Business Improvement District for York city centre – taxpayers asked for £50,000 loan

…..but still no sign of help for sub-urban commercial centres like Front Street
Front Street snubbed by Council

Front Street snubbed again by York Council

The York Council’s Executive will be asked to support the successful implementation of the Business Improvement District (BID) in York at a meeting on Thursday 28 January.

The meeting comes after a ballot in November 2015 saw businesses across the city centre vote in favour of a new Business Improvement District, which will deliver over £800,000 in new investment for the city centre each year.

Executive will be asked to note a draft memorandum of understanding and baseline operating agreement for the Business Improvement District ahead of final terms being reached.

The Executive will also be asked to approve a cash flow loan of up to £50,000 to help support the creation of the Business Improvement District. It’s proposed this loan will be reimbursed in full by Summer 2016.

The business-led BID will take decisions on how to invest in the city centre and will focus on areas such as improving the cleanliness of the city centre, tackling anti-social behaviour and supporting businesses.

However the Council continues to ignore calls for regeneration initiatives in sub-urban retail areas like Front Street. Its Quango partner organisation “Make it York” is also entirely focused on the City centre area.

The Council report also outlines City of York Council’s annual contribution, via levy, of around £28,000 beginning in the 2016/17 financial year. The BID will however reimburse the administrative cost of levy collection up to £25,000.
(more…)

Latest planning applications for the Acomb and Westfield Wards

Small extension to Energise Crèche proposed. Front Street shop to become café with flat above

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

Location:       4 Jorvik Close York YO26 5HD

Proposal:       Erection of two storey dwelling following demolition of single storey side extension

Ref No: 15/02825/FUL

Applicant:      Mr & Mrs George & Karen Tindall & Peacock       Contact:        Mr Iain Robinson        Consultation Expiry Date:       8 February 2016 Case Officer:   Kevin O’Connell Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Westfield

Location:       1 Acomb Court Front Street York YO24 3BJ

Acomb Court application click to enlarge

Acomb Court application click to enlarge

The café replaces a gift shop. The flat replaces (empty) offices.

Proposal:       Change of use from shop (use class A1) to cafe (use class A3) and change of use of first floor from office (use class B1) to residential flat (use class C3)

Ref No: 15/02949/FUL

Applicant:      Mrs Chang Hsin Chih     Consultation Expiry Date        8 February 2016 Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       Energise Cornlands Road York YO24 3DX

Energise application click to enlarge

Energise application click to enlarge

Small 37 sq mtr extension to the crèche at front of building

Proposal:       Single storey front extension

Ref No: 16/00008/GRG3

Applicant:      City Of York Council    Contact Property Services CYC   Consultation Expiry Date        8 February 2016 Case Officer:   Elizabeth Potter        Expected Decision Level COMM

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Location:       95 Queenswood Grove York YO24 4PN

Proposal:       Two storey side and rear extensions and single storey rear extension

Ref No: 16/00024/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Neil Massam  Contact Mr Bob Marks    Consultation Expiry Date        8 February 2016 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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 Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

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

Cleaner York report published

York Council looks like it will soon get to grips with improving cleanliness standards in the City.
Manual sweeping in the Acomb ward click to enlarge

Manual sweeping in the Acomb ward click to enlarge

A report, to be considered on 25th January, makes several recommendations, although the most significant may be that the management of street cleaning will be devolved to local Ward Committees.

The report does, however, say that the funds available for cleaning will be reduced.

The report says, “Cleansing will take place with a minimum frequency of quarterly and a maximum of daily, depending on the location. Although in some locations there will be a reduction in the frequency of visits by a large mechanical road sweeper the new schedules will allow the vehicle to be driven more slowly which will ensure improved removal of detritus. This will not only improve cleanliness standards but also remove the matter in which weeds are able to grow”.

Mechanical sweeping in the Acomb Ward click to view

Mechanical sweeping in the Acomb Ward click to view

The report notably fails to say what standards will apply to sub-urban shopping areas, public spaces and communal areas on estates. These are often the places which have the biggest litter problems

Litter and Poop scoop bins

The report makes a welcome proposal to increase the number of litter bins. The number of litter reports started to increase when the last Council removed several bins. (They responded by stopping the publication of statistics showing the number of complaints being received – see below).

