Waller wins Westfield by election with huge majority

Thanks to all those residents who supported us in todays by election.

Click here for video of  result announcement and Andrew Waller’s acceptance speech

The swing from Labour was one of the highest ever recorded in an election in the City.

The full result was

Votes 2014% 2011% Change
Jason Brown Conservative 118 4% 15% -11%
Louise Corson Labour 588 20% 43% -23%
Sam Kelly ED 5 0% 0% 0%
Judith Morris UKIP 398 13% 0% +13%
Andrew Waller LibDem 1804 60% 35% +25%
Alison Webb Green 87 3% 7% -4%
Total votes cast  28.5% turnout 3006
2011 figures are based on party average vote
NB in 2011 Labour won all 3 seats in Westfield

Today is by election day in Westfield

Andrew Waller gets things done

Andrew Waller gets things done

Electors in the City of York Council’s Westfield Ward today go to the polls to select a replacement for the late Lynn Jeffries.

It is the first Council by election since Labour took power on the local Council in 2011.

it is widely seen as a test of the popularity and effectiveness of the policies being pursued by James Alexander’s administration.

In 2011, Liberal Democrat Andrew Waller was the runner up in the Westfield poll and he needs only an additional 139 votes to take the seat from Labour.

The 6 polling stations are open from 7:00am until 10:00pm pm.

Electors do not need to take their voting card with them to the poll but doing so might slightly reduce the time taken to issue them with a ballot paper.

The result is expected to be announced at the Energise Leisure centre in Cornlands Road at around 11:00pm this evening.

The telephone number of the Liberal Democrat committee rooms is York 794111

Police investigate “potentially devastating” Tudor Road arson

Detectives in York have issued a CCTV still following an act of arson in the city as they appeal for the public’s help to identify the suspect.

CCTV still of Acomb arson suspect

It was reported to the police shortly after 12.50am on Tuesday 14 October 2014, by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, who were dealing with a car fire on Tudor Road, Acomb.

The suspect was seen placing something underneath a BMW before setting it on fire.

After the incident, the person responsible headed towards Hamilton Drive.

As a result of the fire, the BMW 3 series was completely destroyed and a Citroen Berlingo and a Mazda were damaged. The front of the house was also damaged by the fire.

Detective Sergeant Mark Jackson, of York CID, said: “The act of arson took place very close to the house where people were sleeping. This fire could easily have led to potentially devastating consequences.

“If you recognise the person captured on camera, or saw someone matching their description in the Tudor Road, Gale Lane or Middleton Road areas around the time of the fire, I urge you to contact the police immediately.

“I am also keen to speak to anyone who works at local garages who may have sold fuel to someone filling a petrol can, and ask them to get in touch straight away.”

Anyone who can assist with this investigation should contact York CID on 101, select option 2 and ask for the department by name. Alternatively, information can be emailed to yorkcid@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting reference number 12140177124.

LibDems make final appeal to Westfield electors

New Chapelfields Focus published

Polls are showing a swing from Labour to Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Waller in the final run up to Thursday’s by election.

Former Westfield Councillor and local resident Andrew Waller needs only 139 additional votes to overtake the Labour candidate.

Andrew has issued a final leaflet and appealed for a big turn out on Thursday.

“It is important that the result is decisive. It is the first opportunity that residents have had in York to give a verdict on James Alexander’s, mistake prone, administration”.

Many residents are saying that the Council needs more experienced members as it faces a period where no party will have overall control.

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Restore Community Centre grants says LibDem candidate

Sanderson House community centre

Sanderson House community centre

With concern growing over threats to voluntary groups using the Burton Stone Community Centre, Westfield LibDem candidate Andrew Waller has called for the grants to local community centres to be reinstated.

In the Westfield area, both the Foxwood and Chapelfields community centres have seen their grants cut by the Labour Council.

Both centres are now relying entirely on the work of volunteers.

The committees at both centres are working very hard to keep them open but, in the long term, both would benefit if an annual grant of £15,000 was reinstated.

This would allow them to employ a part time caretaker and expand use of the facilities.

Former Labour Leader David Scott claimed on Thursday that “There is not one member of this (Labour) Cabinet I would offer a proper job to, not that many of them know what a proper job is”.

The £14,000 a year that these, apparently ineffective, Cabinet members draw in salary payments would be better spent on sustaining local community centres.

Westfield LibDems election plea

The by election campaign in the Westfield Ward is hotting up.

It was still neck and neck between the LibDem candidate Andrew Waller and his Labour opponent as the parties entered the final week of campaign.

However recent revelations about the Labour Council Leadership are a major talking point and seem likely to influence the result of Thursday poll.

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Local Plan – York Council orders changes

Community Stadium gets final ”go ahead”

LibDem Euro MP Edward McMillan Scott with Westfield residents last year

LibDem Euro MP Edward McMillan Scott with Westfield residents last year

Opposition parties at last nights Council meeting flexed their muscles for the first time and rejected Labours “Big City” Draft Local Plan

The decision came shortly after 2 further Labour Councillors had defected leaving James Alexander’s residual group without a majority.

The highly controversial draft Local Plan had proposed to build 17,000 new homes mainly on Green Belt land.

It envisaged a population increase in the City of 40,000 over the next 15 years.

Now, following a successful intervention by Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Reid, those figures will be re-examined at a special meeting which will be held in November.

The meeting will take place after the Westfield by election and will be a major boost for those seeking to conserve areas like Acomb Moor.

NB. The Community stadium scheme was given the final go ahead at the same meeting last night

Labour go ahead with threat to end meals for elderly

Lunch off menu at Gale Farm Court

Westfield Residents have lost out again from cavalier council.

Meals at sheltered housing in Gale Farm Court were axed by the council on 1st October despite protests by residents that the council had not given time for alternatives to be worked through.

Gale Farm Court

Gale Farm Court

Residents had been led to believe that the council was sorting out a better contract for the meals – but on 3rd September a letter was sent by the council to say that the meals were being stopped on 1st October

Residents do not have kitchens – indeed residents took on their flats on the understanding that they would have communal meal arrangements.

The letter had followed months of consultation where residents were led to believe that the council was simply sorting out a better provider- following complaints about the quality and unreliability of orders. The Council leader James Alexander had been approached in February at the “Westfield Community Conversation” event and had claimed that he wanted to sort the problem out!

Andrew Waller has been working with residents and companies who want to provide a service which means that residents don’t need to eat in isolation in their own flats. On behalf of the residents he wrote to Cabinet Councillor Lindsey Cunningham Cross to request that the old system continued until there had been a new one developed – in response she said that she would not comment on whether the scheme would or would not cease on 1st October…. until the 16th October.

Residents found out the hard way that the council was not going to budge.

Some taster sessions have been run by companies who want to bid for the work, but these have taken place after the council had stopped the communal meals. Andrew will be pressing with residents that a sustainable solution is brought forward.

Andrew said “The treatment of the residents of Gale Farm Court has been shocking. The axing of the service came out of the blue, and it seemed like the council had already written off the prospect of a replacement even before they sent out the letters at the beginning of September. I know that Cllr Lynn Jeffries had been working with the residents for months to get better meals.

Residents in council sheltered schemes deserve to be treated with respect by the council. They should have worked to provide a new solution before axing the old. It seems that the council is saying that it is trying to tackle social isolation in the area .. but actually does the opposite in practise. I am pleased that the residents have not taken this lying down, and have been pressing for a solution that they are able to choose a solution”.