Future Prospects are offering benefits and income checks and help to make claims to patients registered at the Cornlands Road Surgery. The project started in March 2011, will run for a year and builds on the work already done in Kingsway West and Westfield Ward to increase residents’ income through welfare benefits awards and promote financial inclusion.
The service has been funded through City of York Council’s ‘One City’ approach to reduce the impact of the economic downturn, Railway Housing Association and Joseph Rowntree Trust, as a result of coordinated bids by local residents associations and partnership agencies.
A similar integrated service at Clifton Medical Practice has resulted in £150,000 in additional annual income flowing into the local area and the aim of the service is to replicate this success for local people accessing the Cornlands Road Surgery.
Patients can book appointments at the surgery and home visits are available to people with mobility difficulties.
For more information contact Pauline Golden on 01904 634748 or email pgolden@futureprospects.org.uk.

Ring Road opening

In our review of the last 4 years we today take a look at 2008.

Spring

The official opening of the new Askham Lane roundabout was set for 11^th March.

The new “Explore” library on Front Street had also opened. On offer to residents was everything from language lessons to Indian Head massage. It was to see user numbers treble.  Over 90% of residents gave the new “Explore” library the thumbs up in a survey undertaken later in the year.

The Knavesmire Nursing home on The Green had closed and there were problems with vandalism. The building remains empty although the lease in now nearing its end.

Work on the new York High school building was on target.

 Resident planted bulbsflourished on Askham Lane, Foxwood Lane and Gale Lane……. In response to a survey, 66% of Lowfields Residents said that they had seen a PCSO patrol in the area.

Some rear access snickets in Chapelfields got gates to improve security…… Tenants in Thoresby Road were balloted on having an off street parking area provided (which later was constructed)

A row erupted on the Council as Labour tried to divert more funds into Christmas lights and fireworks by reducing the highways maintenance budget. Their plans were defeated.

The “Kingsway Project”, which was aimed at improving the well being of low income residents living in the Kingsway West area, was conceived. The project was so successful it is now being rolled out in other parts of the City.

Summer

Residents supported the provision of a low cost food store on the site of the, soon to be replaced, Edmund Wilson Pool.  Work on the replacement swimming pool on Cornlands Road had started.

Residents said that the old Lowfields school site should be reserved for elderly person’s accommodation (it will be marketed shortly|)………High efficiency “Passivehaus” homes came to York for the first time.

A survey revealed anti crime measures to be Hob Moor resident’s top priority……… High winds damaged some trees in the area while residents asked for metal railings to be provided around the Bachelor Hill amenity area……. Building works at The Burn started……… There was an outbreak of graffiti in the Front Street area. The new CCTV camera played a part in identifying those responsible.

Autumn

Lidl were announced as the successful bidders for the Edmund Wilson pool site,

The High Schools temporary home at Lowfields was damaged in an accidental fire. Everyone rallied round to minimise disruption.

Foxwood Lane flooded badly as all 3 pumps the pumping station failed. An automatic alarm system was subsequently fitted.

A new seat was provided on Front Street and the Ward committee funded a “big clean up” when rubbish wagons toured the area collecting unwanted items.

The Council launched a bid for funding to reduce congestion on the ring road. It included 3 new park and ride sites.

Lowfields residents opted to have the road humps removed from their street after the High school moved……… A new zebra crossingwas installed on Cornlands Road and, in the same area, tenants got double glazing following a request from us. (The Council recently decided to extend the double glazing programme to all Council homes in the City)

Weather permitting the Council will be starting the cutting of highway verges, housing sites and other open spaces next week.

To avoid damage to the grass and an unsightly finish, any areas that are found to be too wet will be left uncut.

Any areas containing spring bulbs will also be left uncut.

There’ll be some road works going on in the area for a few weeks.
At the moment a new bus stop being constructed on Front Street near the Severus Street junction.
This is in preparation for the conversion of the nearby Zebra crossing into a Toucan.
Some footpath widening works will take place between Severus Street and Manor Drive.
The Vehicle Activated Speed warning signs will be fitted on Green Lane before the end of the month (the work should not interfere with traffic flow).
The one way signs for the Gladstone Street area will be fitted in early April.