Combined litter and poop scoop bins

Combined litter and poop scoop bins

The Council will also move over to combined litter/poop scoop bins. These are emptied by the same operative and end up in landfill.

Enforcement

Despite fly tipping costing the Council £69,000 to remove in 2014, only £2248 was recovered from fines. During the same year, 8 fixed penalty notices were issued for litter dropping and dog fouling.

Reporting problems

The Council is promising that its much delayed on line issue reporting system will finally become available in the summer.

It means that the current – dysfunctional – “report it “system and the outdated “Smarter York” app will be scrapped. The latter, introduced  in a hurry in 2011 by a new Council administration, lacked the convenience and flexibility of commercial systems such as “Fix my Street”. The Smarter York app is currently costing the Council over £12,000 a year to maintain with use having dwindled to less than 4 a week.

We will see; but the Councils promise to soft launch the system, before promoting its use, is a welcome step forward.

The Council is also promising to launch a “One Planet” App which will allow residents to advertise surplus items for “exchange”. We assume that they mean what effectively would be a version of Freecycle.  The system would also “receive alerts regarding which type of waste to present on which week and a scanning facility to indicate if an item is recyclable based on York’s collection policy”.

Performance indicators

Attached to the report is a welcome glimpse of the performance indicators  “lost to view” a few years ago.

They aren’t complete but their publication is a welcome step forward by the current coalition administration (see below)
KPIs
Performance indicators

Hospital bed blocking problem in York getting worse

click for full figures
click for full figures
Staggering new figures highlight the problem of NHS ‘bed blocking’ in the York area.

Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign for an emergency cross party commission to solve the crisis in NHS and social care.

The funding crisis in social care means more patients than ever before are stuck in hospital beds longer than they need to be, adding pressure to local hospitals.

Bed blocking figures show in York there were 15 people stuck in hospital beds, despite being well enough to be discharged or transferred to social care.

The shocking figures for York reveal that the number of hospital beds out-of-action because of bed blocking is equivalent to 105 people staying in hospital for an entire week longer than they need to be.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Norman Lamb has called for a national cross party commission to tackle the funding crisis.

Launching the local campaign today Westfield Liberal Democrats said:

“The NHS and social care face an existential crisis. Demand for services continues to rise year on year but funding is failing to keep up. The position in social care is perhaps even more serious.

“Growing pressures on services are so severe that all parties must come together to fundamentally re-think how we can guarantee the future of the NHS and social care services.

“The Government cannot avoid this issue any longer. Establishing this commission will show they are serious about protecting these vital public services.”

Time to report blocked gullies in York – new salt bins arrive just as snow is forecast

As well as the flooding the ongoing rainfall has revealed a number of drainage issues on local highways.  With the first snow of winter now forecast, it is important to get local drainage systems working efficiently as quickly as possible.

As well as arranging special gully cleans, the York Council does have a small budget available to “dig out” drains which are permanently blocked.

It is important to record issues with the York Council using “on line” services such as “Fix My Street“. Dozens of issues have been reported using this service over the last 6 months. Their web site shows which issues have been dealt with and which are outstanding

Blocked gulley on Bellhouse Way reported to Council
Blocked gulley on Bellhouse Way reported to Council
A replacement for the salt bin (removed by the Labour Council 3 years ago) has now been installed in St Stephens Mews courtesy of the Westfield Ward committee
A replacement for the salt bin (removed by the Labour Council 3 years ago) has now been installed in St Stephens Mews courtesy of the Westfield Ward committee

44 crimes reported in Front Street area during November 2015

There was a significant increase in the level of crimes reported in the Front Street area (polling district KB) in November 2015 compared to the same month in 2014. 

A graph shows a steady increase in crime reports over the last year. The figures have been taken from the Police web site 

Most of the reports concern anti-social behaviour – which has increased since the opening of a centralised “hub” in the City centre which appears to have drawn police resources away from the Westfield area.

