Over 350 residents have already signed the “Save the Green Belt” petition only a week after it was launched.

Forms are pouring in with each post.

Meanwhile a window poster has been designed and will be circulated to supporters next week.

It is difficult not to smile at the comments of the feature writer in The Press today (http://tinyurl.com/Lendal-Bridge)

But clearly the meeting described is a fantasy.

No self respecting cat would allow itself to be incarcerated in West Office Towers – while the idea that the York Council could successfully construct any kind of drainage pipe that would conduct water, let alone people, is risible.

But otherwise it bears an uncanny resemblance to reality.

Take the case of the Newbury Avenue garage debate at Tuesdays “Cabinet” meeting.

8 concerned residents attended.

One spoke – by all accounts very articulately – voicing concerns about the plan to demolish the garages and erect 11 flats in their place.

The residents expected a dialogue about their concerns. What they got was pre –prepared speeches which totally ignored the representations that had been made.

True, after the meeting, officials promised to be in touch … but the residents are still waiting.

They may have to wait until planning application is submitted before getting another chance to air their views.

The writing had been on the wall since Monday when the media reported that plans for how the homes, to be built on the Beckfield Lane recycling centre site, would look had been published.

That was 24 hours before a decision was due to be taken on whether to approve in principle building on the site.

So they had made their minds up.

They didn’t want to be confused by the facts.

Now today, Acomb Ward Councillor Tracey Simpson Laing is publicly defending, in the media, a Labour decision to locate a Showman’s lay over site on land between Wetherby Road and Knapton.

She tries to blame the government for forcing the Council to allocate land for this purpose.

It is true that successive governments have required local authorities to identify where campsites can be established.

But it is for the local Council to consult (first) before allocating land.

No one has told Labour to allocate land at Wetherby Road.

They could have decided to allocate a plot at the Westminster Business Park (scarcely 1 mile away) on a screened location with some established, semi industrial uses, already taking place there.

But no, the Council claims that the owner of the Wetherby Road land wanted it to be a campsite.

We look forward to the Council publishing the responses that it got last year when it asked land owners and developers to identify the land that they thought should be taken out of the Green Belt.

That is a list which will be of interest to a great number of people; not least the Councillor who has resigned from the Tory party since discovering that land, that her family owns, might now be developed – making her a potential millionaire.

As part of a day of action undertaken on Tuesday, the York Roads Policing Group conducted a one hour speed enforcement operation on Wetherby Road, York.

During the operation two people were stopped for speeding offences, one vehicle was stopped for no insurance or MOT and one driver was given verbal advice for carrying excessive load on a vehicle.
Over 30 officers were involved in the day of action.

York police continued their fight against drugs with a series of morning raids in the west side of the city.

Officers targeted five addresses, where they conducted warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act to reaffirm their zero-tolerance approach to drug dealing in the York West Safer Neighbourhood area on Tuesday 7 May 2013.

The initiative labelled Operation Enable was set up to disrupt the activities of drug dealers and drug users in the local community and reassure residents that the police are taking positive action.

The warrants were conducted at properties on New Lane, York Road, Cornlands Road, Poppleton Road and Danebury Drive.

A 34-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possession of Class B drugs following searches at the property on Cornlands Road.

At the New Lane address, officers arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of possessing Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

Both men remain in police custody for questioning.

(more…)

A house in Bradley Drive which has been empty for nearly a decade could be purchased by the Council using compulsory powers.

The owner disappeared several years ago. The Council was on the brink of obtaining the property in 2011 but backed out of legal action at the last minute.

No explanation was given for the change of policy at that time.

It now seems that the Council may discuss the issue at a meeting due to be held on 2nd July.

The Police have published an up to date list of drivers who have been caught speeding on roads in and around York.

The drivers were identified by mobile camera vans over a 7 day period. In total 144 drivers were found to be exceeding speed limits. The vast majority (127) were asked to attend a speed awareness course.