Yorkshire Water have written to us to say “As part of our ongoing investment programme to improve and maintain the high standard of water quality, we have a statutory obligation to undertake work.
We plan to refurbish the water mains in your area. The work will involve us replacing approximately 250 metres of water main on Green Lane between properties
73 – 97, starting during the week commencing 14 March 2011. We will be on site for approximately 3 weeks.
In order to carry out this work safely it will be necessary to use traffic lights”.

Sue is presented with a limited edition picture of the Minster to commemorate her 32 years as a Westfield Councillor

Cllr Sue Galloway has announced that she will not be seeking re-election when the City Council elections take place on May 5^th.

First elected in 1979, Sue has represented the Westfield Ward, without a break, for the intervening 32 years.

During that time she has served on most Council committees and is currently the Councils second longest serving member.

She was the Executive member with responsibility for Social Services during the first Liberal Democrat administration in 2003 and pioneered in 2006 the ”Telecare” system which is now revolutionising how elderly people live safely in their own homes in the City.

She is one of the driving forces behind York’s increasingly successful performance in the “Britain in Bloom” contest.

She also led on the successful “Kingsway Project” – an initiative which has seen unemployment fall in one of the poorer areas of the City and which is now being expanded to include other neighbourhoods.

Sue became Lord Mayor in May 2010 and has already helped to raise over £30,000 for her charities (British Heart Foundation & Our Celebration)

Commenting Sue said

“Obviously, after such a long time, I will be sad to leave the council and in particular to have less contact with residents in the Westfield area.

The City has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. When I first entered politics the Liberal Party had only a small number of Councillors but this grew over the years, until in 2003 we had a landslide victory at the polls.

I like to think that I have made my mark on the City during that time.

The numbers using the Councils Social Services continues to increase and we are lucky to have a dedicated team of carers to look after them.

In my own ward all the local schools have been modernised  

New public transport services,  like that provide by the ftr, were the stuff of science fiction comics in the 70’s.

We should not forget that it is only relatively recently that we got a northern by pass. Until that time HGVs regularly chugged their way through the City centre causing pollution and congestion.

I was delighted when the new Energise sports centre was established on Cornlands Road – and amazed when over 400,000 used it in its first year.

The “Explore” library in Front Street has also been hugely popular and has set new standards for public access which will now be rolled out to the rest of the City.

But the time has come to pass the reins on to someone younger.

I wish whoever is elected as my successor on May 5^th every success in representing the Westfield community”

A list of the roads and footpaths to be resurfaced in the Westfield Ward over the next 12 months has been published together with the estimated cost of the work.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have written to me to say, “We are pleased to let you know that David Wilson Homes has been appointed to develop the first phase of Derwenthorpe, a new community to the east of York.
David Wilson Homes is an award-winning house-builder with a track record in delivering high quality homes to exacting environmental standards. Part of Barratt Developments PLC, they are the only major house-builder awarded a maximum five-star rating for customer satisfaction by the HomeBuilders Federation. They will build the first 64 homes on the site, with 25 available through shared ownership or as socially rented accommodation. Work begins in March and is due to finish in summer 2012. David Wilson Homes plans to employ a significant number of local people and to train apprentices on site.
Once completed, Derwenthorpe will provide 540 energy-efficient homes to meet the changing needs of young families, disabled people, older residents and those wanting flexible living/working arrangements. This first housing stage represents an undertaking of £11m. JRHT is working with the City of York Council and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which has provided a grant of £1m for this stage. JRHT will remain commissioners of the Masterplan for Derwenthorpe and long-term stewards of the land.
After many delays, reaching this point is real progress. Our wish has always been to provide much-needed family homes that will benefit generations to come in York. Even in this difficult economic period, York is demonstrating that it can make the most of opportunities to ‘make it happen’”.

The Coalition governments decision, to raise the threashold before people start paying income tax, means that 3340 York residents no longer pay income tax.