

The City is gearing up to meet an expected 50% increase in the number of residents who will be aged over 75 by 2030.

This forms part of the Council’s plan to provide, by the end of 2018, 525 new units of accommodation of which 343 will serve those with high care needs including dementia. “225 out of date care beds will be replaced”.

Another home – Grove House on Penleys Grove Street – will also be closed. That site will be sold in order to finance the improvements at other facilities for the elderly.

A report, being considered on Thursday, acknowledges that most “extra care” facilities are located on the east of the Ouse. However it fails to recognise the demand for more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site.

Instead in a separate report the Council is being asked to develop such facilities at the Burnholme school site.

Report fails to recognise the demand to establish more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site

Report fails to recognise the need for more accommodation for elderly people on the Lowfields school site, which has been left empty and derelict by the Council for over 3 years.

On Lowfields the report says, “The use of the Lowfields site for specialist accommodation with care for older people has been the subject of previous procurement which concluded that such development was unaffordable. However, we continue to examine the use of this site to meet housing, health and care objectives”.

Which means officials have made no progress on marketing the site?

The Oakhaven replacement will provide only 50 of the 525 beds needed to satisfy demand in the City

The papers reveal that the Council will not run the replacement facility at Oakhaven.

Instead it will seek a “partner” to fund, build and operate the extra care scheme. The Council is also relying on another private sector home being constructed at the Terry’s factory site (which received planning permission last week).

It will also sell off the Windsor House home in Ascot Way.

The consultation exercise concluded, “That 97% of questionnaire respondents agreed that bigger bedrooms, en-suite facilities, wider corridors and more social space should be key features of residential care homes. Bigger bedrooms give more social space for residents to entertain visitors, they can accommodate the resident’s own furniture and bigger rooms give staff more space in which to work and support residents, particularly where bed hoists need to be used”.

Work on the Oakhaven Extra care home is expected to start in early 2017 and may be available for occupation in May 2018.

Given the Council’s shambolic record on project management, we doubt if we will see any improvements much before the end of the decade.

Castle car park potholes filled in but major resurfacing still needed

Pothole filled in on Castle Car park

Some of the potholes on the Castle car park have been filled in. The whole car park still needs resurfacing.

Graffiti gone from second set of flood gates on North Street

Graffiti removed from one set of flood gates on North Street (but not wall)

Graffiti on second set of flood gates on North Street

Graffiti on first set of flood gates on North Street

But graffiti still on other set of gates

Riverside Walk Graffiti

…..and on Hotel wall

Weeds still growing on Ouse Bridge

Our longest outstanding issue remains the weed growth on Ouse Bridge. First reported (this year) on 27th August

Weeds still growing on Riverside Walk

and weeds continue to thrive on the banks of the Ouse

All issues have been reported using the “Fix My Street” website

More haste, less speed – New Council issue reporting system is flawed

The York Council has gone ahead and launched a replacement for the “report it” system which it abandoned 3 years ago. The older system had worked well for over 8 years but was, apparently, a victim of the move to West Offices.

click to access Council forms

A Smarter York “App” was introduced but it lacked the functionality and flexibility of the old system. It gradually fell into disuse.

About 2 years ago the Council promised a system based on individual “customer accounts” and this was to have been launched in the spring.

However nothing materialised.

Now the Council has rushed out a minimalist reporting system for neighbourhood reports. It is intended to cover issues like street light faults, cleansing issues, footpath fouling, road/pavement defects, overgrown trees and problems with street furniture.

Unfortunately the system has not been properly tested with users and already a list of “bugs” has emerged.

These include:

The system does not have an “App” which would allow it to run on smart phones.
The system doesn’t provide a complainant with an Emailed (or any other copy) of the issue that they raised
There is no way of associating the issue number with a specific complaint
There is no publicly accessible record of issues raised. This facility was available on the Smarter York system and is fundamental to the “Fix My Street” system. Consequently the likelihood of duplicate reports increases.
The type of issue that can be reported is limited. Problems with defects on play equipment aren’t covered, for example.

These issues need to be resolved before the system is promoted by the Council. In the meantime, “Fix My Street” offers users much greater functionality and reassurance.

Seems to be a case of good intentions but poor delivery by the York Council on this one

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