Acomb toilets closed
No progress information from Council
Visitors to the ADAM festival last week found that the public conveniences had been closed.
Despite assurances to the contrary no temporary facilities had been provided although a disabled loo was available in the library.
A portaloo has now been delivered but there is no notice displayed saying how long the Council expects the modernisation of the permanent facility to take.
When opened, the new facilities are expected to involve a 40p charge for users.
It is really shameful that a Council which spends hundreds of thousands of pounds on public relations activities can’t even put the toilet modernisation programme target completion dates on its own web site.
Yet it manages to issue media releases with the most anodyne commentary on “cabinet” member “visits”.
It’s time for the York Council to put its customers first.
ADAM Festival 2014 photos
Programme
Choir
Magic
Taxtiles
500 signature petition says “improve our neighbourhood”
Acomb residents ask for Council action
Over 500 residents living in the Chapelfields, Front Street, Cornlands Road, Gale Lane and Lowfields areas have signed a petition asking for improvements in their local neighbourhood.
The petition will be handed in to the York Council at its meeting later today by Cllr Lynn Jeffries.
The residents are concerned about the quality of public service provided in their neighbourhoods by the Council and particularly highlight issues with roads, footpaths, damaged fences, inadequate street cleansing, increasing instances of anti-social behaviour, inadequate car parking, weed growth in gulleys and on footpaths.
In some cases resident have added in their own concerns with one recurrent comment being poor access arrangements for people restricted by their use of wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
In this respect poor footpaths/lack of dropped kerbs in the Front Street/Lowfields area has been mentioned by several residents.
The petition will be considered later in the year by the responsible Council committee,
Who is best for Front Street and Acomb Village – Labour or LibDems?
The two strongest parties in the west of York have thrown down the policy gauntlet to each other – 9 months before the crucial Council election poll which is scheduled to take place next May.
A motion about Front Street will be debated at tomorrow (Thursdays) Council meeting.
Acomb branch office closed by Labour in 2012
Absentee Labour Councillor S Burton kicked off the contest by tabling a motion which calls for the Cabinet to “receive options to consider extending business rates relief for all empty properties on Front Street being brought back into use.”
Liberal Democrat Councillors responded by calling for a much more comprehensive “regeneration” strategy.
At tomorrows meeting Cllr Lynn Jeffries will ask Councillors to vote for an alternative approach:
Foxwood Community Centre AGM tonight (Wednesday)
Foxwood Community Centre
Management Committee AGM
Wednesday 11th June at 7pm in the main hall.
Come and investigate what the committee is up to and how you could get involved!
An important announcement is likely to be made tonight which may affect the future of the Centre
York Road alcohol license application to be decided on Friday
The prospective operator of a Londis store which will open at 39A York Road is seeking a license to sell alcohol between 6:00am and 11:00pm.
The Police have insisted on a wide range of conditions which would be applied if the license was granted.
Whether York Road/ Front Street needs another alcohol sales outlet is another question.
An objection to the plan has been recorded by a local resident which probably reflects the views held by many others.
The Front Street area does need an uplift and a boost to its evening economy would be welcome.
But any magnet for anti-social behaviour would be another blow for the area.
Foxwood Country Fayre movie
Scarecrow winner click for movie
Long term empty property finally back in use
9 Bradley Drive
A small house on Bradley Drive – site of one of York’s longest running empty homes wrangles – is finally ready for re-occupation.
The, privately owned, singe bedroom property, had been empty for over 6 years and had been due to be brought back into use in 2011.
Unfortunately, at that stage, the newly elected Labour Council interrupted the legal process that would have allowed the property to be sold.
The property has finally been restored. It now features modern heating, cooking and bathroom facilities.
Local residents have welcomed the improvement to the neighbourhood that the renovation work has brought.
Small grant allocated to Westfield Ward
The Council has allocated (at a behind closed doors meeting) what it describes as a “credit pot” to “deprived” wards.
The allocations are
- Westfield – £4260
- Clifton – £4241
- Heworth – £4296
- Hull Road – £3342
- Guildhall £2818
The Council says that on 6 March 2012 the Cabinet established a “credits pot” to be allocated only to wards with the highest levels of deprivation to be used in line with the criteria for ward funding, to deliver on the ward priorities.
This decision distributes the pot to the 5 wards in proportion to their population.
The amount compares to the £60,000 made available each year to wards like Westfield when the Liberal Democrats were in control of the York Council.
NB. Labour are scrapping all financial assistance to local community centres in 2015.