Tech support scams

Cybercriminals might call you on the telephone and claim to be from companies such as Microsoft.

They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license.

However, once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:
•Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
•Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
•Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
•Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and other personal or financial information there.

Neither Microsoft nor their partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.

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The Council http://tinyurl.com/York-Council-28th-Sept has issued the following general advice for residents clearing up after a flood:

There are a number of things to be aware of when clearing up after a flood

• Always ensure you wear waterproof gloves and footwear to prevent any contaminates coming into contact with the skin

• Avoid eating and smoking whilst clearing up and make sure hands are thoroughly washed before doing either

• Wash any areas of skin that have come into contact with flood water, silt or other rubbish

• Be mindful of weight when lifting any bags – wet bags are heavier than dry ones

• If bags do tear, please clear any spillages quickly and place in a clean, dry bag without overfilling it.

• Don’t overfill refuse bags as they will be very heavy and may tear when lifted causing further problems

Further clean up advice from the Environment Agency can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/Floods-clean-up

The following web site may also be helpful. Health Protection Agency http://tinyurl.com/HPA-28th-Sept

The Police have issued the following advice

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City of York Council’s leisure centre Energise and its fitness equipment supplier, American company Cybex, are raising money for a cancer charity during October.

For every mile gym users log on a new pink Cybex treadmill at Energise gym on Cornlands Road, the American company will donate 10 cents to local charity, York against Cancer.

Monthly members and registered casual users at Energise are being invited to keep this pink treadmill busy at all times and raise as much money as possible. The gym instructors will also be reminding people to ensure that the treadmill is in constant use throughout the whole period. The machine will be located in the main fitness suite making it easy to use and very visible to all those working out. (more…)

The York Council’s Labour “Cabinet” is set to agree an additional £3.3 million increase in spending today. All of the money is to be spent in the City centre. http://tinyurl.com/3-million-York-plan
The programme is part of the Council’s so called “Reinvigorate York” programme which will eventually see the City’s debt increase by an estimated £20 million. Interest and repayments on this loan will leave residents with an extra £1.6 million a year to find. Much of it is expected to come from further cuts to front line services.

The decision comes at a time when the Council is facing a £6 million overspend on this years budget together with heavy criticism over its decision to cut home care support of 184 elderly residents. Ironically the Council will have to find £300,000 to pay for consultants to design the planned improvements. That is similar to the sum that is needed to continue the social care services which are set to be axed.

For a number of years the Council has (rightly) invested in a rolling programme of works aimed at improving the streetscape of the City. The last project to be completed was the paving of Library Square in 2011 and this was to be followed by improvements to Deangate, as part of the Minster Revealed project. The latter is running a little behind schedule but the next street to be pedestrianised and paved was due to be Fossgate.

Under the new plans Fossgate is pushed back and changes to Kings Square have been substituted. The 6 areas to be addressed over the next 2/3 years are:
1) Parliament Street (including Piccadilly/ Coppergate junction)
2) King’s Square
3) Exhibition Square/ St. Leonard’s Place/ Bootham Bar
4) Fossgate/ Pavement
5) Duncombe Place/ Blake Street
6) Micklegate

No figures have been provided for the costs of individual schemes. Officials acknowledge that work at the Parliament Street junction will be complex and no decision has yet been made on what will replace the old public toilet block (although the quality of street entertainment here has taken an upward step recently – http://youtu.be/s-_Ip_VJrLc)

The additional borrowing results from what should be a 4 or 5 year programme being compressed into just 30 months. An officer’s report on the project fails to produce a convincing business case for the investment. All that are quoted are case studies from wildly dissimilar towns and City’s which sought regeneration from a much lower base (and in most cases – because of unemployment levels – with the benefit of Regional and/or European funding).

With no measurable economic development targets identified, no one will ever know whether the investment was justified.

What is clear is that sub-urban areas are being starved of resources with street level services in decline. Even the City centre environment is under pressure with graffiti on the increase – just the kind of image that will deter people from visiting the City.

So what should the Council do?

The improvement programme in the City centre should continue but at a pace that can be funded without recklessly increasing the City’s debt burden. Borrowing should be restricted to projects which generate a clear additional income stream for the Council and which can then be used to service debt charges.

The sub-urban areas should also receive investment with the aim being to generate pride in the whole of the City not just the area within the Bar Walls.

Young drivers are to be offered free assessments to improve their confidence and awareness on York’s roads.

Up to 300 drivers aged 17 to 26, who live or work in York, could benefit from the York Momentum scheme over the next two-years.

The Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) course will officially be launched this week (1 August) by representatives from the road safety charity and council staff in the road safety team.

For more details about the course please visit www.york.gov.uk/transport/Road_safety/ or email momentum@york.gov.uk

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Amongst the plethora of cuts introduced by York’s Labour Council earlier in the year, their decision to borrow an extra £20 million to fund an Economic Infrastructure Fund perhaps failed to get the scrutiny that it deserved.

