Contractors working on the refurbished Lincoln Court development on Ascot Way, have dumped a public noticeboard on the nearby verge. It is now unusable.
The board had been upended last year when building work started and, for a while, it was fastened to the perimeter security fencing.
There was adequate room available to position the noticeboard well away from the work area, but this never happened
It’s very disappointing to see this example of poor contract management and civic vandalism.
Meanwhile work on the Lincoln Court building itself is complete and furniture has been delivered.
Lincoln Court work complete and awaiting tenants
Work on the adjacent centre for the disabled is still underway. It now seems unlikely that the target completion date of October will be achieved.
We are pleased to see that some York Councillors are stepping up to the plate and offering to make a personal contribution towards eliminating child hunger.
An emergency motion, proposing the provision of food vouchers for those entitled to free school meals over the CHRISTMAS holiday period, is being tabled at a Council meeting tomorrow by Labour. However it doesn’t identify how a local scheme could be fairly funded given the other pressures on the Councils budget.
Now Independent Councillor Mark Warters has submitted an amendment which, if passed, would freeze Councillors pay, with the resulting savings being diverted into the voucher scheme.
It a classic case of asking people to put their money where their mouths are.
NB. The Council has already agreed to find over £40,000 to fund vouchers during the current half term period.
The controversial Spark container village on Piccadilly will not have to provide a rent bond or guarantor for their new lease.
The requirements were agreed in February by Executive Councillor Nigel Ayre as part of a package aimed at securing taxpayers interests.
The Spark owners had promised a share of profits on the scheme when, in 2016, they first promoted the idea of moving second hand shipping containers onto the Piccadilly site.
The profits never materialised and there were delays in making rent payments and in fulfilling planning conditions.
Other causes of concern related to the appearance of the site – which is located in a Conservation Area – and the effect on nearby residential properties.
Letter from local businessman
Yesterday Cllr Ayre caved into pressure and ditched the conditions which had been aimed at securing the councils financial interests.
He was warned by lawyers that, under current government COVID regulations, the Council might be unable to take back possession of the site even if rent arrears built up.
Currently the site is occupied on a “tenancy at will” basis.
The decision has drawn criticism from other traders and professionals one of whom has called for an inquiry into the whole affair (left).
A report being presented to a decision meeting next week recommends thatMarygate car parkbe reduced in size by six spaces.
It is part of the fall-out from a proposal which would see the adjacent railway cycle path widened.
Marygate car park was often full during the summer. Railway cycle path on left
There have already been complaints from season pass holders that they have been unable to find space to park because of an impulsive, and totally unjustified, initiative which saw 70 spaces coned off a few months ago.
More welcome, are plans to provide a ramp access to St Mary’s. This will help both disabled buggy users and cyclists.
A design for new traffic lights at the St Mary’s junction with Bootham is also suggested.
More accessible link for cyclists is promised at the bottom of St Mary’s
Objections to the plans are dismissed out of hand by officials although the report does say that a safety audit on the proposals has been completed (the results of it are not detailed in the papers).
The scheme will cost around £360,000 including £60,000 for the path widening part of the project.
City of York Council has today approved funding to provide more than 2850 children with food vouchers to support them this half-term.
The council is providing almost £43,000 of emergency funding to continue supporting children with free school meals, for children who normally receive free school meals during term-time. This is on top of the £9000 previously spent on free school meals from the emergency fund set up to support individuals and families during the pandemic.
The council has put in place emergency funding for October half-term and will be seeking support from the Government and bringing forward proposals for further support during Christmas, February half-term and Easter.
Schools will be in touch with the families of those children that are eligible to ensure they can get their £15 voucher.
Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council said: “This has been a difficult year for everyone and as a council, we have been doing everything we can to support local residents.
“We want to ensure that children who receive Free School Meals don’t go hungry this half-term. Nearly 3,000 children can access this support, with vouchers of £15 per child provided to all who are eligible for free school meals.
“Staff at the city’s schools have been incredible in supporting children and families and once again they are stepping up to help administer this programme. I am incredibly grateful for all they are doing.”
There has been a further death at the York Hospital Trust. It occurred on Wednesday. That brings the second wave hospital COVID death toll to 11.
