York Council Housing department labeled “lethargic”

Worn forecourt surface

Worn forecourt surface

After no fewer than 4 requests for improvements to the Marston Avenue garage area in Chapelfields, the York Councils housing department has still failed to acknowledge the issues.

Residents had complained that the forecourt had still not been resurfaced, that boundary fences are damaged, the area is choked with weeds and dumping has not been cleared while hedges also need cutting back. 

Weeds

Weeds

Sadly it seems that the election of a new Council has not produced the hoped for improvement on Council estate management. It is perhaps time for Ward Councillors to use their “Councillor call for action” (CCfA) system to get an improvement not only on Marston Avenue but in other similar areas across west York.

Overgrown hedges

Overgrown hedges

NB. If Ward Councillors do try to follow the CCfA procedure they will, sadly, find that links to the process are also broken on the Council’s web site!

Meanwhile elsewhere

Westfield Ward Councillors have taken action to deal with dumping problems in various parts of the area

Dumped bikes Foxwood reported by Sheena Jackson

Dumped bikes Foxwood reported by Sheena Jackson

Dumped sofa in Chapelfields reported by Andrew Waller

Dumped sofa in Chapelfields reported by Andrew Waller

Missing bollards in Bramham Avenue reported by Andrew waller

Missing bollards in Bramham Avenue reported by Andrew Waller

Overflowing "poop scoop" bin in Cornlands reported y Andrew Waller

Overflowing “poop scoop” bin in Cornlands reported by Andrew Waller

ping

 

10 Ombudsman complaints against York Council upheld

“During the year there was a case where the council’s handling of a particular complaint was extremely poor”

ombudsman report 2015

More evidence, that the York Council had become seriously dysfunctional by the end of last year, has been provided in the annual report from the Local Government Ombudsman

The organisation received 91 complaints about the York Council during the year ending March 2015.

Of thes,e 10 were upheld with 35 referred back to the Council for local resolution

The majority of the complaints concerned planning, transport, benefits, adult social care and environmental issues.

One case prompted the Ombudsman to label the Councils response as “extremely poor”

The report says that it took “emails, phone calls and finally two threats of a public interest report (sent by special delivery) to see any action taken”. 

The complaint related to social care and the York Council, having accepted it was at fault in December 2013, took until October 2014 to remedy the complaint.

The Ombudsman’s letter was sent to the York Council on 18th June 2015 but has not yet been scheduled for cosideration by any of its committees.

There is likely. in the future, to be a single Ombudsman’s office covering all public administration organisations.

Hopefully the new organisation will also have a role in relation to the growing number of Quangos being established in York and elsewhere. Residents, who at least partly fund organisations like “Make it York”, York Museums Trust and York Libraries, need to have a route to independent arbitration if they are unable to get a local resolution for a problem.

Freedom of Information legislation should also apply to those types of organisation.

Details of Ward Committee funding revealed

£53,445 boost for Westfield area

Details of how much local communities will have to spend through new Ward Committees have been confirmed as part of plans brought forward by the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Executive.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The proposals, which are opposed by the Labour Group, will see Ward Committees given an allocation of a £925,000 budget to fund projects such as street clean-ups and offer grants to local voluntary groups.

The process for allocating highway improvements has been partly localised as part of the plans as has some social care funding.

Work will also be undertaken by council officers to identify further budget areas which could be devolved to communities.

Local Councillors are expected to announce shortly how they intend to consult over the use of the different funding streams

. Re-establishing proper Ward Committees was a key part of the Liberal Democrat manifesto

The proposals begin the process of devolving power and budgets to local residents and community groups.

This enhanced pot of money will give wards the opportunity to tackle local priorities and develop community initiatives.

It increases overall funding to nearly £1 million from the £75,000 in grants available under the previous Labour Council.

Westfield Councillor Andrew Waller commented,

“It is disappointing although perhaps not surprising that the Labour Group is opposing the moves. The previous Labour Council removed ward credits, stripped power and budgets away from local communities, and spent four years ignoring local residents.

The new Executive trusts elected ward councillors to work with their communities and make the right decisions – rather than impose everything from West Offices like the previous Labour administration.”

