A fallen tree is currently obstructing the Skiddaw entrance to Acomb Wood.
Tree obstructing entrance to Acomb Wood
Coronavirus York updates; 3rd October 2020
Deaths and test results
Late on Saturday evening the government issued a statement on their COVID monitoring web suite (click) which says ;
Due to a technical issue, which has now been resolved, there has been a delay in publishing a number of COVID-19 cases to the dashboard in England. This means the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between 24 September and 1 October, increasing the number of cases reported.
This has affected the York figures. In total an additional FOURTYSIX positive test results were announced for the City today. This brings the cumulative total to 1398.
The tables below have been updated to reflect the new figures.
The 38 cases recorded on 28th September is the second highest single day figure this year (There were 50 cases on 29th April)
The incidence of cases per 100,000 population has reached 79.3 (which has been a figure which has resulted in other areas being added to the governments “watch list”).
There have been no additional hospital deaths
The worst affected neighbourhood during the last 7 days has been Clifton Without/Skelton
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Green Homes Grant applications welcomed
Eligible homeowners and landlords can now apply for a grant to help pay for energy saving measures to keep homes warmer and reduce fuel bills.
The Government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme allows homeowners to apply for grants of up to £5,000 for making certain improvements including fitting insulation. Householders with lower incomes could receive up to £10,000. Home owners and private sector landlords can apply.
“Successful applicants for the Green Homes Grant will be sent a voucher of up to £5,000 to cover up to two-thirds of the cost of energy efficiency and low carbon heat improvements to homes. Bigger grants are available for homeowners if they or a member of their household receives one of the qualifying benefits, and the grant will cover 100% of the cost of the improvements up to £10,000.”
Applicants will need to:
- Check they are eligible for a voucher online at: simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/pages/green-homes-grant
- Check what improvements may be suitable for their home
- Choose which improvements they’d like and see an estimate of how much they may cost
- Find registered installers to get quotes to carry out the work
- Apply for a voucher online at: gov.uk/apply-green-homes-grant
“As the winter months approach, people will be spending more time indoors which will impact both the cost of heating and the accompanying carbon emissions. I urge those eligible for the grant to apply and take this opportunity to transition to a cheaper and more sustainable home heating and insulation.
For queries about the scheme please call the Simple Energy Advice line on 0800 444202 from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and Saturday to Sunday 9am to 5pm or find out more at www.gov.uk/apply-green-homes-grant.
Private rental properties will be expected to meet a ‘C’ energy efficiency performance certification (EPC) by 2035. As such, now is the time for landlords to start improving their properties’ EPC rating and apply for a grant of up to £5,000 for energy efficiency improvements.
Green Homes Grant installers must be TrustMark accredited and customers can check installers at: www.trustmark.org.uk/ . The Green Homes Grant scheme will never send official representatives to your property uninvited or cold calling on the phone to encourage you to join the scheme.
Slow progress on replacement games area for Westfield
A Freedom of Information response has revealed that little progress has been made on providing a replacement multi user games area in Westfield despite a Council executive decision taken in February 2019.
The expectation had been that the replacement, for the now closed facility on Kingsway West, would be in use by now. Discussions were to have been held with the Acorn Rugby Club who currently lease the alternative site which is in the Thanet Road sports area.
However, it seems that meaningful correspondence only started in July 2020 some 18 months after the Council’s Executive had made their promise. Some meetings then took place in August, but no progress report has been prepared for consideration by the Councils executive
Quite why the initiative had not been followed up sooner is unclear.
It had been thought that the most likely site would be under the existing floodlights to the side of the clubhouse. This would have minimised costs and might have been useful addition to the rugby clubs training options.
It seems that that officials, however, favour a location next the car park, while a local Councillor is keen to incorporate a n outdoor gym in the plans.
No consultation has taken place with the Foxwood Residents Association on the plans. There was a lukewarm response to plans for an outdoor gym a few years ago although objections then centred on proposals to locate the facility on Chesney’s Field.