Here was a Council, moaning about expenditure reductions imposed by central government, and yet – in contradiction with its own election manifesto which claimed that the York Councils debt was already too high – were willing to increase that burden unnecessarily. The decision had all the hallmarks of the borrow and spend policies of the last Labour government which so damaged the British economy.

At the end of a 5 year period, Council Taxpayers will be paying an additional £1.6 million a year in debt charges, although national limits on tax increases would mean this money would have to come from additional cuts to front line services including the care of the elderly and disabled.

Supporters of the move claimed that the investment would generate more income for the City in general and for the Council in particular.

The first of the projects to be funded by this increased debt burden have been announced this week.

They include contributions to the new Park and Ride facilities while £1.7 million is earmarked for an unspecific “better bus fund”. £200,000 will be spent on painting city centre poles and continuing the “de-cluttering” programme stared a few years ago (paving, lighting, seating as well as de-cluttering unnecessary signage, fencing, bollards and other items of street furniture).

These are all items which would traditionally have been identified separately in the Council’s capital programme and represent the continuation of existing policies. They have simply been “rebadged” to give the impression that they are new thinking. None of these will directly generate new jobs or any increases in business rate income.

But it is the economic development proposals that have raised eyebrows.
• A Digital Media Cultural Centre – to be located at the Bonding Warehouse – will get a £1.4 million grant/loan with another £1.0M from the, government funded, Local Enterprise Partnership and £1.2M from the European Regional Development Fund. Only £755k would come from the private sector.
• A campaign to get the “Tour de France” to visit York will get £50,000 with £250,000 supplementary funding coming from other sources. Essentially this should have been a revenue (current account) grant to the Visit York tourism body.
• £80,000 is reserved for “targeting growth in sectors”. This is basically an increase in the Councils grant to Science City York. It is difficult to justify as a “capital” grant. There will be no tangible Council asset that has been improved in value
• £430,000 has been allocated for administration of the fund

The plan to invest £3.6 million of public money in the Bonding Warehouse – a building subject to flooding and notoriously difficult to maintain and heat – is causing deep concern. The building was owned until about 5 years ago by the Council. It was in poor condition as a result of flooding and was eventually sold for around £1 million, at the height of the property boom, to a bidder who wanted to establish a residential use for the building. This and subsequent plans for a hotel, exhibition space and offices, also failed to get off the ground and the Listed building continues to be empty.

The business case for investing £3.4 million of taxpayers money rests on the claim that “the project responds to a market failure in the provision of flexible, city centre space for the digital and creative industries”. We are told that “the sector is dominated by micro or small businesses; many of them are young and innovative. These businesses require flexible, low-cost premises located in the city centre, however land values and rental prices are prohibitively high acting as a barrier to growth. Market demand for affordable studio and business premises is high”.

The business case included with the Council papers fails to identify rental income streams which would be critical to any decision. Claims are made about job generation but without any detail of the assumptions made about the number of units that would be provided or likely occupancy rates.

With the eco business centre at Clifton Moor an obvious comparator, it would be relatively easy to test the validity of the assumptions being made.

On the face if it, allocating some of the space to starter businesses at the new Council HQ building would make more economic sense, especially if it meant that the Guildhall was retained for management and democratic use.

Most physical investments, which bring into use new facilities, have a favourable economic impact. That ranges from jobs in the building industry to longer term labour and supply chain impacts. Multiplying the income as it spirals through the local economy (for example to shops and local trades people) means that a very large number can be claimed as a “gain”.

However the real test is whether the investment in a different place or in a different sector would produce even bigger returns (and perhaps ones that have a lower risk). Some may feel that – for example – the provision of a new visitor attraction in the city is overdue. With only York Minster Revealed in the pipeline, there is a danger that technology rich interpretation attractions in other City’s may soon steal away some of York’s market. Such investment in a city centre location might help also to improve the confidence of City centre retailers.

It is difficult not to conclude that, at the moment, the Council is adopting a blinkered approach and lacks the confidence to allow public scrutiny of its investment plans.

The government is today announcing that over £1 billion will be made available to York and Leeds to boost employment opportunities and to tackle transport issues.

The funds bring with them additional powers and responsibilities.

As well as the central government funding, local Councils will be able to charge a new levy on Council Tax bills and will also have a power to borrow against future revenue.

New apprenticeship hubs are expected to be established locally with the intention of bringing together buoyant small businesses and unemployed young people. Transport investment may concentrate on rail development – in itself good news for the many rail based companies in York – but offering little early relief to local road congestion issues.

