Proposed sub station site
A planning application has just been received by the York Council which would see a sub station built on land next to garages on Ascot Way.
It is causing concern as it would mean that the adjacent rear entrance to Hob Moor school could become very narrow and dark.
There are safety issues that will have to be addressed if this does go ahead (it is required to service the nearby disabled children’s centre project)
The application can be viewed by clicking here
The Childrens Centre at Hob Moor school is being retained
The Council is planning to replace most of its children’s centres with mobile support staff following a survey of residents views. The results of the survey – which attracted 981 responses, can be viewed here
A report to a Council committee meeting next week gives more details of the plans
The report says, “These new Local Area Teams would bring together a range of existing services to form a new set of preventative arrangements for families from pregnancy through to adult hood. By working in a more coordinated way with partners and communities, the new arrangements will deliver more effective and efficient ways of whole family and community based working”.
The teams will be based at the three retained children’s centres which will be located at:
However, the report does not detail what will happen to the space freed up by the closure of the other centres
The Council faces a dilemma as the government may choose to “claw back” £4.4 million of the grant which was used to establish the centres in the first place.
The Council has also announced that it will close the Castlegate young people’s drop in centre and move it to Sycamore House on Clarence Street
Children’s centres in York click for detail
The consultation survey can be found at www.york.gov.uk/consultations and will be open for completion and comment until 25 May 2016.
The council says it is “planning to make Children’s Centre services a key part of new Local Area Teams being created to support families in the crucial early years of a child’s life and through into adulthood (up to 19 years old or 25 years old for disabled young people)”.
However, the consultation talks – in the small print – about exploring “for each of our buildings if transferring ownership and management to partners and communities could save money but still ensure services for families“.
It is clear that the Council plans to de-register its children’s centres and hand the buildings over to third parties including possibly the burgeoning number of independent “Academy” schools.
Effectively parents and neighbours would lose their influence over how – or even if – the centres operate.
The Council line is that they will “locate services in local communities – providing access to community health services, parenting and family support, early education and childcare, as well as links to training and employment opportunities for families with children aged under five.
The consultation is being shared with service users and professionals across the city. The proposals recognise that the council needs to be able to help those in most need at the earliest possible stage, so that every child in York has the best possible start in life, that issues in later life are prevented and so that the need for more intensive and high-cost interventions are reduced.
As part of the new approach for families the proposals are that the council will:
