Derisory funding allocation to Acomb by Council

Front Street

Front Street

We understand that the York Council is being recommended to allocate only £30,000 to a much needed regeneration project in the Acomb Front Street area.

That is just 0.1% of the Council budget that is available for economic development projects in the City.

The Labour Council has been blamed for the stark decline in the area over the last 2 years. The decline started with the council closing its Acomb Office before reducing the number of litter bins in the area.

Ward Committees in Acomb and Westfield, which had over £80,000 a year to invest in local public services, lost their budgets.

Fly tipping in Front Street back lane

Fly tipping in Front Street back lane


Local Traders fought back with an “Acomb Alive” campaign and a successful festival was held in the summer.

But the whole area needs a lift with the removal of weeds, road repairs, repainting and replacement of street furniture all high priorities. Dumped rubbish needs to be systematically removed, fences repaired, graffiti removed and walls rebuilt.

Some broken bus timetable information boards have been out of service now since 2011. A lasting memorial to neglect.

The £30,000 can be compared to the single £500,000 project which is currently seeing Kings Square in the City Centre being repaved.

Well fancy that! Click to enlarge

Well fancy that! Click to enlarge

First offers to meet passengers at Acomb venue on Thursday to explain timetable changes

old bus

To ensure customers are fully aware of the proposed timetable changes, First is planning to hold the following three public drop in sessions this week at venues where some of the bigger network changes are taking place:

Haxby – Wednesday 25 September, 2.30pm-5.30pm, Haxby & Wigginton Methodist Church Hall

Acomb – Thursday 26 September – 9am-12noon, Acomb Parish Church Hall

City Centre -Thursday 26 September – 2pm-5pm, City of York Council West Offices

They say, “Further drop in sessions will take place over the next few months as First looks to make further customer-orientated network changes”.

Click here for a map showing the revised (First) bus network in York

The following internet link will take you to a full list of the service changes. http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/york/travel_news/service_updates/?item=9391&conf=0

The offer is likely to be welcomed as the precise working arrangements for the “Acomb bus hub“, and the frequency of the new service on Hamilton Drive, have raised question marks with some users?

Labour fall to 5th place in Acomb poll

Broken rose

Results of a door to door survey in the Hamilton Drive part of Acomb have seen Labour fall to their lowest ever level of support.

Asked which party they would support if there were a Council election tomorrow, only 3% said they would vote Labour.

The Conservatives and UKIP were vying for second place behind the Liberal Democrats who were favored by 40%

The poor Labour showing is put down to problems with the introduction of new waste collection arrangements and threats to reduce the amount of ice clearance undertaken in the neighbourhood.

200 homes in the area were visited by surveyors.

Bus services

Herd of buses

First have confirmed the terminus (timing points) where their new Acomb bus services will lay over.

Service 5/5A will terminate at Front Street, (5 at The Marcia Pub, 5A at the Post Office),

The 4 will terminate at Green Lane.

First have promised to improve the prominence of the timetables for the new services on their web site.

We are expecting an announcement about fare levels tomorrow morning. See this web site for details.

Latest planning applications in Acomb and Westfield

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards. Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

Acomb

Ref No: 13/02986/FUL

Location: 1A Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BS

Proposal: Bay window and canopy to front

Applicant: Mrs Juliet Powell Contact: Mr J Funnell Consultation Expiry Date: 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level: DEL

Ref No: 13/03048/EIASP

Location: British Sugar Corporation Ltd Plantation Drive York YO26 6XF

British Sugar site

British Sugar site

Proposal: Scoping opinion for proposed residential-lead development at former British Sugar site, Plantation Drive

Applicant: Neil Jones Consultation Expiry Date: 4 October 2013 Case Officer: Jonathan Kenyon Expected Decision DEL

Westfield

Ref No: 13/03017/FUL

Location: 100 Tennent Road York YO24 3HG

Proposal: Single storey rear extension

Applicant: Mr Filatov Consultation Expiry Date 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level DEL

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site. http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.

Council jettison more Acomb services

We understand that the Council is planning to stop the weekly housing benefit advice sessions that they had been running at the Chapelfields Community centre.

Acomb Council Office - closed in February 2012.

Acomb Council Office – closed in February 2012.

The service was one of those introduced to replace the “face to face” adv ice service which was lost when the Council’s Acomb Office closed 18 months ago.

Each Thursday morning the Council promised a “Housing advice, Council Tax Support and Housing Benefits service: 9am – 12 noon”

It was one of five advice points were established last year, but now only the one at the Gateway centre (the most popular) will continue in Acomb.

Ironically this building is within 50 yards of the former Acomb Office.

Originally the intention had been to locate advice, and headquarter estate managers and community workers, at the Acomb Explore Library but this plan was scrapped when Labour took control of the Council in 2011.

Now Acomb residents face a long trek to the Council HQ in Toft Green. A telephone link may continue to be available at the Community Centre, but as many callers know, such services are inaccessible for some. We understand that the estate manager will still be present at the centre on Thursday mornings

NB. Callers to the main Council switchboard this week are reporting delays of up to 10 minutes before connection.