The road with the largest number of contraventions was the A1237 near Monks Cross (56 offences)

This was followed by Millfield Lane in Poppleton (23), Strensall Road in Huntington (21), Tadcaster Road in Dringhouses (12) and the B1228 near Dunnington Lodge in Elvington.

The results of the checks on each road are listed left.

A complete list for the whole county can be downloaded from this site http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/10951

During the forthcoming week the camera vans will be visiting the following locations:
• A64 east-bound, Tadcaster
• A64 west-bound, Tadcaster
• Beckfield Lane, York
• Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
• A1036 Tadcaster Road, York
• Main Street, Askham Richard
• A1237 Monks Cross, York
• B1228 Dunnington Lodge, Elvington, York
• York Road, Haxby, York
• Towthorpe Road, Haxby, York
• Greenshaw Drive, Haxby, York
• Murton Way, Murton, York
• Strensall Road, Huntington, York
• The Village, Stockton-on-Forest, York
• A1036 Malton Road, York
• Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
• Church Lane, Wheldrake
• (more…)

The latest survey results for the Acomb and Westfield areas shows that potential support for Labour at the next local elections (due in 2015) has fallen dramatically

The decline in support is attributed a series of controversial decisions by York’s ruling Labour “Cabinet” which will see:

• The size of the City increase by 25% over the next 15 years.

• Green Belt land allocated for development

• Parking charges introduced at out of City centre supermarkets

• Lendal bridge closed to traffic during the day from August

• A 20 mph speed limit imposed throughout the City

• A transfer of decision making powers on transport policy to Leeds

• Privatisation of Social Services and Libraries

There has been little public consultation on the plans and many decisions have been taken behind “closed doors”

Asked, If there was a Council election tomorrow who they would most likely support, residents responded

• LibDem 52%

• Lab 22%

• Tory 13%

• Green 7%

• Other 9%

The projected share of the vote for Labour is down from the 40% that they gained at the 2011 Council elections

£19,000 was allocated to be spent during the last financial year by the Council in “deprived” wards.

The Council’s web site described the fund as being “designed to be used to commission new services, either from within the Council or from other partners / sectors, to deliver on priorities identified in wards with the highest levels of deprivation. In line with the Financial Inclusion Strategy the credits pot has been distributed to Acomb, Clifton, Heworth, Hull Road and Westfield to supplement the ward budgets”.

The move came in the wake of a decision to reduce Ward committee funding by 90%. This was money that had been allocated to deal with local problems.

It was prioritised through a popular ballot each year.

The Council have now published a list of how they claim the £19,000 pot was used last year.

.

Heworth ward – credit pot allocation was £4255 + Hull Road ward – credit pot allocation was £3310 –

• These two pots of money were combined to create confidential meeting spaces within Tang Hall Community Centre to support the delivery of services to support local people with a particular focus on financial inclusion.

Clifton ward – credit pot allocation was £4200 – allocated is a series of grants as follows:

• £1500 to Treemendous in partnership with Clifton RA to plant trees in the ward

• £100 to pay for started costs for a group of parents to meet about volunteering their time to improve Ashton Park

• £1100 to Clifton Parish Church for their Hope Community Cafe

• £1500 to Greenfields Community Garden to promote healthy eating initiatives

Guildhall ward – credit pot allocation was £2791 –

• this was given as a grant to Door 84 to improve accessibility and promotion of opportunities within the community space to local people

Westfield ward – credit pot allocation was £4219 – allocated in a series of grants as follows:

• £1200 to Foxwood Management Committee – Gazebos and storage facilities to enable more community events to take place outdoors and ensure more use of the Foxwood Field.