Residents are quite clear that some informal free access must be available to the new games area. The price of access to pitches at the Energise centre are prohibitive for many local young people so a system needs to be worked out which meets the needs of both local users and the rugby club. The rugby club has a good reputation for encouraging young sports people so there should be no conflict of interests.
It is understood that serval potential users have expressed a wish to rent the facility so this should provide a basic income to cover maintenance and replacement costs.
The new facility could cost around £200,000.
The Westfield ward is statistically the poorest area in the City and has the largest proportion of obese children. The project would go some way to addressing the inequalities which have been worsened in the area in recent years as a result of the development of open spaces and sports pitches.
York Minster exhibition proving popular
Around 500 people a days are visiting a new exhibition at York Minster.
Running until 17 January 2021, the exhibition – The Heart of Yorkshire: Creativity and Culture in York Minster’s Collections – takes place in the cathedral’s 13th century Chapter House and features around 50 items, including some rarely on public display.
Highlights include one of the oldest stained glass panels in Europe, ornate 13th century silver artefacts discovered in a former Archbishop’s grave and a copy of York’s first newspaper, printed in the city by an eminent female printer.
The exhibition also includes a copy of York’s first newspaper, the York Mercury, printed in the city by Grace White, who was one of three entrepreneurial female printers in the city operating in the 1600s and 1700s at a time when the industry was dominated by men.
Grace took over her husband’s printing press when she became a widow and ran the business between 1716 and 1721 leading the way with the creation of the local newspaper, with the city eventually boasting eight different titles.
Among the manuscripts on display in the exhibition is the Bolton Hours, a beautifully illuminated 15th century Book of Hours, the exquisite detail of which includes 47 full-page pictures of saints and biblical scenes, and six smaller miniatures.
The exhibition is open from during normal visiting times, currently Monday to Thursday 11am – 4.30pm, Friday and Saturday 10am – 4.30pm and Sunday 12.30pm – 2.30pm. Entry is included with a standard admission ticket and entry to the Minster is free for York residents with a valid proof of address.
Tickets click
NB. The organ is currently being reinstalled in the Minster. Next comes the not inconsiderable task of tuning the instrument! The internal scaffolding should be coming down shortly
Council Tax Support Scheme Consultation
City of York Council is considering updating York’s Council Tax Support Scheme and simplifying the way Council Tax Support is allocated.
They’d like to know your opinion on proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme (CTS).
Currently, every small change to a claimant’s income – and their partner’s income, if they have one – means that their Council Tax Support has to be reassessed, their council tax recalculated and a new bill sent.
Constant changes to a person’s council tax bill can be confusing, make budgeting difficult and can make it harder to know what to pay and to keep up payments.
Please read about and tell us what you think of the proposed changes at www.york.gov.uk/consultations.
The consultation will run from 1 October – 13 November.
Coronavirus York updates; 30th September 2020
Deaths and test results
It looks like York is heading for a new lockdown following the announcement today of 35 new positive test results. That brings the cumulative total number of cases to 1309.
The figures mean that we are now seeing over 50 cases per 100,000 head of population each week. This is the intervention level set by the government after which additional restrictions are implemented.
The most likely restrictions will be similar to those imposed in West Yorkshire. There, contact is banned between people from different households.
There have been no additional hospital deaths announced today
The worst affected neighbourhoods in York are Bishopthorpe/Copmanthorpe and Clifton Without/Skelton
Lots of questions to be answered
UPDATE; The urgent control board meeting has taken place it can be viewed on line via the Council web site (click below)
One or two pieces of new information did emerge at the meeting. There are now 10 beds occupied at the York hospital by COVID patients. This is still many fewer than the numbers seen in May but is gradually increasing.