There have been 119 (ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN) new cases announced today. That brings the cumulative total to 3191
The 7 day peak (per 100,000 population) was 307.68 which occurred last Sunday. This was above the regional and national averages.
The most recent figures suggest that, while the number of cases is still rising each day, the speed of the increase in infection rates is slowing.
Heslington remains the worst affected area but there are signs that the infection rate there may be plateauing.
Council commentary updated.
The York Council commentary, published on the open data web site, has been updated today. It is reproduced below.
People with Covid Symptoms
• NHS Pathways/111 triages – as at 19.10.20 there had been 317 total covid triages in the CYC area in the last 7 days. The peak number of triages was 653 in the 7 day period to 20.9.20.
• As at 22.10.20, the Covid Symptom App estimates 1051.7 per 100,000 in York with symptomatic covid (responses from a sample of 5,219 people). The rate is rising.
Diagnosed cases (Pillar 1&2 combined)
• As at 22.10.20 York has had 3,072 cases, a rate of 1,458.6 per 100,000 of population. The rate in York is above the national average (1,221.1) but below the regional average (1,820.7).
• The PHE ‘Exceedance’ rating compares the no. of new cases over a 14 day period with the previous 6 weeks and provides a RAG rating to indicate if the previously observed trend in the no. of new cases is worsening. The latest rating for York (19.10.20) is Green.
• The rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 11.10.20 to 17.10.20 in York is 301.5 (635 cases). The national and regional averages are 176.5 and 301.6 respectively (Using data published on Gov.uk on 22.10.20).
• As at 19.10.20, the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 only) was 16.59%. The national and regional averages are 8.9% and 13.2% respectively. The number of Pillar 2 tests being carried out in York is increasing.
• As at 21.10.20 York University reported 293 individuals within the University community who were currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test.
• As at 21.10.20 York St. John reported 58 individuals within the University community who were currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test.
Contact Tracing
• Since 28.5.20 a total of 2,447 laboratory confirmed CYC Covid cases have been uploaded into the NHS Test and Trace system and 1,955 of the cases have been engaged. 7.819 ‘contacts’ have been identified and 4,682 of these have been traced.
Deaths
The two sources about deaths from Covid-19 at LA level are ONS data and local registrar data. They are derived from the same source (civil registration data). ONS data is more comprehensive as it includes deaths of York residents which have occurred and been registered outside York. Local registrar data is useful as it provides a breakdown by age and gender. The most recently available data is summarised below:
• ONS weekly data: For deaths occurring up to 9th October 2020 and registered up to 17th October 2020, 173 deaths were recorded as having occurred for CYC residents (83 in hospital, 78 in care homes, 9 at home and 3 in a hospice). The number of deaths per 100,000 of population in York is 82.14 which is lower than the national average of 90.34. The most recent death reported for a York resident was in week 41 (3 to 9 October).
• ‘Excess’ deaths (ONS). In week 41 (3 Oct to 9 Oct), 27 deaths occurred for York residents, which is 5 fewer than the average weekly number for 2014-18. Over the last 20 weeks the total number of deaths in York has been 54 fewer than the average for the equivalent weeks in 2014-18.
• Local Registrar data: In the weekly data received on 19.10.20 (for deaths occurring up to 14.10.20), a cumulative total of 166 deaths of CYC residents where COVID-19 was mentioned (confirmed or suspected) on the death certificate, have been registered. The average age of the people who died was 82.4, with an age range of 53-104. The age profile of those dying in York is slightly older than the national average. 87 of the 166 were male (52.4%), slightly less than the national average (55.1%). 82 of the deaths occurred in hospital and 84 were community deaths (e.g. at home or in a care home or hospice). 72 people (43.4%) died in nursing /care homes (the national average is 29.15%). In addition 13 people (7.83%) who normally resided in nursing/care homes in the CYC area, died in hospital.
Data on deaths occurring in hospital are shown below. Deaths are initially reported for York NHS Foundation Trust which includes Scarborough Hospital and the further breakdown by site can be delayed. From local registrar data, 56.7% of COVID-19 deaths occurring at York Hospital have been CYC residents. (NB NHS Trusts record deaths following a positive covid-19 test (within 28 days) whereas ONS record deaths where covid-19 in mentioned on the death certificate so the totals are not the same).