Art Gallery charges – decision in September

The Councils new more democratic decision makers decided last night that more information was needed before they could “clarify” the terms of its building lease to the York Museums Trust.

After an all party debate the responsible Executive member nodded through a proposal to defer the decision.

The YMT had planned to introduce admission charges at its new Art Gallery when it opens at the weekend. It is still able to do so, although the terms of the lease require it to provide free entry for York residents.

The Museums Trust will need to act promptly now to deal with the confusion as they are actively marketing an alternative (to the Councils Yorkcard) season ticket.

It is a shame that so far more formal records of meetings, which took place in the spring between the then Labour leadership of the Council and the Museums Trust, have not been published. Expectations on all sides might then have been clearer.  Incredibly some Labour Councillors are now claiming to be opposed to charging even though they – together with Green Party Councillors – voted through the cuts in subsidy in March – the decision which prompted the YMT move.

The Council has little in the way of moral high ground to retreat to on the principle of charging. It charged for Art Gallery admission when it directly managed the facility up until the middle of the last decade (when the Council was also mostly under Labour control).

Museum charges

Charges have always been levied at the Castle Museum (£10) and Yorkshire Museum (£7-50p).  There are no lease restrictions on the latter.

Children are entitled to free admission

As we have said previously, the Councils Executive member simply could not make a decision, on easing the restriction included in the lease,  without being clear about the impact on the Trusts business plan and without a public debate about all the options available.

There is also the wider issue of public access to the plans and results of York’s burgeoning number of QUANGOS. Others (libraries, economic development) depend even more heavily than the YMT, on taxpayers subsidies to keep them afloat. None publish details of their management meetings.

That charging decision will now be made at an Executive meeting taking place in 24th September

 What might happen, if the Council and YMT are not able to agree a compromise, is a moot point.

 If the Trust simply ignored the restrictive covenant clause, then the Council might ultimately terminate the lease. As the Council no longer has the capacity or expertise to run the gallery and museums, that could lead to their closure.

A legal wrangle about the enforceability of the lease clause could sap the resources of both organisations.

On the other hand, if the Trust demands money, to make up any shortfall in its income resulting from a decision to continue to allow YorkCard holders free admission, then the cash strapped Council would be unable to provide it.

Some compromise is required and quickly now.

Grange Lane Park – dog fouling problems

The installation of railings around the play equipment on Grange Lane has not entirely eliminated problems with dog fouling.

Gate being left open at palygorund

Gate being left open at palygorund

Unfortunately the access gate does not have a spring on it and it is often being left open.

We hope to have a spring fitted and a notice erected reminding people to kept the gate closed.

Meanwhile we’ve reported the full poop scoop bin for emptying

Full poop scoop bin on Grange Lane reported for emptying

Full poop scoop bin on Grange Lane reported for emptying

Hanging gardens hit by earthquake as LibDems step up local action in Westfield

The hBabylon 2anging gardens of Foxwood Lane are no more as a team, led by Andrew Waller, has removed the weeds growing out of the bus shelter gutters.

Elsewhere local LibDem Councillors have been out and about identifying and reporting other public services in need of improvement.

Action update 25th May 2015

York Council hoarding 110,000 square metres of vacant and derelict land

New figures obtained under Freedom of Information legislation suggest that the York Council has been slow to exploit the full potential of the  “brownfield” derelict land that it owns.

Vacant land register April 2015

The list includes the former park and ride car park on Tadcaster Road which current houses a little used pay and display car park.

Residents had already highlighted the vacant plot to the rear of the Acomb Library which has originally been intend to house a replacement Acomb Council office together with some much needed affordable homes. The project was dropped by the new Labour Council in 2011 and the site has remained derelict ever since.

Now officials have suggested that the project may be revived although there has been absolutely no consultation on any proposals.

Most  of the vacant land is at the former Lowfields and Manor school sites. The Council has also courted unpopularity at Lowfields by refusing to keep local residents up to date on its development plans.

Also on the list is Oliver House which has been empty for over 2 years and for which offers of over £3 million have been received.

The Labour Council leadership decided to delay its sale until after the elections.

In total the Council owns 110,877 square metres of unused land.

Release of some of the land would go some way towards reducing housing pressures in the City while helping those who are campaigning to preserve the City’s Green Belt.