Social care is essential for most people at some time in their life. It embraces the most intimate care for people, often at times of great distress. It is about helping people and their carers to live independent lives. This isn’t happening at the moment. That’s why the Coalition Government is moving away from the “business as usual” mentality of the last Labour government to tackle the broken system of how we care for our older and disabled people.
This new Government policy is built on two key reforms that Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for over the last decade.
The first is that people – and not service providers – will have control over their care. By extending the roll out of personal budgets, first proposed by the Liberal Democrats in 2004, we will give individuals the freedom to decide what their money is spent on. By 2013 councils will provide everyone who wants one and is eligible with a personal budget.
The second key reform, that Liberal Democrats have consistently championed, is guaranteed respite care. We believe that this is a lifeline – not just for carers but for whole families. The Coalition Government’s vision for social care will deliver on our Party’s manifesto commitment to provide guaranteed respite care by making over £400million available in additional funding over the next four years to hundreds of thousands of carers.
Too often in the past money for carers has been diverted into other areas. Unlike the last Labour Government, we’ll ensure that the right mechanisms are in place to make sure that this money gets to carers. Under the current system, too many vulnerable people have been left imprisoned in their homes, fearful of moving to be near loved ones, in case they found themselves worse off in a postcode lottery of care.
Our reforms will reverse rules which mean those who receive help from their local council have to be reassessed if they move to another part of the country. People will have the freedom to move home without the fear of having their entitlements taken away from them. The care and support of our older and disabled population is one of the most urgent of all social policy issues we face as a society. That’s why the Coalition Government has committed itself to invest £2billion into social care by 2014/15.

The City of York Council’s environmental protection unit has now finished its’ investigation of the former refuse tip behind Westfield Place.

A detailed risk assessment has confirmed that the levels of contaminants do not pose a risk to people or the environment. Therefore, the site will not be determined as contaminated land.

We undertook a survey (right) in Green Lane during the summer. Several options were offered for improvements to the road layout some of which involved the provision of cycle tracks.

The majority of respondents rejected changes to the carriageway but, by a large majority supported, the provision of vehicle activated speed signs (similar to those in use on Wetherby Road).

The Council have now agreed to provide these signs. The work should be completed before the end of the year.

To ensure that the signs target vehicles midway along Green Lane, where speeds tend to be highest, they will need to be positioned outside no .49 for northbound traffic, and outside no .77 for southbound traffic. This is because the signs detect traffic around 75-100 metres in advance of their position to give motorists time to see and respond to their message. (The signs have to be attached to a lamppost as they need a power supply)

We hope that the new signs will help to control traffic speeds on the lane.

Acomb Explore Library is now available on twitter. The account is @ExploreAcomb

And an upcoming special event………

Gothic Molly, also known as Helen m Sant, will host a storytelling event with a twist on Wednesday 8 December at 7pm.

Gothic Molly created the first ever tour of haunted pubs in York, and is well known for interacting with her audience through colourful storytelling.

During the evening at Acomb Explore visitors will be met by mysterious characters including, Saint Nicholas, the snow maiden, the witch Le Befana, and the Scandinavian Yule Goat.

Gothic Molly has been storytelling in York since 2003 and specialises in all types of story including historical, myths, legends, folklore, fairytale and ghost stories.

Tickets cost @£5 per person and include minced pies and mulled wine. For more information and to books tickets contact 01904 552651.

Council officials have highlighted a cycle accident problem at the junction of Tudor Rd and Kingsway West. To help address this problem they are proposing some changes to the layout of the junction.

The existing layout, shown in the top left hand corner of the plan, encourages vehicles turning right from Kingsway West to emerge straight onto the roundabout without first making the right turn onto Tudor Road (see blue arrow on plan). This means drivers are choosing to effectively go through two road junctions in one movement which increases the risk of mistakes being made.

The preferred movement (see red arrow on plan) shows how drivers should make two distinct manoeuvres. To ensure the preferred path is followed officials are proposing the following changes at the junction (see attached plan).

· The addition of a build-out on the corner to the east of Kingsway West, and repositioning of the give way marking will provide a better position for drivers emerging from Kingsway West to make the preferred movement.

· Introduction of a splitter island at the junction of Tudor Road with the roundabout. This provides a barrier to vehicles turning directly onto the roundabout and ensures they will take the preferred path.

· Removal of an existing length of footway and reinstatement as verge so to discourage pedestrians from trying to cross at the proposed splitter island. Making the new island a pedestrian refuge was investigated but could not be accommodated due to insufficient road widths, so the proposed island is only to ensure the separation of traffic. However a new crossing point is proposed on Tudor Rd to cater for pedestrians wanting to cross close to the roundabout.

 Hob Moor has recently been entered into the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship scheme along with Bootham Stray and Clifton Backies, parts of the Knavesmire and Walmgate Stray. This scheme pays land managers to manage the land in a certain way for the enhancement or maintenance of existing landscape features, habitats and historical features.

