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So how good are customer services at the York Council?

A report to a council committee meeting next week praises the progress made in improving customer reception facilities. 94% of users says they are satisfied with the contact centre, an improvement on previous years.

The time taken to answer telephone calls (they had 244,277 last year) has improved while the number of residents visiting the West Offices offices has fallen from 141,556 to 112,893. Visitors wait on average for 7.2 minutes.

Business visitor numbers have also reduced.

The Council say this change is due to more people using “on line” and “auto payment” systems. These systems are cheaper for the authority to operate and should be available 24/7.

But the experience of those using “on line” services is very mixed.

The report says, “From October 2016 residents have been encouraged to complete certain transactions online. As an example – since November – 2,454 street light and street cleansing issues were reported with 1,315 (55%) of these now being logged by residents online”.

However, these are pretty much the only issues that you can report “on line” with an expectation that you will actually get a response.

The roll out of issue reporting on other services has stalled.

For the third year in a row the Council has been unable to say how long it takes to deal with electronic communications nor does the report say what customer satisfaction levels are with this contact channel.

Sooner or later the Council will have to come clean on why some of its web based customer contact systems are such a shambles.

Crack down on the abuse of blue badges in York

City of York Council is stepping up efforts to crack-down on people in York who fraudulently use disabled blue badges.

Civil enforcement officers and Veritau – the company that investigates fraud on behalf of the council – are working jointly to proactively spot and tackle badge misuse in the city.

A two-week amnesty is being offered for holders to return invalid badges without question, or fear of legal action being taken.

It will begin on Monday 17 July and end on Friday 28 July.  A collection box has been left at the customer services reception desk at West Offices.

Once the amnesty is over, a series of proactive ‘enforcement patrols’ are being planned across York in the coming months.

A blue badge should be handed back if:

  •   It has expired
  • The badge holder is no longer eligible to use one
  • It is a replacement for a badge lost or stolen and the original has since been found
  • The badge is so damaged or faded that the details are not clear
  • The badge holder has died

The blue badge scheme is for people with severe mobility problems.

Misuse impacts on the limited capacity of parking available for legitimate disabled users who have little or no choice about how they get about.

It is a problem across the UK and is thought to cost the country £46 million a year.  Someone found misusing a blue badge faces prosecution and a £1,000 fine.

In York, the council has taken people to court for illegally using badges.

In one case a woman was caught using her child’s badge to park when the child wasn’t in the vehicle with her.  Another case involved a man who used his dead uncle’s badge, which had expired, to park for free.  The expiry date was obscured by a pair of sunglasses.
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Some surprises as Chapelfields residents give their views on public services

Younger residents want better play, sports and youth club facilities

Failure to repair the bus shelter – damaged 3 months ago – was criticised by many

A door to door survey of residents views, undertaken by the Westfield Ward Councillors and helpers, has revealed the top priorities of Chapelfields residents. 170 households completed questionnaires with the top priorities for local improvements being:

  • Better parking facilities
  • The reinstatement of a regular skip service (halted by the council in April) and
  • Better maintenance of trees/bushes & verges.

:There were a lot of concerns about security. 38% of residents described policing in the area as “poor”.

For the first time the survey included a separate section aimed at finding out the priorities of younger people.

The responses revealed that listening to music and watching TV were the most popular current pastimes.

Many respondents wanted to see better sports facilities with a usable football pitch a high priority.

The Grange Lane Park and Playground “needed an uplift” being described as “dirty and insecure”.

Some wanted to see more events at Sanderson House – the local community centre.

One child – with a more down to earth priority – said that she wanted to see the “ice cream man visit the estate earlier in the day”

All respondents gave a high priority to providing funding from the Ward Committee budget for younger persons activities.

71% of respondents rated the Acomb Explore Library as good or satisfactory with 57% giving similar support to the Energise leisure centre.

For the first time in the annual survey the bus service was the top rated public service 97% rated it as good or satisfactory.

A full analysis of the Chapelfields Residents survey can be downloaded by clicking here

The residents survey now being extended to cover the Kingsway West area

 

Stonebow bus stop relocation

Stonebow is closed today (Sun 2nd) until 7pm. Diversion in operation via Foss Islands and buses will serve stops on Clifford Street

Due to the ongoing redevelopment of Stonebow House bus stops in the nearby area have been relocated for the duration of the works.

The Monks Cross Park&Ride service which currently uses stop SA will now stop outside Marks & Spencer. Services stopping at SB and SC including those provided by First, Coastliner, and Harrogate Coach Travel will move further along Stonebow towards Peaseholme Green.

It’s estimated that the work to Stonebow House will be completed by the end of the year at which point the bus stops will revert back to their original positions.

Bus wardens will be on hand during to advise residents and visitors of the changes. For more information about travelling in and around York visit www.itravelyork.info

Apprenticeship reforms – do you know what they mean for you and your business?

York Council asks, “Do you know how your business can benefit from new funding for taking on an apprentice and training your existing staff from April?”

As well as offering the chance for young people to meet with employers about real apprenticeship vacancies, the latest York Apprenticeship Recruitment Event is inviting local businesses to find out more about the upcoming apprenticeship reforms.

The event takes place on Thursday 2 March at West Offices, City of York Council.