Whether York residents will see the full benefit of the plan therefore remains to be seen.

http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/city-deals-announced-allow-cities-go-growth

The local Council Leader has today used his 3 monthly report to Council to blame the Liberal Democrats for cuts to Council services in York – conveniently forgetting that the most criticised local cuts could have been avoided if the, carefully costed, alternative budget put forward by the party in February, had been adopted (see http://stevegalloway.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/02/22/halting-the-worst-of-labours-cuts-programme/).

………….And there is even talk of scrapping the York Council with decisions being centralised into a Leeds Super Authority. That could be a heavy price to pay for the further erosion of the powers that York people have to influence what happens in their City and their neighbourhoods.

It will require a responsible approach to debt management if the power to borrow against income is to be used prudently (not something that is a strength of the current York Council Leadership) while the temptation to levy a supplementary Council Tax bill is one that should be resisted at least until the use for the funding has been identified and residents have been consulted properly on the advantages that would result from such a move.

The Liberal Democrat Group will formally call for 349 litter and dog bins to be returned to the streets of York at a Council meeting next week. The demand follows the removal in recent weeks of 1 in 3 of the city’s litter bins by the Labour run City of York Council. A move that has sparked anger amongst local residents and opposition councillors.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environmental Services who will move the motion, commented:

“Councillors across the city have been contacted by residents annoyed that bins disappeared overnight and demanding that they be put back. Labour took the decision to remove 349 bins without any consultation with residents, councillors or community groups and the backlash has been clear. We are asking Labour to listen to residents and restore the bins in all areas where there is a demand to do so. Residents seem particularly concerned about bins being cut outside shops or near bus stops and it is clear that these should be put back immediately.”

The Liberal Democrat Group will suggest that the move be funded through a reduction in cabinet members. When Labour took control of the Council in May 2011 they controversially added an additional cabinet member to take the overall number to 8.

Cllr Reid commented:

“Last year at a time when the number of directors and assistant directors in the Council was reducing and those remaining were being asked to take on more responsibility, Labour decided to increase the number of the highest paid councillors. It would appear that Labour are prioritising their own pay packets over basic services while trying to blame the government for any cuts. Our motion suggests we remove the extra paid position that Labour added and further reduce by one the number that was previously in place.

“It is quite clear at this time the priority of the Council should be maintaining a clean and attractive city and providing basic frontline services for residents, it should not be underserved pay increases for Labour councillors.” (more…)

Apprenticeships on offer at York Council.

A number of Apprenticeships are being offered by the City of York Council. Details can be found on the national web site http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/

What are Apprenticeships?
As employees, apprentices earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications. Anyone living in England, over 16 years-old and not in full-time education can.
Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the apprentices’ ability and the industry sector. The minimum salary is £2.60 per hour (from 1st October 2012 will change to £2.65 per hour); however, many apprentices earn significantly more.

Who are they for?
Apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16years-old whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career. You just need to be living in England and not taking part in full-time education.
There may be different entry requirements depending on the Apprenticeship and the industry sector. However competition for places with employers can be fierce, so you will need to show that you are committed, and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the company who would employ you. You also need to be happy to work as both part of a team and individually, and be able to use your own initiative.

There are some unlikely vacancies being advertised by the York Council.

see list here (more…)

So what are the objections to cross subsidising the new stadium, community facilities and athletics centre (which is to be located on Hull Road) from the profits of a commercial development involving new stores for John Lewis and Marks and Spencer (homeware).

Essentially there are two.

The first relates to traffic generation.
There are fears of increased congestion near Monks Cross even prompting some Labour Councillors to favour charging for shopper parking at Monks Cross to deter car borne access.

The answer to this objection rests in history. In 1997 a traffic study concluded that York would be gridlocked within a decade. Draconian measures to deter car use were advocated by some. Although car parking charges were dramatically increased in the early part of the last decade, traffic patterns did not generally accord with projections. Some residents opted for different transport modes (cycling, public transport) but the main change was in the time of day that people chose to make their journeys. “Rush hours” spread into a 2 hour period. Traffic levels peaked and have been stable in the City for nearly 5 years now. The grid lock has not materialised.

At Monks Cross the same will happen. Drivers do not deliberately head for locations where they face long delays. They choose their journey times carefully. York is unlike many of its competitors in that it is relatively compact. The park and ride journey from Monks Cross to the City centre usually takes less than 15 minutes. Travellers will opt for the quickest way of getting to their destination.

The second concern relates to the business which may be taken from York City centre shops by the magnet effect of the John Lewis and Marks and Spencers stores.

Marks and Spencer has already decided (before the Monks Cross development was floated) to close its Coppergate store. Like it or not, bulky items are more often than not now bought at locations easily accessible by private transport or through the internet. Inevitably this means a reduction in City centre sales.

John Lewis may have considered a City centre location a decade ago when the Coppergate 2 development was a possibility but times have moved on and their commitment is to Monks Cross. If that fails, then he focus of their investment is likely to switch to the new Leeds shopping developments. (more…)