Although probably not a surprise to many, the demographics of the second wave suggest that it is under 30’s who are most affected
The meeting was told
- The last national seven day rate showed that as of 27 September York has 46 cases per 100,000 population, which on average is 14 new cases every day. There is usually a time lag in what is reported nationally and we will soon show a rate of 52. The national and regional averages are 49.7 and 70.3 respectively.
- The latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 only) was 3.61%. The national and regional averages are 3.8% and 4.6% respectively.
- In the two weeks up until 21 September, almost every area in York had positive COVID cases reported. No area has had over ten cases in the period of a week, which shows that transmission isn’t confined to particular parts of the city.
EARLIER The Councils COVID management board meets later today. Little update information has been issued in advance of the meeting (click)
We know that the number of cases in the City is rising rapidly. Fatalities are also now occurring again. Such information is in the public domain courtesy only of central government web sites.
Analyses of the situation in York is anecdotal at the best
The Public Health Officer uses Facebook to say that most infections occur because of home visits by family and friends. Public contact is less of an issue apparently.
But no figures are offered to back up this assertion.
How many, when, where? All are key questions on the lips of residents.
We only know that there have been 2 recent COVID deaths in care homes. No further details have been provided
“Sources” at St Johns University say that over a dozen students have symptoms. York University says that case number are low. Both institutions say they have difficulty getting tests completed. So, do they really know the scale of their problems?
We now know that a drop in testing centre for York University students will open tomorrow in a segregated and managed area in the Wentworth Way car park. The facility will open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, on an appointment-only basis from tomorrow (Thursday). Tests can be booked using the NHS Covid-19 App, the NHS website or by telephoning 119.
The position for permanent York residents remains unclear.
We were promised another drop-in test centre. We do not know when, where or even if, it will open? Nor do we know what its capacity will be.
Where are the weekly test and trace numbers for York? What is the backlog in requests for tests. How quickly are results produced?
The Council apparently has access to the data but doesn’t publish it on its “Open Data” web site. Officials say they have the go ahead for a local test and trace process. That has been promised for 3 months now and seems to be no nearer to producing verifiable results at neighbourhood level.
Then there is hospital management.
They are not listed on the Outbreak board agenda to be reporting to today’s meeting. Yet the ability of the hospital to deal with the second wave of cases is a key concern for residents. How many admissions? How many beds occupied? How many in ICU? How many discharges? What spare capacity is available?
Where is the independent challenge to the secrecy culture?
The executive member, with responsibility for Health issues, has a subterranean profile. There is no campaign for openness from that quarter. The last decision session on health and social care was held on 13th February.
The last Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee meeting was held on 18th February. That is the body which should challenge and question on health concerns.
A management meeting earlier this week promised that scrutiny committees would shortly start operating again. The health committee has a lot of ground to make up
The Health and Wellbeing Board last met on 30th July. It has no further meetings scheduled.
So, all York residents have available are the occasional anodyne “on line” Q & A session involving self styled “leaders”. Yesterday’s Facebook session was typical. It produced nothing new and was distracted by discussion of the so called “devolution” deals being offered to North Yorkshire.
It increasingly appears that the Councils aim is not to “inform” but to “direct”.
Anyone doubting that should look at the one presentation which has been released in advance of today’s meeting. The public relations plan (click) is all about what others should do. It fails to answer the obvious question.
What do residents want to know?
Monk Bar car park taxi shuttle service
The Council will continue the Monk Bar car park taxi shuttle service for the disabled until the new year. The decision was taken “behind closed doors” by a Council official.
While the basic principle of the service has been broadly welcomed, critics have blasted the large number (40) of spaces coned off for the service. This has put pressure on the rest of the car park. Anecdotally it appears that no more than seven spaces have been occupied by disabled drivers at any one time.
No analysis of the demand for space was published before the decision was made. Neither have any details of the number of passengers using the shuttle service been revealed.
The service is costing taxpayers £354 a day in subsidies.