• Deaths at York Hospital: As at 22.10.20, 139 deaths (awaiting confirmation of breakdown by hospital site) where the person had tested positive for COVID-19 and were being cared for at York Hospital have been reported. 225 deaths have been reported by the wider York NHS Trust.
Residents urged to stay safe and shop local over half term
Ahead of half term City of York Council is urging residents to help support the city’s businesses by shopping local whilst staying safe and following the latest guidelines.
Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning said: “York’s businesses need support to survive, and shopping local will enable them to be around in the long term to keep York the place that it is.
“There’s no denying that current restrictions impact daily life in many ways, that being said York’s businesses have made tremendous steps to implement safety features to respond to guidance on the current situation.”
“If we all follow the guidelines, we can protect the people and places we love whilst supporting our local economy and recognising some of the fantastic work that staff in local businesses have done to support us all over the previous months.”
Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health, said: “Whilst these new restrictions do place extra pressure on residents and businesses it is vital that we work together as a city and follow them straight away. This is our best opportunity to help slow the spread of the virus, and ultimately save lives.
“We know that the virus spreads largely indoors, through social contact and a lack of social distancing.
Therefore it is vital that people follow these tier 2 guidelines and enjoy York in a safe and controlled way. This includes stopping indoor mixing of households and socially distancing which if followed will hopefully see the number of cases in the city reduce.
“We must continue to wash our hands regularly, observe social distancing and wear face coverings in busy places.
“Please make sure you are familiar with the symptoms. Self-isolate if you show any of them, and book a test straight away. If you need advice or help, please visit www.york.gov.uk/coronavirus or call our help line 01904 551550.”
Johnny Hayes, Chair of Indie York, said: “York is a City of independents with over 65 percent of businesses in the City being independently run. This really helps to makes York to be such a unique place. These businesses need the support of local people to help them to survive. Shopping local is good for the local economy and sense of local community.
This half term Indie York is running Treasure Trails around many of York’s Independent businesses to attract lots of people to the city but in a way that allows for safe distancing. People can visit the businesses shop windows and every business is set up to provide Covid safe environment if you chose to shop or have a meal. Visit www.indieyork.co.uk for more information.”
The tier 2 restrictions include: • You must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless you live with them or have formed a support bubble with them. This includes private homes, and any other indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants. • You may continue to see friends and family you do not live with outside, including in a garden or other outdoor space. When you do so you must not meet in a group of more than 6. • Visiting indoor hospitality/leisure/retail settings is restricted to one household i.e. two households must not meet in these settings (unless those two households are in a support bubble). • People are advised only to visit care homes in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the care home you want to visit before attending, to check the latest information and make arrangements. • People should only travel for essential reasons. • You can still go on holiday outside of your area, but you should only do this with people you live with, or have formed a support bubble with (dependant on any local restrictions in the area you are visiting). • People can play a team sport only where this is formally organised by a sports club or similar organisation, and sports-governing body guidance has been issued. • People should not attend amateur or professional sporting events as a spectators. • Wedding receptions and celebrations can continue for up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in a Covid-secure setting, not in a private dwelling. • Up to 30 people can attend a funeral, and 15 for a wake in a Covid-secure setting, not in a private dwelling.
To learn more about the new measures and what support is available, please visit www.york.gov.uk/Coronavirus
Council awaits government guidance on grants – and promises to repeat swift payment
City of York Council has assured the city’s businesses that it will publish details as soon the government provides councils with guidance on the latest business support scheme.
The council will work to get the new government grants into business’ bank accounts as quickly as possible.
The council was one of the fastest in the country to pay out the original coronavirus grants, part of a swift response which protected jobs and businesses across the city. Following extensive lobbying efforts from the city’s businesses, City of York Council, and regional partners, the government announced further grants for businesses affected by the pandemic, even if they have not been forced to closed.
Following yesterday’s announcement from the Chancellor for the Exchequer the council is awaiting the detail, and in the coming days will share more information as to how businesses can access the support.
Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for the economy and strategic planning, said: “We have spent the last few months actively lobbying for more urgent and comprehensive support for both the hospitality industry as well as those businesses, who have found themselves excluded from Government support, particularly those with higher rateable values. The Council has been using the resources available to retain employment in the city and support businesses across as many sectors as possible.
The York Council will hold a “virtual” Council meeting on 29th October. It will be the first since the start of the pandemic.
Those hoping for glimpses of firm leadership and evidence of cross party cooperation will be disappointed.
The agenda is dominated by bureaucracy.
Ian Floyd
A replacement for the long departed Chief Executive will be announced. Ian Floyd will be announced as “Chief Operating Officer” although apparently the Labour leader decided to boycott the interview process. Instead Trades Union officials observed the proceedings (and pronounced that they were satisfied with the process).
The ill-timed reorganisation of local government boundaries will take a step forward, “minor amendments” to the constitution (reducing still further accountability) will be tabled, and polling stations will be changed (and no there aren’t actually any elections scheduled).
The rest is mostly a ritual look backwards although Andy D’agorne has raised his head above the parapet on controversial transport initiatives such as the double resurfacing of Tadcaster Road, the failed Bishopthorpe Road closure and the underused Monk Bar taxi service.
Will anyone be able to nail these mistakes? We doubt that those using “Zoom” will manage to do so.
A report from the Executive member with responsibility for housing, completely fails to identify the problems with re-letting services and the growing number of empty properties.
It is not just under-used Council houses that are at issue.
Homeless people have tried to get access to long term empty properties like Willow House for temporary use, only to be “cold shouldered” by Councillors.
Willow House
No mention is made of the senior management level vacancies in the housing department which have contributed to the decline in standards.
Probably what takes the biscuit though, for posturing and time wasting, is a contribution, in the form of a motion, from Labour.
It claims that it wants to see Councillors “acting responsibly and collaboratively at all times”.
It then proposes unilateral changes to delegated budgets. £100,000 would be sequestered from wards and allocated centrally in some unnamed way to “voluntary groups working with the vulnerable”.
This is not a Marcus Rashford style attempt to ease the burdens of those hit by the pandemic.
Instead it would rob the least well-off wards like Westfield of the resources needed to identify and address local needs.
One of the successes, of the Councils approach, has been the local “hubs” which have provided neighbourhood level support over the last few months. They have been supplemented by other initiatives like surplus food giveaways some of which have had financial support from some ward budgets.
In addition, the Council allocated £1.25 million to a local hardship fund earlier in the year.
Perhaps if Labour Councillors want to build up another hardship fund then they might consider donating 20% of their pay?
That would put them on a par with many workers in the City who have suffered a similar – or higher – reduction in income. Councillors are, after all, attending fewer meetings these days and their costs are therefore much reduced. Indeed, for some, this will be the first meeting they have “attended” since February.
A 20% reduction in pay across the board would produce a fund of over £100,000.
Contrary to claims made on social media a few months ago, a response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed that no road safety audits were completed on The Groves road layout changes before they were introduced in the summer.
Safety audits area mandatory for changes to highway layouts. Their purpose can be viewed by clickingthis link
It is without precedent in York, for a scheme of this size to be implemented without the Stage 1, 2 and 3 audits being completed.
It is of no relevance that the scheme may have been labelled as “experimental” by Council officials.
It appears that a Stage 3 (post construction) audit will be undertaken when changes to the layout have been completed. It is unclear when this will happen and what changes may be planned*.
The revelation is the most serious of several concerns highlighted by the Councils refusal to respond fully to the request for information. In due course, this may be explored further with the Information Commissioner, but the safety aspect (including the controversial unsegregated contraflow cycle lanes) may require action from Grant Shapps the Transport Minister who has been scathing about the quality of some “emergency” traffic changes introduced post COVID. The Groves scheme was funded from the governments “emergency transport budget”
Unsegregated contraflow cycle lanes on narrow road have been heavily criticised
The Groves scheme was designed in late 2019 and so preceded the start of the pandemic.
The response also raises the question of just what the scheme was intended to achieve?