There have also been a significant number of shoplifting reports.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The number of crimes reported by type are:

  • Anti Social behaviour 13 
  • Cycle theft 1
  • Burglary 3
  • Criminal damage and arson 5
  • Drugs 1
  • Theft 4
  • Public order 1
  • Shop lifting 11
  • Vehicle Crime 1
  • Violence and sexual offences 4

This compares with a total of 30 offences reported in November 2014

Crime levels in Acomb remain relatively low compared to most other parts of the country.

The Crime and Policing commissioner Julia Mulligan is consulting on whether to increase the police tax level from April, although no assurances have been given that any extra money raised will be used to increase street level policing resources in west York.

Julia Mulligan faces a re-election ballot on May 5th.

Latest planning applications for the Acomb and Westfield Wards

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

Location:       3 Smeaton Grove York YO26 5QG

Proposal:       Two storey side and rear extension

Ref No: 15/02850/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Mark Mason   Consultation Expiry Date:       25 January 2016 Case Officer:   Elizabeth Potter        Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Location:       32 Carr Lane York YO26 5HX

Proposal:       Variation of condition 1 of permitted application 15/00223/FUL to alter external appearance of dwelling including eaves detail, external materials, light wells and window to north elevation, also removal of conditions 3 (materials), 6  (drainage) and 11 (means of enclosure to northern boundary)

Ref No: 15/02844/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Mark Smith   Contact:        David Chapman   Consultation Expiry Date:       25 January 2016 Case Officer:   Victoria Bell   Expected Decision Level:        DEL

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Westfield

Location:       2 Oldman Court York YO24 3NA

Proposal:       Change of use of dwellinghouse (use class C3) to a house in multiple occupation (use class C4)

Ref No: 15/02558/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Wayne Leighton       Contact Mr Chris Long   Consultation Expiry Date        25 January 2016 Case Officer:   Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level DEL

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Location:       22 Dijon Avenue York YO24 3DD

Proposal:       Single storey side and front extension

Ref No: 15/02821/FUL

Applicant:      Mr Jamie Agnew  Contact Mr Keith England        Consultation Expiry Date        25 January 2016 Case Officer:   Elizabeth Potter        Expected Decision Level DEL

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 Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

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

Action taken in Westfield: Roundup

Although attention in the City has – rightly – been concentrated on the floods and their aftermath, other areas have also suffered during the recent wet weather.

We have taken up several issues using the Fix My Street web site which we recommend to residents wanting to ask for repairs and improvements.

Several faulty street lights have been reported by Cllr Sheena Jackson over the last few days. These include number 3 in Bellhouse Way. If you report a streetlight please remember to quote the number which is displayed on the lamppost as well as the street name.

A pothole on Foxwood Lane has also been reported by Sheena

A pothole on Foxwood Lane has also been reported by Sheena

Sheena has asked for black bags dumped in the Foxwood Lane hedge to eb removed

Sheena has asked for black bags dumped in the Foxwood Lane hedge to be removed

The wet weather means that more verges like this in Windsor Garth have been churned up

The wet weather means that more verges like this in Windsor Garth have been churned up

Good news with the salt bin at the junction of Kingsway West and Danesfort Avenue now having been filled

Good news with the salt bin at the junction of Kingsway West and Danesfort Avenue now having been filled

Litter accumuataion on the Titeh Close snicket has been reported

Litter accumulation on the Tithe Close snicket has been reported

Rubbish bad dumped in Teal Drive salt bin

Rubbish bag dumped in Teal Drive salt bin

The little Green Lane garage area continues to deteriorate. The lack of action - the problems were reported 4 months ago - will now be referred to the Ombudsman

The little Green Lane garage area continues to deteriorate. The lack of action – the problems were reported 4 months ago – will now be referred to the Ombudsman

More damaged verges this time in St Stephens Road

More damaged verges this time in St Stephens Road

and again in Kingsway West

and again in Kingsway West

Still no sign of repair to the carriageway in Windsor Garth

Still no sign of repair to the carriageway in Windsor Garth

Good news in Ascot way where an overgrown hedge has been cut back

Good news in Ascot Way where an overgrown hedge has been cut back