Ambulances in bus lanes
In a less controversial decision, the Council has agreed that liveried ambulances may use bus lanes in future even if they not responding to an emergency call.
Waste collection service under pressure
Residual waste, recycling and green waste weren’t collected from a number of properties yesterday.
The service performed well earlier in the year despite COVID resulting in some staff absences. Hopefully the Council will be able to cope with staff absences caused by the “second wave”. It is a vital service.
The Council web site (click) says;
Monday 28 September
We were unable to collect garden waste from Eastward Avenue, Fulford due to blocked access. We will recollect Tuesday 29 September.
We were unable to collect all household waste in an area of Dringhouses due to staff availability. We will collect this waste this evening Monday 28 September.
We were unable to collect recycling waste from Cherry Wood Crescent in Fulford due to blocked access and will return tomorrow, 29 September to recollect; and St Oswalds and Love Lane in Fulford due to capacity and will collect this evening, Monday 28 September.
We were also unable to collect recycling waste from a few streets in Tang Hall due to capacity and will recollect this evening, Monday 28 September.
We were also been unable to collect recycling waste from parts of Badger Hill due to vehicle breakdown. We will recollect this waste this evening Monday 28 September.
We were able to recollect all outstanding waste from last week.
Community Stadium costs
The York Council says that taxpayers may be liable for additional costs at the Community Stadium. Work to complete roads outside the stadium has yet to be finished.
A report to a Council meeting next week says,
“The construction of the York Stadium Leisure Complex is practically complete but with some fairly significant works remaining to the estate highway. The core building fabric works are now complete, with only a small number of trades still working on site to progress the final stages of minor works, known in the industry as ‘snagging’”.
“For the York Stadium Leisure Complex to open to both the public, and all tenants, the Stadium must, amongst other things, gain all required safety and licence certification.
The systems test has now been held and work is now ongoing from that in order to finalise the safety certificate and safety documentation.
There are likely to be a number of financial issues and settlement of claims to resolve after the stadium is completed, that will take a number of months to resolve and these may result in some financial impact to the Council.
There are also a number of other COVID related matters to finalise however opening is still expected across the stadium and leisure site in autumn 2020”.
These comments help to explain the media comment last week which said that a York City match scheduled for next week (v Chorley on 6th October) could not take place at the stadium.
Leaving COVID restrictions aside, there is some speculation about whether Bootham Crescent can be brought back into use as it also needs to have a up to date safety certificate.
After a successful final friendly match yesterday (a 0-3 success at Notts County), City face a trip to Warrington on 3rd October. Spectators are not allowed at matches in Warrington at present (click)
Such restrictions are also likely to apply in York at the scheduled beginning of the National League North (NLN) season, with some clubs planning to “stream” matches to supporters. Such a facility requires the agreement of the broadcast license holder and of the football authorities.
We understand that Clubs have not as yet received confirmation from the government that the lost income, from playing behind closed doors matches, would be refunded. In the NLN, clubs with part time players are only liable for wages after the first game of the season has been played. So clarification is now urgently required (York City have a full time playing squad).
As for the potential additional liability on the Council, it remains unclear whether this relates solely to the floorspace which the Council agreed to underwrite, and which currently remains unlet.
If it is anything more than that, then taxpayers should be told how much the scale of the additional risk is now.
The Council has budgeted to invest £14.4 million in the project. A Section 106 (developer) contribution of £15.3 million has also been allocated.
York City FC will pay £2 million towards the £42 million total cost of the development when they sell Bootham Crescent.
School improvements on hold in York
It seems the York Council has decided to shelve some schemes in its school maintenance and improvements programme.
In total around £4 million of works are being slipped into next year.
Schemes which are expected to be carried out in this financial year are located at Dringhouses and Ralph Butterfield Primaries.
A start on a major extension of Fulford school is also expect to start before the end of the financial year.
The delays are blamed on COVID-19 restrictions.
Work on a replacement library at Haxby will also not now start until 2021 at the earliest.