Labour media release 15th July
“Labour’s cooperative councils will work with their communities to make sure local services meet the needs of local people. It marks the end of top-down services where people are expected to put up with whatever is on offer. In future, residents, rather than town hall officials, will be in the driving seat”.

The Press 26th July
“THE controversial sale of a York coach and car park is set to be sealed in the face of huge opposition…. it has sparked fierce protests…… Local businesses say their trade would be wrecked, fears have been raised about its impact on York’s tourism, and more than 11,000 people have signed a petition opposing the sale”

Having been away from the City on Saturday, much to my surprise I returned to find several people concerned about my health and wellbeing.
This appears to have its genesis in your coverage of the local election results and in particular the use of 3 photographs of me apparently looking “stressed”.
I am one of the least emotional people around and was entirely phlegmatic about Fridays likely election results.
Had your photographer stalked every candidate in the room then he could have at some point come up with a similar shot during what was a long counting session (around 5 hours before the first results were available).
You coverage distorted the atmosphere and I can only assume that your staff wished to pander to the triumphalist element who choose to express their views in personally abusive terms. It has been evident for some years that The Press was prepared to tolerate such – minority – extreme views on your website. Your willingness to demonise local personalities in your pages is, I suppose, just an extension of where the national media is going. That doesn’t make it right
Had you looked a little closer into the backgrounds of some of the candidates for election, then you might have done the community a service by providing an objective comparison.
Nor did I leave the count “abruptly”. I was in the room for several minutes after my result had been declared and then left to ensure that the result was published as soon as practical.
I have over the years had some respect for the independence of The Press but your editorial on Saturday with its reference to the Barbican suggests that some of your reporters still have their own political agendas. In respect of helping residents to understand options and the constraints on important policy issues, in recent years, you have failed.
You have also failed to analyse the voting trends . The Liberal Democrat vote across the City was broadly similar to 2007. What happened was that Labour voters turned out in larger numbers as evidenced by the higher overall turn out. That is fair enough and signals a healthy democracy.
People make their judgements based on a variety of influences.
We have no doubt that the national situation played its part, not least in allowing Labour to generate apparently unlimited amounts of money to fund their campaign.
Many of the claims in the Labour literature were bogus but received little media scrutiny. In effect, on a range of issues, Labour have succeeded in giving the impression that they might change, what they caricature, as existing policies (cuts, privatisation, reduced spend on offices etc) while reality will be that they have few alternatives available to them. Time will prove that to be true. Although there will be a few symbolic gestures early on in the course of the new administrations term of office, the major financial choices available to them are limited. To admit such in their literature would, of course, have been disingenuous.
I fear for the future of the City if the “Big City, Big Growth” option now becomes the blue-print for the future. That is what Labour threaten to do and most York people still have no idea about the consequences of such a policy, not least on the setting and appearance of the City.
I am confident that history will record that the last 8 years have been amongst the most successful in the development of our City.
We now have a much changed and more resilient economy while street level service standards are higher than for our competitors. Crime has reduced dramatically. The education system has been modernised and there has been huge investment in leisure; some of which will only become apparent gradually as first the Barbican, then the Hull Road Sports Village and finally the community stadium open their doors. The much vilified new council HQ will open in 2012 saving around £17 million in cost to taxpayers. Council housing has been modernised as has specialist social services accommodation. Reduced central government support has been offset by an efficiency programme which has largely preserved front line services and which is the envy of many other Councils.
Effectively the new administration gets off to a flyer.
I wish them well in moving the City forward. I hope that they enjoy the backing of the media when it is deserved. I hope also that their plans and polices are subject to explanation in an objective way – something that I feel we did not enjoy from you over the last few years.
I will now be taking a break from public life. I welcome the opportunity to spend time on other projects. To that degree I am grateful to the electorate for freeing me from the time constraints faced by every Councillor. I doubt very much whether some of the recently elected new Councillors have any idea of the commitment required to do a good job for their wards. I do hope that they will get up to speed quickly
Time will tell.