At the event businesses will be able to meet an independent business adviser to talk about the changes to the funding for apprenticeship training for employers and how businesses can benefit from them. For example, if you are looking to recruit a 16-18 year old, there will be a £1000 grant available to businesses of any size. If you have less than 50 staff, the training is also fully funded by the Government. If your payroll exceeds £3m, however, you are about to become an apprenticeship levy payer, with different changes to be aware of. (more…)

Good and outstanding children’s services in York says Ofsted

School children

Eleven inspectors spent four weeks at the city council in November and December, examining all areas of services provided to children in the city.   They also spoke with groups of children, young people and their parents and carers.

Their inspection report is published today (7 February 2016).

It concludes “A wide range of effective services are in place to help children and families [in York] to access help and protection when they need it”.

Strong leadership, effective and committed front line staff and a well-established culture of listening to the voice of children and young people are features of York’s services singled out for specific praise by the regulator.

York’s Safeguarding Children Board was judged by Ofsted to be outstanding.  It is only the second safeguarding board in the country to be given the highest rating.

The children in care council, ‘Show Me That I Matter’ also gets special mention. The inspectors highlight how it works very hard to influence how children in care are understood.
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Trial Sunday bus service linking Foxwood/Woodthorpe and Askham Bar extended for a month

First have announced that the trial bus which links Foxwood, Woodthorpe & Bishopthorpe with Tesco and Askham Bar will continue to run until the end of January 2017.

The services will run on:

  • Tuesday 27 December 2016
  • Bank Holiday Monday, 2 January 2017
  • Sundays 8, 15, 22 and 29 January 2017

Download Service 500 timetable

The free service, numbered 500, runs with an electric bus, subject to availability, to reduce noise and emissions. It was due to finish on 18th December

500-bus-service

Award for York Electric Park & Ride Buses

Irony lost on Council as it downgrades its “green” specification for new park and ride contracts
Electric bus fleet

Electric bus fleet

Only a few days after the York Council leadership agreed to consider tenders for new park and ride services which do not include the use of ultra low emission vehicles on most routes, its existing electric fleet won a sustainability award. The service has been run in partnership with First from the sites at Poppleton and Monks Cross for the last couple of years.

Fears about the cost of replacement batteries, led the Councils Executive last week to downgrade its emission expectations when discussing a new contract specification for park and ride services in the City.

A contract for the new services attracted no tenders when it was advertised earlier in the year.

A media release for the Council today says, “York’s Park & Ride Scheme, which is run in partnership with First York and City of York Council, is setting the standard for other Park & Ride sites across the country, after scooping a prestigious accolade for its contribution to sustainable transport, at the North of England Transport Awards.

The North of England Transport Awards reward and encourage innovation and excellence and help disseminate the very best practice throughout the north of England, and this year, York’s Park & Ride scheme received the Contribution to Sustainable Transport Award.

In particular, First York was recognised for its wider commitment to providing greener travel for the region, with its fleet of electric vehicles, helping to reduce CO2 emissions in the city.

First York operates two fully electric Park & Ride routes at Poppleton Bar and Monks Cross, working in partnership with City of York Council and local bus manufacturer, Optare. The two schemes, which launched in 2014 (Poppleton Bar) and 2015 (Monks Cross), run 12 zero tailpipe emission electric vehicles, and were one of the first fully electric Park & Ride schemes in the UK”.
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Extra Christmas Park & Ride services

There will be extended Park & Ride (P&R) services on Thursdays and Boxing Day.

Park and ride busesIn the lead up to Christmas, the council is working with First York to provide a late night shopping service on all Park&Ride routes every Thursday, with the last bus leaving the city centre on all routes at around 9.30pm. For exact timings visit www.itravelyork.info.

The extended service will run from Thursday 17 November to coincide with the biggest Christmas market in York’s calendar – York Christmas Festival (which includes St Nicholas Fair), which runs between 17 November and 23 December.

In addition to this, passengers will also be able to take advantage of travel on Boxing Day on three P&R routes (standard fares apply):

  • Askham Bar (white line – route 3) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Tower Street at 6.40pm
  • Designer Outlet (red line – route 7) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Rougier Street at 6.40pm
  • Monks Cross (silver line – route 9) – First bus at 7am from the site, last bus back from Rougier Street at 6.40pm

All three services will operate at a 15 minute frequency throughout the day for all passengers and will serve all bus stops along the route.

 

To find out more about the Christmas bus offer or to find the best bus route through York, try out the council’s  i-Travel York online Journey Planner at www.itravelyork.info

Buses 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14 & 66 diverted – Rougier Street closure tonight

diversion-sign-by-daquellamaneraRougier Street will be closed towards the railway station on Tuesday 1st November, from 2100 until 0600 the following morning.

This is for repairs to a manhole cover. Stops CA, CB and CC on Rougier Street will be out of use. The road will be open in the opposite direction (towards George Hudson Street and Ouse Bridge).

Services will be diverted as follows:

4 – Acomb to City will follow normal route into town.

City to Acomb. From Clifford Street the bus will go over Ouse Bridge as normal, then LEFT onto Skeldergate, RIGHT Bishopgate Street and RIGHT Nunnery Lane. It will then continue AHEAD to the railway station, turn around by looping round Station Ave/Station Road, back to railway station, then as normal route.

14 – Foxwood Lane to Haxby will be normal route.

Haxby to Foxwood Lane. The bus will divert from Foss Bank, RIGHT onto Jewbury and ahead onto Lord Mayor’s Walk, then LEFT Gillygate, LEFT past Theatre Royal, RIGHT over Lendal Bridge then normal line of route from Station Road.

Please note: the stops at Stonebow and Low Ousegate WILL NOT BE SERVED. Alternative stop: Theatre Royal. The bus will serve all stops on diversion.

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