Most commentators have pointed to improvements in air quality. However, air quality across the whole highway network in York has been good since the start of February and the Council has been unable to produce any figures suggesting that The Groves is any different in that respect.
Some said that there would be fewer collisions. Accident data – mostly pre lockdown – reveals that there were no severe accidents in The Groves area and that there were no accidents at all involving children. The severe collisions that were recorded happened on the alternative route for traffic (Clarence Street, Lord Mayors Walk, Monkgate) with most at the road junctions which are still open to traffic. Thus, the scheme may actually have increased risks on the network as a whole.
The Council has refused to reveal the pre and post implementation traffic levels in the area. There is absolutely no reason why the 2019 base figures should not be in the public domain. The Council instead promise to include the figures as part of a public review of the scheme during the first quarter of 2021.
With traffic levels currently running at about 80% of pre COVID levels, we are not expecting to see a significant impact on congestion levels on alternative routes.
The removal of “through traffic” from The Groves will offer residents who live there a quieter lifestyle. Whether it is safer or less polluted may now be open to question.
The type of closure chosen and its impact on emergency services, deliveries and local businesses has been subject to criticism
There is no good reason for the York Council to be so secretive about the scheme and it is downright irresponsible to include elements which increase hazards for road users without undertaking, transparent, risk assessments.
Recent accidents in The Groves area. May not include most recent incidents.
The Council has now published the changes it is making. They are;
a. Change the position of the road closure on St. John’s Crescent, to relocate it at the junction with Garden Street. Removable bollards will be installed for part of the closure to provide a secondary emergency access route to streets off Garden Street/St John Street;
b. Remove 2.4m of on street parking on St John Street (both side) near the junction with Garden Street to facilitate turning movements at the junction;
c. Change the position of the road closure in place at the junction between Neville Terrace, Park Grove and Brownlow Street, to address issues with some drivers using the alleyways between Neville Terrace, Eldon Terrace and Amber Street to bypass the closures;
d. Remove the parking bay adjacent to 25 Neville Terrace to facilitate access and egress for larger vehicles, including emergency vehicles.
2. Approve a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) to waive Pay & Display charges for parking areas near the shops on Lowther Street and adjacent to the local shop on Townend Street (between Abbot Street and Del Pyke) for a duration of 6 months.
Changes published by York Council on 20th October 2020
It looks like the Council will abandon the most significant safeguards that it had intended to build into the new lease for the Spark Container village on Piccadilly.
A meeting next week will be told that the organisation cannot provide either a £5000 bond or nominate a Director to act as a guarantor for the new lease.
Spark is currently still trading despite the Tier 2 COVID restrictions which are now in place in the City.
The new conditions were agreed in February following a series of delays in fulfilling planning conditions on the controversial development. Expected rent payments owed to the Council were delayed and a share in the ventures “profits” never materialised. Neighbours complained about noise nuisance, while it took over 2 years for external cladding – a condition of planning permission – to be installed.
Spark lease conditions agreed in February
The original lease ended on 1st July and the organisation has been operating on a “tenancy at will” since then.
Now it appears that the responsible Executive member (Cllr Nigel Ayre) will be a sked to remove those parts of the new lease conditions which were aimed at securing the Councils financial position.
Officials go on to say that the conditions of the planning permission mean, “it is not considered necessary to impose any additional restrictions on the hours of use that Spark may trade, under the terms and conditions of the new lease”.
The conclusion seems to ignore the difficulties that the Council has had in enforcing planning conditions on this site in the past.
It is ease to see what might happen if a watered-down lease were agreed.
If payment arrears mounted, or nuisance levels increased, the Council would be left to seek possession of the site under tenant and landlord law. This could take months or even years to produce a result.
The Councils legal department has also warned that “temporary legislation is currently in place which severely restricts the ability of commercial landlord to forfeit(terminate) leases for non-payment of rent or to obtain an insolvency order against a company tenant which owes rent arrears to the landlord”.
A responsible Council would continue the existing arrangements unless and until financial guarantees can be provided. There are other potential uses for this site, both in the short and long term, which would involve less risk for local taxpayers.