In 2011 the traditional TV signal will be switched off in the Yorkshire region and replaced with a digital TV signal.

Many people will already have the equipment they need to receive digital TV, but if you are not sure if you have the correct equipment or don’t know how to get ready for digital TV there is help available.

An explanation of what you need to do to make the switch to digital TV can be found here http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/.

There is also a dedicated help scheme for older and disabled people which is run by the BBC and can help with converting one of their televisions to digital in the run-up to digital TV switchover in their region.

You are eligible for help if you are:

· aged 75 or over,
· have lived in a care home for six months or more,
· get or could get, disability living allowance,
· attendance or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement,
· Or if you are registered blind or partially sighted.

Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help but the service is free for people who are eligible and also get pension credit, income support, income-based jobseekers allowance or employment and support allowance.

In the run-up to switchover, every eligible person will receive a Switchover Help Scheme information pack explaining the options for switching to digital.

In the meantime, if you want more information for yourself or someone you know, please log onto www.helpscheme.co.uk

ASKHAM CROFT JCN WATERMAN COURT

ASKHAM GROVE END OF CUL DE SAC

ASKHAM LANE OUTSIDE NUMBERS 186 & 188

ASKHAM LANE AT THE ENT WESTFIELD SCHOOL

BACHELOR HILL NEAR NUMBER 12

BARKSTON AVENUE OUTSIDE NUMBER 26

BEECHWOOD GLADE OUTSIDE NUMBER 1

BRADLEY DRIVE AT THE SIDE OF NUMBER 25

BRAMHAM ROAD OUTSIDE SANDERSON COURT HOUSE

BRAMHAM ROAD OS NUMBER 8

CHANCERY COURT AT TOP OF CUL–DE–SAC BEFORE NO 1

CHAPELFIELDS ROAD JCN WITH MARTSON AVENUE

CORNLANDS ROAD OPPOSITE THE WHITE ROSE PUB

DANESFORT AVENUE JCN MIDDLETON ROAD

DIJON AVENUE ENTRANCE TO LOWFIELD SCHOOL

FIR HEATH CLOSE OUTSIDE NUMBER 5

FOXWOOD LANE JCN BEAGLE RIDGE DRIVE OS SHOPS

FOXWOOD LANE AT THE JUNCTION WITH ASKHAM LANE

FRONT STREET OUTSIDE VYNER HOUSE

FRONT STREET OUTSIDE LIBRARY

GALE FARM COURT OPPOSITE 23

GALE FARM COURT IN CAR PARK OFF FRONT STREET

GRANGE LANE OPPOSITE NUMBER 60

GROVE TERRACE JCN FRONT STREET

HOWE STREET JCN WITH SEVERUS STREET

KINGSTHORPE OPPOSITE NUMBERS 29 & 31

LINET WAY OPPOSITE NUMBERS 14 AND 16

OTTERWOOD LANE AT JUNCTION OPPOSITE NO.S 29 / 31

PARKER AVENUE JUNCTION WITH HOTHAM AVENUE

PHEASANT DRIVE OPPOSITE NUMBER 14

STUART ROAD NEAR ENTRANCE TO BIRCH COPSE

TENNENT ROAD BETWEEN NUMBERS 56 & 61

VESPER DRIVE OUTSIDE 22

WOODFORD PLACE BETWEEN NUMBERS 4 AND 6

Updated 5th November 2010: The building has now been demolished

Updated 13th October 2010: We understand that this empty building has been sold to a property developer.  He expects to submit a planning aplication for the erection of bungalows on the site shortly. It is possible that the building will be pulled down before the end of the year.

The new owners of the White Rose pub have been told to demolish the derelict building as quickly as possible. They have said that they will appoint contractors and hope to start work within the next 2 weeks.

The initiative by the Liberal Democrat team came after a weekend of vandalism to the building which left an unsightly mess. Broken glass was a particular hazard and this was cleaned up on the Tuesday.

However the Council does not have powers to require an owner to secure their property and the developers of the site are not local. Focus understands that they are developing similar redundant pub sites for residential purposes in the East Riding.

A planning application, which is in the name of Neil Farrar (reference 10/01862/FUL), for the erection of 6 semi detached bungalows on the site was submitted in September and could be approved within the next few weeks. The Council is currently awaiting additional details from the applicant.

If approved, specialist accommodation of this sort—which often appeals to older people—would be a welcome addition to the area. The location has the advantage of good transport links and is close to the new community and sports facilities recently constructed next to the High School.

The vandalism of the pub building has been condemned by local Councillors, the Police and residents.

Steve Galloway commented, “although the building had reached the end of its life, the mindless vandalism put the safety of passers by at risk while the building became a blot on the local landscape.

We just don’t need this kind of behaviour in our community.

We are working closely with the neighbourhood policing team to make sure that the reductions in anti social behaviour seen in recent years, are not jeopardised by a few inconsiderate individuals”