• £1000 to Chapelfields Community Association – help new groups get established at the centre and help with advertising and equipment

• £1000 to support the ADAM festival, £500 of this money must be spent on young peoples activities

• £500 to Acomb Bowling Club – to help with green maintenance and to produce a newsletter for residents and open for all to try

• £500 to Gateway Church – for a 14 week course for 14-16 year olds helping them to make informed decisions about sex and relationships

There will be some eyebrow raising grants in that list. Essential projects such as servicing salt bins and providing improved parking arrangements seemed to have been abandoned in favour of cosmetic improvements and schemes the success of which will be impossible to measure.

The Council says that the responsible portfolio holder is Councillor D Williams. Funding for the 2013/14 year will be allocated through a decision to be taken by the Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods.

Yet there is no record on the council web site of any decision meeting for the 2012/13 programme of works.

It remains unclear how ordinary residents can influence the use of the funds available in their ward

Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council. Full details can be found by clicking the reference below or by quoting the application reference on the “planning portal” web site.

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Ref No: 13/00843/FUL Location: 1A Plantation Drive York YO26 6AD Proposal: First floor extension to side, single storey side extension and loft conversion with additional window to rear Applicant: Miss E Savage Consultation Expiry Date: 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

Ref No: 13/01071/FUL Location: 71 Albion Avenue York YO26 5QZ Proposal: Two storey side and rear extension and single storey rear extension and porch to front (resubmission) Applicant: Mrs E Duffy Contact: Mr Peter Goss Consultation Expiry Date: 28 May 2013 Case Officer: Heather Fairy (Mon – Wed) Expected Decision DEL

In a snap poll, conducted in the Acomb area, 80% of respondents have come out against closing Lendal Bridge to private cars at the present time.

Most of the other respondents were undecided on the issue.

The poll was conducted by the Liberal Democrats over the weekend as part of their reaction to the new Local Plan published by the Labour led Council 3 weeks ago.

The Council is due to decide this evening whether to introduce the ban on private car access between 10:30am and 5:00pm – effective from August 2013.

But there has been no consultation with residents or traders on the issue.

It has been pointed out that the A1237 – one of the alternative routes for motorists – will be heavily congested at that time because of ongoing road works at the A59 junction.

The poll result reflects the numbers signing petitions on the Council’s web site.

By Tuesday morning 609 residents had signed in opposition to the bridge closure

A rival petition, supporting the closure, had attracted 103 supporters

The Liberal Democrats had called for a more cautious approach to major decisions like this one and the equally unpopular plan to introduce a Citywide 20 mph speed limit.

The Council’s “Cabinet” will decided tomorrow (Tuesday) whether to demolish the garage block in Newbury Avenue and replace it with a block of 9 flats.

Residents are likely to make representations on the controversial plan.

There are major concerns about the impact that the scheme will have on disabled residents who rely on the garage area for access.

Parking problems in the area would also increase.

If approved, the scheme would still require planning permission.

The site did not feature as a housing site in the Local Plan which was announced by Labour 4 weeks ago.

Meanwhile The Press has published details of a public meeting which has apparently been scheduled to discuss the design of Council houses which “will be built on the former Beckfield Lane recycling centre site”.

The article says that a “drop in” event will take place on Wednesday at Carr Junior School from 4:30pm to 8:00pm.

This demonstrates the arrogance of the present Council Leadership.

A decision in principle whether to build 30 new homes on the site is not due to be taken until Tuesday evening’s “Cabinet” meeting!

Yet it appears that the housing scheme has already been designed!

So much for democracy and resident involvement.

The meeting is also being asked to delegate power to a Labour Councillor to vary the sites that the planned 60 Council houses could be built on.

The Council has refused to name the other sites which have been considered. We do know that two of them were also garage blocks in the Kingsway West area.

If the delegation is agreed, then the only notice that residents might get of any change would be when a planning application was submitted.

However, as the Council no longer issues routine consultation letters to any neighbours affected by a planning application, they would only have to put a notice on a lamppost to fulfill their legal responsibilities

NB. A list of planning applications received for the Westfield Ward is published each week on this web site.