As part of our pre election review we look at some of he things that happened in 2010.

The new Energise pool on Cornlands Road opens. It incorporates a learner’s pool, a hydrotherapy pool, café and fitness suite. 58% of Westfield residents say they will give it a try.

In a poll, Westfield residents said that speeding was a problem on some local roads. …..A  majority were against a blanket 20 mph limit but most thought that the Police should use mobile speed cameras to enforce limits……….. There was a major crime crackdown in November with 300 Litres of wine and 7 cases of illicit spirit were seized together with 1.5kg of illicit tobacco & 19 wraps of heroin.

The Council agreed to reopen the footpath link from Grange Lane to the ring road (and possibly the route onto Rufforth). The roll out of additional recycling collections for the Green Lane terraced area was announced………. The Council announced that it would demolish the old Lowfields school buildings in 2010 following problems with arson. …….A Christmas food cookery demonstration was held at the Foxwood Community centre and Lidl put on display their plans for the Thanet Road site……… The Fair was to return to the Thanet Road sports area in May.

A new school on Hamilton Drive would replace Our Lady’s in Windsor Garth

Spring

A worn verge in Bramham Road was hard surfaced……. and a new dial and ride bus joined the York fleet.

Ambitious plans for the conservation of Acomb Green were announced.  The demolition of Lowfields school was well underway but not before residents had complained about verge damage.

The new Lidl store got planning permission.

The new Foxwood Lane playground was almost complete.

A general election took place in the spring. We told candidates that a high priority was returning local decision making powers to the City….. Later the new Coalition government announced a “localism” agenda which stops London dictating how City’s should be planned. The housing finance system is also to be reformed meaning that York Council tenants will no longer have to pay £6.5 million a year propping up other Cities) ….. The most popular polices of the new Coalition Government –with Westfield residents – were scrapping income tax for those earning less than £10,000 a year, increasing pensions at least in line with wages, scrapping plans requiring people to carry I/D cards and better funding for the NHS.

Summer

The York Council voted against a Labour inspired idea to have a congestion charge in the City.

The introduction of a one way system on Milner Street/Gladstone Street was approved………. Nearby problems with parking near the Fish and Chip shop were being pursued by parking wardens………. Further down Green Lane a flashing speed warning sign was to be installed.

A Toucan crossing would replace the zebra crossing on York Road.

The  popular performance group called Medieval Murderers – visited Acomb Explore………. 92% of residents said that they preferred the new recycling boxes to the bags that they replaced. ………Mark Waudby joined our local team as Westfield Councillor Sue Galloway was sworn in as the City’s 798th Lord Mayor……….. The Councillors annual cycle ride round the ward took place on 19^th July.

Autumn

The Council announced that the Barbican would reopen in 2011 following successful discussions with a private operator. …………..The £50 worth of travel tokens made available to people with disabilities proved to be a popular choice with many……

 81% of users rated the ftr as comfortable with 91% liking the idea of having Conductors (hosts) on board.

Steve Galloway & Andrew Waller launched a campaign aimed at encouraging residents to use local shops and services………. A successful summer fayre had been held on Acomb Green.

We published a list of the 34 salt bins that exist in the ward. Little did we anticipate the usage that they would get in November and December.

400,000 people used the Energise sports centre in its first year……… The first carol concert ever to be staged on Acomb Green was announced for December……… Additional parking spaces on St Stephens Road (lay by) and St Stephen’s Square (off street) was agreed…… They follow on from the substantial improvements made on Thoresby Road, Cornlands Road and the Windsor Garth area.

Vandals attacked the now empty White Rose pub and the new owners were told to demolish it following an intervention by Steve Galloway. The owners announced that they would build 6 new bungalows on the site.

The local team of Councillors completed a survey of 5500 homes in the ward. ……….Most popular improvements with residents proved to be the recycling collections, the new Askham Lane roundabout, Energise and the new Explore library.